Toys Story and the Etch A Sketch

Since I talked about Wall-E recently, I suppose I should talk about possibly the best animated movie ever made, and that is Toy Story. Steph says that it is her favorite movie. I am inclined to agree. It is wonderful on every level. Our whole family is anxiously awaiting the arrival of Toy Story 3, in 3-D! One of the funny scenes in the movie is where all of the toys are trying to figure out who stole Woody. Etch, the Etch A Sketch, is indespensible, drawing and redrawing the alleged thief.

We sell the classic Etch A Sketch over at Town Square Toys. I mentioned it in our other blog which focuses on the toys themselves. Check out that article here and then check out an Etch A Sketch for yourself.

If you want more information about Toy Story, you can check it out at The Internet Movie Database. It stars Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, Laurie Metcalf, and R. Lee Ermey.

Wall-E and Rubik's Cube

Okay, I will have to admit it: I have not seen Wall-E yet. I don't know why! I love Pixar and Disney and their collaborations. Everyone in my family has seen it; I don't know how I missed out on it. Alas, I have not seen it. Will I? More than likely. I hear that it is a cute story and a cautionary tale as well. Some of the draw for me is, of course, the little Wall-E robot. He reminds me of Number 5 from Short Circuit. Do you remember that film?


Anyway, you probably noticed in the movie that Wall-E plays with an old Rubik's Cube. We just happen to sell the Rubik's Cube at Town Square Toys. We also sell the Rubik's Twist. Growing up, we called it the Snake, but now it is called the Twist. If you are struggling to find the solution to the cube, you can also get the "how to" DVD, which will show you how to solve this perplexing puzzle.

If you want more information about Wall-E, you can check it out at The Internet Movie Database. It stars the voice talents of Fred Willard, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, and Sigourney Weaver.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and a Bubble Thing

My kids recently went to see Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Caleb says that he saw the Bubble Thing in the movie. Now, I don't remember everything I learned about Greek Mythology, but I am pretty sure I would have remembered ole Zeus pulling out the Bubble Thing when having a throw down with the Titans. Maybe it was one of Hercules' lesser tasks, to make a bubble that he could fit in? Perhaps Athena made bubbles and then used them for targe practice? I guess I will have to go see the movie and find out.

You, however, can find out all about the Bubble Thing at Town Square Toys! The Bubble Thing says that you can make gigantic bubbles; you can make them 10 or 20 feet long! Is that true? Well, I have seen Caleb in the backyard making some pretty awesome bubbles, that is for sure. I didn't break out the tape measure, but they were huge. Even when he couldn't get the wind to cooperate, he was creating bubbles that were easily 2 or 3 feet wide. Go get a Bubble Thing for yourself and make some bubble magic happen!

If you want more information about Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief , you can check it out at The Internet Movie Database. It has some slightly scary parts for younger kids; I think Medusa was the freakiest person mentioned by the boys. I can't imagine that she would be any stranger than the Medusa from Clash of the Titans - the original one. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief stars quite a cast: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Coogan, Rosario Dawson, Uma Thurman and many more.

Extraordinary Measures and Olivia Hope by Only Hearts Club

Steph and Amy went to see that new movie, Extraordinary Measures the other day. One of the characters in the movie, the daughter, has an Only Hearts Club doll. Amy thinks that it was Olivia Hope. It is possible that it is a different member of the Club, but even if it is, it is still cool to feature such a doll. By the way, if you watch the movie and determine that it is not Olivia Hope, let us know. Thanks!

Of course, we carry the Only Hearts Club dolls over at Town Square Toys. The Only Hearts Club dolls are great; they are a group of spirited girls who share cool adventures together and formed a Club based on true friendship. You can read about their adventures in their books. We think that they are great examples for young girls to model.

If you want more information about Extraordinary Measures, you can check it out at The Internet Movie Database. It has been getting great reviews. The movie stars Brendan Fraser, Harrison Ford, Keri Russell, Meredith Droeger, and Diego Velazquez.

The Game Plan and Corolle

Amy told me that she was watching The Game Plan, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and saw one of the Les Cheries dolls by Corolle! The doll's name is Camille. In one scene, her clothes get bedazzled. In another scene, she gets a new princess dress that is picked out by one of the football players. I have to admit that I have not seen the movie, but I did hear good things about The Rock.

Anyway, we sell the Corolle Dolls over at Town Square Toys. We have Camille and many others. You should check them out. They are truly beautiful dolls that a daughter or niece would get hours and hours of enjoyment from. Maybe you would like one of your own as well?

If you want more information about The Game Plan, you can check it out at The Internet Movie Database. It is a Disney film and stars Dwayne Johnson, Madison Pettis, Kyra Sedgwick, Roselyn Sanchez and Morris Chestnut.

Zathura and the Ugly Doll

I was talking with one of my boys about the movie Zathura, that I mentioned earlier. I had written about the Oball in the movie. He reminded me about the Ugly Doll in the movie. Specifically, Ice Bat, is in several scenes.

We sell Ice Bat over at Town Square Toys. We sell a whole bunch of Ugly Dolls. You should get some for your kids. They are a big player over at our house.

If you want more information about Zathura, you can check it out at The Internet Movie Database. It really is a fun film, starring Jonah Bobo, Josh Hutcherson, Dax Shepard, Kristen Stewart, and Tim Robbins.

A Knight's Tale and the Quintain

I was watching the show called Warriors on the History Channel the other day. It is a pretty cool show, hosted by Terry Shappert who is a Green Beret, exploring warrior cultures throughout history. You are probably saying, "Great; but that is not a movie, it is a television show." I know. Stick with me. The episode I was watching was about the knights of the middle ages. In one scene they are showing a re-enactment of a knight jousting and practicing on a quintain. That reminded me of a movie I had seen back in the day.

You probaly remember the movie as well. The movie was called A Knight's Tale and starred the late Heath Ledger. It is the classic tale of a person who dreams of a better life. In this instance, he is just a peasant squire to a knight. But, when the knight dies, he pretends to be a knight himself and "change his stars." It was not a great movie, by any stretch, but it was entertaining. And, of course, while training to act as a knight, Heath Ledger's character must practice on the quintain.

Well, we sell a quintain at Town Square Toys. No, it is not a full sized quintain, but it is the perfect size for the knights manufactured by Schliech. You should come and explore the World of Knights that we carry. Our children love to play with them and yours will too.

If you want more information about A Knight's Tale, you can check it out at The Internet Movie Database. It really is an entertaining romp, starring Heath Ledger, Rufus Sewell, Shannyn Sossamon, Paul Bettany, Laura Fraser, Mark Addy, and Alan Tudyk.

Town Square Toys on Amazon

Check it out! We are selling stuff on Amazon! Click here to visit. I know, I know; you may be asking yourself: but what if I find a toy that doesn't really relate directly to a movie? Just relax. It is okay.

Town Square Toys: The Original Blog

Not sure if you knew this or not, but before this blog about toys in the movies, we started a blog about the toys that we carry at Town Square Toys. It is a blog where we go a little more in depth about our toys; come and check it out. Thanks!

Zathura and the Really Big Oball

We were all watching the move Zathura the other day when I noticed something. What? You've never seen Zathura? You should. It is a really neat movie that I am sure your kids would love. Two boys find a board game that, once they start playing, magically sends their house into outer space for a fantastical adventure. The lizard aliens and the robot may frighten the youngest viewers, but that is about it. But I noticed that before the adventure starts, the younger brother is playing with an Oball; not just any Oball, but the Really Big Oball.

Anyway, we sell the Really Big Oball over at Town Square Toys. Actually we sell all different kinds and sizes of Oballs. You should check them out. They are a lot of fun to play with for kids and adults of all ages. And, it would be like you are a somewhat famous child actor, if you had your very own.

If you want more information about Zathura, you can check it out at The Internet Movie Database. It really is a fun film, starring Jonah Bobo, Josh Hutcherson, Dax Shepard, Kristen Stewart, and Tim Robbins.

Toys and Paper Dolls

When I first saw the movie, Toys, in theaters, I fell in love with it. I think, looking back that I fell in love with the design and concepts and cinematography more than anything. The style is just wonderful and still captures my imagination and captivates me. Somewhere in the back of my mind I think that I would love our toy store to be like the one in the movie.

The movie stars Robin Williams and Joan Cusack as the children of Kenneth Zevo, who is soon to pass away and leave the company, Zevo Toys, to someone in his family. Kenneth Zevo is played by the late Donald O'Connor, in a small but sweet role. Trouble arises when control of the company is handed over to Lt. General Leland Zevo, Kenneth's brother, played by Michael Gambon. More interesting than the drama, to me at least, is the inside view of this wonderful company. Joan Cusack's character, Alsatia, designs clothes for the paper dolls. She works her magic by designing full sized clothes and tests them out herself. It is just a small and unique example of how the company and this movie is designed.

Anyway, we sell a few different paper doll toys at Town Square Toys. There is the Alex Crafty Fashion Show, the Madeline Paper Dolls book, and even a paper doll game by eeBoo! You should come and check them out!

If you want more information about Toys, you can check it out at the The Internet Movie Database. It is a magical comedy with a little drama and a taste of Christmas, starring Robin Williams, Michael Gambon, Joan Cusack, Robin Wright Penn, LL Cool J, and Donald O'Connor.

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium and Town Square Toys

Did you ever see Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium? It is a pretty cute film, starring Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman, about a rather eccentric toy store owner and his fantastical toy store. Hoffman is, of course, Mr. Magorium and Portman is his somewhat unsure store manager, Molly. My kids loved the film. I was enthralled with the style and design of the toy store itself; it serves as an excellent background to the action as is, in a way, a character in its own right.

Throughout the movie, we noticed so many toys that we carry at Town square Toys. We kept pointing them out. "That Dragon! That is the Melissa and Doug Dragon." "Look over there, are some Ugly Dolls!." "See, on the floor are the tops and jack in the boxes that we carry."
The store is just filled to the brim with toys. So is our store! Come check it out.

If you want more information about Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, you can check it out at the The Internet Movie Database. It is a sweet film for kids of all ages, starring Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, and Jason Bateman.

Elf and the Jack in the Box

Have you ever seen the movie, Elf? It is hilarious. I would say that it may be Will Ferrell's greatest film. His character is so filled with innocence and Christmas Spirit. I am not giving anything away to say that Ferrell's character, Buddy the elf, is really a human that is raised by elves. He tries to fit in, but it is obvious to everyone that he is not an elf. While working in the toy shop, he is relegated to test Jack in the Boxes. It is a pretty funny scene.

Anyway, we sell that very Jack in the Box at Town Square Toys. It is manufactured by Schylling Toys. Schylling makes some great toys. The actual Jack in the Box, doesn't laugh menacingly like the one in the move. It just operates like a normal Jack in the Box, playing the tune, Pop Goes the Weasel.

If you want more information about Elf, you can check it out at the The Internet Movie Database. It is a comedy, starring Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Ed Asner, Mary Steenburgen, and Zooey Deschanel.

The Pursuit of Happyness and Rubik's Cube

Have you seen the movie, The Pursuit of Happyness? It is a pretty good movie. It stars Will Smith, who was nominated for an Oscar! I enjoyed the movie, but it was heart wrenching watching Smith's character go through so many trials and struggles. One cool scene was where he is showing his tenacity and determination. He shares a cab with someone and states that he can solve a Rubik's cube, having never done so before. Of course, he does it. Funny and awkward scene, I won't tell you how it ends.

Anyway, we sell the Rubik's Cube at Town Square Toys. Come and check it out and check out the other Rubik's toys we carry.

If you want more information about The Pursuit of Happyness, you can check it out at The Internet Movie Database. The move is a drama and stars Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Thandie Newton, and Brian Howe.