(StatePoint) This year’s summer blockbuster season is shaping up to be a big one, full of some of the year’s most highly anticipated films.

(BPT) - Father’s Day and graduations are coming up, and that means you’ll have to think of appropriate gifts for these heralded champions. You don’t need to spend a fortune to make gift recipients happy, all you do need to do is put some thought into their presents. A few tips and tricks will help you pick out a gift the recipient is sure to love.

I am trying to find a way to legally copy DVDs we own to an external hard drive for storage connected to my laptop. When we take long road trips it would be nice to not have to haul all our movies along. — Bill

(StatePoint) With summer travel season upon us, families across the country are taking to the open road for family road trips. But while the destination always leads to excitement, oftentimes the long car ride can be a drag.

Even though “The Great Gatsby” has gotten the movie treatment several times in the past, no film adaptation has ever really stood out as the definitive version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s celebrated novel. Director Baz Luhrmann’s film is certainly the most visually arresting interpretation of “The Great Gatsby” ever produced. Catherine Martin, who previously worked with Luhrmann on “Moulin Rouge,” “Romeo and Juliet,” and “Australia,” deserves multiple Oscar nominations for her hyper sets and eye-popping costumes. As wonderful as Luhrmann’s “Great Gatsby” is to look at, the enchanting visuals are also ironically the movie’s downfall. In the midst of the art direction, costumes, and music, the story and characters that made Fitzgerald’s book a classic, become a mere afterthought. 

Century Theatres

(BPT) - Even as the country moves out of the great recession, many Americans are still in a money-saving mode – looking to conserve wherever possible.

(BPT) - Let’s face it – moving is hard. Along with the stress of leaving a familiar place and adapting to new surroundings, moving means packing, loading, transporting, unloading and unpacking everything you own – as well as everything you forgot you owned.

The online streaming industry is growing and growing every year. Standing at the forefront of this online explosion is Netflix, the well known provider of both online streaming of thousands of different programs ranging from movies, to T.V. shows, and documentaries as well as in home, through the mail deliveries of their content. Netflix began the road to online kingship back in 1997, when the company began as a traditional through the mail provider. By 1999 the company had introduced a monthly subscription policy and now operates on both monthly payment and unlimited online streaming. Over the past decade or so, Netflix has found its way into the homes of many families, college students, and anyone else who enjoys video entertainment. Netflix has been able to stand amongst the forefront of much of the development of the in-home and delivery movie craze, but this rise to the top has not been one without trials and setbacks.

According to a report from the Associated Press, Disney has dropped an effort to trademark “Dia de los Muertos,” the name of the traditional “Day of the Dead” holiday celebrated by millions in Mexico and the U.S.

Along with Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Iron Man 3” is one of the rare superhero threequels that doesn’t disappoint. While Jon Favreau remains an executive producer and co-star, he passes on the directorial duties to Shane Black of “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.” Black maintains all the action, humor, and character development that made Faverau’s first two films so enjoyable, while also incorporating his own unique signature. 

Century Theatres

(BPT) - Families are always looking for ways to cut household costs. One area that provides a bit of budget-cutting flexibility is home entertainment costs.

"Oblivion” is another movie that seems better suited for a video game than a motion picture. Watching the characters engage in endless shoot outs and explore vast, abandoned terrains, all you want to do is get your hands on a controller. Since a movie is unequipped with game play, though, you’re forced to sit back and merely observe the story. Then again, most modern video games have more three-dimensional characters and smarter plots than “Oblivion.” This science fiction mystery from director Joseph Kosinski isn’t completely without some good ideas, elevating it above “Transformers” schlock. It’s just unfortunate those ideas never meld into anything that intriguing.

Due to the anticipation of the movie coming out on May 10, the Ironwood Ridge High School drama students took it upon themselves to put on a student-run play of “The Great Gatsby”.

Just about all the actors in “The Big Wedding” are severely typecast. Diane Keaton is a high-strung, divorced mother like in “Something’s Gotta Give,” Robert De Niro is the father of somebody getting married like in “Meet the Fockers,” Amanda Seyfried is a blushing bride like in “Mamma Mia,” Robin Williams is an eccentric minister like in “License to Wed,” Topher Grace is a deadpan, quick-witted nice guy like in “That ‘70s Show,” and Katherine Heigl is a needy single woman like in every movie she does. Even though the actors are in their comfort zones, not a single person feels natural in “The Big Wedding.” That’s probably because the film doesn’t understand its own characters or their motivations. Nobody behind the camera has any idea what they’re doing, resulting in one of the most awkward romantic comedies of recent memory.

More than just a relaxing getaway, the Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort offers families a fun, educational experience with their summer Edu-tainment program. Everyone in the family will find something to enjoy while at the resort. Kicking off May 24 and running through Sept. 2, these exciting and enlightening activities will create lasting memories for the whole family. Some of the offerings this year include previous family favorites Mad Scientist workshops, Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum creature experience, poolside Dive-in movies and stargazing, as well as several new additions including poolside yoga, solar tours, golf clinics, and cooking classes with the resort’s renowned culinary team.

Last month my organization, the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, launched a statewide campaign to raise awareness of the continuing problem of corporate welfare and special interest handouts being pursued at the state legislature. In particular, we want voters to be informed when their lawmakers are more interested in helping out politically-connected industries and lobbyists than hard-working taxpayers.

(StatePoint) You may not think your mom is “cool,” but is she hip when it comes to technology? If you have a tech savvy mom, skip the order on the flower bouquet and treat her right this Mother’s Day with the latest gear.   

Q: I saw your video on how to turn off in-app purchases (http://youtu.be/9P4wFB6d7gM), but what if I want to allow my son to buy age appropriate items on his iPod touch but limit how much he can spend? — Daniel

The increasingly intense desert heat is a tell tale sign that summer is nearly upon us, and with it, the obligatory season of blockbuster films. With a jam packed lineup that includes Iron Man 3, Star Trek Into Darkness, Fast and Furious 6, Man of Steel, Pacific Rim, and World War Z, it is clear that big time producers in LA are gearing up to entice audiences with the usual explosions, car chases, zombie attacks, space battles, and robot wars, all enhanced by the technological advancements of 3D cameras. But despite the current technological prowess that is obtainable to all filmmakers with money to burn, we have reached an age where the standard gimmicks may no longer be sufficient for the 21st century viewer.

In the history of the University of Arizona Wildcat School of Art, only one other student has achieved what Brody Loeffler has: successfully completed 12 years in the arts education program.

(NAPSI)What did you say? Can you repeat that, please? Hearing loss makes communication a challenge, which unfortunately may put relationshipsin particular, a marriagein peril. Feelings of anger, frustration and resentment are often experienced by those suffering from hearing loss, as well as by spouses who are constantly barraged with having to repeat themselves or talk louder.