“Previously on Desperate housewives Orson packed his bags after finding out Andrew was the cause of Carlos’ mother’s death. Bree decided that it was time to come clean to Gaby. A dying nurse made a confession about accidentally switching two babies at birth, financial difficulties force the Delfino’s to rent out their house which in turn, aids the return of ex-con Paul Young.”

Season 7 continues in this racing fashion with not one, but two new faces on the lane who promise to cause surplus commotion, suspicion and complications. Lynette (Felicity Huffman) and Tom (Doug Savant) welcome another bundle of joy into their ever expanding family, adding to their already strained relationship. Matters are certainly not helped by the arrival of a new resident on the lane, Renee Perry (Vanessa Williams-Ugly Betty) who brings with her a devastating secret which could potentially be the breaking point of the Scavo’s marriage.

Bree (Marcia Cross) attempts to free herself of guilt by revealing something to Gaby (Eva Longoria Parker) that will inevitably test the strength of their friendship. Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Shavira) and Gaby both receive shocking and life changing news that one of their children isn’t biologically theirs. Turning to the Delfino’s, Susan (Teri Hatcher) and Mike (James Denton) are forced to move from Wisteria Lane as result of financial difficulties. When money becomes this tight it becomes evident that Susan will do almost anything to gain security; even if this something is classed as a little risqué.

Finally, when Paul Young (Mark Moses) returns to Wisteria lane, as the new tenant of the Delfino’s house, curious whispers begin to circulate. After being proved innocent of murder, Paul begins carrying out his plans of vengeance on the neighbours who shunned him during his time of need. The question is, will he succeed?

Sometimes when a series reaches this stage, there is a worry that the story line becomes a little predictable and less exciting. However, there’s nothing to fear here! Being a huge Desperate Housewives fan, I can honestly say my loyalty has not yet wavered. This season is full of scandalous events, passion, anticipation and laughter.

****~ (4/5)

And if all this drama isn’t quite enough, the Season 7 set includes 4 Bonus features:

1) Desperate for Trivia- a comical game show quiz with the cast which tests their knowledge on the Desperate Housewives events.

2) Growing up on Wisteria Lane- Exclusive interviews with the younger cast members describing what it was like being involved with Desperate Housewives growing up.

3) Bloopers- The actor’s making hilarious mistakes!

4) Deleted Scenes

Desperate Housewives Season 7 is out to own on DVD Now!

To mark the release of Desperate Housewives Season 7 on DVD 31st October, we’ve been given 3 copies of the series to give away. You can pre-order your copy of the series here or scroll down for your chance to win.

Divorce, passion, greed and murder are all in a day’s work on Wisteria Lane. The housewives are back with two new surprise residents guaranteed to cause suspicion as Desperate Housewives Season 7 comes to DVD from 31 October 2011.

The primetime drama with a truly contemporary take on the ‘happily ever after’, returns for its seventh season as it explores the complicated reality behind a group of housewives in a fictitious American suburb.

This season sees Bree (Marcia Cross) after losing her business beginning the process of rebuilding her life by telling Gaby (Eva Longoria Parker) a secret that could end their friendship; Lynette (Felicity Huffman) and Tom (Doug Savant) face a rough road ahead as they welcome a fifth child to their ever growing brood; Lynette’s college ‘friend’ Renee Perry played by Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty) moves to Wisteria Lane and quickly shakes up the residents. Her arrival brings a shocking secret, one which could be life-changing and Susan (Teri Hatcher) and Mike’s (James Denton) financial woes have forced them to rent out their house and leave Wisteria Lane., and when Paul Young (Mark Moses) mysteriously returns to the neighbourhood as the new tenant, tensions will rise.

Follow these suburban lives as they battle through deceit, seduction and scandal to achieve domestic bliss as Desperate Housewives Season 7 comes to DVD 31 October 2011.

Desperate Housewives Cast:

• Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer
• Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo
• Marcia Cross as Bree Hodge
• Eva Longoria Parker as Gabrielle Solis
• Ricardo Antonio Chavira as Carlos Solis
• Doug Savant as Tom Scavo
• Kyle MacLachlan as Orson Hodge
• Brenda Strong as Mary Alice Young
• James Denton as Mike Delfino
• Kathryn Joosten as Mrs. McCluskey
• Charlie Carver as Porter Scavo
• Max Carver as Preston Scavo
• Joshua Logan Moore as Parker Scavo
• Kendall Applegate as Penny Scavo
• Madison de la Garza as Juanita
• Mason Vale Cotton as MJ Delfino.

To be in with a chance of winning the movie, simply answer the following question using the form below:

Who plays the character of Gabrielle Solis in the series, Desperate Housewives?

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close 31st October at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received
• No cash alternative is available

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

(c) 2011 ABC Studios

A thrilling, fun and suspenseful adventure, Coraline features an all-star voice cast including Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French and Ian McShane. This must-see animated family film is released in stunning high-definition on stereoscopic 3D Blu-ray for the first time on 11 April 2011, courtesy of Universal Pictures UK.

Coraline Jones (Fanning; New Moon, The Secret Life of Bees, War of the Worlds) is a girl aged 11 who is feisty, curious, and adventurous beyond her years. She and her parents (Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman) have just relocated from Michigan to Oregon. Missing her friends and finding her parents to be distracted by their work, Coraline tries to find some excitement in her new environment. She is befriended – or, as she sees it, is annoyed – by a local boy close to her age, Wybie Lovat (Robert Bailey Jr.); and visits her older neighbours, eccentric British actresses Miss Spink and Forcible (Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French) as well as the arguably even more eccentric Russian Mr. Bobinsky (Ian McShane).

After these encounters, Coraline seriously doubts that her new home can provide anything truly intriguing to her but it does; she uncovers a secret door in the house. Walking through the door and then venturing through an eerie passageway, she discovers an alternate version of her life and existence. On the surface, this parallel reality is similar to her real life – only much better. The adults, including the solicitous Other Mother (also voiced by Teri Hatcher), seem much more welcoming to her. Coraline is more the center of attention there – even from the mysterious Cat (Keith David). She begins to think that this Other World might be where she belongs. But when her wondrously off-kilter, fantastical visit turns dangerous and Other Mother schemes to keep her there, Coraline musters all of her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home – and save her family.

A visually stunning and frightfully magical treat for all the family, the 3D Blu-ray is compatible with the latest 3D TVs and comes complete with 2D Blu-ray and DVD versions of the film. Packed with special features including deleted scenes, an audio commentary, and three fantastical featurettes, don’t miss out on the chance to experience Coraline in stereoscopic 3D high definition this Easter!

To be in with a chance of winning Coraline 3D on Blu-ray (this will work in standard Blu-ray players also), simply become a fan of HeyUGuys official facebook page and answer the following question using the form below:

Question: Who directed the movie Coraline?

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close 12th April 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

The latest movie sent over for us to review on our iPod Touch so kindly given to us by NBC Universal is Coraline. I have to admit to not knowing too much about this movie before I watched it. I’d heard something about buttons for eyes and that it was a bit twisted but other than that I was pretty clueless.

The movie stars Dakota Fanning as Coraline, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Ian McShane, Keith David and is directed by Henry Selick who previously brought us A Nightmare Before Christmas. Once you see Coraline, that will make perfect sense.  I think that I had the misconception that this was a kids movie but now that I’ve seen it, it’s so much more than that and will definitely appeal both to adults and children. That said, it’s quite a freaky film with a few bits that made me, a now 29 year old man jump! It is however rated PG so I’m probably just a wimp!

Coraline tells the story of a young girl who has recently moved into an old house with her workaholic parents, dead set on finishing their book. Coraline is an only child and quickly becomes bored of sitting in this big old house with nothing to do. Tasked with counting windows by her father, desperate to get rid of her, she quickly starts causing mischief by exploring both the house and the grounds surrounding it. On her travels, she meets a scraggy old cat (voiced later by Keith David) and a quirky boy called Wybie (voiced by Robert Bailey Jr.), which is short for ‘Why Born’….. See how this is starting to get a bit odd?!

Anyway, Coraline falls asleep one night to be awoken by some mice running into the door which was previously bricked up. When she opens the door, a tunnel appears with mystic colour drawing her in. After crawling through the ‘Being John Malkovich’ style tunnel, she finds herself in an alternate world where everything that she dislikes in the ‘real world’ is reversed. Her parents have all the time in the world for her and life revolves around her rather than around a book. The only thing is that all the people in this alternate world have buttons for eyes. This scares Coraline at first but their love for her masks the buttons and she loves every second of it. When night falls in this alternate world, her ‘other mother’ will put her to bed and when she awakes, she finds herself back in the ‘real world’. To find out what happens next, you’ll have to buy the download through iTunes or the DVD / Blu Ray (either in 2D or 3D) as telling you more would spoil the movie.

Coraline is one of those films where I was blown away by the complexity of it from the second it began to the moment it ended. When I say complexity, I’m mainly talking about the animation. The physics behind how it all works together is astounding. There are parts in the movie where the animation itself becomes a character, where you see the wire-frame makeup of the story in the alternate world which stitches together to create what Coraline sees. The way in which this was envisaged by both the director and graphic artists is simply astounding and so cleverly put together.

Coraline was a movie that I could watch over and over again. The style of animation was different to anything I’ve seen before – with maybe the exception of A Nightmare Before Christmas. The story wasn’t 100% original as it’s that sort of a ‘Lion, Witch, Wardrobe’ style of ‘what’s behind the magic door’ but the creativity and lengths Selick has gone to, to make this his own is excellent .

The characters they’ve made were also brilliant with a few which you’re a bit worried might be a bit too adult for young children but actually, i think they’d just find it funny. Dakota Fanning does a good job as Coraline, ably supported by Hatcher and the rest of the cast,  but this movie is really all about the animation and my hat (if i was wearing one!) goes off to the animators and production team. It’s animation but not like you’ve seen before,

Coraline gets a massive 9/10 from me!

Coraline is available to buy the download through iTunes or the DVD / Blu Ray (either in 2D or 3D) NOW!

Images © 2009 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.