WIN The Nut Job Blu-ray Combo, Check Out Squirrels In Pop Culture & Printable Fun #giveaway #TheNutJob

ChiIL Mama's giving one away! Click here to win a Blu-ray Combo Pack of your own through midnight 4/14!

Universal Home Entertainment’s upcoming release The Nut Job centers around Surly The Squirrel, and his group of critter-friends as they try to keep their colony of animals from starving in the winter. While the story and characters in the film are unique, this is hardly the first time a squirrel has been in the spotlight. In support of the April 15^th Blu-ray and DVD release of the film, we’ve compiled a list of the most famous squirrels to leave an impact on pop-culture.

Squirrels in Pop Culture

• Rocky, Rocky & Bullwinkle – Rocket J. Squirrel was the first squirrel to reach national superstardom. From 1959-1964, he was one of the stars of the animated show, Rocky and His Friends, as well as the Bullwinkle Show. He and his friend Bullwinkle lived in the fictional town of Frostbite Falls, Minnesota - where they often embarked on various adventures.
• Scrat, Ice Age – Scrat certainly understand the struggles of Surly and the rest of The Nut Job group. His sole goal in the Ice Age films was to store and protect his prized acorn. He was so obsessed with it, he risked his life on multiple occasions to protect it.
• Slappy & Skippy, Animaniacs – Much like Rocky - Slappy is also a long time squirrel-veteran of the entertainment industry. She first appeared in various episodes of the Looney Tunes from 1930-1969. Later in life, the grumpy, elderly squirrel moved in with her nephew Skippy, in order to be a part of WB’s Animaniacs. Skippy is completely the opposite of Slappy, as he is overly excitable and always very chipper. 
• Sandy Cheeks, Spongebob Squarepants – Sandy Cheeks has quickly become one of the most recognizable squirrels in the entertainment industry. After debuting in 1999, she has become a regular character on Nickelodeon’s Spongebob Squarepants. Known for her fierce attitude, and loyalty to her friends – she is one Texan you don’t want to mess with!
• Twiggy, The Famous Water-Skiing Squirrel – No “squirrels in pop-culture” list could be complete without Twiggy The Water-Skiing Squirrel. Twiggy first rose to prominence in 1979 after making an appearance on NBC’s Real People with his trainers, Chuck and Lou Ann Best. Since that time, Twiggy has had successors who have adopted the same name and unique water-skiing ability. Twiggy has gone on to be featured on numerous other shows & films including Vince Vaughn’s Dodgeball, Will Ferrell’s Anchorman, and even ESPN’s Sportscenter’s Top 10.

Click images below for a printable Nut Job coloring sheet & maze.

ENTER TO WIN: The Nut Job on Blu-ray Out 4/15 TODAY On DVD #Recipe #ChiILPicksFlicks #ChiILPicksList

Disclosure:  We're pleased to partner up with Universal to spread the word about the home entertainment release of their hilarious, animated feature, The Nut Job. We were given a Blu-ray copy of the movie for review purposes & one to give away.

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THE NUT JOB

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Be prepared for one squirrelly adventure in the action-packed comedy, The Nut Job, starring Will Arnett (Despicable Me, Ratatouille) as Surly, a mischievous squirrel on a mission to prove himself. The Nut Job comes to Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray Combo Pack including Blu-ray, DVD, & DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet as well as On Demand on April 15, 2014, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The film will also be available on DIGITAL HD one week early on April 8, 2014.

Surly (Arnett) is a mischievous squirrel with a mission: to find the tastiest nuts for winter. When he discovers a whole store filled with his favorite food, he plans a heist of nutrageous proportions. But the place turns out to be owned by ruthless bank robbers so it’s up to Surly and his furry friends to stop the nearby bank heist and save the town.  

Showcasing an all-star cast including Brendan Fraser (The Mummy, Whole Lotta Love), Liam Neeson (Non-Stop, The Grey), Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up, The Ugly Truth), Maya Rudolph (Bridesmaids, Turbo), Jeff Dunham (Arguing With Myself, Spark of Insanity) and Gabriel Iglesias (Magic Mike, Hot & Fluffy), The Nut Job will prove “Enormously Entertaining” for the whole family (Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru)!

The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and Blu-ray Combo Pack include a Blu-ray, DVD and DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet.  

• Blu-ray unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6X the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound. 
• DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away. 
• DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download movies to watch on iPad^®, iPhone^®, Android™, smart TVs, connected Blu-ray players, game consoles, and more.

EXCLUSIVE Bonus Features on BLU-RAY 3D & BLU-RAY:

• DELETED SCENES - Check out Surly, Grayson and the gang in scenes removed from the final version of the movie.
• STORYBOARDS - Watch key scenes from the film brought to life from the original sketches.
• THE GREAT NUT HEIST - Will Arnett, the voice of Surly the squirrel, discusses the great caper story at the heart of the film.
• DANCE-OFF END CREDITS - Surly joins his furry friends and a very special guest for this show-stopping number.

Bonus Features on BLU-RAY 3D, BLU-RAY & DVD:

• ANIMATED SHORTS – 
• SURELY SQUIRREL - Meet Surly for the very first time in the award-winning animated short that started it all.
• NUTS & ROBBERS - Surly and Grayson stumble upon a bank heist gone wrong in NUTS & ROBBERS – created by ToonBox Entertainment as a teaser for THE NUT JOB.

CAST AND FILMMAKERS:

Cast: Will Arnett, Brendan Fraser, Liam Neeson, Katherine Heigl, Stephen Lang, Maya Rudolph, Jeff Dunham with Gabriel Iglesias & Sarah Gadon 

Directed by: Peter Lepeniotis

Produced by: Wookyung Jung & Graham Moloy

Executive Producers: Daniel Woo, Hong Kim, Jay Ahn, Mike Karz, William Bindley, Hoejin Ha, Tom Yoon, & Hyungkon Kim

Written by: Peter Lepeniotis & Lorne Cameron

Screenplay by: Peter Lepeniotis & Daniel Woo 

Edited by: Paul Hunter

Original Score By: Paul Intson

Art Director: Ian Hastings

CG Supervisor: Brad Falk

Animation Director: Daryl Graham 

Lighting Supervisor: Sumit Suri

Music Supervisor: Julianne Jordan

Music by: Paul Intson

Casting Directors: Robert McGee, Ruth Lambert & Joanne Boreham

Special nutty recipes inspired by the film! In celebration of the Home Entertainment release of Universal's hit-animated film The Nut Job, we've put together a special nutty recipe for you and your family to enjoy. We'd love for you to share the recipe with your readers, asking what nut-inspired recipes they love to make for their families. Don't forget to pickup your copy of The Nut Job  Available on Digital HD April 8th and Blu-ray & DVD April 15th CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE RECIPE

About Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

Disclosure:  Once again, we're pleased to partner up with Universal to spread the word about the home entertainment release of their hilarious, animated feature, The Nut Job. We were given a Blu-ray copy of the movie for review purposes and one for our readers too.