Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. Movies

Alvin, Simon, and Theodore meet their musical match after returning to school and entering into a battle of the bands competition in hopes of saving the school's troubled music program. Sent to live with Dave Seville's younger nephew Toby (Zachary Levi), the three lovable marmots decide that getting an education is more important than belting out pop tunes. But the school's music program is about to go belly up, and the only way to save it is to win the 25,000-dollar prize in the upcoming battle of the bands. Though the Chipmunks are confident they have the songwriting skills to steamroll the competition, a newly formed singing trio dubbed the Chippettes promises to give them some stiff competition on-stage. Brittany, Eleanor, and Jeanette are indeed the real deal, and the closer the competition gets, the more Alvin, Simon, and Theodore realize that in order to win, they'll have to give it everything they've got. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Several years after the death of novelty album recording artist Ross Bagdasarian, his son Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. brought his father's most popular creation, Alvin and the Chipmunks, back to life with a record album called Chipmunk Punk (1980). The resurgence in popularity of the high-pitched, squeaky-voiced, animated chipmunks Alvin (the mischievous one), Theodore (the giggly, shy, fat one) and Simon (the brainy one) allowed Bagdasarian, Jr. to follow that project with Alvin & the Chipmunks: A Chipmunk Christmas (1981), a half-hour television special and accompanying record album. Voicing the same character Bagdasarian had, that of the chipmunks' "father" Dave Seville, Bagdasarian, Jr. created the story of the chipmunks preparing a Carnegie Hall appearance, only to realize that Alvin has given away his harmonica, an instrument with which he's scheduled to perform a solo. On the play list for their big show was "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas, Don't Be Late)," the single that launched the chipmunks' decades-spanning career in 1958. So popular was Alvin & the Chipmunks: A Chipmunk Christmas, that in 1983, NBC produced a second chipmunks TV series, Alvin and the Chipmunks (1983-1990), which ran as a Saturday morning children's program, spawning a variety of videos and further record albums. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

One of the least-known of the American-International "B" westerns of the 1950s, Flesh and the Spur offers the spectacle of the inimitable John Agar in a dual role. When his twin brother Mathew is killed, Luke Random goes gunnin' for his brother's murderer. Along the way, he teams up with gunslinger Stacey (Touch Connors, aka Mike Connors), who is also seeking out an old enemy. Five points to anyone who guesses before the fadeout who Mathew Random's killer turns out to be. Written by A-I regular Charles B. Griffith, Flesh and the Spur was originally released on a double bill with Naked Paradise. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Bold and the Brave traces the destinies of three American soldiers stationed in Italy during World War II. Wendell Corey is top-billed as an idealistic soul who doesn't believe in killing. Don Taylor portrays a religious bigot, who can't see anything in terms other than Good and Evil. The most intriguing (and entertaining) member of the trio is Mickey Rooney, an inveterate gambler who runs a floating crap game up and down the Italian front. Since Rooney frequently declares that he's building up enough money to open a fancy New York restaurant, it's a foregone conclusion that he's not going to get out of the war alive. The title song for Bold and the Brave was cowritten by Mickey Rooney and Ross Bagdasarian, the latter best known as the creator of Alvin and the Chipmunks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide