DVD Reviews and our Jason Dolley Interview!

Cute, blonde teen Jason Dolley stars as Newt on the Disney Channel's comedy series "Cory in the House" and also stars in a fun sci-fi movie on the channel called "Minutemen" in which he and his buds time travel to the past to prevent disastrous moments for hapless nerds in high school. Out on DVD are three fave episodes of the "Cory" series and the "Minutemen" movie. Here's the haps on both DVDs....then read on for our Jason interview.

Minutemen

Jason Dolley co-stars with Luke Benward, Steven R. McQueen, Nicolas Braun, Chelsea Staub, Kara Crane and Dexter Darden as a high school senior who once suffered his own ultra-embarrassing moment and is now part of the Minutemen who time travel, courtesy of a machine created by a young genius, and right wrongs for dorks.

Video/Audio: The DVD looks and sounds as good as on its original broadcast date back in January. Special effects (a cool time vortex) look plenty cool on your TV screen even if they might not hold up on the big movie screen. Sound mix is fine if not bombastic and you can hear dialogue quite well.

Special Features: You get a slightly longer ending but since I didn't see the first ending, not sure if this is a great extra or not. Assume it is more satisfying to fans of the film. "Music and More" gives Corbin Bleu fans a cute but short music video relating to the film called "Run It Back Again" with the "Corb" lookin' good! Nice extra. Most interesting extra is the "Backstage Disney" featurette called "The Making of Minutemen: A Trip Back in Time" that includes footage of the fun time jump stunts that the cast got to perform, some of the green screen and effects work, goofing off on set and some comments by cast and crew. Fun to watch.

Wrapping Up: I enjoyed this Disney Channel movie more than most because I'm a Sci-Fi fan. Time travel movies set in high school aren't new (Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and the Back to the Future series are prime classic examples) but the idea of going back to change vulnerable lives by preventing that horrible, embarrassing moment that permanently places teens in a dork, dufus clique, was a fun twist on the tale. If you are a fan of the cast or just like sci-fi comedy, this is certainly worth a rent.

"Cory in the House": Newt and Improved Edition

This DVD features three fun episodes of the popular series in which Cory Baxter (Kyle Massey), the son of White House Chef (Rondell Sheridan) goes through the usual angst with his music, girls and feuding friends. Cory's best buds are always involved; Newt Livingston (Jason Dolley) who is the Chief Justice's son, and Meena Paroom (Maiara Walsh), the daughter of a middle-eastern ambassador. The four episodes covered are The Presidential Seal, Lip Service, Through the Roof and Peace, Love and Misunderstanding (a never-before-seen episode which is about tolerance for the beliefs of others).

Video/Audio: Again, the DVD sounds and looks as good as on TV.

Special Features: "Breakin' Down Cory In The House" is a cute behind-the-scenes trip that takes you through an entire episode from idea concept to writing to shooting to editing and final result. This is very informative especially if you are pretty clueless as to how TVs shows are created, rehearsed (table reads) filmed and finished. Every department is represented in addition to the actors. You see wardrobe, sets, camera, stunts and the cast hanging out.

Wrapping Up: If you missed the three episodes or if they are three of your favorites, you'll want this DVD. You will also want the unseen episode to add to your collection if you are into the show and the little "Making of" featurette is especially cool; like a fun class in TV-101! At least rent!

We got the bonus treat of chatting with Jason Dolley first about making "Minutemen" then got news on the "Cory" DVD as well as Jason's own school experiences, his music, his personal pals, etc. It may be best to read our chat after watching the DVDs if you haven't already seen the programs on TV.

TeenTelevision: I think your character Virgil is wearing braces in the early Freshman year scenes. Did you actually have braces then?

Jason: Very observant! That was just him. I got fake braces fitted before we started shooting. I actually still have them. They won't fit anybody else so they thought they might as well give them to me. I can use them in a Halloween costume somewhere down the line. [In real life] I have removable braces. They look like retainers. I take them out when I work. It's a hassle.

TeenTelevision: How embarrassing was wearing that cheerleader costume when you are hanging up there on that statue? Is that the silliest costume you've ever worn?

Jason: That was probably the silliest position I've ever been put in. You have to take that with a grain of salt because that's part of the deal with comedy; making a complete fool of yourself. I kind of started getting used to that on "Cory in the House". But that's probably the most embarrassing kind of stunt. It was pretty wild hanging up there. But, nobody was making fun of me in the cheerleader suit. I was more making fun of myself.

TeenTelevision: Were you schooled on set so you never had a high school experience?

Jason: I went to a private Christian school up until my Freshman year but I did that while I was doing "Cory in the House" and other TV shows. I would go to the regular school on my off weeks. I tried that for "Cory in the House" the first season but it just got too busy. This year I'm doing homeschool when I'm not schooled on set. I didn't really miss prom because my school never had dances anyway.

TeenTelevision: What was the off-camera time like with the "Minutemen"? Did anything funny happen on set that we might not know about?

Jason: "Minutemen" was a cool experience because everybody on the cast bonded and were friends really quickly. The first couple of days we were going to dinner together. Off camera, Dexter Darden who is Chester, one of the nerds, was a riddle genius. I love riddles. I was solving them and coming back for more. Everybody on the set got into it too.

TeenTelevision: If you could go back in time to "fix" anything in your life, when, where and what would it be? Did you have a big "dork" moment you would like to undo?

Jason: I don't really have what I would call embarrassing moments. Whenever something like that would happen to me I'd just laugh it off and move on. Instead of fixing something, I'd go back and relive and re-experience something. I'd probably go back and re-do "Minutemen" because it was so much fun.

TeenTelevision: What moment in world history would you like to visit?

Jason: It a tie. I would like to go to a Beatles concert and I would love to be at the Sermon on the Mount or any of Christ's speeches or just follow him around and hang out with him a bit. Two completely different things but a hard choice for me.

TeenTelevision: What were the stunts like? Leaping off the diving board onto a big pad looked fun but dangerous. Any accidents or injuries?

Jason: We were very blessed that nobody was injured. We just had a lot of fun. Everything went off without a hitch. Some of the stuff where they actually jump over the time machine, that was the stunt guys. It was a long jump. They did some of the rolling and jumping but most of it was us.

TeenTelevision: People think that all the Disney Channel actors just hang out in real life. Which of the actors on the Channel do you actually pal around with?

Jason: That's not a complete misconception. We don't hang out off-set a lot but it's like Disney Channel high school. You see people at events or you guest star on shows together or do movies together and you get to know everybody. Everybody's really nice. We do Disney Channel games together. We just finished that and everybody had a great time. The only couple of people I've seen off-set, Maiara Walsh from "Cory in the House" lives in the same city I do our families have gone out for sushi together. Jake Thomas also has spent the night at my house a couple of times. We go online and play video games together.

TeenTelevision: Were the snow suits that uncomfortable? Where did you shoot and how hot was it?

Jason: We shot in Salt Lake City in the summer and most of the stuff was outside so, yes, it was very hot. Fortunately the snowsuits weren't actually snow suits, they just looked like it. We had cooling vests underneath some of the time.

TeenTelevision: Let's talk "Cory in the House". Which episode on the DVD did you like best and why? You are only in 3 of the 4 because you were shooting "Minutemen".

Jason: I think "The Presidential Seal" was absolutely my favorite because the seal was so much fun to work with. We didn't get to interact with him too much. It's got to be freaky for a seal to work on a soundstage in the first place. They brought him in in a big old truck and we had to clear out so there was a clear path for the seal to get into the set.

TeenTelevision: What do you wish Newt could do on the show that they haven't let him do yet?

Jason: Hummm, I don't know but I wish I could actually play what Newt plays on the guitar. Most of the stuff in the middle of the second season, I was able to figure it out but I kind of wish it was actually me playing the guitar. I started playing when we started doing the show because I thought it was a good idea to have a basic feel for the guitar and look like I knew what I was doing.

TeenTelevision: You don't have a band in real life then?

Jason: No. I participate in my church youth group band. We actually played in a church service the other day.

TeenTelevision: Do you play "Guitar Hero" with the cast?

Jason: We do. Maiara has it set up in her dressing room. I'm actually pretty good at it. I usually beat anybody that plays me.

TeenTelevision: Do your showrunners listen to the cast when you guys have an idea?

Jason: Absolutely. They are very open to ideas. I think Kyle is probably the one who comes up with the most on rehearsal days. He's the one that's ad-libbing all the time. Usually, what he comes up with is funny and is in the next draft of the script.

TeenTelevision: What movie franchise would you like to work in, like Batman, Ironman, Indiana Jones or??

Jason: Ooooo, I wish I could have been a part of The Lord of the Rings. That would be amazing.

TeenTelevision: What kinds of teen problems do you wish the writers would come up with on the show?

Jason: I don't think we've had any dances on the show; asking a girl out drama or something like that.

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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.