Author: FCA Editor

Bon Voyage CD from Jazzy Ash GIVEAWAY

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bonvoyageJazzy Ash invites the whole family to come along on a Crescent City inspired, jazzy music adventure this summer with her new album Bon Voyage.

 

This interactive musical album follows kids through their day. Jazzy Ash’s songs celebrate the magic of movement, with a lot of sugar and sass thrown in, New Orleans –style. Bon Voyagefeatures gypsy jazz, zydeco, swing, blues, and Dixieland to encourage kids and their grown-ups to celebrate the music of New Orleans as part of the American folk music heritage.

 

The album is the next best thing to being at a Jazzy Ash concert, kicking off with the rousing “Jazzy Ash Theme Song,” and ending with “Goodbye to the Bayou.” Original songs include “Firefly,” Tight Rope Walker,” “Tandem Bike” (featuring “Boom” from Sugar Free Allstars), and “Ice Skates” (featuring Grammy-award winner Jennifer Gasoi). The Jazzy Ash band of teaching musicians adds various horns, banjo, accordion, guitar and drums to the jaunty sounds of each song.
These upbeat, peppy songs will definitely have kids – and parents – off their chairs and dancing to the swinging tunes.
Jazzy Ash in Concert

 

Jazzy Ash and her band plan several shows around Southern California this summer, including The Getty Garden Concerts in Los Angeles and the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana in August. An east coast tour, including fall dates at NYC’s Symphony Space and Lincoln Center, will follow.
GIVEAWAY

 

We have three (3) CDs to giveaway as well as an additional giveaway of a free MP3 song from the CD and Jazzy Ash’s recipe for beignets for five (5) of our lucky readers.

 

To be eligible to win a copy of Bon Voyage, email us at [email protected] with “Bon Voyage Giveaway” in the title. Please supply your name, address, phone number and email address (so we can let you know if you are a winner).

 

The deadline for this giveaway is July 31, 2015.

 

Get off your chair and on your feet with Jazzy Ash and check out her website at www.jazzyash.com.

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

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‘My Kid Brother’s Band a.k.a. The Beatles!’ – Book Review

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brothersbandLouise Harrison has written an interesting book about her life and how she helped her little brother. Oh yeah, her little bro was George Harrison, one of the Fab Four. My Kid Brother’s Band a.k.a, The Beatles! is Harrison’s window into the past as she describes not only her own life but relates it to how close she was with her brother and how invested she was in his career.

 

The book has several anecdotes about her efforts to publicize the Beatles when they were first getting started. They were known across the pond, but it took quite a bit of persistence to get their songs played on American radio stations. Louise never faltered. She was steadfast in helping get the word out about her brother’s little band.

 

There is an interesting story about George performing in the U.S. before anyone knew about the Beatles. While visiting his sister in the states, he stepped in to play at one of the local establishments. As Louise says, that was the first American performance by a Beatle.

 

Louise does delve into her own history with stories about her own life that don’t relate to her brother, however the majority of the book is filled with her passion about her brother’s career and how the two siblings interacted through the years.

 

While Beatlemania was surging, Louise was front and center in the business, and included in the book are letters she received in the process of getting the Beatles launched in America. There are some stories about George’s band mates – Paul, John, and Ringo – however readers will most likely be more invested in the anecdotes Louise relates about her own brother. Their relationship is not as well known but they were very close and readers will learn just how close they were.

 

When people think of the Beatles, they rarely think about their families and their personal relationships. Louise pulls back the curtain and brings readers into her familial relationship with her little brother.

 

She was close to George and she was close to the band, traveling with them and helping out wherever she could. She was a hands-on sister who, although she had her own family, put much effort into her brother’s life and career.

 

Louise relates information about the Harrison kids and their upbringing, giving credit to their parents. She doesn’t hide the bad stories. On the contrary, she blends the good with the bad putting her entire life on display for the world to see.

 

Punctuating the stories with correspondence as well as photos, Louise’s book provides a personal account of growing up a Harrison and living as a pseudo member of the historic group.

 

My Kid Brother’s Band a.k.a. The Beatles!

Author: Louise Harrison

Hardcover: 256 pages

Publisher: Acclaim Press

ISBN-10: 193890552

ISBN-13: 978-1938905520

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

Like her on Facebook

Family DVD Set GIVEAWAY

Posted on by FCA Editor

IMG_9655Watching movies together is a great way for families to spend time. With this family-friendly set of films there is plenty of great viewing for the rest of the summer. The set includes four films.

A LITTLE GAME
Ostracized at her posh new uptown school and shaken by the death of her beloved grandmother, a 10 year-old downtown girl finds an unlikely mentor in the form of an irascible chess-master, who uses the game to teach Max lessons in resilience, perseverance, and how to embrace inevitable change.

HORSE CAMP
Kathy dreams of spending the summer at Black River Horse Camp for girls. But after a rodeo accident left her dad with a serious leg injury, her parents have forbidden her from saddling up. Eventually their concern for Kathy’s social well-being outweighs these fears, and she soon heads to horse camp. Once there she meets the camp’s resident mean girl Stacy, as well as kindhearted Lisa. Kathy is a natural in the saddle. As she competes to dethrone Stacy as Camp Princess, Kathy learns to recognize the true value of real friendship.

JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOR
Young Justin dreams of following in his grandfather Sir Roland’s footsteps and becoming one of the legendary Knights of Valor. Along his quest, he encounters a slew of quirky characters, including the beautiful Talia and handsome Sir Clorex, who try to teach Justin the skills he needs to become a mighty knight. Justin is put to the test when he is forced to face a power-hungry army of thugs, led by the mighty Sota, but soon learns that true strength comes from the heart.

AN EVERGREEN CHRISTMAS
Leaving her seemingly glamorous Hollywood life on hold,
Evie Lee is forced to return to her small hometown of Balsam Falls, Tennessee and her family’s once-thriving Christmas tree farm to attend her father’s unexpected funeral. As the eldest sibling, she finds herself executor of an estate that owes a massive inheritance tax, much to her younger brother’s dismay. Torn between pursuing her music career and saving her family’s legacy, she must decide what it really means to find her place in the world.

To be eligible to win this gift pack of four films, email us at [email protected] with “DVD Set Giveaway” in the title. Please supply your name, address, phone number and email address (so we can let you know if you are a winner).

The deadline for this giveaway is July 21, 2015.

Minions – Movie Review

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minionsAudiences were introduced to the Minions in the 2010 film “Despicable Me”, and they returned three years later to co-star in “Despicable Me 2”. Now they star in their own feature film that details how the Minions came to be and how (the final scene) they joined Gru. “Minions” is a fun film filled with frolic and fracas.

 

Audiences will see how the Minions evolved and learn that their lives were meant to serve despicable villains. They are bumbling, klutzy little fellows that always seem to find themselves in the middle of mayhem. When their last master is unexpectedly and accidentally killed by you know who, they become morose without any purpose. Then one Minion named Kevin decides to do something about this.

 

Kevin tells everyone he is going out into the world in search of a new master to serve. Joined by rebellious Stuart (who loves to play his guitar) and little Bob, they venture out into the world. In New York they set up camp for a night in a department store. This is perhaps one of the most memorable scenes. Then they learn about a villain convention in Orlando and decide that is where they will find their new master.

 

They set their sights on Scarlet Overkill (voiced by Sandra Bullock). She has something special in mind for this trio of yellow followers. She wants them to steal the Queen of England’s crown. So off they go to London.

 

Needless to say, in London all kinds of mischief and Minion fun occur as the three little guys go about their assignment leading to plenty of situations in which Kevin, Stuart, and Bob show off their unintentional comic abilities. Trying to impress super-villain Scarlet, they find themselves the center of attention of an entire country.
The movie takes place in the last part of the 1960s and the soundtrack reflects the decade with plenty of pop songs like “Happy Together”, “Mellow Yellow”, “You Really Got Me”, “Revolution”, and more.

 

minions2Some of the jokes will only be understood by adults, however there are plenty of antics kids will find entertaining. The Minions were fun in the “Despicable Me” films however they were joined by the trio of Edith, Agnes, and Margo who became audience favorites. On their own they are purely slapstick. There is no doubt though, that young audiences will enjoy Kevin and Stuart, and especially little Bob.

 

“Illumination movies are always about characters. And in the case of the Minion movie, just like every other film, we wanted to explore dimensional personalities and characters, which we have done with our lead Minions—Kevin, Stuart and Bob.” said producer Chris Meledandri.

 

And writer Brian Lynch acknowledged, “As much as they slap each other around, they’re also there for each other. Kevin is the big brother, and if he weren’t around, the others would have ceased to exist long ago. Stuart is the rebellious teenager type. He doesn’t care about the mission as much as he does about hanging out, playing his music and talking to girls. And Bob is the wide-eyed innocent who is so excited to help out but then gets distracted by a bright light or the TV or a teddy bear on the ground.” Still, it wasn’t all brotherly love. “You want them bickering. You want them having ideas that the others wouldn’t, and you need them playing off each other.”

 

After seeing the film, audiences will most likely envision a bunch of Minions in every bunch of bananas. Or, as they say, “baa naa nahhh.”

 

“Minions” is rated PG for action and rude humor.

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for over 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 15 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book,  Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

Like her on Facebook

Hugo the Hippo on DVD

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hugo“Hugo the Hippo” is now available on DVD. While considered a children’s movie, I find it difficult to recommend it for kids. Or even adults.

 

Spoiler Alert – Because of the story I am going to deviate from the traditional form of review and divulge everything that happens in this 1975 film. Some parents might find it too traumatic for their kids.

 

First of all, in a harbor where the merchants must get their crops out to the boats, sharks move in and start chomping on everything and everyone. To get rid of the sharks the Sultan orders his people to find some hippos and bring them back. Now, if the sharks aren’t enough to cause nightmares for young viewers (especially considering all the shark attacks this year), the hippos are brutally rounded up and brought back for the sultan.

 

Hugo, the baby of the group, is not selected and sees his parents being taken away so he stows away to be with them. When the hippos are in the harbor they manage to get rid of the sharks and make the water safe for the merchants to deliver their crops to the boats. The people rejoice and take care of the hippos. At least for a while. When they neglect the big animals, the hippos start to go hungry and trample the land to get food for their survival.

 

Here comes another blow to the gut – At the order of the evil Aban-Khan who works for the sultan, all the hippos are slaughtered. All except Hugo who sees his parents killed and runs away. Alone and frightened, Hugo cannot find any place to live. He is hungry and sad until a young boy finds him and takes care of the little fellow. All the children in the area help Hugo by planting a garden so he will have fresh food. When Aban-Khan tracks down the hippo and things get really scary for the little guy. He is captured and put on trial. The adults call for his death and for his body to be carved out for food. Talk about traumatic. Hugo is terrified.

 

The final result is that the children are given guardianship of Hugo and the message is that people need to be compassionate toward animals.

 

There are some fun songs by Marie and Jimmy Osmond. The colorful scenes are interesting and reminiscent of the Beatles drug induced era with brightly colored kaleidascoping images. This film is meant for kids and the reviews are positive, however in all consciousness I cannot recommend it for kids. Or even adults.

 

In what universe is this considered a children’s film? Perhaps the same universe that thinks “Three Blind Mice” is a suitable nursery rhyme, with the farmer’s wife chopping off their tails with a carving knife.

 

This is definitely a film parents should think hard about before playing it for their kids.

 

“Hugo the Hippo” is part of the Warner Archive Collection and is available at www.wbshop.com.

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for over 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 15 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book,  Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

Like her on Facebook

Scooby-Doo! And KISS: Rock and Roll Mystery DVD Giveaway

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scoobyIt’s a rockin’ good time for the Scooby-Doo gang…or is it? A major concert featuring the world-famous rock band KISS is in jeopardy and legions of KISS fans will be let down, unless Scooby-Doo and his pals solve a perplexing mystery that’s keeping concert goers from the venue where the band is to perform.

 

Daphne, who has an enormous crush on KISS member Starchild, masterminds a plan to see the band in concert by telling her Mystery Inc. pals they’ve been summoned to solve a mystery at KISS World, a spectacular amusement park themed after the popular musical group.

 

The highly anticipated sold out concert, which is taking place on Halloween night at KISS World, gets dangerously close to being cancelled for security reasons after park visitors are frightened away from the premises by the Crimson Witch.

 

At KISS World the gang meets all four members of KISS, who agree to let Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne and Velma help them solve the mystery of the Crimson Witch. Together they embark on an unforgettable, rocking and rolling adventure. They discover that the Crimson Witch has come to KISS World to summon The Destroyer, an evil being from the alternate dimension of Kissteria! Together, the wicked duo’s ghastly plan is to destroy the earth! Can the gang’s cunning and KISS’s power of rock save the day?! Tune in to this rock and roll mystery for some thunderous, heavy FUN!

 

“We’ve brought together two giant pop culture icons, Scooby-Doo! and KISS for an unforgettable new story that’s sure to appeal to a wide range of viewers,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Vice President Family & Animation Marketing. She added, “We’re excited about the release of Scooby-Doo! And KISS: Rock and Roll Mystery. KISS’s spectacular theatrics mixed with Scooby-Doo’s delightful antics create the perfect blend for an original new story. This film is pure fun. Adults will delight in seeing one of America’s greatest rock bands, KISS, presented in gorgeous animation and kids will be entertained by Scooby-Doo solving a rock and roll mystery with his pals.”

 

We have some DVDs to giveaway.

 

To be eligible to win a copy of “Scooby Doo And KISS”, email us at [email protected] with “Scooby and KISS Giveaway” in the title. Please supply your name, address, phone number and email address (so we can let you know if you are a winner).

 

The deadline for this giveaway is July 21, 2015.

 

Come Fly With Me on DVD

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comeflyTake three flight attendants, an International schedule, cities filled with romance, and what do you get? A simplistic yet fun romp through Europe as the women search for true love. “Come Fly With Me” is a 1963 film starring Lois Nettleton, Dolores Hart, and Pamela Tiffin as the three “air hostesses” who search for love on the ground while fending off lotharios in the air.

 

Tiffin plays Carol Brewster, a newbie who is just as innocent in life as she is in her job. Hart is Donna, a woman only interested in finding a rich man. And Nettleton is Bergie, a woman with a sense of purpose and a difficult past when it comes to relationships.

 

Now add handsome First Officer Winsley (Hugh O’Brian) who has a liberal view of affairs, a Baron (Karl Bohm) who has some secrets, and a wealthy widower named Walter (Karl Malden) to the mix and things get very interesting.

 

While Walter falls for Bergie, she is not as eager to take on a love interest due to her past failed relationships. But she does fall hard for him. When Donna learns the man who is attentive to her in flight is an actual Baron, she changes her tune and flirts back with the intention of snagging a rich man. Unfortunately, she gets entangled in his web and falls prey to an illegal act. And Carol has it bad for Winsley. He’s gorgeous and sweet, and she cannot resist his charm, until she discovers his sexual escapades are numerous.

 

The movie was filmed on location in Paris and Vienna, which adds authenticity to the storylines. The one thing that viewers will find interesting and remember is the low-key, fun way people interacted in flight. This was before terrorism, before airlines crammed in extra seats, and when people enjoyed flying. Those were the days. If you remember them, then this movie will bring back plenty of memories about the good old days of air travel.

 

Frankie Avalon sings the title song in this romantic romp through Europe.

 

“Come Fly With Me” is part of the Warner Archive Collection and is available at their site www.wbshop.com.

 

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for over 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 15 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book,  Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

Like her on Facebook

Mr. Robot airs on USA

Posted on by FCA Editor

Mr. Robot - Season 1Combining technology with criminal behavior (sound familiar?) USA Network’s newest drama is “Mr. Robot”. Rami Malek stars as Elliot, a young computer programmer working as an engineer in a cyber security office but moonlights as a vigilante hacker. He is wooed by an underground group of hackers called the F Society, led by Mr. Robot, played by Christian Slater.

 

Slater told members of the media about his character and the premise of the show. “He’s recruited these people, and he’s screened them all and found this particular young man and wants to use his skills in order to achieve his end game.”

 

Slater’s character has been described as a David Koresh-like man, and Rami Malek joked, “What better actor to play David Koresh than Christian Slater.”

 

Slater has a history of playing this type of revolutionary, activist, and some would say anarchist, character. In the 1990 film “Pump Up the Volume”. “Instead of taking over a school, now we’re taking over the world and erasing corporate debt and getting it off the shoulders of the students.”
Carly Chaikin (who was in “Suburgatory” from 2011-2014) plays Darlene, whom she describes as “part of F Society and she’s very dark.” She explained, “I am basically second in command to Mr. Robot and write the codes that are taking down corporate America that we’re using. It’s really amazing to play a strong female who, even if to the audience it might seem like she’s doing something bad, to her she’s fighting for something that she really believes in.”

 

Portia Doubleday plays Angela, a computer expert on the other side of the law from Darlene. “I think Angela also struggles with what is good and what is bad and what does success mean. She’s an overachiever, and I think she illustrates corporate America and what the machine is like.”
According to Slater, “I think that we sometimes live under a veil of enormous illusion, and at the end of the day we’re all human beings doing the best we can. I think we tend to sometimes put people up on these particular pedestals and have these ideas about them and what they should be and what they should stand for. It’s like you shouldn’t always meet your heroes. It could be a dangerous thing to actually get to know somebody that you’ve admired and respected for so long because 90% of the time they can disappoint you and let you down.”

 

Today we have “Scopion” and” CSI:Cyber” dealing with plenty of hacking characters. “Mr. Robot” adds another component to the hacking world on television. In this age when hacking into a movie studio or even the White House makes daily news, these shows reflect the technology of the time.

 

By the way, for those of you who know you’ve seen Rami Malek before, yes, you certainly have. He’s been in many shows, and most notably as Ahkmenrah in the “Night at the Museum” films.

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for over 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 15 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book,  Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

Like her on Facebook

Three Bites of the Apple DVD Stars David McCallum

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apple“Three Bites of the Apple” is a 1967 comedy starring David McCallum who was having a career surge with his role as Illya Kuryakin in the TV series “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” (1964-1968). McCallum plays Stanley Thrumm, a tour guide that finds himself in a sticky situation.

 

Thrumm is a mild-mannered man with scruples. When he “accidentally” wins a large amount of money at a casino in Italy, his life changes dramatically, but not in the way you would think. Carla Moretti (Sylva Koscina) has her eye on him in the casino, but not because he is attractive. She is a thief and sets him up as her mark, with the help of her ex-husband.

 

Carla manages to capture Stanley’s attention and his heart. But all the while they are seeing each other she is plotting her move. How will she separate Stanley from the money? While Stanley is falling in love with this seemingly sweet woman, she is thinking about nothing more than the payoff, which is enormous.

 

This story is somewhat simplistic, but typical for the time in which it was produced. Perhaps the best scene is the one in the casino when Stanley’s chips inadvertently land on the winning number at the roulette table. Not wanting to keep the money he won because he had no intention of gambling and it was a fluke that his chips landed where they did, he decides to leave all the chips on the same number. After all, the odds of that number coming up twice in a row are high. But it does. And it does again. While his chips and winnings are piling up, he decides to take the money and get out of there.

 

Harvey Korman plays one of the tourists on Stanley’s tour, and Tammy Grimes plays another tourist who has her eye on Stanley.

 

The movie was filmed on location in Italy and the scenery is spectacular. Pay attention to the song “In the Garden Under the Tree” playing during the opening credits. It is sung by McCallum.

 

David McCallum began his acting career long before U.N.C.L.E. propelled him into the consciousness of American audiences. Currently he co-stars in the hit TV series “NCIS.”

 

“Three Bites of the Apple” isn’t the best movie, but fans of the actor will undoubtedly enjoy seeing him in this role. It is part of the Warner Archive Collection and can be ordered at www.wbshop.com.

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for over 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 15 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book,  Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

Like her on Facebook

Freedom DVD Giveaway

Posted on by FCA Editor

Freedom_2D[1]Two men separated by time are united in their search for freedom in this gripping tale of slavery, endurance, despair, and redemption. In 1856, Samuel Woodward (Academy Award Winner® Cuba Gooding, Jr.) and his family escape their cruel life on a Virginian plantation and begin a dangerous trek to Canada on the Underground Railroad. Over 100 years earlier, in 1748, Captain John Newton (Bernhard Forcher) is about to set off across the sea with a ship full of slaves. Both men are having struggles of faith and conscience, and both will be tested severely in their journeys.

Woodward is relentlessly pursued by a slave hunter, Plimpton, and his two thugs. They will stop at nothing to capture the family, dead or alive. Newton will face sickness, sorrow, and a fierce storm that will endanger the entire ship. In the end, both men will be united by a bond that spans a century and will prove to be the ultimate gift of grace.

We have three (3) DVDs to giveaway.

To be eligible to win a copy of Freedom, email us at [email protected] with “Freedom Giveaway” in the title. Please supply your name, address, phone number and email address (so we can let you know if you are a winner).

The deadline for this giveaway is July 14, 2015.