If you think you knew everything about Marilyn Monroe, think again. The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe is a two-part original movie based on the New York Times bestseller of the same name by author J. Randy Taraborelli. Taraborelli has written previous biographies of Grace Kelly, Diana Ross, Frank Sinatra, and Elizabeth Taylor. While not every part of the book is included in this movie, there are new revelations in the film that Monroe fans will savor.

The two-part movie event focuses on Monroe in her early years and her rise to fame. The central theme running through this film is the unhappiness and emotional torment suffered by Norma Jeane (aka Marilyn Monroe) and her love and devotion for her mentally disturbed mother, as well as her own emotional demons.

Kelli Garner does a wonderful job portraying the troubled woman who was determined to make it to the top of her profession, relying heavily on drugs and booze to help her get through the ups and downs.

Susan Sarandon deserves accolades for her performance of Monroe’s mentally ill mother Gladys. Sarandon fills the part perfectly and delivers a performance that is interesting and moving.

Another central character in Monroe’s life was her second husband Joe DiMaggio, played with heart by Jeffrey Dean Morgan. The love this man felt for Monroe is overwhelming, even though at times he was violent toward the woman to whom he was devoted.

And Emily Watson portrays the woman closest to Marilyn through the years when her own mother was locked away in sanitariums.

The film briefly delves into Marilyn’s acting career while centering mainly on her personal relationships – with her first husband whom she married only to stay out of an orphanage, her first agent John Hyde, then her husbands DiMaggio and play-write Arthur Miller. Her obsession with President Kennedy is also something that took a major toll on the young actress, believing in her mind that Kennedy was going to divorce his wife Jackie to marry her.

The film does not go into Marilyn’s relationship with Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack, other than to show the friendship between Patricia Lawford (Peter Lawford’s wife and JFK’s sister), nor does it go into her experiences on the set of her films. The story is more about the way her life evolved and how her own mental illness claimed her much the way it claimed her mother, although she was better at hiding it than was Gladys.

The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe will give viewers food for thought. They will most likely feel empathy for her and her devotion to her mother. Yes, it is well known that she had personal demons, however they are further explained in this film. The public Marilyn Monroe and the private woman meshed at times, however her emotional attachments and dependences are more clearly defined in this exploration of the film icon. While the dark side of her mind was hidden from the public, it is revealed in full on the screen as Kelli Garner brings the woman to life in a way that has not been seen before.

Part One premiers Saturday, May 30, 2015. Part Two premiers the following night, May 31. Lifetime has produced a new and emotional look at Norma Jeane in The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe.

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.

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Grace of Monaco is a film that delves into a chapter in the life of the Grace Kelly. It focuses on the political turmoil of Monaco in 1962 and the internal frustration of Grace who was flirting with an offer from Alfred Hitchcock to star in his film Marnie.

When Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier it seemed like a fairy tale. But as the public later discovered, it was far from that. “The idea of my life as a fairy tale is itself a fairy tale,” said Grace Kelly, aka Princess Grace of Monaco. As viewers will see, and historians know, Grace was not beloved in Monaco when she first arrived. She had a difficult time adjusting to her new life and the culture. Then in 1962 everything changed.

At the time America was focused on The Cuban Missile Crisis, Monaco was looking at a blockade itself. France’s Charles De Gaulle wanted to make the small country part of France and tax the Monegasques. He did not like the fact it was basically a tax haven. Yet Princess Rainier was against taxation.

As Rainier was about to lose his country, which had been under the reign of his family for centuries, he was also teetering on the edge of losing his wife. Grace was not happy and wanted to return to Hollywood. But there were things going on inside the palace that tugged at her sense of responsibility.

The film focuses on this time in the history of Monaco and the life of Grace Kelly. While it was not a fairy tale life, she managed her best to create a life while still staying true to herself.

Nicole Kidman stars as Grace and brings a human quality to the woman many think of as simply an actress or a princess. Grace had a difficult time with her new life until she decided to embrace it and everything it had to offer. She immersed herself in the history, the people, and the politics and finally won the love and adoration of the people.

The film also stars Tim Roth as Prince Rainier III, Frank Langella as Father Tucker who was Grace’s confidante, and Parker Posey as one of her aides. Grace of Monaco shows the effect Grace had on the country and the people of Monaco. The film premiers Monday, May 25 on Lifetime.

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

There’s no doubt about it. American Ninja Warrior is an inspiring show celebrating the everyday hero. Executive Producer Arthur Smith recently joined hosts Matt Iseman, Akbar Gbajabiamila, and Kristine Leahy to talk with the media about season seven.

Smith’s excitement for the seventh season is evident. “This season, we’ve seen an increase in over 45,000 video submissions and we’ve added five new cities (for a total of six) and 24 new obstacles. The cities for this season are Venice (California), Houston, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and (Universal) Orlando. And, for the first time, we will be doing an all‑military show in Long Beach (California) with the U.S.S. Iowa in the background,” he explained.

Iseman added, “The people in the military are some of the most amazing people around. It’s a perfect way for us to try to say how much we appreciate those who serve us, who make it possible for us to do a show like this and to get them together. I think the episode is going to air around the 4th of July.”

Bragging rights are not the only thing winners come away with, besides the feeling of major accomplishment. One million dollars will also be awarded to the person who completes the Mount Midoriyama course.

Iseman is proud of this year’s competition as well, “We know we’re getting better people than ever before and the course is reflecting that. Brent Steffensen, a couple years ago, was a wild card. He couldn’t even complete a city finals course and ended up being the first American ever to complete the ultimate cliffhanger. I think in the end it all boils down to a strength‑to‑weight ratio,” Iseman stated. I think we saw that last year with Kacy Catanzaro, who is 5-feet tall and weighs less than a hundred pounds. No one thought she was strong enough. But, when you turn on our show and you see Kacy or you see Jon Stewart, 52 years old with his five kids in the crowd, people say, ‘That’s me. I can do that.’”

Smith added, “But we always get surprised. Kevin Bull was a walk‑on last year and is a star now.”

Iseman confirmed, “And he has alopecia. I think that’s one of the great things and what makes our job so easy. Everybody on the show has a story, and everybody has a reason that you can root for them. We pull for every single person who is out there because we’ve seen how much these people have sacrificed. These people have families. They have full‑time jobs. They’re building obstacles in their backyards. They’re waking up at 5 a.m. to train and they come out here, and they’ll camp out for 10 days to get this one shot at 4 in the morning that could be over in a second or could lead to a million dollars.

“And I can identify with that. I have rheumatoid arthritis. I was diagnosed when I was 31. My physical activity went way down. And last year we had a competitor who was a walk‑on in Dallas, Abel Gonzalez, who has RA, the same condition I have. He ends up going all the way to Vegas and being one of our top finishers. It was just one of these reminders that sometimes we place limits on ourselves. We had an amputee last year. We have another amputee. When you see people with diabetes out there and you think of the excuses, like ‘I’m a little tired,’ those excuses don’t hold up. You don’t have an excuse when you see how hard some of these competitors work and the adversity that they overcome. We had a guy who had open‑heart surgery five months before getting on the course just down in Houston.”

Smith was quick to add, “And, one of the great things is the letters we get from kids. We know this is a big, broad family show, and that’s one of the reasons why it’s successful. We get pictures of kids standing in door frames and imitating the jumping spider. I think it’s the right time for the show. I think it sends really positive messages out there like, ‘Don’t judge people;’ ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover;’ ‘You never know.’ It’s the one show where competitors root for each other.”

Season seven of American Ninja Warrior premiers May 25 at 8 P.M. on NBC.

About the Author

Cheryl Hollar is a freelance writer for various online TV and film magazines. Besides freelance writing, Cheryl holds a certificate in Writing for TV from UCLA’s Writers Extension Program. She has a background in entertainment public relations.