Jake And The Neverland Pirates: Battle For The Book is out on DVD. Enjoy these fun activities.
Author: FCA Editor
Episodes Returns for Season 4
The hit Showtime comedy Episodes returns for another fun-filled season beginning January 11, 2015. The show focuses on a fictional Matt LeBlanc. The real Matt LeBlanc wants the viewers to know that this is definitely a fictional character. And what a character he is!
To fill you in on the background of the series, Matt is starring in a new sitcom called Pucks! from talented British writers Sean and Beverly Lincoln (Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig). The egocentric Matt has managed to change the Lincoln’s original story and what they end up with is a crappy sitcom, which everyone wants to end.
At the end of last season Pucks! was finally cancelled, leaving Matt free to pursue a really good TV show, which he desperately wants. It also sets the Lincolns free to return to London and finally end their Hollywood nightmare. Unfortunately, when everyone thinks they are rid of the crappy Pucks! once and for all, they are pulled back into the fold for another six episodes. That changes their future plans.
Now we start season four. The Lincolns have reluctantly returned to Los Angeles to oversee the show that has given them so much frustration over the years, and Matt has to cancel his plans for the new series, which looked like it would have been his great comeback.
While everyone is getting back in the muck that is Pucks!, Beverly and Sean are still being pursued to make their much-better second American show. Sean wants to consider it, however since their experience with Pucks! was so awful, she has no desire to continue with their Hollywood career. She wants to return to England, but will the pull of financial gain change her mind?
When Matt learns his business manager took his money, he is anxious to find a way to maintain his lavish lifestyle. But how can he?
Episodes is an addicting series. It has earned a Golden Globe and has been nominated for other awards, including a Primetime Emmy award. Kathleen Rose Perkins plays Carol Rance, the number two executive at the network’s Los Angeles office who keeps sleeping with her bosses. But the next one will be different. Stay tuned…
Episodes season four premiers January 11 on Showtime. It is addicting, funny, clever, and rated TV-MA for mature audiences only.
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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Foxcatcher is Gathering Award Nominations
Foxcatcher is based on the true story millionaire John E. du Pont (Steve Carell) and his association with Mark and Dave Schultz (Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo). The film, director, and performances by Carell and the entire cast have been gathering award nominations this season.
This is a strange story. Du Pont, the heir to the family fortune, was an odd man. He not only sought recognition from his mother, but also from everyone else. He needed to be accepted and appreciated; yet he never attained that in his lifetime. He was a philanthropist who gladly donated money to a variety of charities and organizations, but as a human being he lacked the qualities that were admirable. To put it bluntly, he was a deeply troubled man, and Steve Carell’s performance is wonderful.
The film delves into du Pont’s relationship with Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz. John du Pont’s eccentricities ran deep and he created a wrestling training facility at his family’s Foxcatcher estate and persuaded Mark to come train with him. In the beginning, Mark was eager to please his mentor. His brother/trainer Dave, on the other hand, rejected du Pont’s offer to help coach at the facility. Mark was happy to go to Foxcatcher and train under the “supervision” of du Pont.
Mark became corrupted by the wealth and drugs afforded him by du Pont. However, when he realized his benefactor was getting stranger and stranger, he distanced himself from him, which did not please du Pont, who went from one extreme to the other.
The millionaire finally lured Mark’s brother Dave out to the estate. The two brothers had always been close, but du Pont had sullied Mark’s feelings for his brother. However, as they say, blood is thicker than water, and in this case, stronger than money. While the brothers were at Foxcatcher, their relationship changed, but they remained close. Du Pont’s actions and reactions to the brothers is definitely troubling, to say the least.
Foxcatcher is a drama that is creepy and uncomfortable, made even more so by the fact it is a true story. However, it is interesting with wonderful performances by the entire cast. Foxcatcher is rated R for some drug use and a scene of violence.
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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Yentl on Blu-ray
Barbra Streisand starred in as well as directed this 1983 film about a Jewish woman who desperately wants to attend religious school. Yentl is the story of a woman who is stuck in a time when women were forbidden from religious training. But she uses her determination to find a way to attend a religious school. By cutting her hair and dressing like a boy, Yentl gets her wish of attending Yeshiva and studying her religion.
The fun in this film comes when Yentl is befriended by Avigdor (Mandy Patinkin) and falls in love with him. However she cannot reveal her gender to him or anyone. Then, due to a serious circumstance, she marries Hadass (Amy Irving), all while maintaining her secret that she is a woman.
This is a wonderful story and is beautifully acted. Yentl won one Academy Award (for Best Musical Score) and two Golden Globes (for Best Director and Best Motion Picture).
Yentl is not the only film to focus on a woman posing as a man, or a man posing as a woman for personal gain. In 1959 Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon posed as women to escape the wrath of mobsters in the award-winning movie Some Like it Hot. In 1982 Julie Andrews posed as a man (pretending to be a female impersonator) to make money in the Academy Award winning film Victor Victoria. Also in 1982, Dustin Hoffman posed as a woman to further his acting career in the hilarious (and award-winning) movie Tootsie. Robin Williams pretended to be a woman to spend more time with his children in Mrs. Doubtfire, which also won an Oscar.
This Twilight Time Blu-ray edition is filled with bonus features that take viewers behind the scenes and add perspective to the film as well as Streisand’s vision and goals of the movie. The edition is limited to 3,000 units.
Yentl is filled with music, fun, and inspiration. It is rated PG.
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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Jefrey Au-Go-Go! CD GIVEAWAY
Jefrey Au-Go-Go! is pure fun. Jefrey presents a feast of alliteration and clever rhymes, playing with language for the sheer delight of the sound of the words in songs like “Peter the Pushy Puppy,” “Ippo the Hippo,” “Cheeky Alligator,” and more. It’s wild, zany, outrageous, and jolly. Nothing profound here. It’s a “just for fun” record for kids created by Jefrey Siler (a.k.a. Jefrey Au-Go-Go), a critically acclaimed indie musician who has based himself in both the US and Australia.
Jefrey Au-Go-Go! kicks off with “Peter The Pushy Puppy,” a great example of wild and zany vocal delivery that rollicks through at least three very entertaining, silly octaves. “Ippo The Hippo” vacillates among outrageous accents (North Carolina backwoods to comic Italian and everything between). “Cheeky Alligator” thrives on a spooky vocal setting with lovely background voices that seem oblivious to the zaniness of the lyrics. “Milk Mustache” celebrates real kid stuff over a bouquet of ukulele strumming and marimba rolls. “Shake It Off” starts with some catchy counterpoint between flute and finger picking guitar that returns again and again to pull the song together. “Perry The Pirate,” a descendant of Cyril Ritchard’s unforgettable Captain Hook, offers non-stop silliness. A taste of Caribbean steel drum melody undulates gently beneath Jefrey Au-Go-Go’s four-octave vocalization of the story of “Nelson.” The fun continues right up to bedtime with a jolly, nocturnal “Pajama Parade” followed by the tale of a family of bears on “Mountain Called Change.” A bit of Appalachian banjo introduces “Buster Brownbird,” who dialogues with and serenades a fat Mrs. Worm. Jefrey signs off with a bunch of good advice on “Awful Wide.”
We have some CDs to giveaway.
To be eligible to win a copy of Jefrey Au-Go-Go, email us at [email protected] with “Jefrey 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 January 20, 2015.
Funny Lady on Blu-ray
It seems Barbra Streisand can do no wrong when it comes to her screen appearances. In 1968 she won an Academy Award for her performance of Fanny Brice in the musical Funny Girl, and in 1975 she continued her role in Funny Lady as a more mature Brice. This film was nominated for five Academy Awards and although probably not as well known as the original movie, Funny Lady is just as musical and well-acted with the addition of James Caan as Billy Rose, Roddy McDowall as Fanny’s friend Bobby, and Ben Vereen as entertainer Bert Robbins.
Although based on the real life relationship of Fanny Brice and Billy Rose, this film takes many liberties, but that doesn’t make it any less entertaining. The story takes place in the 1930s when Fanny meets Billy Rose, a nightclub owner/songwriter/producer. The two personalities are so similar that the characters clash, but there is something pulling them together. Could it be love?
Billy is infatuated with Fanny, although she is still in love with her ex-husband Nick Arnstein (Omar Sharif). She finally comes to the conclusion that she and Nick are not right for each other any more so she and Billy get married, but that marriage was not destined for eternity either.
In between all of this strife and self-discovery, Fanny joins Billy’s shows and continues her soaring career with plenty of musical opportunities to show off Streisand’s vocal talent as well as her comedy chops and dramatic abilities.
James Caan is not the debonair charmer that Omar Sharif was in the original film. Yet Caan brings some fun and wit to the role and the pairing of the two stars is adorable.
There are some great songs in this film, including some penned by the real Billy Rose: “I Found a Million Dollar Baby (in a Five and Ten Cent Store)”, “It’s Only a Paper Moon”, “More Than You Know”, and “Me and My Shadow”. Kander and Ebb songs round out the soundtrack.
Bonus features on this Blu-ray edition include a look at how the stars were paired up for the film, the costuming (by Ray Aghayan and the incomparable Bob Mackie), and filming some of the scenes. There is a great water ballet scene in the film (that Fanny comically messes up just like she messed up the skating scene in Funny Girl), which is the subject of one of the bonus features.
It’s interesting to note that the producer of Funny Girl and Funny Lady was Ray Stark who was married to Frances Brice, Fanny Brice’s real-life daughter.
This Twilight Time Blu-ray edition is limited to 3,000 units.
Funny Lady is rated PG. Enjoy!
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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Inherit the Wind on Blu-ray
This 1960 movie is a fictitious version of the events in 1925. The “Scopes Monkey Trial” put Darwin’s theory of Evolution on trial against the teachings of the Bible. Inherit the Wind is a well-acted thought-provoking film starring Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, Gene Kelly, and Dick York.
The Scopes Monkey Trial pitted Clarence Darrow against William Jennings Bryan on opposite sides of the issue of teaching Darwin’s theory in schools. Inherit the Wind has fictitious Henry Drummond in Darrow’s seat and fictitious Matthew Harrison Brady in Bryan’s chair. Spencer Tracy is amazing as Drummond, the attorney who is intent on making the trial about freedom of thought and expression, while Fredric March is just as determined in the role of Brady who insists everything in the Bible is fact and not to be altered in the minds of the school children. Anything other than what is written in the Bible is blasphemy.
This is more than an entertaining film. The acting is phenomenal and the film was nominated for four Academy Awards. The screenwriter used some of the transcripts from the “Scopes Monkey Trial” in this film.
The movie begins with Bertram Cates (York) teaching his class Darwin’s theory. He is immediately arrested in his classroom, setting everything in motion for one of the biggest trials of the century. The movie takes place in the Deep South, and the actual trial took place in Tennessee where teacher John Scopes was put on trial for teaching evolution.
In truth, American freedom was put on trial. Freedom of thought and expression was at the heart of the trial, against the Bible devotees the town and the state. The trial itself is fascinating however, when Drummond (aka Darrow) puts his opponent Brady (aka Brian) on the stand, things really get interesting.
Today’s viewers might get some feelings that this film hits too close to home, in a manner of speaking. The people of the town believe wholly in the Bible and if anyone doesn’t believe the way they do, they are wrong and need to be punished. Does that sound like some of the religious extremists today? Think about it.
Gene Kelly is journalist Hornbeck who takes the side of Cates and Drummond, and Claude Akins is Reverend Jeremiah Brown, a man who would turn against his own daughter for the Bible. Harry Morgan plays Judge Coffey, a man who is torn between the issues but leans toward the majority of the town.
To say this is a classic movie is an understatement. It is brilliantly written, brilliantly acted, and has a message for viewers. Although fiction, the story is based on an important part of American history.
So, if you are wondering where the title comes from, here’s a quote from the King James Bible: He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.
Inherit the Wind is not rated. It is appropriate for most viewers. This Blu-ray edition from Twilight Time is limited to 3,000 units.
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
Train Craft Activity- Chuggington: Snow Rescue
We have this fun holiday Create-A-Chugger activity for you
The Boxtrolls Activity Sheets and Recipes
The Boxtrolls are coming to DVD and Blu-ray on January 20, 2015! We have some fun holiday activities and recipes for you to share with you.
Peter Pan Live! Now on DVD
It’s becoming more common for stage plays to be turned into TV shows. Last year we had The Sound of Music (2013) Before that there were versions of Cinderella (1965), South Pacific (2001), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (2000) and Into the Woods (1999), Camelot (1982), and Gypsy (1993). In 2014 we had Peter Pan. These live performances give viewers a different perspective on the stories than the motion pictures we regularly watch. In Peter Pan Live! Allison Williams plays Peter, the boy who never grew up.
We are familiar with the Disney animated version of Peter Pan. That show shot a little fairy named Tinker Bell to instant stardom. I grew up with the stage performance with Mary Martin playing Peter Pan, which I remember fondly. Mary Martin originated the role on Broadway in 1954, which was later filmed for television audiences. I remember playing the soundtrack album over and over again. It was a different take on the story from the animated film. To me that was interesting. Then there was Sandy Duncan. Last year I happened to catch the stage play in Hollywood with Olympic gymnast Cathy Rigby starring as Peter.
Now, all these years later, Peter Pan Live! is available for a whole new generation. Allison Williams is delightful as Peter and Christopher Walken plays Captain Hook.
So, what makes the live performance different from the animated film? Quite simply, it’s the way the story is told and the songs that run throughout the performance. More specifically, the musical numbers “I Gotta Crow,” “I’m Flying,” “I Won’t Grow Up,” and “Never Never Land,” among others. These songs will have viewers tapping their toes and singing along with the show.
The story of Peter Pan, Wendy and her brothers, Tinker Bell, The Lost Boys, Captain Hook and the Pirates, Tiger Lily, and the Darling Family with Nana the dog, comes to life in this show. Minnie Driver plays the adult Wendy as well as narrates the story.
The bonus feature on this DVD is a documentary titled “The Making of Peter pan Live!” that gives viewers a back stage look at the production and preparations for the show including rehearsals.
Peter Pan Live! is a show for the entire family. And just keep an eye out for Captain Hook. Walken is delightful in this role.
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