Author: Francine Brokaw

‘Never Again is Now’ is powerful and a must-see film

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

 

After the holocaust the cry was “Never again!” That was the thought among the people of the world. But times have changed, and changed dramatically. Never Again is Now is a documentary that will not only enlighten viewers but also awaken them to the status of humanity in current times. Evelyn Markus brings an emotional story to light as she reflects on the past and shows how civilization is repeating the horrors again. With this awakening, viewers will be able to join together and stop the atrocities that are sweeping over the planet.

Markus is a Dutch Jew who discusses the plight of Jews during the holocaust and how life after was brighter for Jews. But times have changed and with the rise of Muslim extremists and Alt-Right, the lives of Jewish people around the globe are in danger. Yes, danger.

Markus had to leave her homeland and found comfort in the United States. This is the country that promises freedom of religion. She discusses and shows how Europe is being enveloped by antisemitism and how in many countries the schools are not allowed to even mention the holocaust. Jews are being tormented on the streets and their safety is in jeopardy.

But that is not a trend that is only happening in Europe. On the contrary, the United States is slowly following as antisemitism is beginning to spread its hate in the U.S.

With interviews with devout Muslim physician Qanta Ahmed, who is one Muslim helping to sound the alarm, religious leaders, government leaders, and others, this film demonstrates that people are definitely concerned about the spread of antisemitism and the hatred that is part of life these days, as in the time of Hitler.

It is astonishing to see the harassment and insults Jews encounter just by walking down the streets in Europe. Will that soon be the case in the United States?

Every person in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Senate, state and local government offices needs to see this film. It is an important and eye-opening lesson for anyone who has not experienced this hatred.

Never Again is Now is a lesson and a wake-up call. It goes right to the heart of humanity. If viewers do not get a twinge in their stomach or a tear in their eye or even a feeling of anger, they do not care about their fellow humans!

Never Again is Now is being released October 23, 2019 on VOD via Amazon US and Amazon UK. This is a powerful and emotional film that should wake up the population and inspire everyone to stop this horrendous situation that is sweeping once again around the world.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. 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, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

‘Toy Story 4’ now on Blu-ray

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


In Toy Story 3 Andy went away to college and gave his treasured friends to Bonnie, who has an amazing imagination. In subsequent made-for-TV shows, (Toy Story of Terror and Toy Story that Time Forgot) Bonnie’s love and imagination with her toys captured the hearts of viewers.

When Andy had his toys, Woody was his favorite and went with him everywhere. Now in Toy Story 4, Woody is with Bonnie and has been demoted, so to speak. He’s not her favorite but he still feels responsible for her, in the same way he did for Andy. He knows his purpose it to make Bonnie happy. And when she is afraid to go to kindergarten, Woody stows away in her backpack to be there for her if she needs him.

At the kindergarten initiation day Bonnie creates Forky, a spork combined with googly eyes and other items from the trash. She instantly loves this new toy. When they all get back to her room, Woody introduces Forky to the gang. But Forky still thinks he is trash and not a toy. After all, he came from the trash.

Bonnie and her parents take off in an RV for an end-of-summer vacation, along with Buzz, Woody, several of her toys, and her new favorite toy Forky. While Forky still doesn’t understand the importance of being there for his “kid,” the gang instills in him the duty of being a toy. He still wants to escape from the bonds of toydom.

Woody and Forky find themselves in the Second Chance antique store where Woody is reunited with Bo Peep, from the good old days. Bo was Andy’s sisters toy and years earlier was discarded. The bond between Woody and Bo is strong, however Bo has been living as a lost toy and has had a different life than Woody. She has not had a kid for a long time.

In the antique store Woody and Forky encounter a doll that has never had a kid.  Gabby Gabby, is a cute doll that came off the assembly line defective. So she has spent her entire life, since the 1950s, without someone to love her. That is all she wants – to be loved by a child.

The escapades with all the toys – including some carnival toys – are fun.

The Blu-ray Combo Pack includes many bonus features that enlighten viewers about creating the characters and the scenes. Many of these bonus features are lessons in animation.

There is a nice little featurette about Buzz and Woody with their human counterparts Tim Allen and Tom Hanks. Spoiler alert: there are times in life when we have to say good-bye. This is the time for these two good friends who have experienced many escapades together over the last couple decades.

Also included are featurettes about some of the new characters including Gabby Gabby, Forky, Ducky and Bunny, and Giggle McDimples. Deleted scenes in storyboard form are also part of the bonus features plus much more.

With all the bonus features, the Blu-ray combo pack of Toy Story 4 is a must-have for fans of the franchise. It’s packed full of fun and features and plenty of characters – old and new. This sentimental story will definitely be a film families will watch over and over.

Toy Story 4 is available on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, and 4K Ultra Combo Pack. It’s rated G for the whole family.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. 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, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

‘Princess Emmy’ on DVD

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


A long time ago, in the Kingdom of Kandis, Queen Karla saved the lives of countless horses. In return she was given the gift of being able to talk to horses. Queen Karla wrote everything down in a secret book, and as long as the book was not lost, the ability to talk to horses would continue with the royals. Princess Emmy is the current young princess in the kingdom and loves being with her horses. She carefully guards the book. Emmy loves the gift of talking to horses and would do anything to keep it.

When her evil and jealous cousin Gizana comes to stay with her, Emmy faces the ultimate test. She and Gizana are preparing for the Princess Day Ball however Emmy is also given an additional challenge from the book. She must prove herself worthy of the gift. But at the same time she is trying to figure out what the test is to prove her worthiness, Gizana is sabotaging her efforts as well as doing whatever she can to prove Emmy is not worthy of attending the Princess Day Ball.

Poor little Emmy is facing challenges at every turn. Only her best friend David is able to help her. He is the only outsider who is aware of Emmy’s gift. But can the two of them keep Gizana from stealing the book and transferring the gift to herself? Once she discovers there really is a special power associated with the book, she wickedly devises a plan to steal it from Emmy and take the gift for herself.

This is a cute story that shows even enemies, no matter how much they might despise each other, can join forces and become friends. Princess Emmy is a fun little character who enjoys being with her horses and keeping the gift. She learns that there are some things more important than her wonderful gift, however. And that is her ultimate challenge.

Princess Emmy is available on DVD from Shout! Factory Kids beginning October 15, 2019.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. 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, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

‘Biloxi Blues’ now on Blu-ray

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


Neil Simon wrote the play and the screenplay of Biloxi Blues, which is the middle of his semi-autobiographical trilogy. This 1988 comedy is hysterical but also has plenty of drama and thoughtful scenes.

Matthew Broderick stars as Eugene Morris Jerome, a native New Yorker who is about to go going through Army Boot Camp in the south with a bunch of young men from different cultures with different sets of personal references. Jerome is determined to be an author and keeps a detailed diary of his days at boot camp.

The ensemble is wonderful and Neil Simon’s story is filled with many laugh-out-loud moments as well as plenty of insightful and dramatic ones. These men must learn not only how to be soldiers, but also how to survive as a team in this hot, humid, haunting environment that is Biloxi, Mississippi.

The movie was mainly filmed in Fort Smith, Arkansas, a place that leant itself to the environment of the south. Viewers will definitely get a sense of the heat. As Jerome says, “It’s Africa hot.”

The new bonus feature on this Blu-ray is a look back at the film and the characters with Corey Parker who played Epstein with a great determination to capture the character in all his brilliance. Parker was familiar with the play however, as he points out, the movie had a little different take on the story and the ending is different from the play.

Parker goes down the line and discusses each actor’s performance and what he brought to the film. He also talks about Simon as well as director Mike Nichols, and says many of the cast and crew gathered and bonded over a Passover Sedar during the shoot. An interesting fact that he brings out is that Neil Simon was there for the first two weeks then left the production in the hands of the director and actors. Apparently that is how he liked to do things when it came to filming his stories.

Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, and Broadway Bound make up the “Eugene” trilogy penned by Simon. Many movies have been made about boot camps, but they don’t have the fun and flair of this one by Simon.

Biloxi Blues is rated PG-13.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. 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, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

‘Blindfold’ stars Rock Hudson

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

Rock Hudson is a famous psychiatrist in the suspense film Blindfold. Claudia Cardinale and Jack Warden co-star in this 1966 movie.

Hudson is Dr. Bartholomew Snow, a man famous for being a top New York psychiatrist and for getting engaged over and over again. While on one of his morning horse rides through Central Park, a government agent asking for his help confronts Snow. Apparently one of Snow’s former patients, Arthur Vincenti (Alejandro Rey), has been taken by the government to keep him from divulging information to the enemy. General Prat (Warden) asks for Snow’s help in treating the emotionally fragile man. Snow agrees and the journey begins.

Snow is always blindfolded when he is taken to see his patient. The team of Prat, Davis (Hari Rhodes), and Snow, get on a private jet out of NYC. Snow is the only one that is kept in the dark – literally – about their destination. Upon arrival they then get into a vehicle and travel a distance to an old house where Vincenti is being held.

Then one day Snow is confronted by Vincenti’s sister Vicky (Cardinale) who insists her brother has been abducted. Snow proposes (once again) to Vicky to keep her quiet so she doesn’t let out the government secret. But slowly the two form a bond and Vicky and Vicky finds herself in the middle of an espionage case.

Meanwhile, a man named Fitzpatrick (Guy Stockwell) visits the good doctor in his office and tells him he is with the CIA. He says the man Snow has been working with is not with the government.

Who is telling the truth? Is Vincenti being held by the good guys or the bad ones?

As the story unfolds, Vicky and Snow decide they must go to help her brother. But just where in the world is he? All they have to go on is Snow’s recollections about what he heard and felt while being blindfolded.

With plot twists and fun characters, this is an interesting story but not one of Hudson’s greatest. It seems like a low-budget cold war espionage movie but Hudson is likeable as usual! Viewers will enjoy seeing Hudson as a cool, calm, collected psychiatrist caught in the middle of an espionage episode where he must use both his cunning and his composure to help the right side, once he knows which side that is, of course!

Blindfold is not rated.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. 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, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

‘Support Your Local Gunfighter’ now on Blu-ray

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

Two years after he made Support Your Local Sheriff, James Garner and a bunch of the same actors joined together for Support Your Local Gunfighter. This is not a sequel. It is a separate film.

Garner is Latigo Smith who is smart and cunning and manages to outsmart an entire town. He doesn’t ride horses and doesn’t like to shoot a gun. He also doesn’t drink alcohol, except on certain occasions.

Smith finds himself in a dangerous situation when he gets off a train in a small Western town. He is mistaken for the famous – and fastest – gunslinger, Swifty Morgan (Chuck Conners). Supposedly Swifty was hired by one of the two competing mining companies to get the other to leave.

After meeting a man named Jug May (Jack Elam), they start a friendship and Smith manages to convince everyone that Jug is Swifty. That takes the pressure off of himself, as many in the town, most of all a young woman names Patience (Suzanne Pleshette), start taking shots at the man.

This is a rather far-fetched and whacky story, but the actors are all good and seeing Garner as a New York gentleman/ con artist/ladies man out of his element in the rough and tumble Western town is the fun part. This is definitely not one of his greatest films, but Garner is always good in everything he does and turns in another enjoyable and entertaining performance. It also looks like he had a fun time filming the movie.

Others in the film are Harry Morgan, Joan Blondell, Dub Taylor, Henry Jones, John Dehner and Ellen Corby. This film falls in the categories of Comedy, Western, and Romance, so you know what the ending will be when it comes to Patience and Smith.

If you’re in the mood for a whacky Western, with a great cast and all the attraction James Garner brings to his character of Latigo Smith, check out Support Your Local Gunfighter. It is rated G.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. 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, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

James Garner in ‘Support Your Local Sheriff’

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


Legendary actor James Garner is both entertaining and adorable in this 1969 western comedy. Support Your Local Sheriff is filled with wit, wackiness, and a lot of fun. It’s now available on Blu-ray.

Garner is Jason McCullough, a man passing through town “on his way to Australia” but heard about gold being discovered in this little Western town. He’s smart, witty, and cunning. To pay for his stay in the town, he takes the job as the sheriff. It comes with room and board from the mayor (Harry Morgan) and his daughter Prudy (Joan Hackett).

Prudy is instantly attracted to McCollough but she’s a bit of a klutz. Everything she does ends up embarrassing her. She and her dad own one of the largest gold mines in the town, which is an interesting fact for Jason.

While the new sheriff sets about putting law and order into this town filled with chaos, he doesn’t let anything get in his way, even the Danby family (Walter Brennan, Gene Evans, Dick Peabody) that runs amuck in the lawless town. McCollough is about to put an end to that, however.

While setting the town on the right track of the law, along with his deputy Jake (Jack Elam), Jason also tries to strike gold for himself. After all, that is why he came to the town. The job of sheriff was only to pay for his room and board, although he does take it seriously.

With a jail with no bars on it, McCollough uses his intelligence and quick draw to keep Joe Danby (Bruce Dern) in the cell, which is one of the most comical parts of the film. There’s no one who can rein in this family or for that matter the town, but McCollough is determined to do so.

All the while he is busy putting law back in the lawless town, Prudy is wooing him in her own way. Will McCullough end up taming this town and will he get his gold mine? The fastest draw in the town is about to get everything he wants, and the viewers are in for a treat.

Garner is absolutely adorable and even if he isn’t saying anything, his expressions are priceless. This is definitely a fun film.

Support Your Local Sheriff is rated G.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. 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, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

‘A Touch of Class’ on Blu-ray

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

Today George Segal co-stars as the grandfather in the hit sitcom The Goldbergs. He has a long list of credits including the 1973 romantic comedy A Touch of Class.

Segal stars as Steve Blackburn, an American living and working in London. He has a wife, two children, and a dog, and claims he “lives around the corner” from where Disraeli lived.

Steve meets Vickie Allessio (Glenda Jackson), an accomplished fashion designer with an ex-husband, two kids, a dog, a cat, and a bird. Their accidental meeting turns into several and suddenly Steve asks Vickie for tea, then lunch, then, well, let’s just say his intentions are not above board. Vickie sees what is on his mind and decides it might not be a bad idea for the two of them to hook up. But she insists he takes her for a weekend away from the London rain. So off they go for a week to Spain, where Steve’s wife believes he is going on business.

The interactions with Steve and the Iberia ticket agent (Eve Karpf) are adorable.

On the way to Spain Steve bumps into his old friend Walter (Paul Sorvino) who is on his way to meet his wife and family. This is where things get tricky. How can Steve and Vickie spend the week in a vacation resort area near his old friend and not get caught?

Their escapades in Spain are only half of the show. When they return to London they decide to get an apartment, aka flat, in SOHO so they can rendezvous and continue their clandestine affair. But Steve and Vickie are falling in love. This presents a problem for both of them, but especially for Steve who has a happy home life. Why would someone with such a happy home life go out looking for an affair in the first place? As Vickie would say, it’s because he’s a man and has sex on his mind all the time.

Anyway, this romantic comedy is filled with plenty of great moments and some laugh-out-loud scenes. The soundtrack is wonderful and when the film is over there is no doubt viewers will be humming the theme song for hours.

This is a fun film with Segal when he was at the top of his game. He continued to star in films and television, and had a hit sitcom from 1997-2003 (Just Shoot Me).  Jackson, too, has had a long career in the industry.

A Touch of Class is rated PG. There are no bonus features on this Blu-ray except the trailer. The movie can be ordered from the Warner Archive site or wherever DVDs and Blu-rays are sold.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. 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, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

Clips from DreamWorks ‘Dragons Rescue Riders’ on Netflix

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


This is absolutely adorable. Check out the clips from the new episodes of DreamWorks Dragon Rescue Riders on Netflix!

DreamWorks Animation’s exciting new preschool series Dragons Rescue Riders hatches today with all 14 episode of the show’s first season now available to Netflix members worldwide. The CG animated comedy adventure marks a brand new chapter in DreamWorks Animation’s Academy® Award-nominated and Golden Globe®-winning How to Train Your Dragon franchise.

‘Diana: Case Solved’ Book Review

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


The death of Princess Diana has stirred up several conspiracy theories, much like the assassination of President Kennedy. “Diana: Case Solved” is an investigative book into the life and death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Writers Dylan Howard and Colin McLaren bring out many interesting facts and premises about the late princess and the investigation of her death.

There are many things included in this book that Diana followers will probably not have known prior to reading it. We all know that the princess had predicted her death by a car crash made to look like an accident. We all know that it took too long to get her to the hospital after the crash. We all know the paparazzi were taking photos of the passengers of the infamous Mercedes after the crash. But there are many important things we find out in this book.

First of all, Dylan Howard weaves together an impressive biography of the princess. Secondly, Colin McLaren, an investigator from Australia, adds his input of the crash and the investigation. He traveled to Paris to put together pieces to figure out what actually happened in the Alma Tunnel in Paris. He spoke with countless people, witnesses, police, and others. Together these men present some interesting facts about the princess, the royals, the witnesses, and the police.

What struck me was the fact that the tunnel was not preserved as a crime scene as would normally be done in the case of a high-profile accident. It was immediately cleaned and cleared as soon as possible and washed down. Any evidence was gone within hours and the tunnel was open again for drivers.

The French police immediately put the blame on the paparazzi, but this book does bring out many other facts that for most of us were previously unknown. And there are several things that just don’t add up. It is easy to blame an intoxicated driver, but there are definite facts that bring confusion to readers as they flip the pages and the story continues. Who would benefit from Diana’s death? There are plenty of people and organizations that benefitted from the princess’ death.

Did a flash go off inside the tunnel temporarily blinding Henri Paul as he drove into the Alma tunnel? According to this book, there was a police speeding camera/light positioned there, which could have done just that. Interestingly, that was taken away while the paparazzi were still there and the scene was unfolding.

Whether you believe this was an accident or something sinister was behind the crash, the book is an interesting read, however there are a few contradictions. With so much information to cover, so many facts and conjectures are presented.

In the end, both authors speak with the one person who was at the scene. This meeting is very telling!

“Diana: Case Solved – The Definitive Account That Proves What Really Happened” is an interesting look at Princess Diana and the aftermath of her death.

Publisher: Skyhorse
Hardcover: 288 pages
ISBN-10: 1510755039
ISBN-13: 978-1510755031

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. 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, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.