Author: Francine Brokaw

‘Incredibles 2’ Jack-Jack Attacks doll from Jakks Pacific

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

By now you probably know that baby Jack-Jack steals the movie Incredibles 2. This adorable little baby unleashes his super powers throughout the film.

Jakks Pacific has created a fun doll that not only looks cute and will ultimately be a child’s friend, but also has lights and sounds. Beware, this cutie shows off his super powers – in a less dangerous way than the one on screen.

Jack-Jack himself measures about 10 inches tall in a sitting position and 13 inches high when he’s standing. That’s not counting the little tuft of hair on top of his head. He’s not soft and plush because he is interactive! Press his tummy and hear him laugh. But when he gets angry, watch out. His head turns colors and his blue eyes light up, while crying. But once he is over his “tantrum” he chuckles and is back to normal.

Sometimes his head turns red and his eyes light up, accompanied by the “laser” sound. After all, this little kid has laser eyes that can cut through anything. That’s the Jack-Jack in the film. This doll just imitates that, so a child can use his or her imagination while playing with this little fellow.

Pressing his tummy elicits several reactions from the baby. When he sneezes (as he does in the film), his head lights up and he chuckles. Another time he can become almost electric, with buzzing sounds and flashing head.

Did you know Jack-Jack can teleport from one room to another? Imagine that. When his tummy is pressed and he “teleports” his head turns blue. Imagination is key when playing with this little guy.

And Jack-Jack comes with a raccoon “friend.” This hard- plastic raccoon is a little over five inches high with a fluffy tail. He’s ready to “play” with his on-screen nemesis, baby Jack-Jack.

It’s sweet when he says, “Mama.” His baby babble is also adorable.

When you first take this little guy out of the box, open the back of his red suit and turn him to the “I” mode. This is the interactive mode. Then press his tummy for his reactions. When you hold the button down, he really turns on all his super powers, so watch out.

When you see his smiling face, you cannot help but smile yourself. He’s adorable. He’ll definitely be a fun pal for kids throughout this summer and beyond.

Incredibles 2 Jack-Jack Attacks comes complete with lights and sounds and his raccoon pal and is intended for ages 3 and up. He comes with 3 AAA batteries.
About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, 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.

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Bring home (quack) ‘DuckTales Destination: Adventure!’ on DVD

Posted on by Francine Brokaw



All the quacky characters from the popular animated series DuckTales combine in this new DVD. DuckTales Destination: Adventure! includes six episodes as well as two bonus classic episodes. Huey, Dewey, Louie, Webbigail, and Scrooge and the gang find themselves in plenty of hot water in these adventurous episodes.

Whether it’s Webby looking for a girl friend to be buddies with and have the same connection as the three boys, or the whole gang getting mixed up with mummies, there are plenty of whacky and quacky things in store for these adventurous characters. They love exploring the world, although Duckburg is their home. But who can’t resist the lure of traveling and discovering other places? Certainly not this gang.

The episodes in this disc are: “The Beagle Birthday Massacre!,” “The Living Mummies of Toth-Ra!,” “The Impossible Summit of Mt. Neverest!,” “The Spear of Selene!,” “The Missing Links of Moonshire!,” and “Beware the B.U.D.D.Y. System!” The two classic bonus episodes are “New Gizmo-Kids on the Block” and “Ducky Mountain High.”

Whether you like the classic series or the new one, there is something here for fans of the duck family. With Webby adding a lot of excitement to the gang, and Scrooge McDuck leading explorations (without spending a lot of money), the three boys, and the rest of the characters, this is a fun disc filled with plenty of adventure and spirit, not to mention the escapades and often-dangerous antics of the young ones.

The original DuckTales TV series premiered in 1987 and ran until 1990. The characters have been beloved by generations so the new TV series was created in 2017 and is still going strong, giving youngsters a new look at the gang.

These fine-feathered friends and family provide plenty of fun viewing for your own family. With plenty of chuckles, a lot of exploits, and some adorable and loveable young ducklings, the DVD is filled with fun.

DuckTales Destination: Adventure! is rated TV-Y7.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 20 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.

Follow her on Twitter

‘Dietland’ is brutal, violent, disturbing, surreal and funny in a way

Posted on by Francine Brokaw



Based on Sarai Walker’s novel, AMC’s new series Dietland was developed by none other than Marti Noxon, one of the TV’s top creators. Her shows are almost always realistic to a fault; she unflinchingly faces ugly truths of divorces (Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce), a dating reality show (UnReal), and the 60s society and culture (Mad Men).

Dietland follows Alicia ‘Plum’ Kettle (Joy Nash), a woman who bakes despite her weight issue and ghostwrites for the editor of “Daisy Chain,” a “Cosmopolitan” for younger girls. Kitty Montgomery (Julianna Margulies), the self-absorbed and venomous editor, is all about appearances and optics. Although Kitty claims she’s been there, done that, she figures it’s easier to benefit from Plum’s insight into the lost girls who seek Kitty’s wisdom. What wisdom? Kitty is one of those awful people who think that everything they do is magic!!!

Plum is utterly invisible to the world; she feels she’s contained within a 5-block radius of her apartment, cafe, and Waist Watchers’ meetings. However, her drab urban existence now sees a ray of hope. She believes that her life will start as soon as she gets her stomach stapled and fits into a sexy red dress.

While Plum is busy figuring out how to pay for the surgery, she is approached by Julia Smith (Tamara Tunie), manager of the Beauty Closet tucked away in Austen Media Building basement, and Verena Baptist (Robin Weigert), feminist & author of self-help book “Dietland.” Whether it’s an underground operation for female empowerment or a vigilante group (called or headed by mysterious Jennifer) against sexual predators, the chosen one will be groomed to tackle patriarchy, misogyny, rape culture, and unrealistic beauty standards. Maybe she doesn’t need to lose weight but the world needs to change for her to be loved and feel safe.

Plum even quotes Margaret Atwood: “Women are afraid that men will kill them. Men are afraid that women will laugh at them.” Hmm, I’m afraid of being homeless, but not being killed by men. The Jennifer routine of executing sexual predators and hurling their corpse in the name of justice, however, might be what men today anticipate the #MeToo movement to reach sooner or later.

Dietland reminds me of the disturbing worlds of Legion (FX). David Haller has his Shadow King while Plum has her own Daliesque figure popping up from time to time. Just like Legion, Dietland ricochets from drama to uncomfortable comedy to horror to satire to rom-com to revenge fantasy. It is neither a science fiction nor a Superhero fiction like Legion, yet its psychological thriller aspect makes it a hard watch! Stay away from these shows after dark if you’re a scaredy-cat like me.

Dietland premieres Monday, June 4, 2018 on AMC. Be prepared to be uncomfortable since Noxon admits that the show “is really demented.”

About the Author

Meg Mimura is a TV critic who actually watches shows zealously in search of human drama worth watching. She is a member of Television Critics Association as well as Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

‘RFK: The Kennedy Family Remembers’ on History Channel

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


To honor the life of their father on the 50th anniversary of his assassination, Kathleen, Kerry, and Robert Kennedy, Jr. talk about their dad and his life and times. In RFK: The Kennedy Family Remembers, viewers get an inside look at the man who affected so many people, especially during the last year of his life.

Besides the three (of eleven) children of Robert and Ethel Kennedy, Kennedy insiders and historians also weigh in and discuss the evolution of RFK from the time he was Attorney General under the Kennedy Administration to his death. His fight for economic and racial justice, his depth of compassion, and his commitment to this country is front and center.

This film shows the evolution of the man. He had a great capacity for change, and that is exactly what he did and why he was beloved.

Looking briefly at the Cuban Missile Crisis, Apartheid in South Africa, Poverty in the American South, and the War in Vietnam, the film provides a good sketch of RFK during these critical times. It’s not an intricate documentary, yet it is a good representation of the ideals and the history that led RFK through the 1960s. He forged his own way after coming out of the shadow of his brother, and he was a beacon of hope for the country in a troubled time.

For those of us who were alive, it’s difficult to believe it has been 50 years since his death. In many ways it feels like just yesterday but when we look at the things that have happened since 1968, it seems like centuries ago. The death of Robert Kennedy was perhaps the most pivotal point in recent American history, even more so than the assassination of President Kennedy. With the death of RFK, the country turned a sharp corner and many people, including Robert Kennedy, Jr., say we are where we are today because of the assassination.

I have often been asked if I thought the world would be completely different had RFK not been assassinated. My answer is always, “Yes.” Even if he had not been elected president, he would have been a major factor. And had he become the president, the entire world would definitely be a different place in which to live.

“To tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world.” That is what we would have strived for. That is what he strived for.

RFK: The Kennedy Family Remembers premiers June 4, 2018 on History.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 20 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.

Follow her on Twitter

‘Splash and Bubbles: Rhythm of the Reef’ CD GIVEAWAY

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


The Jim Henson Company, Herschend Studios, and Music.Film Recordings make a “Splash” with the summer release of Splash and Bubbles: Rhythm of the Reef (Songs from Season One). Hitting stores and digital retailers on June 1, the album includes 16 favorite songs from Season 1 of the Emmy nominated PBS Kids TV series, along with 6 bonus tracks from the interstitial series “Get Your Feet Wet.”

Splash and Bubbles: Rhythm of the Reef (Songs from Season One) is the perfect summer beach-time album, full of funky, Motown-inspired tunes, with themes around marine science. The 16 series songs were written by award-winning composer Mike Himelstein (Sid the Science Kid, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Dinosaur Train) and feature the vocal talents of your favorite characters, including the show’s creator John Tartaglia as Splash, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph as Bubbles, Raymond Carr as Dunk, and Aymee Garcia as Ripple.

The album’s lead track, “Splash and Bubbles Theme Song” won “Best Song for a TV Series” at the 2017 Cynopsis Kids !magination Awards.

The soundtrack release is part of a Splash and Bubbles -centered consumer products push that also includes a series of storybooks being released by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on June 5th and the “One Big Ocean” DVD being released by PBS on June 12th – all in celebration of World Oceans Day on June 8th!

Splash and Bubbles airs daily on PBS KIDS and streams on Netflix.

We have some copies to giveaway.

To be eligible to win a copy of Splash and Bubbles: Rhythm of the Reef, email us at [email protected] with “Splash and Bubbles 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 June 10, 2018.

‘The 10th Kingdom’ on Blu-ray

Posted on by Francine Brokaw



In 2000, The 10th Kingdom wowed television viewers. This 10-episode series was nominated and won several awards, including the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Main Title Design. It could be thought of as the precursor to the hit TV series Once Upon a Time, maybe just a little.

Kimberly Williams-Paisley stars as a Virginia, a young woman living in New York City. Her father (John Larroquette) is the janitor of a large apartment building.

There is another “kingdom.” In this fantasy kingdom Prince Wendell (Daniel Lapaine) has been turned into a dog by the Evil Queen (Dianne Wiest) who has been locked up in a maximum-security prison. Well, to make a long story short, Prince Wendell travels to the modern NYC via a magic mirror, with several trolls hunting him down, as well as a wolf in human form (Scott Cohen). They have all come from this fantasy kingdom, which is one of nine. The trolls declare New York as the 10th Kingdom.

There is a merging of fairy tales with the real world. When Virginia and her father travel through the magic mirror back to the other kingdom, they encounter characters from stories they had only read about. Jack’s beanstalk, Cinderella, Snow White, Red Riding Hood, elves, etc. – you get the idea. This series combines fantasy with reality, making it interesting for viewers of all ages. As mentioned earlier, it is like the precursor to Once Upon a Time. If you enjoy that show, you will enjoy this story. The characters are enjoyable to watch as they mingle from one realm into another.

Magic is abundant in the kingdoms. It’s a fun sci-fi/fantasy escape from the real world. While the characters are not exactly as we understood them to be, they are fun to see brought to life in this imaginative story.

This Mill Creek Entertainment Blu-ray + Digital edition includes a fun “making of” bonus feature. Giants, goblins, and trolls, oh my! With all the fun and adventure of fairy tales combined with the world of today, well, you have a 10-episode viewing extravaganza with notable actors. Ann-Margret is Cinderella, Rutger Hauer is the Huntsman, Ed O’Neill is the troll king, and Camryn Manheim is Snow White.

Elves, giants, trolls, goblins, princes, princesses, queens, villagers, enchanted objects, and more, not to mention Virginia and her father all combine in this fantasy. Will this fairy tale have a happy ending?

The 10th Kingdom is not rated however it is suitable for tweens and above.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 20 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.

Follow her on Twitter

Bring home ‘Sherlock Gnomes’

Posted on by Francine Brokaw



They’re back! Those adorable garden gnomes from the 2011 film Gnomeo and Juliet return in a new adventure. Sherlock Gnomes takes the gnomes out of the garden and through the city of London.

Gnomeo and Juliet (James McAvoy and Emily Blunt) and their entire family have moved to a new garden. But this one is a really fixer upper. Nothing looks good. It’s really quite dilapidated. The family learns that in the spring, Gnomeo and Juilet will be made the new leaders of the garden. They are now married and the obvious leaders to take over. They set out to beautify this garden and turn it into an amazing place for everyone.

Things are looking up for the gang when all the garden gnomes in the city start disappearing. Thankfully Sherlock Gnomes (Johnny Depp) and Dr. Watson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) are on the case. They discover their old nemesis Moriarty (Jamie Demetriou) is up to his old tricks. He wants to crush all the gnomes.

Once their own family disappears, Juliet and Gnomeo insist on helping get their family back, but when they split up, Juliet going with Sherlock and Gnomeo going with Watson, things get tricky. Gnomeo becomes another captive. While he and his friends and family are working on the inside, Juliet and Sherlock are hunting them down from the outside.

This caper takes them all over London. It’s filled with plenty of great music and some fun antics as well as cute and clever dialogue and situations.

There are plenty of bonus features. A behind the scenes feature looks at the voice actors as they discuss their characters and the story. Another feature looks at how this show brings in many aspect and landmarks of London, including Tower Bridge, Natural History Museum, and the Doll Museum. There is a look at the music and a music video with Mary J. Blige who joins the cast for this rollicking adventure. Viewers get lessons in how to draw several of the characters including Sherlock and Watson. And there is an interesting look at the entire animation process from start to finish.

Sherlock Gnomes is a fun adventure and a cute sequel to the original film. Once you see this, you won’t pass a garden gnome again without thinking of these characters.

The film is rated PG for some rude and suggestive humor. It’s available on a Blu-ray Combo Pack as well as a single DVD.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 20 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.

Follow her on Twitter

‘Gross Anatomy’ looks at life in medical school

Posted on by Francine Brokaw



What The Paper Chase (1973) was to Law School, Gross Anatomy (1989) is to Medical School. Matthew Modine and Daphne Zuniga star as first year med students up against a hard-nosed but caring professor.

Modine is Joe Slovak, a man from a working class family. He’s the typical joker and they guy who always mouths off in class. In other words, he’s the guy you don’t want as your partner in class. Zuniga is Laurie, a dedicated med student who has always wanted to be a doctor. They get teamed up along with Miles (John Scott Clough), Kim (Alice Carter), and Joe’s roommate David (Todd Field). All of them are eager to make it through med school. It seems Joe is the only slacker, but he ends up showing them that although he is the perennial joker, he has what it takes to make it in med school.

Christine Lahti is Dr. Woodruff, a professor who wants to impart all her knowledge on her students. She has dedicated her life to preparing students to become the best doctors they can be.

Joe continually frustrates them (and I might add, me) with his flippant attitude. He’s the guy you don’t want but get stuck with. While Miles tries to transfer to another team, he isn’t allowed to so he gets stuck the entire year with Joe and the rest of the gang. Miles is the typical suck up, always trying to impress Dr. Woodruff. Laurie is dedicated yet allows herself to believe that Joe has what it takes. And Kim is the one who is accepting of everybody.

The first year of med school proves challenging for them all. But they each have one goal, and that is to pass.

As the year progresses and they dissect section after section of their cadaver, the team grows closer. Sure, they still have some internal frustrations with each other, but they learn to work together for the common good.

Gross Anatomy is now available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studios. It is rated PG-13.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 20 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.

Follow her on Twitter