Walt Disney Animation Studios’ follow-up to the 2012 blockbuster hits theaters on Nov. 21, 2018.
Author: Francine Brokaw
‘Diana: Queen of Hearts’ on DVD
Diana: Queen of Hearts is a love story to the late princess. With archival footage as well as interviews with those who knew her, crossed paths with her and were effected by her kindness, this documentary puts together a well-rounded look at the woman who mesmerized the world.
Her friend Lord Richard Attenborough presents this tribute. He knew Princess Diana well and recounts many times when they were together, and the touching last phone conversation between them just before she was killed in that horrific accident in Paris.
The documentary does not delve into the dark side of her life and marriage, but does point out her husband’s relationship with Camilla as the reason she was so upset in her marriage. And one confidant explains that she felt Diana’s bulimia began when Charles mentioned to the young woman that she was a bit chubby. Anyone who knows anything about teenage girls/women is that you should never talk about their weight. It is a lasting thing that digs at their heart and self-confidence for years to come.
Diana’s employer Mary Robertson, who hired the young woman to be a nanny to her son, recounts incidents with Diana. She also takes viewers through the romance between Charles and Diana and discusses how truly in love she was with Charles.
This documentary does not reveal anything new about the princess nor does it intend to show the dark side of her life. Instead, it is an upbeat film about how much Diana cared about people and wanted to use her life to help others. This is the story of a woman who was thought of as being a high fashion plate, but in her heart all she wanted to do was to help others in her own way. And that is evident by how fondly those who knew her remember her.
In this time when many royal films are coming out and when the world is focusing on the royals with Diana’s third grandchild coming next month and the upcoming wedding of her youngest son, it is perhaps a good time to reflect of the life of Diana, Princess of Wales.
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
Download free ‘Lady and the Tramp’ activities
The Walt Disney Signature Collection Lady and the Tramp is now available on Blu-ray and to celebrate we have a fun new activities button!
Matrimony Double Feature DVD
Two comedies focusing on marriage combine in this DVD from Mill Creek. First is the 1967 film Divorce American Style and on the same disc is the 1968 film How to Save a Marriage – and Ruin Your Life.
Divorce American Style
Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds star as Richard and Barbara Harmon, a suburban couple who have been married for 17 years with two sons. The state of their marriage is shaky, at best.
Richard is proud of his business achievement and the fact that he can provide his family with all the good things in life, including their $49,000 large house, which was very expensive in those days! But Barbara doesn’t want all that. What she wants is attention and romance from the man she loves.
After awhile they decide a divorce is the best solution for the family. Richard discovers his lifestyle is greatly downgraded after all his finances and the house are turned over to Barbara. He is now a divorced man who then meets another divorced man, Nelson (Jason Robards), who introduces him to his ex-wife Nancy (Jean Simmons) hoping he and Nancy will fall in love and get married, thereby ending his alimony and allowing him to get his life back on track. Once that doesn’t work, Nelson and Nancy plot to set up Barbara with their wealthy friend Al (Van Johnson), hoping now that Barbara will marry Al, freeing up Richard’s finances and allowing him to then marry Nancy, thus freeing up Nelson. It’s a twisted plot, to say the least.
How to Save a Marriage – And Ruin Your Life
Dean Martin and Stella Stevens star in this whacky story of a single man who sees his best friend’s marriage crumbling and tries to save it. When David (Martin) learns his friend Harry (Eli Wallach) is in love with a woman (Anne Jackson) who is not his wife, he sets out to prove this woman is a gold digger. He meets Carol (Stella Stevens), the woman he thinks is Harry’s mistress. But in truth, she is a sweet woman with morals and a fine background.
The plot follows David wooing Carol with the intent of proving to his friend that he should stay with his wife. But once he discovers he made a terrible mistake and Carol isn’t the mistress, everything hits the fan and the ensemble cast of characters is put in disarray.
The DVD
Both films are not the best for any of the actors. But the hairstyles, fashions, houses, and automobiles of the late 1960s will entertain viewers. Plus, seeing the prices of everything back then might be nostalgic for those of us who remember the time when we spent less than a dollar on a full McDonald’s meal.
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
‘How to Stop Time’ by Matt Haig – Book Review
It’s delightful when I come across a novel I simply cannot put down. There are some great novels, of course, but this one is mesmerizing. “How to Stop Time” is a sci-fi story about people who age very slowly. Very, very slowly.
Tom Hazard was born in France in 1581. He was a normal young boy until he hit puberty. Then it was like he stopped aging. The story is told by Tom and weaves his past with his present. Yes, he is still alive, and if you can imagine, this man has seen a lot in the 400+ years he has been alive.
His situation, condition, or whatever you want to call it, has taken a toll on those he loved. Witchcraft and sorcery were heralded as the reason he never aged, and in the old days this behavior was not appreciated. It was vilified.
After meeting and falling in love with a girl in England, Tom was apprehensive about their lives together. But love conquers all, at least until it became evident that his wife Rose and daughter Marion were getting older but he wasn’t. For their safety he left his family, only to discover years later that Marion inherited the same condition and also left her mother.
Tom learns that there is a society connecting those who live with this condition. The name they have is “albatross” and those affected refer to themselves as “albas.” Although they don’t live forever, they do live for many centuries.
Tom is recruited by the head of the Albatross Society to gather others around the world or, when necessary, dispose of them. In return he is given a new identity every eight years and moved to a new location where he lives a new life. As readers are taken on this incredible journey, Tom’s memories bounce around through time and readers understand how he has survived over the centuries.
Imagine having known Captain Cook, William Shakespeare and F. Scott Fitzgerald all in the same lifetime. Imagine all the advances in the world that have taken place over the centuries. Tom doesn’t have to imagine. He lived through it all. However throughout time he has also been searching for his beloved daughter Marion.
The society has rules. The first rule is “never fall in love.” This is something Tom learned first hand when his life with his cherished wife became a danger to her. Over the centuries he has carried the love for Rose with him, while searching for Marion.
Throughout the book there are wonderful statements of philosophy. “He who fears he shall suffer, already suffers what he fears.” Think about that! Indeed, the philosopher Montaigne comes up often throughout the pages.
As Tom witnesses first hand, “Humans don’t learn from history.”
The book is a marvelous page-turner. It takes readers on a fascinating journey through time with a man who has struggled over the years with life. Matt Haig has penned an interesting and mesmerizing novel that will take readers on a journey they never had before.
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Viking (February 6, 2018)
• ISBN-10: 0525522875
• ISBN-13: 978-0525522874
About the Reviewer
Francine Brokaw writes about books, music, 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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Trailer for Season 2 of ‘Trolls: The Beat Goes On!’
Get ready to groove as DreamWorks Trolls: The Beat Goes On! debuts on Netflix Friday, March 9, 2018 with all new episodes! Poppy, Branch and the Snack Pack live it up with all new glitter-rific festivities and adventures, like taking part in the Annual Party Games, battling in an epic village-wide pillow fight, and rapping in an open mic compliment battle. As they celebrate Troll Village with new critters and new songs, the party is just beginning. Check out the brand new trailer for season 2 below.
New edgy and dark comedy ‘Good Girls’ premieres on NBC
Just when women are done with playing nice, NBC’s female-forward series Good Girls takes center stage.
Good Girls centers around three strapped suburban moms taking a walk on the wild side. Beth (Christina Hendricks) is a Stepford wife who wants to protect her four children and the family home from her lying, cheating husband. Beth’s younger sister Annie (Mae Whitman) is a wild and irresponsible checkout girl who needs to grow up fast in order to win the custody battle of her daughter. Ruby (Retta) is a happily married waitress who needs $10,000 every month to treat her daughter’s renal disease.
Their over-the-top, hysterical, and bizarre journey begins when they rob the grocery store where Annie works. It goes downhill fast and the “girls” try their best to go back to their normal lives – but what is “normal” anyway? The harder they try, the deeper they get sucked into the unsavory world of small-time crooks and dangerous criminals. Jenna Bans, Executive Producer, describes her edgy yet wildly entertaining creation as “the blend of comedy and desperation.” No wonder it reminds me of Desperate Housewives (ABC 2004-2012) tinged with my recent obsession, Claws (TNT).
Desperate times call for desperate measures. I, myself, have been tempted to do something drastic to expose a cruddy family that turned our once clean, quiet, and peaceful triplex into a filthy ghetto. I’m blessed with a keen BS detector, but downright powerless against those who know how to work the system. I know life is not fair, but I don’t like it when people get away with murder just because nobody’s watching. The mere existence of this “who-gives-a-damn” family poses a threat to me physically, mentally, and emotionally. The neighborhood is menaced by their blatant disregard for the law and civility. I hear Judge Judy screaming, “If you don’t like it, moooove!!!” in my head all the time. If only I could afford to. After my grievances were dismissed by the management company, what’s a girl to do? Good girls are not raised to confront, you know?
At the press conference held early January, Whitman took a great delight in promising that the show would “give voices to people that haven’t been able to have their voices heard before.” Precisely. Not being heard has been my biggest pet peeve all my life. I am backed into a corner with nowhere to go and ready to explode even as I write this! Walking the fun tightrope between good and bad (illegal and immoral) with the girls will, no doubt, provide tremendous cathartic releases for me. I’ll follow your lead, girls. Who knows? I might learn a thing or two about criminal mindset. After all, hoping for karma to kick in hasn’t done me any good.
Good Girls premieres Monday, February 26, 2018 on NBC.
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.
‘Muppet Babies’ returns to TV
From 1984-1991 Muppet Babies entertained viewers young and old. Now the little guys are updated for a new generation. Muppet Babies returns to TV with CG animated characters for more Muppet fun!
The young gang (Kermit, Piggy, Animal, Fozzie, and Gonzo) is joined in the nursery by a new Muppet Baby, Summer Penguin. And periodically others will appear, including Statler and Waldorf, Bunsen and Beaker, Rowlf, Rizzo, and Dr. Teeth.
The new series will contain all the antics of the little guys as they make their way through the days in the nursery playroom and backyard, which has Kermit’s bouncy pond, Piggy’s dressing room, Gonzo’s chicken coop, Fozzie’s stage, Summer’s art table, and the gang’s treehouse. This combination of youngsters has a lot of fun together with all their activities and definitely their imaginations.
Each episode, via a rainbow, the kids are transported to a fantasy world, and every story is designed to familiarize viewers how they might solve problems with their imaginations.
Tony Award-winning singer Renee Elise Goldsberry performs the fun theme song.
The Muppet Babies will entrance a new generation and older viewers will also enjoy revisiting the beloved characters. Muppet Babies premieres Friday, March 23, 2018 on Disney Junior.
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
‘Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend’ on Blu-ray
Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend is a 1985 movie with a kind of cult following. With a wonderful score by Jerry Goldsmith, this film is a sci-fi drama with heart.
Susan (Sean Young) has been in the Ivory Coast looking for fossils. She is a paleontologist working with Dr. Eric Kiviat (Patrick McGoohan) and his assistant Nigel Jenkins (Julian Fellows). Susan’s husband George (William Katt) is also there. He’s a supportive husband but is excited to return to the U.S.A. when offered a job.
Before they leave Africa, Susan discovers a rare fossil: a bone from a Brontosaurus. She’s excited yet her find is dismissed by Kiviat as being from a giraffe. He knows what she found but wants to keep the discovery to himself, also knowing that the Brontosauruses are still living deep in the jungle.
Susan takes off on her own in search of what she believes is a rare discovery, with George on her trail. They end up in an adventure that could change the world and history.
A Brontosaurus family is alive and well. The father, mother, and hatchling are living in the jungle but with humans on their trail their lives are in danger. The couple soon realizes that Kiviat is not the good guy they thought he was. He intends on capturing a dinosaur for his own glory. What happens is that the father is killed, the mother is captured, and the baby ends up in the secret care of Susan and George.
This sci-fi tale predates Jurassic Park by eight years and the technology we are used to today had not been invented so modern viewers might think this is a bit hokey, but the story hits to the heart of humanity. Man cannot leave nature alone.
The story is bittersweet in that there is a lot of tragedy and darkness in the film, yet the sweetness of the mother/child bond is endearing.
There are two discussions as bonus features on this new Blu-ray release, one with director Bill Norton and one with William Katt. Katt’s stories are entertaining and enlightening. He tells viewers how difficult the shoot was and how hard it was to work in that environment. The baby dinosaur was not CGI – obviously – and was a rubber suit with a man inside. In the heat of Africa, this was an arduous role for the man inside. Imagine being inside a rubber dinosaur in 100-degree heat. Katt’s other stories are fascinating and add a lot to the understanding of the production of the film.
Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend is rated PG. It definitely has some sad scenes but for viewers who remember the film from the 80s, it is a nice nostalgic movie that brings back memories.
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
‘Mister Rogers: It’s You I Like’ on PBS
Michael Keaton hosts this extraordinary documentary examining the career and contributions of Fred Rogers. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood ran from 1968 -2001 and over the years brought joy, entertainment, knowledge, support, and love to kids through his imaginative storytelling and impressive guests.
The documentary interjects interviews with many people who discuss the effects the show had on them and on the viewers. Judd Apatow, Joyce DiDonato, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Kratt, John Lithgow, Yo-Yo Ma and son Nicholas Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Sarah Silverman, Esperanza Spalding and Caroll Spinney talk about how Mr. Rogers gently helped kids expand their worlds and learn about others who influenced people with their talents and disabilities. Keaton had first hand knowledge of Fred Rogers and the show, having worked at the studio during the time and describes some of his duties on the series.
Over the years guests of all kinds came to the neighborhood, including Big Bird. There were the regulars, like Mr. McFeely The Speedy Delivery Man, Officer Clemmons, and the puppets Daniel Striped Tiger, X the Owl, Henrietta Pussycat, Lady Elaine Fairchilde, and others who appeared regularly to add continuity and contentment to the series. When kids turned on the show, they felt like they were visiting friends.
The trolley took them to the Neighborhood of Make Believe, where anything was possible. Picture Picture took viewers to various factories where they learned how items were made. Many different styles of music, including Jazz, were explored on the show as well. This series broadened the minds of young viewers while not preaching at them, but inviting them into the comfortable neighborhood.
And speaking of comfortable, who can forget the tennis shoes and cardigan Mr. Rogers wore during the show? These trademark items impressed on young minds that Mr. Rogers was there to be with them and not instruct them, as a teacher would, dressed in a suit and tie. Everything about the show was designed with young minds in mind.
Songs added to the continuity and education while giving kids a foundation on which to build their lives. All kinds of topics were explored through discussions, guests, and music. When a kid entered the neighborhood, he or she knew she was among friends.
Fred Rogers’ wife Joanne also appears on this documentary as well as Angela Santomero who created the animated series Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. This series debuted in 2012 and continues with the themes and characters of the original show, with Daniel taking viewers through the neighborhoods and into his home.
The legacy of Fred Rogers lives on. Mr. Rogers: It’s You I Like takes a look back at the show and how it influenced a generation of young viewers. The documentary celebrated the 50th year anniversary of the show. It premieres March 6, 2018 on PBS.
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