In the 1950’s the novel “Peyton Place” penned by Grace Metalious shocked readers with its scandalous story of secrets in a small New England town. This book was so popular yet readers hid their enjoyment of the stories of the people of the fictitious town. In 1957 the book was made into a hit feature film, albeit with some changes for the movie audiences. Then in 1964-1969 the TV series captured the attention of viewers and introduced Ryan O’Neal and Mia Farrow to the world. See how it all began in the new Blu-ray release of Peyton Place which includes some fascinating backstories about the story, the film, and how it pushed the boundaries of the industry at the time.

Lana Turner stars as Constance MacKenzie, a single mother with a repressed view of sex. Her daughter Allison (Diane Varsi) is an aspiring writer. Allison’s friend Betty Anderson (Terry Moore) is the town tramp, although she really isn’t a tramp. She is just more outgoing than the rest of the town’s teens. Selena Cross (Hope Lange) is an abused young woman whose stepfather (Arthur Kennedy) is always drunk and mistreats his family, especially Selena. Russ Tamblyn is Norman Page, a young man whose mother has never cut the apron strings. Lee Phillips is Michael Rossi, the new principal of the high school who wants to expand the minds of the students and introduce a sex education class, to the shock of many of the townsfolk. Lloyd Nelson is the town doctor, David Nelson is Selena’s boyfriend, and Barry Coe is Rodney Harrington, the heir to the town’s biggest employer.

Sex, suicide, incest, murder, and a lot more make up the little secrets in this town. Then when December 7, 1941 changes the world, the young men scatter to Europe and the Pacific to fight for their country.

While the younger generation of Peyton Place expands their morals and sees the world in a broader sense, their parents are still stuck in their stodgy views and have no desire to alter anything. Then when someone is murdered and one of their own is on trial, all the secrets come pouring and everyone’s eyes are opened to the narrow minded views have made the people who they are.

This is a film that, although dated, has stood the test of time. And the music is definitely memorable. It explores morals and mores, interpersonal relationships, and the changing world. Interestingly, it was nominated for 9 Academy Awards yet didn’t win a single one. However, the story captured the hearts and minds of audiences and resulted in the hit TV series.

Some of the characters and events had to be modified for the standards and practices of the time, yet the film did stretch the boundaries of what had been the norm of the 1950s.

The author of the novel was so disliked in her town for shining a spotlight on the narrow-mindedness of a small New England town, they refused to let the movie be filmed in her own town. Even after her death, they were still offended with her and her shocking story.

Peyton Place is a great way to spend an afternoon or evening. Before Dallas and Melrose Place, and even Big Little Lies, there was Peyton Place.

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

The delightful children’s story is brought to the screen in a beautifully filmed version of the little orphan girl and her beloved grandfather. Johanna Spyril penned the novel in the 1880’s and in 1937 it became a movie starring young Shirley Temple. If that is the only way you know the story, this new version of Heidi will be a real treat. Personally, I like this adaptation better than the Temple film.

When she is dropped off at her grandfather’s mountain cabin, Heidi manages to warm his cold heart. Soon the two are best friends. Heidi and Peter, the local goat herder, become good buddies and Heidi is happy living in the Alps. But she is soon taken by her aunt who moves her to an upscale home in Frankfurt to be the companion of Klara, a young girl confined to a wheelchair. Heidi’s effervescence rubs off on the girl and together they turn the household upside down. But there is something lurking in the back of Heidi’s consciousness. She desperately misses her grandfather and her life in the Alps.

Luckily, Heidi is allowed to return to her grandfather. There she is happy again, although she does miss Klara. But it is here where she belongs and it’s here she will stay.

But that’s not the end of the story. Klara comes to visit, with some interesting results. First, Peter is threatened by Heidi’s friendship with Klara, but soon there is more for them all to experience.

The movie was filmed in Germany and Switzerland. It has been dubbed into English for this DVD. Although the words don’t quite match the mouth movements, that is incidental. The story is definitely a great recommendation for a family movie night.

Heidi won the “Best Children’s Film” at the German Film Awards. The story is a beloved one in Switzerland, where there is actually a “Heidiland” which has become a popular tourist area to soak up the Swiss atmosphere. While it doesn’t have much to do with the story, it does envelope visitors in Heidi’s Alps. Her ever-pleasant attitude and perseverance, combined with her undeterred spirit makes Heidi a character that has been beloved for generations.

Anuk Steffen is delightful to watch as the young girl who keeps a pleasant outlook on life and endears herself to everyone around her.

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

Lucas Till stars in Monster Trucks, a fun ride with plenty of gusto. Rob Lowe is the villain in this story. He plays Reece Tenneson, the owner of an oil company drilling deep in North Dakota. When his geologist Dowd (Thomas Lennon) discovers what could be a new ecosystem very deep in the earth, everything explodes – literally. And out come three new creatures. Two are captured and the third escapes.

Tripp (Till) is a handy high school student who works in the town’s junkyard while at the same time trying to fix up a truck of his own. He discovers a creature in the garage and after a rocky start they form a bond. Tripp names him “Creech” and with some ingenuity discovers the monster makes a great engine for his truck. So, with some alterations, the truck now becomes a monster truck, definitely literally.

In the meantime, Meredith (Jane Levy), one of Tripp’s classmates, wangles her way into his secret and soon the two of them are off and running in the new super-powered truck. But what about Creech? They know Tenneson and his henchmen are looking for him, and they will kill him and the two others to keep their oil-drilling site on track. If the word got out that they were destroying a new ecosystem, they would be stopped and there is no way Tenneson is going to let that happen. All that matters to him is getting his oil out of the ground.

If you thought you had seen everything when it comes to car – or truck – chases, think again. When Jane and Tripp finally manage to free the two captured creatures they are able to “MacGyver” two additional trucks with the monsters as their engines. Their intent is to get the three creatures back up to the drilling site so they can return to their homes.

And speaking of MacGyver, Till plays that character in the new TV series.

With these three souped-up trucks, or I should say monstered-up trucks, it’s a wild ride to their destination.

Bonus features on the Blu-ray include looks at the characters with the actors, creating the creatures and the trucks, and a gag reel. Also included in the box are Monster Truck wall decals.

Monster Trucks is a fun family film. It’s rated PG for action, peril, brief scary images, and some rude humor. While the trucks are characters in their own right, kids will adore the creatures too.

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

Diane Keaton stars in this adorable rom-com about a high-powered executive who suddenly inherits a baby. Baby Boom is a fun film filled with plenty of adorable moments as J.C. Wiatt (Keaton) maneuvers the executive ladder as “The Tiger Lady” but gets sidetracked by the arrival of her orphaned baby cousin Elizabeth. This is the quintessential story about getting lemons and making lemonade.

After the news that she is going to make partner in her advertising firm, she also gets the news that her cousin and his wife were killed, leaving her something in their will. When she discovers it is a baby girl, she simply cannot fit that into her executive life. But her mothering instincts kick in and she decides to keep the little girl. Unfortunately, mothering and her job don’t fit together.

J.C. takes Elizabeth and moves from the big apple to a country estate in Vermont filled with apple trees, among other fruit. This should be a nice experience for them – relaxing on their farm and kicking back in the fresh country air. But the farmhouse is riddled with problems. Soon J.C. is going into debt to pay for all the repairs on the property. How is she going to sell the place and get back to New York?

Instead of spending her days in the boardroom, J.C. spends her time making homemade baby food for Elizabeth. Then out of the blue she discovers a market for the products. Soon “Country Baby” is a big seller, bringing in profits for J.C., her company, and helping the people of the town.

Besides building her company and taking care of the baby, J.C. meets the local veterinarian, Dr. Cooper (Sam Shepard) and although they start off on the wrong foot, or hoof, the attraction between them is strong.

James Spader plays Ken Arrenberg, a young man in the advertising firm looking to make his own mark on the business and climb the corporate ladder. He wangles his way into forcing J.C. out of her biggest client and taking over the account himself. Sam Wanamaker plays J.C.’s boss Fritz Curtis who tells her she cannot have it all. She has to choose.

J.C. proves them wrong. She can have it all. She can have a career as well as be a good parent to Elizabeth. And, she even has a love life.

This 1987 comedy was nominated for several awards and even inspired a short-lived TV series. But nothing could take the place of the original in which Keaton turns in a priceless performance. And viewers will definitely fall in love with little Elizabeth.

This Blu-ray is a limited edition of 3000 from Twilight Time. Baby Boom is rated PG.

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

The 2011 film The Smurfs is now on beautiful 4K Ultra High Definition with more vivid blues and vibrant reds making the little blue guys – and gal – even bluer than ever!

The evil wizard Gargamel (played by Hank Azaria) is intent on getting the “essence” of the Smurfs to create more power for himself. He chases them through the forest and while most of the Smurfs go in one direction, Clumsy leads a small group, including Papa Smurf and Smurfette, another way. They find themselves at a dead end, with Gargamel right behind them. Their only escape is through a portal, which leads them out of their magical world and into the heart of New York City. In the big apple they meet a young human couple (Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays) who take care of them while Papa Smurf figures out a way to reopen the portal so they can return to their own land.

The little blue guys have quite an adventure in New York City. When they go into FAO Schwartz kids think they are toys and chase them around the store. Imagine these little seven and a half inch tall fellows running around the giant toy store. And Smurfette does an impersonation of Marilyn Monroe by wearing a dress and standing on an air-conditioning grate in the apartment, reimagining the famous scene from The Seven Year Itch.

The Smurfs is a magical film and the characters, especially Clumsy (voiced by Anton Yelchin), are endearing. Watching all the fun things that happen in this film is a joy for young and not-so-young viewers. The filmmakers take everyday objects that we usually never pay much attention to and use them in new ways. Take a leaf blower for instance. It blows as well as sucks up – in this case it sucks up little Smurfs.

This is definitely a fun movie. Some of the voice talent includes Katy Perry (Smurfette), Jonathan Winters (Papa Smurf), Alan Cumming (Gutsy), Jeff Foxworthy (Handy), George Lopez (Grouchy), and Wolfgang Puck (Chef). Sophia Vergara appears as Neil Patrick Harris’ boss, and Tim Gunn also makes an appearance, as well as several notable New Yorkers, including Joan Rivers, Liz Smith, Michael Musto,

Bonus features include a look at how the filmmakers shaped the characters for the screen. After all, until now they had mainly been 2D characters on a page. They needed to get updated in a “stylized but natural” way. This film also introduced Gutsy, the newest character. The filmmakers were curious to see how the die-hard Smurf fans would react to a new character.

To make them appear more realistic, as realistic as possible for the little blue guys, their skin had to be created on a computer to look translucent. And like you and me, they too have wrinkles and freckles.

Viewers also see how the characters progressed from 2D to 3D. It’s an interesting look behind the scenes. Another bonus is a fun music montage and there is also a game.

And for viewers who have an iPhone or iPad, the second screen experience (with the download of the app) is a unique way to experience this movie with additional fun on the phone or pad while the movie is playing on the TV.

This is the first time The Smurfs is available on a 4K combo pack that includes a Blu-ray disc with the film and bonus features. And it’s the perfect time to catch up with the gang before the release of their newest film Smurfs: The Lost Village

The Smurfs is rated PG for some mild rude humor and action.

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