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.

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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.

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In 1981 Blake Edwards wrote and directed S.O.B., a whacky farce about Hollywood. The cast is phenomenal, featuring Julie Andrews (Edwards’ real-life wife), William Holden, Larry Hagman, Richard Mulligan, Robert Preston, Craig Stevens, Loretta Swit, Robert Vaughn, Stuart Margolin, Robert Loggia, and Marisa Berenson, among a long list of others.

The story is about a movie producer, Felix Farmer (Mulligan), who has never had a bad film – until now. His latest wholesome family-friendly film with his wife Sally (Andrews) is a major flop. Sally moves out with their children, Felix tries – several times – to commit suicide, and the people at the studio are in a state of confusion, not knowing what to do with the film. They decide to recut it, but then Felix has an inspiring idea to reshoot it and turn it into a big-time porno film. He gains control of the film and sinks all his money into it knowing deep down, it will be a hit. After all, the morality of the time was in the gutter, so why not show it on screen?

S.O.B. is standard operating bullsh** in Hollywood. This film is a farce about the narcissism, extremes in the world of entertainment. The film is stupid and off color. Robert Preston is the saving grace. Incidentally, he co-starred with Andrews the following year, 1982, in the smash hit Victor/Victoria. Preston can never give a bad performance. He is endearing and memorable.

S.O.B. was nominated for some awards at the time, however it isn’t a go-to movie if you’re interested in a real comedy. Victor/Victoria is a much better film.

S.O.B. has its loyal fans, however. It’s filled with great talent with a few memorable characters. This is the one film in which Andrews appeared topless.

S.O.B. is not on my personal list of good movies, however, as stated earlier, it has a following. It’s one of those movies you either love or hate. This Blu-ray release is part of the Warner Archive Collection and can be ordered from their website.

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

In his first major motion picture directing job, Francis Ford Coppola took on the Broadway musical hit Finian’s Rainbow. The 1968 film stars Fred Astaire, Petula Clark, Tommy Steele, and Don Francks, along with a delightful musical score with memorable songs that have stood the test of time. The movie was nominated for several awards, including two Oscars.

This is the story of greed, bigotry, and love. It’s the story of Finian McLonergan (Astaire) and his daughter Sharon (Clark), recent immigrants from Ireland who settle in a small town in the south. The time is the 1940s. Bigotry in the south was the rule of the day and smoking was not taboo. In fact, tobacco plays a big part of the story.

Finian left Ireland with a pot of gold he stole from a leprechaun named Og (Steele). Unbeknownst to Finian, without his pot of gold Og is slowly becoming mortal. The leprechaun follows Finian and Sharon to America to regain his gold and return to being a leprechaun. But Finian has buried it and won’t return it until he makes more gold. Foolishly believing that by burying it close to Fort Knox, his wealth will grow.

In the meantime, Sharon meets Woody (Francks), who, along with his partner Howard (Al Freeman Jr.), is developing a menthol-flavored tobacco. They are in their own search for wealth. The trouble is, the tobacco won’t burn. Then it won’t smoke. Without this new product, the town will be taken over by the local politician, Senator Rawkins (Keenan Wynn), the utmost bigot.

As all of this is going on, everyone is upset with the bigotry of the senator and the officials. Sharon vocally wishes he was black, and unbeknownst to her, she was standing on the ground where the crock of gold was buried when she shouted at him. Poof. The senator becomes a black man. The pot grants 3 wishes, and, well, that was the first. Two more to go.

As the story unfolds and the senator learns about bigotry first hand, Sharon and Woody fall in love, Finian anxiously awaits his big fortune, and Og turns mortal which means he has feelings. The delightful score will have viewers humming throughout the film. If you don’t already have the soundtrack, after watching this film you will most likely buy it.

“How Are Things in Glocca Mora?” “Look to the Rainbow,” “If This Isn’t Love,” “Old Devil Moon,” “When I’m Not Near the Girl I Love,” and other great songs play throughout the film.

Finian’s Rainbow is a delightful musical, albeit a bit dated. Nevertheless, it will leave viewers singing and smiling when the final credits roll.

The bonus feature is an introduction and commentary by Coppola. He discusses making the film and the reason why there is an introduction and intermission. The movie was originally shown as a “road show” which meant it was a special event and something more than a simple movie. The history of Hollywood and the film play out as the director talks about Finian’s Rainbow.

Finain’s Rainbow is rated G and is part of the Warner Archive Collection. It can be ordered at their website.

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