Author: Francine Brokaw

August schedule of ‘Kate & Mim-Mim’ on Disney Junior

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


kateandmimmin
Brand-new episodes of the hit preschool TV series Kate & Mim-Mim premiering all month long on Disney Junior, beginning August 1, 2016. Inspired by a real-life little girl and her toy, the vibrant animated show centers on 5-year-old Kate and her special friendship with her purple toy bunny, Mim-Mim. Thanks to Kate’s BIG imagination, the two friends are transported to the fun-filled world of Mimiloo, where her little toy bunny transforms into a larger-than-life playmate, and together they embark on exciting adventures along with their colorful cast of friends.

August schedule:

Mon. 8/1/2016

“Friendship Day” – When Kate has trouble getting her kite to stay in the air, she looks for the answer in Mimiloo, where it’s Friendship Day! The gang in Mimiloo wants to deliver gifts to all of their friends, but when their delivery plans fly off course, Kate and one special little lemming help solve the problem. “Octo-Mim” – Kate and Mom have run out of bananas, but in Mimiloo, Gobble has the opposite problem—he has so many banana trees, he can’t pick all the bananas with just two arms. Tack offers his Octo-Pack invention to help—but it’s too hard to control, and soon bananas are flying everywhere!

Mon. 8/8/2016
“Small Blunders” – Kate wants to build a block house. The only problem is that the directions are missing. Then, in Mimiloo, one of Tack’s inventions shrinks the gang down and traps them in Tack’s storage shed. The friends need to get back to the treehouse to return to regular size, but the tools they’d normally use are too big for them now! “Lunar or Later” – Kate and her family are on a picnic and looking for a new place to explore. In Mimiloo, Kate’s friend Rumbly also wants to explore somewhere new—the moon! So the gang boards their rocket ship and blasts off to the moon, where exciting new discoveries await!

Mon. 8/15/2016
“Sprite Lights” – Kate is making a paper sea monster with Dad, only she doesn’t like the scary frown he drew on it. In Mimiloo, Kate and her friends help some lost water sprites return to the Singing Seas. But that means diving deeper than ever before, and legend says a sea monster lives down there! “Wild Boomer” – The power goes out and Kate is afraid of monsters in the dark. In Mimiloo, when Boomer eats a hopper berry that turns him giant, purple and wild, his friends mistake him for a monster and run away! It’s up to Kate to help them face their fears and discover the truth.

Mon. 8/29/2016
“Grabby the Crab” – Kate is fish-sitting, but the fish aren’t getting along. In Mimiloo, Tack has a new neighbor—Grabby the crab! Tack wants to help Grabby build his house, but Grabby just does everything himself. But when a mishap puts Grabby’s house in danger, he and Tack will have to learn to work together! “Secret Superhero” – Tack is feeling down about his little muscles…until he’s mistaken for a superhero! Tack takes on the secret identity of Mimiloo Man, with super speed, super strength, and the power to fly! But it’s a lonely job, and Kate and her friends miss having Tack around.

Check out the characters in Disney’s ‘Moana’

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one knows why. From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes “Moana,” a sweeping, CG-animated feature film about an adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana (voice of Auliʻi Cravalho) meets the mighty demigod Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), who guides her in her quest to become a master wayfinder. Together, they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity.

Moana opens in theaters November 23, 2016

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‘The Trust’ on Blu-ray and DVD

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


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Nicolas Cage and Elijah Wood star in The Trust, a convoluted story about two Las Vegas police officers who are dissatisfied with life and fall into a scheme to get rich. Stone (Cage) and Waters (Wood) collect evidence for the department. They unexpectedly discover something that leads them to believe they have uncovered a major drug ring. So, they follow the clues – off the books!

The two take vacation days to track down the leads. But they don’t have any intention of turning in their findings. They decide to take the contraband for themselves. They figure if the scope of their findings is as big as they think, they will have enough money to get out of the country and live a great life.

What they ultimately discover is something bigger than a little drug ring. Along the way the violence starts to overtake them and they turn from decent men into vicious criminals.

While the acting is good, the story leaves a lot of holes and the disconnect between events is obvious. Cage is always at the top of his game and this film is no exception. The problem is with the actual story, which is whacky, unbelievable as far as the characters are concerned, and disjointed.

Bonus features on the disc include a look at “The Visuals of Vegas.” Las Vegas if front and center in this story and viewers get a feel for the residents of Sin City. Another bonus looks at “The Dynamics of a Duo: Nicolas Cage and Elijah Wood” with the actors, producer, and filmmakers. The story was written by Alex and Benjamin Brewer. Cage admits he enjoys working with young filmmakers who bring out another side of his acting talents.

Jerry Lewis appears in this film as Stone’s father.

The Trust is rated R for violence, language, some sexuality/nudity, and drug use.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for 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 Unsinkable Molly Brown’ now on Blu-ray

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


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Debbie Reynolds stars as Molly Brown in this 1964 musical. The Unsinkable Molly Brown is based on a real woman. Molly Brown survived several crises in her life and Reynolds, along with Harve Presnell, present an entertaining look at the woman, her love, and her passion for life.

When Molly was a tiny baby she survived a major flood. She was taken in by a backwoods family and raised with “brothers” but always wanted more for herself. She always dreamed of a better life filled with riches and popularity. So she sets out on her way to Denver where the society people are.

Along the way she meets Johnny Brown (Presnell) and they fall in love. He promises her that although he doesn’t have anything to give to her at that time, he will make a lot of money and she’ll have the life she always wanted. Lo and behold, if he didn’t do it! Molly gets her big house in Denver but is never accepted in the Denver society.

On a trip to Europe, Molly and Johnny meet several notables who thoroughly enjoy the uniqueness of the couple, especially the innocence and love of Molly. They return to Denver with the couple where Molly introduces them to the rich society folks in Denver. Her old friends from her past and the upper class in Denver clash, and soon Molly feels humiliated again. So, back to Europe she goes – alone.

It’s in Europe she finds that her life is with Johnny, so she heads back across the ocean – on the Titanic. And yes, she does survive.

The music is the film is wonderful and the song “I’ll Never Say No To You” is perhaps one of the greatest unappreciated love songs in the history of film. Reynolds was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance, and the music, set decoration, and costume design also garnered Oscar nominations. Presnell won a Golden Globe for the most promising male newcomer.

The bonus feature on the disc is a look at the creation of one of Reynolds’ ball gowns for the film. From start to finish viewers see the steps necessary to create one dress.

This is a fun musical with a whimsical story about wanting to improve and be accepted. The take-away is that trying to fit in isn’t what’s important. The most important thing is to be yourself.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown on Blu-ray is part of the Warner Archive Collection.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for 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 Adventures of Panda Warrior’ on DVD

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


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The Adventures of Panda Warrior is story takes place in an ancient time when the world is at war. Patrick is a peaceful soldier in China who doesn’t want to learn to fight. He heard of a faraway land called Merryland. His grandfather told him this land was filled with wonder and peace. Suddenly – and magically – Patrick is transported to Merryland where he emerges as, yes, a Panda. How did he turn from a young man into a Panda?

In Merryland Patrick meets an array of animals as well as a log and a bunch of onions who all talk and who are trying to defeat the evil nine-headed snake who has taken over the land and turned it into a place not of peace but of conflict, as well as enslaving the princess. Patrick is assumed to be the Panda Warrior they have been waiting for. This great warrior will lead them to victory and peace again. But is Patrick that warrior?

This is a colorful film with some very interesting characters. As the band of warriors, led by Patrick, take back Merryland, there are some fun scenes and Patrick is a cute character. Patrick learns that he needs to have faith in himself. He trusts in the legend and in the memory of his beloved grandfather.

Rob Schneider voices Patrick, Lauren Elizabeth voices Peggy the flying pig (pigs do fly – in Merryland), Haylie Duff voices a brave goat named GoGo, and Norm MacDonald voices King Leo the lion. The movie was originally produced in China and periodically there will be Chinese writing on the screen. It’s basically a knock-off of Kung Fu Panda. While it is not a movie adults will enjoy, kids might find the characters interesting, especially the talking – and burning – log and the fun little onions.

The bonus features include several shorts as well as a featurette with some of the American voice talent talking about the film and their characters. Kids won’t find this entertaining, however some adults might.

The Adventures of Panda Warrior is rated PG for action violence and some mild rude humor.

About the Author

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

Alphabet Rockers’ “The Playground Zone” CD GIVEAWAY

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


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Alphabet Rockers’ mission is to make learning come alive through the beats, rhymes, moves and community of hip hop.

Oakland’s kid-friendly hip hop phenomenon Alphabet Rockers invite kids to enter “The Playground Zone.” “The Playground Zone” raises timely issues about race, ethnicity, neuro diversity and community, employing old-school and contemporary hip hop music with street cred in ways that instantly engage young listeners. These fully kid-tested tunes grew from years of experience as teaching artists visiting in schools, working with thousands of children. The City of Oakland and East Bay Fund for Artists supported the development of these songs and the related performance and curriculum.

Visit their website for more information.

This CD is a collection of original hip-hop tunes aiming to support diversity and change lives.

We have some CDs to giveaway.

To be eligible to win a copy of “The Playground Zone”, email us at [email protected] with “Playground Zone 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 August 8, 2016.

‘Ice Age: Collision Course’ Movie Review

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE

When they first appeared on the big screen in Ice Age in 2002, an unlikely group of characters warmed the hearts of moviegoers. A mammoth (Manny, voiced by Ray Romano), a sloth (Sid, voiced by John Leguizamo), and a saber tooth tiger, (Diego, voiced by Denis Leary) joined together to get one little baby (Roshan) safely to his father. Since then they reunited in several “buddy” feature films: Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012), and now Ice Age: Collision Course.
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In every story, Scrat starts things off with his often-dangerous attempts to get and keep his beloved acorn. This time Scrat takes a very important role because he unwittingly stirs things up in what could be a catastrophic ending for the planet and everyone on it. First of all, this beginning pays homage to the original film. In that story the gang walked through an ice museum and past a spacecraft frozen in a block of ice. Well, that spacecraft is where Scrat finds himself and in which he blasts off into space where he unwittingly and quite clumsily, as usual, starts a meteor on a collision course with Earth.

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Meanwhile, on Earth Manny and his wife Ellie (voiced by Queen Latifah) are struggling with their daughter Peaches and her fiancé Julian’s decision to leave once they get married. Sid is dealing with the fact that he cannot keep a girlfriend. All he wants is a loving family like his buddy Manny.

When they discover the end of the planet is near, they head on a journey to try to stop the meteor that will destroy the planet. But how can they do that? Along the way they meet up with Buck, a smart-talking weasel that lives below with the dinosaurs. He first appeared in the 2009 film and has returned this time to play an important role helping to figure out how to stop the meteor, which will strike in three days time.
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The whole gang encounter a utopian group who live in a crystal city, led by Shangri Llama. All the while, three dino birds intent on stopping them from saving the planet are stalking Buck and his little group.

This is a typical Ice Age movie. If you liked them in the past you will enjoy this one as well. The original movie was the best of them all, however now that we are all familiar with the characters, this one adds an extra dimension to each of them. Family (aka herd) has always been in integral part of the stories, and this film is no exception.

Ice Age: Collision Course opens in theaters July 22, 2016. It’s rated PG for mild rude humor and some action/peril.

About the Author

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