Author: Francine Brokaw
First peek at Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’
The first sneak peek at Disney’s upcoming live-action re-telling of “Beauty and the Beast” is out. Giving audiences a glimpse at the highly anticipated film based on the animated classic which refashions the iconic characters and musical numbers from the tale as old as time, the film stars Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson. “Beauty and the Beast” opens in U.S. theaters on March 17, 2017.
New Trailer for ‘Finding Dory’
Disney•Pixar’s “Finding Dory” reunites everyone’s favorite forgetful blue tang, Dory, with her friends Nemo and Marlin on a search for answers about her past. What can she remember? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale? Directed by Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo,” “WALL•E”) and produced by Lindsey Collins (co-producer “WALL•E”), the film features the voices of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton. “Finding Dory” swims into theaters June 17, 2016.
‘Zapped’ on DVD
Before he was Charles in Charge, Scott Baio was Chachi in the popular sitcom Happy Days. And after he was Tommy Bradford in the TV series Eight is Enough Willie Aames was Buddy Lembeck in Charles in Charge. However, before these two teen stars joined forced in Charles in Charge, they teamed up in the 1982 teen comedy film Zapped!
Zapped it the story of Barnie (Baio), a high school science nerd whose experiment goes awry leaving him with a supernatural talent. He has the ability to move things with his mind. When his scheming best friend Peyton (Aames) learns about this, he plots to use his buddy’s talent to impress a girl and for financial gain.
Peyton has no morals. He will do and say anything to get the class sexpot (Heather Thomas). Barnie is only interested in the scientific aspect of his newfound ability, but when pushed far enough, he uses it for fun and also personal gain. Imagine the school’s losing baseball team finally winning due to their amazing – and instant – talents. But it is Barnie who is making the ball go farther and his teammates jump higher than normal to catch the ball. You get the idea. It is quite a feat for these ballplayers.
In the meantime, Bernadette (Felice Schachter) learns about Barnie’s new talent and teams up with him for the advancement of science. But that’s not all their friendship offers. For the first time in his life Barnie has a girlfriend and Bernadette is his perfect partner. That is until Peyton talks his buddy into spending the night at a frat house where Barnie makes the roulette wheel stop in their favor. Yep, Peyton is not the best influence on this guy, but their friendship is deep and they really do care about each other.
This is a whacky teen story filled with high school antics combined with the supernatural talent of this science nerd with a heart of gold. There are plenty of bare breasts due to Barnie’s ability to unbutton sweaters and blouses with his mind.
Zapped! has some cute elements, however Peyton is an obnoxious character that viewers will undoubtedly dislike to the core. Barnie, on the other hand, is well meaning and good hearted.
Zapped! is rated R due to nudity, drugs, and sexual situations.
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
New TV Shows for Memorial Day and Beyond
Remember when late May meant a steady season of reruns? Those days are long passed. Earlier this week ABC’s latest Bachelorette JoJo Fletcher met her 26 suitors. Host Chris Harrison promised “some crazy dynamic characters and maybe one of the wildest guys that Bachelor fans will love to hate.” Could it be the chap in Santa Claus garb?
And what about that small town Texas man of the cloth who answers to the name Preacher? Adapted from the craziest ‘90s comic book, Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper) gets possessed by a super natural entity that gives him special powers of persuasion. Custer sets out to track down God with an assist from his short fused ex-girlfriend Tulip (Ruth Negga) and his Irish vampire buddy Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun). The AMC series has a credible pedigree, thanks to executive producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and development credits attributed to Sam Catlin of Breaking Bad fame.
Still a bit confused? AMC will air a live after show titled Talking Preacher on May 29. Hosted by comic Chris Hardwick the hour-long show will feature cast, creators, producers and celebrity fans discussing the supernatural dark comedy.
Netflix rolls out the second season premiere of Bloodline on May 27. The Florida Keys supplies the backdrop for the drama about dysfunctional sibling alliances, and it looks like John (Kyle Chandler) Meg (Linda Cardellini) and Kevin (Norbert Leo Butz) must pony up for what they did to their brother Danny (Ben Mendelsohn). Is Danny’s estranged son the genuine article, and why has newcomer Ozzy (John Leguizamo) suddenly appeared?
In 1977, ABC premiered the groundbreaking miniseries Roots. Based on Alex Haley’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, it ran for 12 hours on eight consecutive nights. Haley later confessed that the storyline was a mix of fact and fiction. Nevertheless, the series succeeded in sparking a national conversation about America’s legacy of slavery.
The finale attracted 100 million viewers making it the third highest rated United States entertainment program ever measured by Nielsen. Roots was been topped only by the series finale of M*A*S*H* and Dallas’s “Who Shot J.R?” episode.
Taking into account current headlines, Mark Wolper, whose father David was Roots’ original producer and maintained the rights, decided to “translate the story into today’s television vocabulary.” The characters’ identities remain unchanged, but some of the history surrounding them has been altered.
Six months and hundreds of auditions later the key role of Kunta Kinte went to British actor Malachi Kirby, who has never done American TV. Another young Londoner, Rege-Jean Page appears as the flamboyant Chicken George, originally portrayed by Ben Vereen in 1977.
As an insurance policy Wolper has beef up the ranks with recognizable names like Jonathan Rhys Meyer, Matthew Goode and James Purefoy playing slave owners, with Forest Whitaker as Fiddler (a role that garnered Louis Gossetts Jr. an Emmy in the original. Adding some new faces and characters, Anna Paquin and Mekhi Phifer portray a Southern belle and her coachman, who share a serious secret, while Laurence Fishburne shows up as Haley in the final episode.
Signing on as a producing partner, History Channel, along with A&E and Lifetime will air the new Roots over four consecutive nights starting May 30.
Steve Harvey’s Little Big Shots confirmed the appeal of pint sized performers. Following suit, FOX is restricting its 13th season of So You Think You Can Dance to candidates between the ages of eight and 13 when it returns on May 30. Open auditions were held in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles with the field dwindled down to 100 kids, who moved onto the Academy where they are being trained by acclaimed professionals. Host Cat Deeley will introduce the audience to the 10 finalists.
An affordable alternative to two tickets on the aisle, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Ian McKellen recreate Ronald Hawrood’s moving play The Dresser via Starz on May 30. Raging against the passage of time, McKellen assists the thespian in preparing for his 227nd appearance as King Lear, a role that mirrors Hopkins character’s approaching panic and dementia.
What began as a skit for Saturday Night Live’s 40th Anniversary special has morphed into a new six-episode NBC series titled Maya & Marty.. That’s short for Maya Rudolph and Martin Short, who promise celebrity guests (first nighters are Paul Rudd and Larry David), sketches and musical numbers in an edgy modern day spin on variety shows. The NBC series premieres May 31.
He’s back! TV’s biggest talent show America’s Got Talent returns May 31 to NBC with Simon Cowell filling Howard Stern’s vacated seat for Season 11. Returning to the dais are supermodel Heidi Klum, comedian Howie Mandel and former Spice Girl B.
As co-creator and executive producer of America’s Got Talent and its British counterparts – The X Factor, and Britain’s Got Talent, Cowell has an unmistakable knick for spotting potential talent. Numbered among the acts that achieved future stardom under his guidance were One Direction, Susan Boyle, and Fifth Harmony.
About the Author
Winnie Bonelli is a former entertainment editor for a daily metropolitan New York City area newspaper. She is passionate about movies and television and loves to take readers behind the scenes.
‘Amazing Water’ CD/Book Giveaway
Oceans, rivers and lakes have inspired composers throughout history. A new book-CD in The Secret Mountain’s growing collection of classical music titles explores the flowing realm of “amazing water” as expressed by composers from the 17th century to the present day. The perfect gift for young music lovers, Amazing Water provides a wealth of information about the music and a variety of composers.
Mexico City-based author and music educator Ana Gerhard introduces children (and their grown-ups) to the works of Handel, Bach, Schubert, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Debussy, and others by demonstrating how water (the sea, rivers, fountains, and rainfall) has inspired the composers. The book pairs three centuries of music history with colorful and evocative illustrations. The 68-page hardcover picture book features a glossary of musical terms, a timeline of musical history, and a short biography of each composer.
The accompanying CD features 20 excerpts from various recordings performed by world-class luminaries.
The Secret Mountain, celebrating 15 years of publishing music-forward children’s storybooks, has released other popular titles focusing on classical music, including Listen to the Birds, Simply Fantastic (both by Ana Gerhard) and Sleep Softly. The extensive catalog of award-winning storybook – music CD titles for children includes Songs from the Baobob (African Lullabies), Dreams Are Made for Children (Classic Jazz Lullabies), A Duck in New York City by singer-songwriter Connie Kaldor and Tomorrow Is a Chance To Start Over (Hilary Grist). Visit their website for more news.
We have some Amazing Water CD/Book sets to giveaway.
To be eligible to win a copy of Amazing Water, email us at [email protected] with “Amazing Water 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, 2016.
‘Hard Sell’ – Movie Review
Hard Sell is a convoluted story about growing up, taking responsibility, and capitalism. It’s set on affluent Long Island and stars Skyler Gisondo as Hardy Buchanan, a high school senior with a lot on his plate.
Hardy lives with his unstable mother (Kristin Chenoweth) who is devoted to her dog Walter. She is not a typical mom, and she doesn’t leave the house. To say she has psychological problems is an understatement.
Learning the dog needs surgery and unable to afford it, Hardy hatches a plan to raise the money so his mother’s beloved dog can survive. Just what is this plan? Well, he meets a young woman, Bo (Katrina Bowden), who unbeknownst to him has escaped from a mental institution. She says she is a stripper and the two both need money so they join forces.
Knowing how interested his fellow schoolmates are about the female body, Hardy and Bo start selling “peeks” at her and that turns into advice sessions and soon the money starts adding up. Bo is a free soul who has keen insight into the teenage mind. She actually helps the kids through some of their teen problems.
But in the end, what Hardy is doing on school grounds is not legal, so he is put in a situation where he must confront his capitalistic scheme and the school board.
This totally dysfunctional group of characters makes up this rather odd story that is not something that will appeal to the masses. It is filled with odd situations but nevertheless, at the heart is this young boy who would do anything to help his mother, and in this case he must raise $10,000 for the dog’s surgery. Walter is her only joy in life, next to her son. This is a woman completely out on the edge and Hardy fears what will happen to her if Walter dies.
Take this dutiful teenage son, one psychotic mother, an adorable dog, and a free spirited young woman and you have the groundwork for this film. This is one of those teen angst films with one very creative high school senior at the center of it all.
Everyone’s lack of respect for others including authority figures, is something that parents might want to consider. Hard Sell is not yet rated. It hits theaters May 20 and VOD that same day.
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
‘Shimmer and Shine’ Season 2 Premiers June 15, 2016
Shimmer and Shine follows the adventures of twin genies-in-training, Shimmer and Shine, and features a social-emotional curriculum highlighting the importance of teamwork, resilience and overcoming obstacles. The series is currently the number-one preschool show in its time period on all TV and new episodes will continue to roll out throughout the summer. Shimmer and Shine airs regularly at 12 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon, the top network for preschoolers and kids 2-11.
Season two of Shimmer and Shine features an all-new vibrant look with CG animation and, for the first time ever takes place entirely in the exciting genie world of Zahramay Falls. In the new episodes, Shimmer and Shine embark on more magical adventures with their human best friend Leah and encounter brand-new characters including: Zeta, a power-hungry sorceress who uses potions and spells to scheme against the genies; Nazboo, Zeta’s loyal pet dragon; Samira, a kind genie princess; Roya, Samira’s beautiful pet peacock; and Kaz, Zac’s new genie and friend.
On Wednesday, June 8, Nickelodeon will pre-release “Welcome to Zahramay Falls” on NickJr.com, the Nick Jr. App, VOD and across select digital platforms. Additionally, NickJr.com and the Nick Jr. App will air exclusive two-minute looks from season two. Additionally, on Monday, May 30, NickJr.com will launch the Shimmer and Shine: Genie-rific Creations, a game that allows preschoolers to work with Shimmer and Shine to design their own unique genie. Users can customize their genie by choosing different hairstyles and outfits, selecting an animal for a pet and creating a special genie palace.
‘Mickey’s Sport-Y-Thon’ DVD
Six episodes from Disney Junior’s Mickey Mouse Clubhouse combine to make this newest DVD fun and filled with entertainment (as well as a little learning). Mickey’s Sport-Y-Thon includes all the regular characters from the popular pre-school series, as well as some that only show up once in awhile.
“Mickey’s Sport –Y-Thon” has the gang competing in various sporting games – like none you’ve ever seen. This “stupendous sporty event” is filled with excitement and a little magic. Even Martian Mickey, Martian Minnie and Pluto from Pluto come to Earth to take part in the event. If you haven’t seen these green alien versions of the characters, you’re in for a treat. With Pete and Donald reporting on the activities, it’s a fun day of games as everyone learns the meaning of sportsmanship. The winners get a shiny gold medal and included in the DVD box is the same medal so kids can wear their special medallion on a red, yellow, and blue ribbon.
“Mickey’s Mouskeball” has the gang trying to hang onto a flying mouskeball while floating in a giant dome. It looks like fun. To bad we don’t have that high tech game for real.
In “Mickey’s Mouskedoer Adventure,” the Mouskedoer machine is on the fritz and needs to be fixed or it will stop working. If it stops, then Toodles will stop too. But how will the gang get inside the machine? It’s easy when Professor Ludwig Von Drake “digitizes” them. Talk about science taking a big step forward. With the help of their digitized versions, the gang is able to solve the problems and eventually fix the Mouskedoer.
It’s Mickey’s birthday in “Mickey’s Mouskeday” with party fun for all. What a great celebration, but it’s not without a few riddles. And Donald feels a bit left out in “Donald’s Brand New Clubhouse,” so he decides he wants a clubhouse for himself. But aren’t clubhouses supposed to be for everyone? And in “Mickey’s Mystery” the gang sets off for the rainforest to solve the mystery of a Mickey-shaped building.
These six episodes from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, along with a Sporty-Y-Thon golden medal make this a DVD kids will want to watch over and over. The gang from the clubhouse always has some new experiences and a lot of fun, and little viewers will delight in their antics.
Go for the gold! Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Sport-Y-Thon is rated TV-Y for youth.
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 BFG’ trailer
Disney’s The BFG hits theaters July 1, 2016. Check out the trailer now!
