Two Minions compete in a series of escalating games in which both are doomed to lose in the all new mini-movie “Competition” in celebration of the upcoming release of MINIONS on Digital HD on 11/24 and on Blu-ray & DVD on December 8, 2015.
Author: Francine Brokaw
IF/THEN coming to Hollywood Pantages
IF/THEN is a contemporary new musical that follows two distinct storylines in the life of Elizabeth, a city planner who moves back to New York to restart her life in this city of infinite possibilities. When her carefully designed plans collide with the whims of fate, Elizabeth’s life splits into two parallel paths. IF/THEN follows both stories simultaneously as this modern woman faces the intersection of choice and chance.
Dates: DECEMBER 8, 2015 – JANUARY 3, 2016
Theatre: HOLLYWOOD PANTAGES THEATRE
6233 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Performance Schedule:Tuesday – Saturday at 8pm
Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday at 2pm
Schedule Exceptions: Added 2pm matinee performances on Thu 12/24 & Thu 12/31
Added 7:30pm performances on Sun 12/27 & Sun 1/3/16
No evening performances on Thu 12/24 & Thu 12/31
No performances on Friday 12/25 & Fri 1/1/16
Opening Night: Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 8pm
Individual tickets start at $25
Ticket prices subject to change without notice.
Parental Advisory: Ages 12 and up
Children under 5 will not be admitted to the theatre.
All patrons must have a ticket, regardless of age.
Ninja Coffee Bar – Product Review
Coffee lovers, take note. If you love all kinds of coffee, the new Ninja Coffee Bar just might be your favorite coffee maker. This is the most versatile little machine for creating all kinds of coffees.
The variety of coffees this unit can create is vast. Yes, it can make a simple cup of coffee. But it does so much more.
Users can brew a single cup, a travel cup, a carafe, or a half carafe. Each time the brew is tailored to the select size. There is also a selection to brew over ice. This is a unique button because with the IQ technology, the machine brews the coffee a little stronger so as the ice melts, it won’t dilute the flavor of your java. Patented Auto-iQ technology selects the right amount of water to use for each selection of coffee saturation. That is what makes this unit different from others so you can brew a single cup or a carafe, hot or cold, with the touch of a button.
If you want something more creative than a simple cup of coffee, the “Specialty Brew” button, using the IQ technology, creates more concentrated coffee for a latte, cappuccino, or macchiato.
The Ninja Coffee Bar comes with a milk frother. To utilize this little gadget, simply microwave some milk in the glass tube then insert the frothing mechanism and pump to get the milk frothy for specialty coffees.
The recipe book that comes with the machine has plenty of ideas to create specialty coffees to match your every mood. All you need to do is to follow the recipes and in a few minutes you can have a bigger menu of specialty drinks than the local coffee house.
Because you use your own coffee in the unit, you can control what kind of grounds you prefer. Many people love strong, bitter coffee, while others enjoy a light roast or even flavored grounds. It’s your decision.
If you have seen the infomercial you know the Ninja Coffee Bar also makes ice-blended drinks. For an ice-blended drink you need an additional unit to blend the ingredients. Some offers online and on TV include the additional blender, however it is not included in the actual Ninja Coffee Bar box. This is something you need to know when you buy your machine.
When I received my review unit, I was anxious to try different coffees. I am not a barista, so it took me a few tries to get exactly what I wanted. I also found the coffee was a bit stronger than I wanted, so I do admit there is a little learning curve with this, but not too much.
If you are looking for a gift for a coffee lover, this fits the bill. Or, if you are simply in need of a new coffee maker, why not get this and in time you will probably be creating more than a pot of coffee. The possibilities are limited by your imagination. Whether you want to add caramel, chocolate, Amaretto, etc. you can have almost any kind of coffee drink you can imagine.
There is a choice between the glass carafe and a thermal carafe. Included in the Ninja Coffee Bar box is: the machine, carafe, Ninja Easy Frother, scooper, coffee filter, insulated tumbler and recipe book. The Ninja Coffee Bar Brewer lists for $159.80 for the glass carafe.
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
‘Nature Cat’ on PBS
Nature Cat is the newest preschool series in the PBS Kids lineup. This animated series introduces kids to the wonders of the outdoors. The creators, brothers David Adam Rudman, hope after watching Nature Cat and his friends explore their backyard, kids will get off the couch and go into their own yards to “live the show” and explore the wonders of nature while using their own imaginations.
There are plenty of things to do outside. While kids might prefer to stay inside and fiddle with their video games or stay glued to the TV, Nature Cat has, at its core, the intent of getting kids to play outside.
How many kids do you know that sit inside even on glorious days? They are practically glued to their electronic devices. Yes, even little kids. After all, they have grown up and are growing up in a world where everything is at their fingertips. Hey, if they want to know about butterflies, all they have to do is search for the info on a computer, unaware that simply going outside they might get a glimpse of one up close and see how it flies through the air. What a great concept. Seeing and discovering nature in the great outdoors is something that many kids are missing these days.
But just because these characters are out of the house, don’t think they can completely ignore the technology of today’s world. On the contrary. Daisy is very smart. “But she also has a smartphone, so she’s [the] character who might be a little tied to technology, but she knows how to use it when she gets out in the world. If she has a question, she will look it up like kids today, and then she’ll put the phone away,” explained Adam Rudman.
“In our show, there will be [special] moments. We call them ‘play the show moments’ where we are hoping kids will watch and they will say, ‘I want to go play that. I want to do exactly what they just did,’ and go outside, and [perhaps] build a birdhouse or plant a butterfly garden or dig for earthworms.”
“Many of today’s children are growing up with less of a connection to nature, so we set out to create a very funny, action-adventure series that will inspire kids to get outside, starting in their own backyards and parks, and explore,” said David Rudman. “Our hope is that our viewers will develop an appreciation and love of nature and will reap the many benefits it has to offer,” added Adam Rudman.
Parents and kids can access more fun with Nature Cat on the website.
Nature Cat premiers November 25, 2015 on PBS.
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 Girl Most Likely on DVD
Jane Powell is delightful in this 1958 musical. The Girl Most Likely is a fun romp that takes place in just a couple days in in each of these days Dotie (Powell) manages to get engaged to three different men.
Dotie was born and raised on Balboa Island in California. Every day she takes the ferry to the mainland for work with here best friend Marge (Kaye Ballard). Dotie dreams of marrying a rich man. She wants to experience life away from her small island. She wants to travel by yacht instead of by ferry.
Buzz (Tommy Noonan) has been Dotie’s friend for a long time. When he proposes she is surprised but says “yes.” Buzz, a local realtor, tells her he will work hard and they will make a lot of money. It sounds good to Dotie but she doesn’t feel the special spark she should when someone gets engaged.
Then, the next day while riding the ferry back to Balboa, Dotie sees a man leave the yacht that just docked. He gets in a boat and on a whim she jumps off the ferry and is swims to the little boat, thinking he is the rich tycoon Neil Patterson, Jr. In fact it is Pete (Cliff Robertson), the mechanic. They make a date with Dotie still believing it is Patterson. While on their date she realizes her mistake, but nevertheless she has a great time with Pete. He is an easy-going guy with no pretense and a lot of charm as well as common sense.
Pete and Dotie get along swimmingly, no pun intended, and he proposes. She says “yes.” If you’re keeping score, Dotie has agreed to marry two men in the span of two days.
Then, lo and behold, she meets Neil Patterson, Jr. (Keith Andes). They go on a date on his yacht, ending up in Mexico. With all the fun and extravagance he can offer her, you guessed it, she says “yes” to him when he proposes. The tally is now three men to whom Dotie is engaged.
Which one will she chose? After all, she can’t marry all three. After careful consideration, Dotie makes her decision. But is it the right one for her?
This is a fun little film sprinkled with musical numbers. The film would have been just as delightful without the song and dance scenes. Powell is entertaining and viewers will undoubtedly be rooting for Pete. Robertson plays this character with warmth and sincerity, reminiscent of his role of “Kahuna” the following year in the movie Gidget.
The Girl Most Likely is not rated. It is part of the Warner Archive Collection and can be ordered through their website.
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
‘A Year and Change’
A Year and Change is a story of discovery and change. The film follows Owen (Bryan Greenberg) as he reevaluates his life and decides that his life is not what he wants it to be. So change is needed.
Owen is a vending machine manager. He goes from business to business emptying the change from the machines and stocking their contents. He is divorced with a young son. Owen doesn’t spend much time with his son and spends most of his time drinking and doing drugs. To say he isn’t the model father is a gross understatement.
During the course of a year, Owen changes his life and turns his future around. He reconnects with his son and quits all his carousing around and bad habits of drinking and drugs. He also falls in love with a woman (Claire van der Boom) and it looks like things are finally going well for this man.
“It’s such a pleasure to represent this poignant, life-affirming film,” says Lise Romanoff, Managing Director/CEO of Vision Films. “It has a tremendous cast of talented actors, an inspirational and entertaining story and an ending that will stay with you for a while. In other words, a perfect Thanksgiving treat!”
Producer Emily Ting said, “A Year and Change is such a sweet film about redemption and second chances. I can’t wait to finally share the film with the world, and I think we found the perfect partner in Vision Films”.
The movie is slow moving and a bit dry however the message that we can all change is liberating and hopeful. Owen goes from a pessimistic man to an optimistic one. He goes from seeing the changing leaves in the fall as just dying leaves to seeing the beauty in their colors.
A Year and Change is not rated however it is not suitable for young kid. It opens in theaters November 24, 2015.
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
‘Murder, She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery’ on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Alison Sweeny and the cast of the popular Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movie Murder, She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery return for another helping of cookies and murder. This time it is a holiday-themed story and baker Hannah Swensen (Sweeney) is caught up in another mystery along with all the baking for holiday orders. Whew. How does she do it? Your mouth will be watering with all the goodies presented in Murder, She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery. Oh yes. There is also the fact that a murder occurs.
With preparations under way for Christmas, the Crazy Elf Tree lot is where there is plenty of activity. With everyone picking out their Christmas trees and also indulging in some of the fabulously delicious treats supplied by Hannah’s bakeshop, this is a busy little place. And it gets even busier when the owner of the lot is found murdered in the office. Guess who finds the body? Hannah, of course.
While the police are investigating the murder, Hannah decides to investigate on her own. Actually, she and her mother Delores (Barbara Niven) stumble across some clues while they are out and about. But Delores is intent on keeping her daughter out of the business of solving the crime. She is trying to get Hannah to settle down.
Hannah is currently dating two men: Norman (Gabriel Hogan) and Detective Mike Kingston (Cameron Mathison). Mike warns her to stay out of police business but you know Hannah. Her curiosity is as deep as her cookies are sweet. Plus, it doesn’t help her situation with Mike that when she discovered the body she was on a date with Norman.
While Hannah is baking to her heart’s content, and to the delight of her customers, she puts the pieces of the puzzle together and also deals with the fact that some of her friends are rooting for her to choose Mike while her mother is nudging her toward Norman. With baking, men, and a murder, this is definitely a movie filled to the brim.
Hannah’s sweet personality and keen mind are a great combination. And Sweeney is charming in the role.
One word of warning when watching this movie – beware of all the sweets in Hannah’s bakeshop. If your mouth isn’t watering and you don’t crave cookies or pastries by the end of this movie, you haven’t paid attention to all the goodies in the show. Besides the interpersonal relationships and the actual crime, the delicacies are the icing on the cake (pun intended).
Murder, She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery is a fun and delicious little holiday film. It premiers Sunday, November 22, 2015 on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.
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
‘Northpole: Open for Christmas’ on Hallmark Channel
Northpole: Open for Christmas is the sequel to last year’s popular Hallmark Channel movie Northpole. Bailee Madison reprises her role of Clementine, a spunky elf who gets an assignment to reintroduce the Christmas spirit to a woman who has lost her way.
The secret of how Santa flies around the world in one night is this – he has several power stations throughout the world that spur on the magic of his flight. Unfortunately, one site is powering down. This Inn has just been inherited by Mackenzie (Lori Loughlin), a high-powered New York businesswoman. Her aunt bequeathed the Northern Lights Inn to Mackenzie, who travels to Vermont with the intention of selling the property.
Although she has great memories of her childhood at the Inn, Mackenzie doesn’t feel any special attachment to the property. That is until Clementine arrives to guide her back to the magic, fun, and wonder of the holiday.
Mackenzie decides to fix up the Inn before selling it so that gives Clementine some time to get her to change her mind. The Inn has been one of Santa’s beacons for a long time and if goes dark, then Santa won’t be able to make his rounds this Christmas. So it is imperative that Clementine brings the spirit of the holiday back to Mackenzie, with a little help from the staff at the Inn who are also Santa’s helpers.
Besides the elves, Clementine gets some human help from Jack (Dermot Mulroney), the carpenter who is fixing up the Inn, and his daughter Jenny (Ava Telek), a young girl filled with all the joy and wonder of the season.
With this infectious group, the Inn is quickly restored to its previous state of grandeur and brings not only the spirit of Christmas back to Mackenzie, but to the entire town. The Northern Lights Inn was a beacon of magic for the town and once restored, it brings back the town’s love and excitement for the magical time of the year.
Bailee Madison shines bright as the optimistic elf who doesn’t shy away from a difficult task. Bailee is always entertaining and she proves she still has the magic touch when it comes to fun, spirited holiday stories. Someone else to keep an eye on is Ava Telek who plays little Jenny. This girl is adorable and definitely has a long career in front of her. Her face lights up the screen and her smile is infectious. Telek is another shining star in this adorable family holiday film.
Northpole: Open for Christmas premiers Saturday, November 21, 2015 on Hallmark Channel. Grab some hot chocolate and popcorn and settle in for a cute movie.
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
‘A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale’ on UP
A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale is a light little film filled with Christmas spirit. Actually, it’s Luce Lockhart who is filled with the Christmas spirit. And it is infectious.
Luce (Lexi Giovagnoli) is a rich, spoiled college student who never thinks about a price tag. She spends all her parents’ money on gifts for her friends. She is generous and definitely exuberant about Christmas. Then her boyfriend of three months dumps her, telling her she has no substance. Luce retreats to her parents’ home in the suburbs to lick her wounds and celebrate the holiday with family. The thing is, her parents have gone to Africa on a charity mission.
The neighbor hires Luce to walk their dog to earn a few extra dollars for the holiday. Luce, who has never had a job, decides it would be an interesting thing so she takes on the challenge. The neighbor, Missy Paxton (Dina Meyer) is the typical high-class woman with the perfect wardrobe and impeccable taste. Actually, that is also Luce. The two could be poster women for Rodeo Drive.
Luce meets a group of dog owners at the local dog park. They form a shaky friendship. Dean (Jonathan Bennett) is a vet student who is also taking care of a friend’s dog. He is instantly attracted to Luce, but she doesn’t have the same feelings. Then, when the word gets out that the Paxton development company is going to bulldoze the park and build a luxury day spa on the property, Dean thinks Luce can save the park. After all, her boss is Byron Paxton (Patrick Muldoon).
Luce really wants the spa. She loves massages and mani/pedis. But her friendship with the local dog owners puts her in a dilemma. She can either maintain her spoiled attitude or do something nice for others and the community.
Okay, so you know what she is going to do. After all, this is a happy Christmas story. The best part of the story, however, is the ending when Luce and the others realize who has the final say in the project.
Yes, this is a simplistic little movie, but isn’t that what TV viewers want during the holiday season?
A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale premiers Sunday, November 15, 2015 on UP. It is now available to buy or rent on Digital HD and VOD.
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 Clips from ‘The Good Dinosaur’
The Good Dinosaur is in theaters November 25!
