This Vacation is not your parents’ vacation. In 1983 Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and his wife Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo) embarked on a family vacation in the Family Truckster with their two children Rusty and Audrey. They were on their way to Wally World, a fun theme park for the entire family. Well, to say they had a madcap adventure is an understatement. The family wasn’t swayed. In 1985 they went on a European Vacation and then in 1997 on a Vegas Vacation. In each of the films the actors playing the parents stayed the same. It was the kids who changed.

Now that Rusty and Audrey are grown up, Ed Helms and Leslie Mann play them. This Vacation is a little bit raunchier than the original story. Times have changed. But the Griswolds, at least Rusty Griswold, still finds that his vacation is filled with plenty of antics and screw-ups that haunted his family trip when he was a young boy.

Now grown, Rusty is an airline pilot with a wife Debbie (Christina Applegate), and two sons, James (Skyler Gisondo), and Kevin (Steele Stebbins) who is a completely obnoxious kid and bullies his older brother constantly.

Rusty decides to relive some of the family experiences he had when he was young and rents a Tartan Prancer (“the Honda of Albania”) for his family vacation from Chicago to California. He is taking them all to Wally World!

Like his father before him, Rusty is an optimistic man who doesn’t let the mishaps along the way disrupt their vacation. Many of the comical elements that were embedded into the 1983 movie are missing however the writers did attempt to recreate many of them. And yes, I did find myself laughing out loud at various times while watching this movie.

Rusty and his family visit Debbie’s college campus in Tennessee, Audrey and her family in Texas, the four corners, the Grand Canyon, and other locations before ending up at Clark and Ellen’s B&B in San Francisco. But will they ever make it to Wally World? And if they do, will they have a good time or just the same crap that they have been experiencing the entire trip?

Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo reprise their famous roles, that made them part of pop culture along with the Wagon Queen Family Truckster.

The combo pack includes a Blu-ray and a DVD and Digital HD plus several bonus features that look at how the original movie made it into pop culture. Chase and D’Angelo discuss the history of their roles in the franchise. There is another bonus that looks at the stops the Griswolds take on their cross-country journey. A gag reel of bloopers and deleted scenes are also included as well as a look at filming the entire movie in and around Atlanta, Georgia. Thanks to movie magic, Tennessee, Texas, the Grand Canyon, San Francisco, and even Wally World were all recreated in Georgia.

The raunchiness and the language make this not suitable for family viewing. It is a fun, whacky and wild story, and like the original Vacation, it is rated R (for crude and sexual content, and language throughout, and brief graphic nudity.) In other words, this is for adults only.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. 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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It’s Christmas time which also means time for magic, family, and love. Shelby: A Magical Holiday Tail is a sweet story for families starring an adorable Beagle who is voiced by Rob Schneider.

Jake (John Paul Ruttan) is a lonely 10-year-old little boy. He is also an aspiring magician and spends his time practicing his craft. Jake’s uncle, cousin, and grandfather (Chevy Chase) are coming to spend the holiday with his family. His mother says “Sharing your misery with your family” is what Christmas is all about.”

Shelby is a freedom-loving and often mischievous stray dog who has been held at the animal shelter for about two years. Doug the dogcatcher (Tom Arnold) has his hands full with this little guy. The beagle is continually escaping and being chased and ultimately caught by this man. But when a rich kid comes to the shelter and decides to adopt the little dog, Doug sees this as his chance to place the pup in a stable home. Plus he is looking forward to the large amount of money the kid’s mother promises him. But then Shelby escapes and she gives him 24 hours to catch the dog or the deal is off.

In the meantime, Shelby finds a warm suburban basement in which to hide. This basement happens to be in Jake’s house. Jake’s mother is adamantly opposed to dogs. So Jake hides the pup and names him Shelby after his magician idol.

Things go awry for everyone in this madcap family adventure. When his folks discover that their son has befriended Shelby, Jake tells them “Without Shelby I’ve got nobody.” Still, they decide that the dog must go back to the shelter.

It is up to Jake and the tactical team he puts together to rescue Shelby from the shelter once and for all and make him part of his family.

The face and antics of the little dog and the entertaining character played by Chevy Chase are the most entertaining parts of this film. The message in this holiday tale, or I should say tail, is that family is what Christmas is about and the true joy of Christmas is making other people happy.

“Magic can make the impossible possible” however it is love that makes the magic happen. This is a story of love, friendship, and especially family.

A side note: According to the Beagle Freedom Project, “Beagles are the breed of choice for labs because they are gentle.” To help protect these family-friendly dogs, check out beaglefreedomproject.org.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. 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

Plaza Suite is another winner from playwright/screenwriter Neil Simon. This 1971 film stars Walter Matthau in three vignettes each taking place in Suite 719 at New York’s Plaza Hotel.

The first story has Matthau as Sam, a married man in the midst of a mid-life crisis. His wife Karen (Maureen Stapleton) has big plans for their twenty-fourth – or is it their twenty-third? – wedding anniversary. She has taken great pains to make the night memorable. And memorable it becomes. Sam is overly concerned about his looks and his mortality. While Karen does everything in her power to alleviate his concerns, he pays no attention to her. In the end viewers see how vanity and the fact that everyone ages takes its toll on Sam and ultimately their marriage.

The second story has Matthau as Jesse Kiplinger, a famous and vain Hollywood producer who comes to New York on business with ulterior motives. This conceited womanizer has plans to seduce an old friend from New Jersey. Muriel Tate (Barbara Harris) agrees to meet her old flame at the Plaza for a drink. Muriel is happily married with three children, yet the celebrity that surrounds Jesse intrigues her. Does he know Frank Sinatra? As Jesse and Muriel drink (mostly Muriel), he tries all his moves to get her into the bedroom. Fame does come into play and is the ultimate aphrodisiac for Muriel.

The final story is the most hilarious of the three. Matthau plays Roy Hubley whose daughter is getting married that afternoon at the Plaza. Roy is concerned with every nickel and dime he is doling out for the wedding. And when his wife Norma (Lee Grant) calls the ballroom demanding he return to their suite ASAP, Roy wonders what is going on. After all the money he put out for this wedding, nothing better stop it. But Norma informs him that their daughter Mimsey has locked herself in the bathroom and won’t come out. As Norma and Roy try their best to coax her out and even break down the door, everything goes wrong.

Matthau shows off his great comic abilities in this film. Matthau combined with the wit of Neil Simon makes Plaza Suite a fun little film.

Plaza Suite is rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements. It 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 business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. 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

Max is an endearing story of life, loss, and love. Max is a Marine. Well, actually he is a canine working with the marines. This amazing dog will steal your heart from the first scene to the last.

Kyle Wincott (Robbie Amell) is Max’s partner in Afghanistan. They are a team and their dedication to each other is what keeps them and the others in the unit safe and productive. But when the unit is ambushed, Kyle is killed and Max is traumatized. With his partner and best friend gone, Max cannot work the way he used to. He is sent back to the states where he is evaluated and deemed unworthy of any future use to the military. Faced with Max’s extermination, Kyle’s parents (Thomas Haden Church and Lauren Graham) decide to take in their son’s buddy and partner.

Kyle’s younger brother Justin (Josh Wiggins) is given the responsibility of taking care of Max. Max responds to Justin. He feels the brotherly connection and is soon the boy’s best friend. With the help of his friend Carmen (Mia Xitlali), Justin works with the dog and soon Max regains his zest and quickly returns to his old self.

Things seem to be going better for Justin. In the beginning of the story he is an obnoxious teen selling illegal discs and mixed up with the wrong people. He has always felt his brother was the hero. Justin felt like the black sheep of the family.

When the boy discovers things are not what they seem in regard to his brother’s death, Justin comes upon an illegal scheme that puts all of their lives in danger – especially Max’s life.

Although this is a family film it is rated PG for action violence, peril, brief language and some thematic elements. For kids – and adults – who are disturbed by animal violence, there are some dogfights as well as some animal deaths that happen off camera. However, Max comes through all right. To say this is a roller coaster of emotions is an understatement. It is heart wrenching and heart warming at the same time.

Max is available on DVD and in a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD combo pack. The combo pack includes a bonus feature about filming the movie with the dogs. Yes, there were six dogs who played Max. Each dog had a special talent. Another bonus looks at the breed of dog, the Belgian Malinois. They are athletic, smart, and compact, all traits that lend themselves to being service and military dogs.

Max is a story of love. Watch the ending credits to see photographs of service dogs through the years. This film is dedicated to them.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. 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