Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway star in the stylish and classic 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair. Costarring Jack Weston and Paul Burke, the story of Thomas Crown (McQueen), a debonair genius who plots and carries out a magnificent bank heist was remade in 1999 with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. Both are interesting and entertaining films, however the original still stands as one of the classiest depictions of drama.

Crown, a millionaire and businessman, is intelligent, suave, and stylish. He enjoys thrills and what could be more thrilling than plotting and carrying out a bank heist? Oh, and getting away with it? Meanwhile, Vicki Anderson (Dunaway), is hot on his case as an insurance investigator bent on getting her man. As she gets closer to him, in more ways than one, and he is up against a wall, he plots another heist and fills her in to see if she is on his side or not.

One of the bonus features in this Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber, is an interesting interview with director Norman Jewison who gives plenty of behind the scenes tidbits. He was drawn to the film by the story of Crown’s intricate way of stealing. Jewison was “impressed with the idea.” He just couldn’t see McQueen in the role because the actor never wore a suit and tie in his films, and Crown needed to be stylish and well-dressed. But McQueen loved the story and wanted to be in it. Steve McQueen “went crazy over the character,” Jewison says.

This was one of the first feature films to be shot in Boston. McQueen performed his own stunts. The robbery itself was intricate, involving several men who did not know Crown but each had his own job to do. The plot came together beautifully. Think Ocean’s Eleven, however in that film everyone knew each other.

Jewison discusses the famous chess scene where both characters played not only chess but also with each other’s emotions. He said he “wanted the longest kiss in screen history” to follow the game and described how they ended up filming that memorable scene. The director gives props to Legrand who scored the scene remarkably, according to Jewison.

The cinematography by Haskell Wexler combined with the coolness and suaveness of McQueen and the style of Dunaway combine to make this an entertaining film and one that although dated with the visuals, still holds the interest of viewers today.

The Thomas Crown Affair won two Academy Awards: one for Best Music Score by Michel Legrand and one for Best Original Song, “The Windmills of Your Mind” by Legrand and Alan and Marilyn Bergman. The song is one that long after the show ends, viewers will be humming it for days.

The Thomas Crown Affair is rated R.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 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, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Wish is now available for home viewing with plenty of additional features.

The story centers around Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose), a girl with high moral standards and a desire to do good. She lives in the Mediterranean island city of Rosas which is ruled by a seemingly nice king and an equally caring queen. The king takes everyone’s wishes and reviews them. His goal is to keep the peace, but the people of Rosas do not know that he has no intention of granting the wishes. He ends up being the newest Disney villain.

An unwitting Asha applies to be his assistant and discovers what has happened to all the wishes. They are stowed away never to be granted. She is heartbroken and dearly wants to help the people of Rosas realize their wishes. But how can one young girl do this? Asha looks up at the stars and makes her own wish. Well, that starts everything going in a different direction. 

A memorable aspect of this film is when the credits are rolling at the end. As the credits roll a number of past Disney characters appear, which is a fun element. Plus, when all the credits are over, there is one last scene that will touch the hearts of Disney fans.

Bonus features add a lot to this film which is meant to be an homage to the 100 years of the Disney studio. In the bonus “Wish D-Classified” viewers see how the filmmakers honored many of the past Disney classics within this new movie. There are some hidden Mickeys as well as references to Snow White, Cinderella, and others. Asha’s seven friends is just one clue. 

Audio outtakes show some of what was not included as well as some deleted scenes in their early sketch versions. A deleted song, “A Wish Worth Making” is beautiful but didn’t make it into the actual film however it does play during the ending credits. 

There are several additional features with the filmmakers discussing various aspects of the movie including how they designed the newest Disney castle, how they researched to represent the Mediterranean region, the wardrobes, and more. They also discuss “the wish equation” and how responsibility is important when making a wish. They talk about the evolution of the Star character, the addition of a handicapped character, and how Disney takes viewers to different worlds around the globe and through time.

Viewers can see the film in a “sing along” version and also have the ability to select specific songs to watch those scenes. 

“Once Upon a Studio” is a short that is beloved by Disney fans. It brings together most of the Disney characters for a 100 year group photo. It’s adorable and will definitely delight fans as they see their favorite characters gather together in front of the Animation building at the studio – when all the humans have gone.

With plenty of additional features that will definitely add more background to the film and the short “Once Upon a Studio,” the digital version will be viewed over and over again. And the story of Asha will be added to the list of characters beloved by Disney fans. Also, let’s not forget her sidekick Valentino, her pet goat who is sweet, fun, and lovable.

Wish is rated PG for thematic elements and mild action.

Wish is now available at digital retailers, and will be available on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD March 12.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 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, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

For those anxiously awaiting the digital version of The Marvels, the wait is over. This movie is now available on digital and will be available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD beginning February 13, 2024. With plenty of additional content, the film is one that has been widely enjoyed and now super hero fans can view it in the comfort of their own homes.

The story is about Captain Marvel, aka Carol Danvers, who reclaims her identity from the evil Kree. She is sent to a wormhole that somehow intertwines her super powers with Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel and astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Now, not alone, she is part of a threesome and the trio must find a way to work together to – wait for it – save the universe. Well, what else is a super hero to do but save the universe? 

The trio is interesting to watch. Bree Larson is the amazing Captain Marvel. Man Vellani is Kamala Khan, and Teyonah Harris is Monica Rambeau.  Larson won praise in her performance in the limited edition TV series Lessons in Chemistry. She has played Captain Marvel several times: In the TV mini series Ms. Marvel, in the short film Avengers: Quantum Encounter, in the film Shang- Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and in the 2019 in the film Captain Marvel which began her entrance into the superhero universe. As Carol Danvers, Larson shows what a woman can do. And boy, does she do it well.

Bonus features include several deleted scenes and a gag reel. Yes, even super heroes make mistakes. There are two featurettes: Entangled that takes viewers behind the scenes of the production, and The Production Diaries that has the cast and crew discussing some interesting moments and anecdotes from the production.

The Marvels is rated PG-13 for action/violence and brief language, with epic fight scenes.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 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, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Now available on digital (and coming February 27, 2024 on Blu-ray and DVD) Next Goal Wins is the cute story based on real events. Taken from a documentary of the same name, this is the story of the American Samoa soccer team that has never won a game. Not one in 17 years. They had lost all 30 of their matches. 

Enter Thomas Rogen (Michael Fassbender), an unconventional coach who has no other career options than to undertake the Samoan team and hopefully turn them into winners. This story is not a new one. Think about the Kevin Costner film McFarland, U.S.A in which an unconventional coach turned a group of young migrant workers into a winning cross-country team. Like that story, Next Goal Wins also adds the cultural elements of the players, in this case of American Samoa and Polynesia.

With the Samoan infrastructure difficult to get around, the production had to film the movie in Hawaii, but that really wasn’t an issue. They worked tirelessly to present the life and culture of the Samoans and bring their lifestyles and dress to the film. 

There is plenty of humor in the film. There are cultural differences between Rogen and the Samoans that are laugh-out-loud moments. And when he is in a car being driven on the island, the snail’s pace frustrates him nevertheless he is told the speed limit on the whole island is 20 mph. Yikes. For someone from the mainland U.S. this is not easy to get used to.

The American Samoa team was famous for their 31-0 loss in 2001. These players have not scored a goal, yet they continue to try as they bring their own philosophies to their play.  Throughout it all they never push aside their cultural traditions like praying, etc. when it is time to do so.

The Academy Award winning director, Taika Waititi, made sure the Polynesian culture was represented in every scene. He took the lifestyle, look, and philosophy of Polynesia and sunk them into this story, and rightly so. The combination of characters represent the actual team, as the story meant to be as factual and actual as possible.

There is a deleted scene included in the digital release but what viewers will most likely find very interesting as well as entertaining is the 26-minute bonus feature “The Pitch of Life.” This might be a good feature to watch before viewing the film. It adds a lot of background to the production and quite frankly whets the appetite to view the entire movie. It is cute and descriptive and brings viewers right into the production itself. 

Watching the characters rejoice when they actually score a goal is heartening. It is a joyous event.

If you want a fun, uplifting story that is based on reality, check out Next Goal Wins.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 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, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.