Author: Francine Brokaw

Amazon’s ‘Bosch’ is coming to an end, but you haven’t seen the last of Harry Bosch!

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

When I read novels I often imagine actors as my characters in books. The problem of this habit is when they are made into films or TV shows, I’m almost always disappointed with their casting choices and boycott them entirely. I don’t want to see my characters played by ‘wrong’ actors.

Fortunately for me, I’ve never read Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch thrillers before! I accepted and welcomed Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch, the most iconic character of contemporary crime fiction. Bosch is Welliver and Welliver is Bosch. He is just the man for the job. It’s hard to imagine anybody else as the hardcharging, righteous Hollywood Homicide Detective with a sense of humor, love for jazz and the city of Los Angeles.

Adapted from Connelly’s best-selling novels with some tweaks, this character-based procedural series follows Harry Bosch who grinds away in his job relentlessly pursuing bad guys and trying to bring a little justice to the world. Although it’s a tad bit too sunny and bright because it concentrates on the city from Hollywood east, Bosch has a film noir feeling and the premium cable network’s unflashy grittiness.

The seventh and final season, released on June 25, 2021, finds Detective Bosch investigating an arson that claims five lives, including a 10-year-old Sonia Hernandez. An abandoned son of a murdered prostitute, Bosch is an advocate for victims, particularly for defenseless children. Harry and his partner Jerry Edgar (Jamie Hector) pursue two separate murder investigations (a white-collar crime and a street-level drug trade) and every step of the way encounter roadblocks after roadblocks put up by the LAPD and the FBI. Bosch’s had it with the corruption of the system, through power and political influence! Enough is enough! His philosophy — ‘everybody counts or nobody counts’ — is shaken.

I won’t spoil the ending of this superb drama. Let’s just say when Bosch closes its door, another door opens. Bosch fans do not have to look regretfully upon the closed door. The Bosch saga will continue in a slightly different universe — IMDB TV’s untitled Bosch spin-off. It will be executive produced by returning creative team staples and will follow our hero Bosch as he embarks on the next chapter of his career as a private eye working for his one-time enemy and power attorney Honey “Money” Chandler (Mimi Rogers). Maddie (Madison Lintz), Harry’s daughter who interned with Honey Chandler, might end up on the other side of the law enforcement. This father-daughter relationship certainly needs further exploration; both of them are products of broken homes and suffer from great losses and abandonment issues.

All seven seasons of Bosch are streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

About the Author

Meg Mimura is a TV critic who actually watches shows zealously in search of thought-provoking and paradigm shifting human drama worth our precious time. She is a member of Television Critics Association. Follow her on Twitter.

Courtesy photo

‘Bonneville’ is touching and funny

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

 

With an incredible cast, the 2006 film Bonneville is a sentimental dramedy about life, love, and change.  Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Joan Allen, Christine Baranski, and Tom Skerritt are great on their own but when they combine they are amazing with unique characters that meet life’s challenges and rise to the occasion.

After her husband of 20 years dies, Arvilla (Lange) is grieving and upset at the same time. Her step daughter Francine (Baranski) insists her father’s ashes be returned to Santa Barbara to be interred alongside her mother, however Arvilla had promised her husband Joe that she would spread his ashes. He did not want to be confined to a small spot for eternity. But Francine holds all the cards. The house in Pocatello, Idaho that Arvilla and Joe had shared for 20 years was left to her, so she blackmails Arvilla into bringing the ashes to California in order to remain in her house. What a great stepdaughter! Arvilla has to decide if she will stay in the house she shared with Joe and not keep her promise to him to spread his ashes, or return the ashes to California and remain in her home.

Her friends Margene (Bates) and Carol (Allen) convince her to return Joe to California. After all, she needs a house in which to live. They even volunteer to accompany her on the journey. So off they go, from Pocatello to Santa Barbara with several stops in between. What an interesting road trip for the three friends. 

Margene is the most practical and adventurous of the three. Carol is the most religious. They are all Mormon however Carol is now being introduced to new things she had never considered in her sheltered life. And Arvilla is happy to be on the road experiencing some of the places she and Joe visited when he was alive. All the while she is wondering if she is doing the right thing. After all, she did promise Joe that she would spread his ashes. And they never said where that would be. So, …

This road trip opens up a new world to the trio. Along the way they meet Emmett (Skerritt), a trucker who befriends the women and who is taken with Margene, who is open to a new relationship. Carol discovers new things about herself, and Arvilla learns that she is a strong, independent woman.

While this is mostly a sentimental story, there are some humorous scenes. And let’s face it, the premise is humorous in itself. The cast is remarkable and the bonus feature on the Blu-ray looks at the cast and how they relate to their characters. They all agreed that making this film was a great experience.

Bonneville is rated PG.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 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 Los Angeles Press Club and the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

‘Schmigadoon!’ is almost a blast from the past

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


Fans of musicals will get a kick out of the Apple+ series Schmigadoon! This is a mixture of Brigadoon, Oklahoma, Carousel, The Music Man, The Sound of Music, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, with a pinch of The Wizard of Oz, The King and I, and a few others tossed in for good measure. Simply put, this is a fun parody of the greatest movie musicals combined into a six-episode series filled with a variety of characters and situations that are bound to have viewers waiting for the next musical number.

The premise of the story is that a couple of doctors, Josh (Keegan-Michael Key), an orthopedic surgeon, and Melissa (Cecily Strong), an obstetrician, have been living together for several years but have yet to take the next step. On a couples’ therapy weekend, they go backpacking and get lost. But wait, in the distance is a little town. That place has to have Internet so they can call for help, right? Not exactly. When they cross the bridge (ala Brigadoon) they find themselves in a Technicolor musical extravaganza. And they are not on a set at MGM! Thinking the musical welcome song is something the locals do for all newcomers, they enter the town and meet some of the townsfolk, which include Mayor Menlove (Alan Cumming), his wife Florence (Ann Harada), the town’s morality leader Mildred Layton (Kristin Chenoweth), and some others.

After they settle in the hotel their experience just begins. They are basically stuck in the town until they find “true love.” There is no way out otherwise.

The mixture of characters harkens back to many characters and situations from the movie musicals of the twentieth century. This is what will put a grin on viewers’ faces. There is the local school marm (Emma Tate) who has a similar life to Marion the librarian (Shirley Jones) in The Music Man, complete with a lisping little brother, the countess (Jane Krakowski) who is like the baroness in The Sound of Music, and other characters that will stir the memories. Plus, the musical numbers fit right in and harken back (did I just write that?) to the music in the popular films. Danny Bailey (Aaron Tveit) is the same kind of character as Billy Bigelow (Gordon MacRae) in Carousel.

The story continues with the characters interactions combined with musical numbers as both Melissa and Josh search for their true love. But will they be able to find true love amongst the people of Schmigadoon?

There are plenty of sexual innuendoes and situations as well as some explicit language, so this is definitely not a show for youngsters. Adults, however, will get some chuckles and entertainment out of it. Yes, it’s farcical, and yes, it’s corny, but nevertheless there are some great musical numbers and movie fans will definitely be keeping track of how many films are combined into this one series.

With songs and dance numbers reminiscent of those from the old musicals, as well as slight hints of the original music threading through these new numbers, this is an homage to the musical films of the past. They took the traits of the characters, the sights and sounds of hit musicals, and combined them with a modern story. Ingenious. At least someone had an original idea for a change.

Schmigadoon! premieres Friday, July 16, 2021 on Apple TV+ with a new episode dropping every Friday after that until August 13. There are some questionable scenes for youngsters so this should be considered for ages 18+.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 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 Los Angeles Press Club and the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

‘Clifford The Big Red Dog’ preview

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

When middle-schooler Emily Elizabeth (Darby Camp) meets a magical animal rescuer (John Cleese) who gifts her a little, red puppy, she never anticipated waking up to find a giant ten-foot hound in her small New York City apartment. While her single mom (Sienna Guillory) is away for business, Emily and her fun but impulsive uncle Casey (Jack Whitehall) set out on an adventure that will keep you on the edge-of-your-seat as our heroes take a bite out of the Big Apple. Based on the beloved Scholastic book character, Clifford will teach the world how to love big! The movie premieres September 17, 2021.

‘The Good Fight’ Season 5 shines a light on what’s happening right now

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

 

After the 2016 presidential election, Michelle King, co-creator (with Robert King) of The Good Wife, had an epiphany — What if we send Diane into an all African-American law firm? And so began Alicia Florrick’s comrade and die-hard Democrat Diane Lockhart’s (Christine Baranski) journey at Chicago’s preeminent black law firm in The Good Fight.

While the Obama administration was hardly referenced in The Good Wife, Robert and Michelle King have presented an in-your-face take on the reality of Trump-era culture in The Good Fight. The Kings are also known for creating operatic turning points to spin our central characters in new directions.

Season 5 picks up where season 4 left off. The first episode not only takes viewers through 2020 reliving the once-in-a-century pandemic, the murder of George Floyd, and the January 6 insurrection, but also provides a chance to catch up with our old friends. When Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart loses Adrian Boseman (Delroy Lindo) and Family Law rainmaker Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo), Liz Reddick (Audra McDonald) has to step into a leadership position. After all, it was Liz’s father who built the firm.

The office dynamics shifts. The ‘diversity hire’ turned ‘bad optics’ Diane has to defend her name partnership as well as her marriage to Kurt McVeigh (Gary Cole) who is accused of his involvement in the January 6 insurrection. The saga continues for the power couple who hold different political views. Will she be able to steer through the rough waters?

Carmen Moyo (Charmaine Bingwa), a 28-year-old first-year associate, hits the ground running from day one dealing with a high maintenance client. To Liz’s bewilderment, she manages to win two notorious criminals right away. The deadpan expression she wears might seem like heroic stoicism, but it’s also the face of deep denial of her tough and oppressed upbringing.

Marissa Gold (Sarah Steele), Diane’s assistant turned in-house investigator, is certainly moving up. She’s a promising young go-getter who desperately wants to be taken seriously. When she’s admitted to Chicago- Kent College of Law, she rejoins RBL as a first-year associate.

Hal Wackner (Mandy Patinkin) has a philosophy: Justice is only just if it’s available to everyone. He is neither a judge nor a lawyer, but offers a speedy and fair arbitration in a faux courtroom in the back of a copy store. Hal finds Marissa’s open-mindedness priceless and wants to bounce legal theories off her, but ends up retaining Diane for legal consultation. Hal’s out-of-the-box thinking and caring attract a number of likeminded investors who want to save the country. Whatever the reason, and however unorthodox their methods may seem, these people may be on to something.

I feel like I’ve been in the great tornado of life in the last several years. When the storm passes and the dust settles, I certainly hope things have landed into place beautifully…For the first time since its debut in 2017, The Good Fight gives me a glimpse of hope.

The first episode of The Good Fight Season 5 is streaming on Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access) with a weekly release schedule for the season’s 10 episodes.

About the Author

Meg Mimura is a TV critic who actually watches shows zealously in search of thought-provoking and paradigm shifting human drama worth our precious time. She is a member of Television Critics Association. Follow her on <a https://twitter.com/MimuraMeg> Twitter. </a>

Courtesy photo

‘Kevin Can F*** Himself’ uncovers an ugly outcome of hope deferred in a toxic marriage

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

AMC’s dark comedy Kevin Can F*** Himself breaks television convention both in style and substance. It blends multi-camera network sitcom with single-camera gritty cable network realism to make us feel rage and exasperation of a long-suffering wife.

Allison McRoberts (Annie Murphy) is a prototypical sitcom housewife; she finds herself at the butt of her man-child husband Kevin (Eric Petersen), but cheerfully absorbs the humiliations and disappointments that life and her loser spouse can throw at her. Trapped in her faith of a bright future of moving into a new house with a mud room and granite kitchen countertop, Allison maintains the often-ignored and put upon sitcom housewife personality with a big fake smile. God forbid that she should erupt in anger and frustration! It is simply not done.

In an oversaturated sitcom domain complete with laugh track, Kevin is adored by his ‘boys’ (his father and next-door neighbors) and gets away with anything. Regardless of what’s thrown in her face, Allison is easygoing, unbelievably patient, and absolutely devoted to Kevin until one glimmer of hope is shattered by his blatant lie.

When she finally wakes up to the injustices in her life, the show follows Allison out of Kevin’s domain and observes how she acts out in the harsh and depressing single-cam reality. Darn that dream of a fresh start! Kevin is not going to change. Nothing is enough. This is a relationship of exploiter and exploited, oppressor and oppressed. I’m not going to take it any more! The question is what is she going to do about it?

Consumed by pent-up anger, Allison decides to “kill” Kevin. Oh, dear! Are you sure about that? Wait a minute, that sounds vaguely familiar…I know, I know. That’s exactly what Empress Catherine II (Elle Fanning) tried to do to her stupid & immature husband Emperor Peter III (Nicholas Hoult) in Hulu’s The Great* – *an occasionally true story. I find it fascinating and appalling that Allison grapples with the same old issue in the 21st century America!

Despite ideas of equality, old habits do die hard and we women still put others before ourselves and ignore our own needs. Kevin Can F*** Himself is less about the toxic masculinity, but more about the empowerment of women. It’s a graphic and timely reminder that we teach people how to treat us by what we allow, what we stop, and what we reinforce. Self-empowerment starts with self-care and self-discovery, ladies!

The first two episodes of Kevin Can F*** Himself premiered on AMC+ on June 13, and on AMC on June 20. Subsequent episodes will be released weekly on each platform.

About the Author

Meg Mimura is a TV critic who actually watches shows zealously in search of thought-provoking and paradigm shifting human drama worth our precious time. She is a member of Television Critics Association. Follow her on Twitter.

 

photo courtesy AMC

‘Monsters at Work’ reunite Mike and Sulley

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


Mike Wazowski and Sulley join together for their own series on Disney+. Monsters at Work looks at the employees of Monsters Inc. as they transition from scaring to laughing. After all, at the end of the movie Monsters Inc., we learned that laughter is more powerful than screams. And Monstropolis needs all the power it can get.

John Goodman returns as the voice of Sulley and Billy Crystal brings back the fun of one-eyed Mike Wazowski. Joining the team are Henry Winkler as Fritz, Bonnie Hunt as Ms. Flint, Ben Feldman as Tyler Tuskmon, Mindy Kaling as Val Little, and many more. After all there are a lot of Monsters behind the scenes at Monsters Inc.

The word has not gotten out about the power of laughter so when Tyler Tuskmon graduates from scare school, he is excited to use his talent at Monsters Inc. But when he arrives for his first day of work, he discovers scaring is a thing of the past. Now the monsters must learn how to make the children laugh.

Mike takes on the responsibility of teaching laughter techniques while both Mike and Sulley are the new heads of the power plant. Mike immediately promotes his girlfriend Celia (Jennifer Tilly). Roz leaves and her sister Roze takes over. It’s impossible to tell them apart.

Well, the art of making kids laugh is a little harder than everyone thought. But they must do it in order to supply power to all of Monstropolis. Will these former scarers become jokesters to power the town?

Monsters at Work has a variety of monsters that work at the company, some have ulterior motives and some just bumble their way through their shifts. Mike is the best at his job, so he must help the others learn the art of comedy. Will Boo make an appearance? As of this writing, it was not known by the media. But stay tunes. That adorable little girl just might be back. Goodbye to the slogan “We scare because we care” and hello to  “It’s laughter we’re after.” The series streams on Disney+ beginning July 7, 2021.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 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 Los Angeles Press Club and the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Pull Start Fire product review

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

Pull Start Fire is a safe, easy, and effective way to start a fire. This ingenious little gadget does not require any matches. It can withstand winds up to 200 mph and can even light wet wood. So camping this year is looking much easier.

To use the Pull Start Fire, simply wrap the green string over a log, securing the device to the log. Then pile logs around the bottom log that has the Pull Start Fire device attached. Hold the red string and pull, starting the fire in one easy step. The Pull Star Fire will burn approximately 30 minutes. And you can continue to add logs if you desire. The hard part of starting the fire is over. Just sit back and relax and enjoy the crackling fire and the warmth. Forget the old way of lighting matches and trying to get some newspaper to start the logs burning. That is outdated. In today’s world starting a campfire (or even a fire in you backyard fire pit) is quick and easy. And there are no matches around for kids to get hold of.

The little unit is made of 89% recycled material so it is eco friendly. It’s lightweight so if you are hiking, you won’t have a heavy item to carry. However the best part is the ease in which it starts a fire. Each Pull Start Fire has a red string attached to one side and a green string attached to the other, making it easy to use. And without any matches to light, little kids won’t be tempted to touch the match.

A box of the Pull Start Fire includes 3 starters. One pack lists for $19.99 however there are multiple pack options from the website.

Check out how easy it is to now light a fire at their website.

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. 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, 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. Follow her on Twitter.

Vlad and Niki Surprise Eggs

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

Preschool superstars “Vlad & Niki” have received the Shorty Award for “Best Influencer & Celebrity YouTube Campaign.”  These two pint-sized celebs are taking the world by storm. Translated into 18 languages, the brothers have received more than 94+ billion total views. Originally from Moscow, Russia, by way of Thailand, the family now resides in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Florida, United States.

Fans of the duo have some new ways to unleash their inner superheroes alongside Vlad and Niki. These new Surprise Eggs are filled with over 20 items that will have kids using their imaginations and unleashing their newfound powers.

There are two different eggs and each one is filled with plenty of goodies. They are just a tiny bit different. There are superhero masks and capes, comic books, stickers, stamps, snap bands, and more. There are figurines that add to playtime as well as a really cool light up skateboard that fits the kid figurines included in the eggs. This is a really neat item that makes playing in the dark just as fun as in the daytime.

With 20 surprises inside each large plastic egg, this collection from the folks at Zuru makes a great gift for ages 3+. And for fans of the brothers, this is just one more way to play along with the creative little fellows. Filled with energy and optimism, Vlad and Niki are adored by not only their young fans but also by the parents of those fans as the duo are clean-cut and well mannered. They are really quite fun.

The eggs are filled with plenty of items to share and enjoyable for both boys and girls. There is something for everyone in one to play with in these eggs.

“Vlad & Niki” has more than 68+ million subscribers on its English Channel and 181+ million worldwide with more than 99+ billion total views. The streaming short-form content is packed with non-stop adventures, creativity and tons of fun. Localized on 21 channels and translated into 18 languages, the key preschool learning themes for “Vlad & Niki” include family fun, discovery play, home adventures, indoor and outdoor fun and games, singing and dancing.

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. 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, 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. Follow her on Twitter.

‘Upheaval: The Journey of Menachem Begin’ is an educational experience about a man and his country

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


Menachem Begin was the sixth Prime Minister of Israel, however before his political career began his influence in the creation and formulation of Israel was felt throughout the land. Upheaval: The Journey of Menacham Begin follows his life from his youth to his death.

Having been a target for anti-Semitism throughout his youth and into college, Begin was one of the prominent proponents of Zionism, which called for the creation of a Jewish homeland in their ancestral land. After World War II he made his way to Israel where he joined the Irgun, an organization dedicated to the creation of Israel. Their counterpart, the Haganah, was less up front and willing to work with the British. But that was not getting anywhere, so the Irgun launched several attacks against the British, however before their attacks they gave them warning. As Begin says about the attack on the King David Hotel, if they had heeded their warning, none of the 91 people who died would have been killed. Neither the Irgun nor the Haganah wanted more death. The holocaust and the war caused enough death and suffering.

After the British left the State of Israel was established in 1948 and Arabs immediately invaded the country on all sides. This war finally ended and then it was up to the Israelis to form their government and construct their country. Begin was instrumental in all aspects of the country, and in 1977 he was finally elected as Prime Minister in a landslide upset.

Like Trump’s “America First” program, Begin was for “Israel First.” Everything he did was for the country and the people. His insight into the future was remarkable. Having been in a Russian gulag in Siberia as well as being targeted by anti-Semites, Begin knew personally how badly the Jewish people had been treated around the world. And he said, “Never again,” when talking about the holocaust. “Never again” would Jews be slaughtered and gassed. “Never Again.”

As a founder of the Likud party, Begin took a tough stance on protecting Jews around the world, as well as standing strong on peace and freedom. He began “Operation Moses” which brought thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. He welcomed the Vietnamese boat people when no other country would take them in. He showed the world that Israel was a compassionate country with compassionate people but who were also fierce.

When Sadat made his historic visit to Israel, a feat no other Arab leader had ever done, Begin saw the opportunity to forge a lasting peace with Egypt. With the help of the Americans, The Camp David Accords provided that peace, and Begin and Sadat went on to accept the Nobel Peace Prize.

This man was controversial, as is President Trump. They are made in the same mold. Their administrations were built on helping their people and securing their countries. Menacham Begin has critics in Israel however no one will deny he played a major part in the creation of the country and while Prime Minister he advanced the lifestyles of Israelis while all the time holding their safety as his top priority.

Upheaval: The Journey of Menacham Begin is an enlightening film that shines a light on this founder of Israel. The film was an official selection of the Heartland International Film Festival, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, the Miami Jewish Film Festival, the Denver Jewish Film Festival, and the Pittsburgh JFilm. Christians as well as Jews are treated to an up close look at the life and times of Menacham Begin with historic film footage as well as interviews from Begin and historians. This is a film that is not only enlightening but also important. It shows that from tragedy and horror, there can be a light of hope and peace.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 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 Los Angeles Press Club and the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.