Author: Francine Brokaw

Disneyland is back, baby!!

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

For those of us who have been patiently, or impatiently, waiting to return to The Happiest Place on Earth, that wait is over. Yeah and yay. Disneyland officially reopens with some new additions and many Covid restrictions.

Space is limited and parking will only be every other space, so don’t expect the same experience when you go. But that only serves to make this an even better place to go since the crowd will be controlled.

So, what is new? First of all, the King Arthur Carousel has been repainted and represents the days of olde when knights were jousters and Arthur was king of Camelot. The carousel made its debut in 1955 and is the first thing guests see when they pass through Sleeping Beauty Castle. With upbeat songs from the Disney archive, this is a must see and must do for fans of carousels (and we know who we are) and Disney lovers.

Speaking of Disney lovers, Snow White’s Enchanted Wish has a colorful update as well. Not only are the colors more vibrant, but with new audio and visual technology the entire attraction is also updated. Plus, the storybook ending of “happily ever after” leaves guests with that happy feeling we all expect from this classic tale. The Snow White’s Enchanted Wish attraction is a fun and colorful experience for the entire family.

The Haunted Mansion has some new updates however they are just minor additions and improvements. Why mess with perfection, right?

Later this year something new and exciting will entice guests back to the park when the Avengers Campus opens in Disney California Adventure. This new land will start recruiting super heroes beginning June 4, 2021.

Join Mickey and all his pals for a return to “happy” after this horrible nightmare of Covid. We can all use a little magic and fun and there is no better place to go for fun, food, and fantasy than Disneyland Resort. “The Happiest Place on Earth” is the place to be. It’s time to enjoy your favorite restaurants, attractions, shows, and shops again. With the reopening of the resort, we can definitely say (and sing) “There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow.”

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 Los Angeles Press Club and the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

‘Queen Marie’ is an educational experience for viewers

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

Queen Marie tells the story of the Queen of Romania during the difficult final days of World War I. She is rarely studied in school, yet she played an important part in the history of Romania.

Romania was a fractured country. The area was in disarray thanks to the tragedies of the war and the Germans. Now the Bolsheviks were causing havoc. As Marie states, they murdered the entire Romanov family, which were her family. Marie was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria. The murdered Czar Nicholas was Marie’s first cousin as was Kaiser Wilhelm II and King George V. Victoria’s children and grandchildren were the heads of most of Europe.

Marie inherited her grandmother’s determination. She desperately wanted to help her country in its reunification and through some cunning, managed to be sent to Paris for the peace talks at the end of the war. Her hope was to persuade everyone to give the splintered regions back to Romania so it could once again be a united country.

While there were cracks in her own family as well as the government of Romania, Marie knew she could get the foreign dignitaries to listen to her and to help her country. She even asked her cousin King George to help her cause.

Italian premier Vittorio Orlando, British PM David Lloyd George, French premier Georges Clemenceau and U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed the Versailles Treaty, which set up the boundaries for the countries and ended the war. Their hopes were to lead to a lasting peace, however that peace did not last too long because World War II was just around the corner.

With doors being shut in her face, Marie was losing her faith. But women are quick thinkers and she used her intelligence and some feminine coaxing to talk with Mrs. Woodrow Wilson. It seemed the President of the United States was not on her side, however his wife was. And thanks to the First Lady, Marie was finally granted a visit with the president. And, well, her persuasion was what sealed the deal. The Treaty of Versailles unified Romania. And it was due to the wisdom, tenacity, and character of this one woman who knew she had what it took to turn the tide.

Director Alex Sweet Cahill said, “Reading her life story provoked a passion in me for Her Majesty and my only regret was that we weren’t making her life story in a 3 season TV series because there’s definitely enough stories and intrigue in Maria de Sassonia-Coburgo-Gotha’s life and loves to fill that space.” This movie “recounts a small but crucial part of her story yet a huge episode in Romanian History. I felt it was an important chapter to tell especially with the fact that a Romanian public have literally been starved of tales of their own Royal family.”

According to screenwriter Brigitte Drodtloff, “For me, it was very clear, how I see this exceptional queen, from the first moment the idea came to me to write this film: a woman, a vision, a country.”

Roxana Lupa portrays the queen in the film. She said, she “learned about politics, diplomacy, perseverance, dignity and patriotism” by playing this role. And Daniel Plier, who stepped into the role of Marie’s husband King Ferdinand, learned a lot by taking on this project. He expressed the feeling that when World War I is studied in school, it generally focuses on Western Europe. This aspect of the war is not as well known as others. He also says the film is “full of passion, emotions, even suspense, about a very important period in the history of Romania.”

This film will inspire viewers to search deeper into the life and times of Queen Marie. She was an exceptional woman and a great Queen to her people. This part of history is intriguing yet often overlooked. Thanks to movies like this, her life will once again have meaning and honor. The legacy of Queen Marie lives on.

The film is mostly in English however there are some subtitled sections.

Queen Marie will be released on May 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, 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. She is a longstanding member of the Los Angeles Press Club and the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

‘The Secrets She Keeps’ uncovers lies and deceptions

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

From the bestselling novel by Michael Robotham, The Secrets She Keeps is a six-part series uncovering lies and deceptions by pretty much all of the adult characters. “Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness,” “Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery” and “Thou Shalt Not Murder” plus a few other commandments are broken as the characters’ lives unravel in this tense and dramatic story.

Meghan (Jessica De Gouw) is a middle class wife and mother, and is eight months pregnant with their third child. Her husband Jack (Michael Dorman) is ambivalent about having another baby as they are barely making ends meet. His best friend Simon (Ryan Corr) adores their family and is like a brother to Jack. Or so it would seem.

Now add Agatha (Laura Carmichael), a supermarket clerk who is also eight months pregnant. On the surface Aggie looks like a normal woman. Her life is simpler than Meghan’s. Her boyfriend is in the Navy so he is unaware of her pregnancy. She does not live in a fancy house but rather in a drab apartment. Her fascination with Meghan is obvious to the viewers but not to Meghan.

The story takes viewers on a rollercoaster ride as the two pregnancies near their end, but there are several surprises in the meantime. As one by one their secrets are revealed to the viewers, the lives of the four adults are slowly unraveling. And when Aggie’s boyfriend Hayden (Michael Sheasby) returns for the birth, his presence adds another layer of deception to the circumstances in which they all are connected.

Meghan, Aggie, Jack, Simon, and Hayden each have hidden secrets and each of them is doing everything they can to keep their deceptions from the others. What is interesting is that secrets are very hard to keep. Sooner or later they are revealed. Well, most of them anyway.

One person keeping a secret is more likely to be safe, however when that secret is disclosed to another person, or someone happens to uncover it, then the odds of it being kept go down.

The lives of all of these characters get twisted up in a tangled mess as mental illness takes hold of one of them and tragic events unfold. From that point it is a race to save their sanity as well as their personal lives.

This is a tense story however it is definitely spellbinding. I began watching the first two episodes then decided to screen “just one more.” After the third I thought I would watch “one more.” Then at 10:30 PM I figured I might as well finish the entire series. I wanted to know how many secrets were kept. How many of the secrets are not in the open by the end of the show? Only one. But which one? That is a little disconcerting to viewers, as they probably will want to know the answer. The characters do not even know the answer. Nevertheless, this is an addicting show that includes some memorable characters.

Abuse and mental illness are front and center for one of the characters. There is a notice on the screen for viewers to contact a professional should they need assistance with abuse. In many cases, sexual abuse to a young person is what leads them into darkness for the rest of their lives. It is important to disclose these actions if you are a victim. Get help.

The Secrets She Keeps premiered April 19 on AMC. It is a dramatic, suspenseful, and addicting.

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, 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. She is a longstanding member of the Los Angeles Press Club and the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Courtesy photo

‘Couples Therapy’ Season 2 digs deep into the whys and wherefores of participants’ self-sabotage amid the global pandemic

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

 

Key Art for COUPLES THERAPY. Photo Credit: Courtesy of SHOWTIME.



Couples Therapy, my latest psychoanalytic lollapalooza after The Affair bid adieu in 2019, returns to Showtime on April 18, 2021. It was ‘a wild experiment’ by documentarians Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg to see “if it’s possible to create a space that actually allows people to do therapy authentically while everyone knows that it’s being filmed.” They teamed up with their kindred spirit, Orna Guralnik, PsyD, discovered they work well together, and the rest is history.

“I think I’m a better therapist having done this,” Guralnik expressed her heartfelt appreciation for the one-of-a-kind docu-series at Showtime’s virtual panel interview in February. A former film student, Guralnik recognized the benefits of being immersed in the filming process 24/7: “I have treatments, and then I see the treatments. I talk about them, and then I see them later coming back. There’s so much opportunity to reflect and then think again and tie it to theory, and then I teach, so I tie it to my teaching. So, I think it has deepened my work a lot.”

In Season 2, Guralnik 2.0 is a lodestar that guides three new couples through the rough waters into the harbor with her keen ‘psychoanalytic sensibility.’ Although they have different and distinct relationship issues, it is glaringly obvious that their pre-existing self-sabotaging behavior are further exacerbated by the pressure cooker inside homes due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

“I took more risks with couples during this season trying to get closer to the reality of people’s experience,” Guralnik explained in our phone interview conducted late March. “There’s no way to protect privacy in the way you do when you’re working from the office so it just became less of a boundary and more ‘we’re all in this together.’” Hence, more footage of the participants as well as the therapist herself engaged in family activities! No wonder Season 2 disseminates ‘comrade-in-arms’ vibes; the therapist and the participants work for the same purpose while sharing the same danger and difficulties.

In Season 1, the candid discussions between Guralnik and her clinical advisor, Virginia Goldner, PhD, gave us a fly-on-the-wall view of Guralnik’s humanity. In Season 2, however, they are strategically edited into episodes as a storytelling engine with a beginning, middle, and end. Guralnik 2.0 discusses her concerns, frustrations (even outrage! if you can believe it), and observations. Goldner, in return, offers insight into how to deal with the ‘enigmatic unconscious’ since people don’t always know what’s motivating them and what’s at play. The beauty of this storytelling is that we get to witness not only how Goldner’s suggestions play out but also how Guralnik 2.0 execute them with exceptional diplomatic finesse and utmost compassion. Furthermore, a little glimpse into Guralnik 2.0’s own dysfunctional family patterns makes her more relatable and endearing. Couples Therapy Season 2 is a reminder of one of the hard-won lessons I learned from my divorce – “We don’t see things as they are. We see them as we are.”

The nine-episode season premieres Sunday, April 18, with the first two episodes airing back-to-back at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. New episodes will continue to air back-to-back on Sunday nights for four weeks, with the finale airing on May 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The entire season will also release for on-demand streaming on Showtime and across all Showtime partner platforms on April 18.

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

‘Secrets of the Whales’ is extraordinary

Posted on by Francine Brokaw


From Disney+ and National Geographic comes an amazing four-part series about the extraordinary mammals that live in our oceans. The whales are amazing to watch and in this series viewers get up close and personal with them as well as viewing actions that have never been seen before.

Episode One: Orca Dynasty looks at the beautiful animals and how they interact with each other in their families and their relationships. Yes, whales do have relationships with other whales and it is an eye-opening experience to watch these wonderful animals as they live in the oceans and communicate with each other.

Episode Two: Humpback Song explores the world of humpbacks in the South Pacific and Antarctica. This episode captures 30,000 humpbacks swimming, breaching, and communicating with each other as they head south. It is really something to see.

 

Episode Three: Beluga Kingdom uncovers evidence that these whales give each other names and can decipher one whale from another. Young ones know the sound of their mothers. When one young whale gets separated from his mother, she struggles against the odds to make her way to him. And finally, their reunion is a heat-warming thing to see.

Episode Four: Ocean Giants (Sperm Whales) captures a calf feeding on its mother. Prior to this it was not known how they nurse, but now we know their secret. These whales have been portrayed as monsters in films, however they are not menacing or mean. On the contrary, they are special animals with feelings and families.

This amazing series also captures something rare, or even new. When a young narwhal whale is separated from its pod, he needs to find some way to survive. He cannot survive on his own. Then a group of belugas comes upon him and allow him to join their pod. Wow. What an amazing triumph and this shows how whales of all kinds have emotions and understanding. They are quite simply, outstanding animals.

This wonderful series is something families should enjoy together. Learning about life under the water it often overlooked, however the whales are an important part of our ecosystem. They are the giants of the oceans and just as intelligent as dolphins.

Do not miss this extraordinary series. Secrets of the Whales will capture your heart as you learn about them and understand these wonderful mammals. The series is narrated by Sigourney Weaver.

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, 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. She is a longstanding member of the Los Angeles Press Club and the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

‘Cruel Summer’ looks at teen drama

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

 

Cruel Summer is the new teen drama on Freeform. The story is set over three summers and bounces back and forth between the three. This is a psychological thriller focusing on two young women who come of age during these three years and also face a traumatic experience.

Kate is the popular girl at school. She has a rich family with a large house, a fabulous wardrobe, and perfect hair. Is her life as wonderful on the inside as it looks on the outside?

Jeanette is the nerdy girl. She wants to be one of the cool girls, but just cannot quite get past the guard of Kate.

Then Kate is abducted. What happened to this sweet young girl? When she points the finger at Jeanette, Jeanette turns to a dark place.

The way the three summers unfold in fragmented units is a bit challenging. Viewers must keep up with the different years and the different characters. It was a bold decision to use this format to show the story unfold. However by doing so, viewers see what has happened to the characters over the years. Are they really who they appear to be? Is Kate the sweet innocent young woman and is Jeanette the conniving, backstabbing young woman she is framed to be?

All is not what it appears to be. People are not who they appear to be. What goes on inside of them is usually kept secret, and that is the case with these two young girls. How does Jeanette go from being the fun-loving nerd to the most despised person in the country? Is this a justifiable judgment? Or are there other things at play here? It’s obvious to viewers that nothing is obvious. Who is really telling the truth? Is Kate lying or is Jeanette hiding something? Or perhaps Kate is really hiding things about her life. Who can we believe?

Olivia Holt, Chiara Aurelia, Michael Landes, Froy Gutierrez, Harley Quinn Smith, Allius Barnes, Blake Lee and Brooklyn Sudano star in this teen drama that looks at life, friendships, popularity, jealousy, greed, and family.

Aurelia, who plays Jeanette, stated at a virtual press conference, “I think that it was a really unique opportunity to be a part of this show because there was such an evolution of Jeanette Turner and her character.  And I think that each year kind of represents a different element of all of our lives, you know, the darkness, the sadness, the youthfulness.  And I think that, obviously, wardrobe and hair and makeup play a big part in it.  And mentally, you kind of have to differentiate where you are and what you’re thinking and what’s going on.  But I think it’s a lot in the mindset and just trying to understand her and understanding how much people can change and what she’s going through over these three drastic years.”

Kate is played by Hold who said, “I think we see the entire cast go through a really big journey within the three years.  But as far as Kate goes in her past and her history and where she comes from and who she is, we’ll see a big shift from those three years.  And she comes from a family who is very complicated, which, I think, makes her as a young female trying to understand who she is; it really shines a light on the complex part of being a teenager and trying to figure out who you are in the midst of a million things that are going on.  And I think she is really kind and really smart, and I think you’ll see a lot of different layers of her in all of the years.”

Cruel Summer premieres Tuesday, April 20, 2021 on Freeform. It is a good series for summer viewing.

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, 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. She is a longstanding member of the Los Angeles Press Club and the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Courtesy photo

‘The Chicken Squad’ hatches on Disney Junior in May

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

Disney Junior’s egg-citing new animated comedy-adventure series The Chicken Squad premieres FRIDAY, MAY 14 (7:30 P.M. EDT/PDT), with two back-to-back episodes on Disney Junior and DisneyNOW. Inspired by Doreen Cronin’s popular children’s books, the series follows a trio of young chicken siblings—Coop, Sweetie and Little Boo—and theirretired search and rescue dog mentor, Captain Tully. Together, they team up on problem-solving adventures in their backyard to help their animal friends, while modeling what it means to be good community helpers and finding the joy in assisting others. A digital soundtrack, “Disney Junior Music: The Chicken Squad,” featuring the theme song and music from the series is also set for release Friday, May 14, on Walt Disney Records.

Whether rescuing a stranded puppy from a creek, helping a bird track down its missing food, or solving the mystery of how their mom’s prized flowers got trampled, the Chicken Squad is always ready to lend a helping wing. Each episode, comprised of two 11-minute stories, features the recurring “Chicken Charge” anthem that the chickens sing upon determination of a new mission and at least one new original song that showcases a variety of musical styles ranging from pop and R&B to country, hip-hop and electronic.

MONSTER PETS: A HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA SHORT

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

“What would it be like if the Drac Pack all owned pets? We couldn’t be more excited to jump back into the world of Hotel Transylvania, and explore all the fun and lovable frustrations of pets through a monster lens,” said Monster Pets directors Jennifer Kluska and Derek Drymon. “What happens when your golden retriever is 5 stories tall? Or your chihuahua breathes fire? Being able to introduce an all-new group of characters in Monster Pets who are just as funny and weird as the Drac Pack was an absolute blast. We hope audiences enjoy the short, and look forward to seeing the monster pets make an appearance in the upcoming Hotel Transylvania: Transformania!”

“This short has been a labor of love from the teams at Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Imageworks, and we’re pleased that we can bring heartfelt laughter to families around the world in this time,” added Christian Roedel, Monster Pets producer. “The Hotel Transylvania franchise is all about family, and it has been an honor to work alongside our newest members Jennifer and Derek, the amazing directing duo who will take the reins for this exciting new chapter.”

And don’t miss the final chapter of the franchise, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, coming to theatres July 23, 2021.

‘The Art of Raya and the Last Dragon’ Book Review

Posted on by Francine Brokaw

 

The Disney/Pixar film Raya and the Last Dragon is a beautiful display of artistry that goes along with the entertaining story and of course, a good message. The book “The Art of Disney Raya and the Last Dragon” brings back all the enchantment of the movie.

As Don Hall, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Paul Briggs, and John Ripa state in the Forward, “The film you see is the result of the talent, craft, expertise, and, most of all, commitment of so many.” In these pages are the results of all of those elements that went into creating the movie.

The book includes concept art that viewers have not seen. There are also images of areas inside the lands that are fleshed out more so readers can see a more in-depth view of the buildings as well as the landscape and the characters.

Besides the wonderful art, this hardcover has details about the story, the characters, and the film. There are some great inside stories that lend themselves to the enjoyment of the movie. And it is a completely enjoyable movie that brings some fun characters to the screen as well as a new Disney heroine.

I always love these books because they open up a new window into the films. The movies are brought back through the pages and each page is worthy of attention.

The movie is colorful and all those beautiful colors are on these pages with the allure of the Southeast Asian cultures. The story takes place in a fictional land, but the imagery is definitely Asian-inspired. The book opens with a synopsis of the story then delves into the characters with insights and imagery.

Storyboards are usually how films begin, and that is true for animated films as well as live-action movies. Looking at these images and getting in depth information about how the characters came to life is just part of the fun of these books.

The world the movie encompasses is vast with beautiful landscapes and an interesting city. Looking at the pages, the whole world is brought to the readers in a way that is not only a great adjunct to the film, but also an education into the making of this film.

If you liked the movie, and most people who see it really love it, or you are simply interested in how animation is created, then this is a book to have in your library. As a matter of fact, it is a nice coffee table book for visitors to look at.  The story and the characters are enticing and add a new chapter (no pun intended) to the Disney/Pixar catalog.

Raya and the Last Dragon is a visually stunning film and this book adds greatly to the charm of the story and the movie itself.

Parents can read the information to their kids and look at the pictures together. This can lead to further discussions about the story and the characters. It’s a good bedtime experience and maybe your child will dream of the colorful world of Kumandra.

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.