Gather the family and prepare for some toe tapping, dancing, and singing with Poppy, Branch, and the rest of the Trolls. Trolls World Tour is a fun and music-filled adventure. And the Dance Party Edition adds to the fun of this film. If you are 4K-compatible, then by all means pick up this edition which makes the colors pop (no pun intended) and the music fill the air.

Queen Poppy (Anna Kendrick) just discovered there are other trolls in the world. They are different and live with different music in their lives. She also learns that Queen Barb (Rachel Bloom) is on a mission to collect the various strings from each of the Troll regions and unite them…under the rule of Hard Rock! Well, Poppy thinks Barb is planning on bringing all the Trolls together due to her kind heart, and she wants to help. After all, what a wonderful world it would be if all the Trolls were once again united.

What Poppy doesn’t know is her naïveté could be the downfall of all the Trolls. All Poppy wants is to have everyone enjoy each other but Barb wants to regulate how they live, and all she cares about is Hard Rock. So what will become of the Pop, Hip Hop, Funk, Techno, Country, and Classical music-loving Trolls? If Barb has anything to say about it, she would banish all those varieties of music and everyone would become Hard Rockers. But Poppy and Branch (Justin Timberlake) must make her understand that differences are important. And just because their music is different does not mean they cannot get along.

Embracing their differences is the key to living in harmony. And with each of the Troll regions dedicated to a different kind of music, they can still be friends without being foes. (Perhaps the people of today should take a lesson from the Trolls!)

The 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Code Dance Party Edition includes many bonus features. There is a bonus with a dance lesson for each kind of music represented in the film. There is a feature about the different Troll regions, deleted scenes, and other additional content. Get off the couch and move your feet. There are several other bonus features and viewers can select if they want to watch the movie in the theatrical release mode or the Dance Party Mode. This is a fun way to experience the story. Viewers are encouraged to use their dancing skills while watching the scenes, and the lyrics for the songs are on screen so viewers can sing along with the Trolls.

In these days of staying at home, Trolls World Tour is great for a fun family night. It is rated PG for some mild rude humor. Kick up your feet and tickle your vocal chords with Poppy, Branch, and all the new Trolls. It’s time to party!

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.

It’s hard to believe that it has been 30 years since the mesmerizing film Ghost was produced. Released in July 1990, Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg captured the hearts of viewers everywhere with this emotional story.

When Sam (Swayze) is murdered in front of his girlfriend Molly (Moore), his spirit still remains. This is confusing for him but once he discovers a psychic (Goldberg) is the only person able to hear him, he enlists her to contact Molly on his behalf. Needless to say she is not too happy to be involved in this otherworld adventure, which is exactly what it becomes. As Sam puts together the pieces of why he was murdered, he realizes Molly’s life is in jeopardy. The three join together to find peace for Sam and keep Molly safe.

The soundtrack is outstanding and the pottery scene has been recreated and mimicked over and over again on screen and even in real life. It might have even enticed viewers to take up the hobby.

This 30^th anniversary edition of the two-time Academy Award-winning film is part of the limited edition Paramount Presents line of classic films. It comes with a foldout image of the original theatrical poster. There are also bonus features that have been released on prior editions as well as a brand new feature with director Jerry Zucker.

Zucker describes the film as a “spiritual love story” and was excited by the drama. Zucker had been associated with comedies so getting him to direct this film might not have been the most obvious choice. The director explains how the blend of comedy and tragedy is what makes this an appealing film. This “roller coaster” ride of emotions is also an element that viewers have enjoyed throughout the last 30 years. Zucker also loves the message of the movie. “The love inside – you take it with you.”

With the strong emotional story of life and death and afterlife, peppered with the comedy of Whoopi Goldberg, Ghost is a delightful movie to watch over and over again.

Goldberg won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Bruce Joel Rubin won for Best Writing. It is time to relive the love and death and everything in between with Sam, Molly, and Oda Mae. Ghost is rated PG-13.

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.

 

Annette Bening, Bill Nighy, and Josh O’Conner star in Hope Gap, a dramatic story of life and lost love. This is a slow-paced family drama delving into the life of one family as they face a turning point in their world.

Grace (Bening) thinks she has a basically happy marriage, although she realizes there are some obstacles between herself and her husband Edward (Nighy). But what she does not know is that he has had enough. He has fallen in love with someone else. Out of the blue he informs Grace that he is leaving her, effective immediately. She is incensed. How can he make this decision alone? They never talked about it. She had no idea this was coming.

There to help her through the difficult time is their grown son Jamie (O’Connor) who also has some problems going on in his personal life. But Jamie travels from the city to the country every weekend to be with his mom to help her get on with her life.

Grace says she needs time to mourn. After all, what she is experiencing is a death – the death of her marriage. She says being a widow would be better than having a husband walk out on her.

In the meantime, Jamie also struggles and is the go-between between his mother and father. Grace refuses to give up and hopes beyond hope that Edward will return to her. But he has fallen in love and is living with his girlfriend. While Jamie tries to get her to come to terms with reality, Grace goes through emotional upheaval.

The movie is not about Edward; it is about Grace and Jamie. After all, Edward has moved on and is living a happy life with his girlfriend. But Grace was left in the cold and Jamie also has to deal with the grief of the split of his parents as well as the depression his mother is suffering.

The story unwinds in various locations in the UK with bleak weather and grey skies, adding to the mood of the film. Hope Gap is rated PG-13 for some thematic elements and brief strong language.

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 Book.

After over 30 years, the Tom Cruise film Top Gun continues to entertain and inspire viewers, and later this year the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick will add to the excitement generated in the original film. Before the new film is released, it is time to revisit the 1986 movie, this time in glorious 4K Ultra High Definition.

Top Gun is the story of an elite group of naval aviators training in the legendary Miramar Elite Fighter School. It is here where Pete, aka Maverick, (Cruise) comes along with his partner Goose (Anthony Edwards). There they come up against Iceman (Val Kilmer), Cougar (John Stockwell), Wolfman (Barry Tubb), Slider (Rick Rossovich), and others who are all competing for the trophy to see who is the best in their class. Viper (Tom Skerritt) is the instructor along with Charlie (Kelly McGillis), the civilian expert.

Maverick is cocky, a trait that often gets him in trouble, but he is a great pilot. If he would keep his ego in check he could be the best.

A marvelous soundtrack that became the soundtrack to acquire that year accompanies the movie. Movie lovers and music lovers alike enjoyed the songs that added to the story and the enjoyment of the film. The song “Take My Breath Away” won the Oscar that year for best original song.

Scenes and quotes from the film also have become part of pop culture. “I have the need. The need for speed.” is one phrase that is popular to this day. And the song sung by Cruise to McGillis when they first meet in the bar (“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling) always brings back memories of that scene when people hear it now.

The flying and the personalities of the characters are the mainstay of the movie. And when Maverick suffers a tragedy and a crisis of conscious, it is unclear whether he will regain his former glory.

Both Cruise and Kilmer return this year for Top Gun: Maverick although with the Covid-19 crisis it is not definite whether it will premier in theaters as originally scheduled or VOD. They might even hold it for after the virus crisis however it has been long awaited so it will probably be available in some form this year.

The 4K Ultra HD + Blu-Ray + Digital is the best way to reconnect with the original film. The colors are brighter and the picture is sharper. Plus the sound is just as brilliant as it was intended to be in the theaters.

There are two bonus features on the new 4K. The first is a look back by Cruise, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and some cast members from the sequel who discuss the legacy of the original film. There is no doubt it had an impact on moviegoers and represents some of the best films of the decade.

In another bonus feature Cruise discusses how when he was young he wanted to be an aviator and an actor. Well, with this film he was able to do both, kind of. He also talks about making the sequel and the fun it was with the actual pilots. Who said work has to be boring?

Top Gun is now available on 4K.

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. Follow her on Twitter.

 

Ben Affleck stars in The Way Back, a dramatic story about survival and overcoming tragedies. This is a film with multiple layers and Affleck’s character is a tormented soul.

Jack Cunningham (Affleck) was a star basketball player in his youth but he walked away from a career that could have been. Now, after many years, he is offered the job to coach his old high school basketball team. This is a losing team and the players have problems of their own. Reluctantly he accepts and decides to give the boys his all and turn them around and teach them how to be a united team instead of a group of hot shots.

While he is devoting his time to the young basketball team, his personal life unfolds to viewers. Jack is an alcoholic and tormented by several personal issues. Without any spoil alerts, let’s just say he has some major emotional issues that are leading him down the path of booze and possible destruction.

The story is not a basketball story although Jack’s devotion to the team is a big part of his life. This is more a story about how Jack finally comes to terms with his past and specifically a tragedy in his life that he simply has a hard time with and that inflames his drinking as a way of avoidance.

This is a film about redemption. Jack Cunningham is a complex character and as the layers unfold, viewers see a man that is shattered internally but finds his way back.

The Blu-ray includes two bonus features. There is one in which Affleck discusses his character and his own alcoholism. He was the best choice for this role because he was able to pull emotions from his own life. There is another special feature with the basketball players and the filmmakers who discuss how the sport is a metaphor for life in the movie. Jack manages to turn the team around and he also turns his life around. The film is layered with the personal growth of the boys on the team and also Jack’s road to recovering his own life and taking charge of his personal demons.

The Way Back is also available on a DVD and digital. It is rated R for language throughout including some sexual references. It is not for young kids. This is a film about the dark side of life, wonderfully portrayed by Affleck.

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. Follow her on Twitter.

Tennessee Williams’ play is brought to the screen in the 1962 adaptation starring Paul Newman and Geraldine Page. Sweet Bird of Youth definitely bears the Williams mark, bringing complex and flawed characters to viewers in a dark and deeply dramatic story.

Newman is Chance Wayne, a wanna-be actor who had little luck in New York and Los Angeles. He has been relying on his good looks, charm, and sex appeal as a gigolo. His latest plan involves attaching himself to an aging actress named Alexandra Del Lago (Page) who thinks her career is over. She is an alcoholic and drug addict and uses sex to calm herself, and Wayne is always there to help her in any and every way. In exchange he wants her help rising to stardom.

He brings her back to his hometown while he tries to reconnect with his long-lost love, Heavenly Finley (Shirley Knight). Heavenly’s father is Thomas “Boss” Finley (Ed Begley), a ruthless and vengeful man who rules the town with an iron fist with anything he can do to keep his power. That also involves violence. Finley never thought Wayne was good enough for his daughter and every time the young man came back to town to take Heavenly away, Finely managed to get the Wayne away from his family and the town.

The story is about both the aging actress and the man who only wants success in Hollywood and his girlfriend beside him. Wayne is unaware of a deep secret being held by Heavenly and her family.  And Del Lago is avoiding reading about her latest movie thinking it was a bomb, she feels her career is over, until she is finally told she and the film are a great success.

The evilness doled out by Boss Finley goes far beyond his dislike for Wayne. His mistress (Madeleine Sherwood) is also a victim of his vengeance.

Thomas Finley, Jr. (Rip Torn) follows his father’s example and is as evil and disruptive while trying to keep the family name pure. Ultimately they both fail.

Two bonus features are included with this Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray. One is the screen test of Page and Torn, who married after the film was completed. The other is a look at Tennessee Williams, his characters, and the characters and actors in the movie. Williams and Newman worked together in 1958 on the film “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”

Ed Begley took home the Academy Award for his performance as best actor in a supporting role and Geraldine Page took home the Golden Glove for best actress in a drama.

Sweet Bird of Youth is available on Blu-ray from Warner Archive and can be ordered at their website or other online retailers. It is not rated but deals with drugs, alcohol, sex, and violence.

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. Follow her on Twitter.

Dick Van Dyke and Kathleen Quinlan star in The Runner Stumbles, a 1975 drama about a priest, a nun, and a lot of controversy. The film also stars a very young Beau Bridges with Maureen Stapleton, Tammy Grimes, and Ray Bolger.

The setting is a depressed coalmining town populated by poor residents. Heading up the Catholic community is Father Rivard (Van Dyke), who has some progressive ideas but still wants to keep the laws of the church front and center. This small community respects Rivard, but when young nun Sister Rita (Quinlan) comes to the community, things get unsettled very quickly. The community is used to the two current nuns who are older and have strict ways of running the school. When Sister Rita comes along she changes everything and brightens up the lives of the children, to the dismay of the two old fashioned nuns. However, when they are confined to their beds with consumption, it is Sister Rita that takes on the responsibility of the children’s schooling.

The movie begins with the indictment of Father Rivard for the murder of Sister Rita, and with his lawyer (Bridges), the story of their lives come to light. Through flashbacks it is revealed that for the first time in a long time, Father Rivard had someone with which to discuss things. Sister Rita was bright, energetic, and full of life. And she was also full of love. The two found themselves falling in love with each other, and torn between their love for each other and their vows to the church.

Needless to say, the townsfolk see the attraction between these two and rumors spread. Everyone is used to the old-fashioned nuns and find it hard to think of the modern way Sister Rita teaches their children. They also find it strange that Father Rivard is spending so much time with Sister Rita.

The psychological struggles with Rita and Rivard are gripping for viewers. Is the vow of celibacy really that important? But rather, is the love between a man and a woman a sacred bond

It is not until the very end when the trial comes to a climax and the reality of the circumstances come to light. The acting in the film is excellent. It is perhaps unfamiliar for viewers to see Van Dyke in this role, but he plays it to perfection, and Quinlan is uplifting in her role. While it is a bit slow moving, the drama of the story is intoxicating.

The Runner Stumbles is rated PG and available on Blu-ray May 19 from Kino Lorber Classics.

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. Follow her on Twitter.

Vincent Minnelli directed Rex Harrison, Kay Kendall, and Sandra Dee in the 1958 film The Reluctant Debutante. John Saxon and Angela Lansbury also star in this wacky comedy about love and social values in the 1950s.

Jane Broadbent (Dee) is half British and half American. She comes to spend the summer with her British father Lord Jimmy Broadbent (Harrison) and his wife Lady Sheila (Kendall) and gets more than she bargained for. All she wants to do is to sightsee and enjoy the time with her father and learn about London. But when Sheila decides Jane must “come out” to London society, things get out of hand.

Seventeen-year-old Jane arrived in London during “the season” when debutantes are presented to society. She is the perfect age to find a prospective husband, and if Sheila has anything to say about it, he will be from a good family and have a title.

Sheila’s cousin Mabel (Lansbury) and her daughter Clarissa (Diane Clare) are also on the hunt for a great catch for Clarissa. She has her eyes on David Fenner, a guard for the palace. And now Sheila thinks Fenner would be a good catch for Jane as well. But Fenner is an uptight, boring man and Jane wants nothing to do with him.

Then Jane meets David Parkson (Saxon), and America drummer. The two hit it off and are on the way to a wonderful relationship until Sheila and Jimmy discover he has a checkered past. Trying to keep Parkson away from Jane while pushing her toward Fenner is a full-time job, that comes off with some hilarity.

The repartee between Harrison and Kendall is amusing. They were married in real life at the time of this filming. This movie was made a year before Dee was thrust into the public’s eye as Gidget.

While this is not the best movie for any of the main actors, it does have its moments. And the ending is hysterical.

The Reluctant Debutante is part of the Warner Archive collection and can be ordered from their website or other online retailers.

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. Follow her on Twitter.

The 1963 romantic comedy Sunday in New York takes place in one day, and it is one very funny and very eventful day. Jane Fonda teamed up with Rod Taylor and Cliff Robertson for this romp around New York City.

Eileen Tyler (Fonda) travels from the north part of New York State to NYC after a breakup with her fiancé Russ Wilson (Robert Culp). She intends on staying a few days with her older brother Adam (Robertson), a pilot who has a robust social life. But when she confides in her brother about how her engagement broke up, he tells her that any man who would break up with a woman because she would not have intimate relations is not worth her time. Little does she know that Adam is playing around when he’s not flying planes.

Eileen heads off to take the bus and experience a day in NYC. She gets hooked up, literally, with Mike Mitchell (Taylor) when her pin sticks to his jacket. Later they meet again and decide to spend the day together. He has all day to enjoy the city and why not spend it together?

After awhile they become friends. When they return to the apartment Eileen thinks this is the perfect time to lose her virginity. But Mike isn’t having any of that. He is a responsible man and doesn’t want to get involved with “a beginner.”

Then Russ barges into the apartment and that is when the wackiness continues. To keep things on the up and up, Mike decides it is best if he introduces himself as Eileen’s brother Adam. After all, they are both in their bathrobes. So things get really zany when Adam return to the apartment and the three of them must convince Russ that Adam is Mike and Mike is Adam.

There are many laugh-out-loud scenes in this movie.

Sunday in New York is now on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection and can be ordered through their website or online retailers.

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. Follow her on Twitter.