The Libby Show: Lunch With The Ladies is a New Talk Show for Ladies Of a Certain Age - See Sneak Peak Now on Youtube

Update: With a soft launch in April 2021, the first ten episodes will officially launch on December 1, 2021 on the official Youtube Channel.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgVU40peyhgLAYQ00x9UjMQ/featured

There's a brand new talk show in town. But this one's unique. It's a talk show for ladies over a certain age. Yup, ladies with a few wrinkles and grey hairs. 

The show will feature five co-hosts, Suzanne Ordas Curry (a film producer), Beth Abramson Brier (a screenwriter), Iliana Guibert (actress/filmmaker), Messalina Morley Alton (actress/screenwriter) and Zonie Le Sane (professional).  The press release states that all of the hosts are over a certain age, but one of the hosts will always be a tad bit younger to keep them all current, because the beauty of being older is that although you know a lot, you also realize there's a lot you don't know. For example, one of the segments will be "Who is this?", where the ladies try to figure out who people are (think musical guests on SNL!)

SoapConLive is the first ever Event for the Soap/Drama Genre: Online Event on The Locher Room Features A Bey of Soap Stars Including Kassie DePaiva, Trent Dawson, Colleen Zenk, Terri Conn, Jackie Zeman, Austin Peck, Kin Shriner & More

Are you a fan of the soap genre? Whether it be daytime, online or evening drama you may want to check out the first ever SOAPCONLIVE! It's a gathering of soap stars from now and in the past that you can see and connect with online. For now... more to come in the future. It will start streaming on THE LOCHER ROOM on Youtube on May 1, 2021.

This event was created by and is partnering with people in the soap industry and those who appreciate the value and entertainment it brings to people, especially during the pandemic.

Interview with Actor/Singer Robert Bannon: Hear about How his Emotional Rendition of Bette Midler's "From a Distance" is a Tribute to Healthcare Workers, His Work on Saturday Night Live, and How He Has Everything he Needs in Jersey

Interview by Shane Curry

Robert Bannon is an actor, singer, teacher and proud New Jerseyan. You may recognize him from his work on Saturday Night Live or from him many stage performances in NJ and New York City including his stint in My Big Gay Italian Wedding.

During the pandemic, Robert released his first single, "From A Distance", the classic from the Beaches album sung by the divine  Bette Midler - which she gave a nod to him to do. The  song and video, shot on Long Beach Island, NJ, is a tribute to health care workers as well as a reflection on the challenges during the pandemic. This beautiful song now has extra meaning and Robert's voice and emotion emanates throughout it.

In July, 2021, he will release a full album, entitled "Unfinished Business."

We had the pleasure on interviewing Robert. here is the full  interview with Robert Bannon:

NYC Area Event: Trent Dawson's Katonah Classic Stage presents THOM PAIN, an IN PERSON Live Theater Event - Welcome Back to the Stage

Katonah Classic Stage is pleased to announce its upcoming benefit, Thom Pain (based on nothing), a one man-show by Will Eno. Katonah Classic Stage (KCS) is a new, professional, non-profit theater company in Katonah, NY, whose mission is to offer exceptional, diverse, and professional productions of classic and contemporary plays.  

A finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer prize, Thom Pain was proclaimed “a small masterpiece” by The New York Times. At once hilarious and heartbreaking, KCS’s presentation of Thom Pain at the Bedford Playhouse marks the triumphant return of live theatre to Northern Westchester.  A limited engagement at the Bedford Playhouse, the fundraiser will be April 29 - May 1, 2021, at 8 p.m., 633 Bedford Road, Bedford, NY.  

 

Females in Entertainment: Filmmaker Elizabeth Blake-Thomas' New Film Will You Be My Quarantine Stars Full House's Jodie Sweetin, David Lipper, Alec Mapa and Danielle Perez - Hear About How She Made This Film Came to by During Quarantine Working Side by Side with her Daughter

by Suzanne Ordas Curry

Meet Elizabeth Blake-Thomas, an award-winning British filmmaker currently based in Los Angeles. Elizabeth spent her time productively the last year, producing and directing the film Will You Be My Quarantine?  It's a a romcom with a spectacular cast. It stars Full House/Fuller House/Hallmark movie actor Jodie Sweetin, David Lipper (Fuller House), Danielle Perez (The Price is Right fame) and Alec Mapa (Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives).  It's set to release in 2021. 

Elizabeth’s recent film Evie Rose, starring Oscar-nominated actress Terry Moore, premiered January 2021 on Amazon. She is the founder  of Mother & Daughter Entertainment, whose motto is “Making Content That Matters”, Through MDE, Elizabeth established the MD Foundation Initiative, a campaign to mentor and employ undiscovered filmmakers through fellow philanthropic pledges. 

Interview with Olivia D'Abo of The Wonder Years - Her New film Angie: Lost Girls is Now Streaming - Hear Ten Things we Learned About this Multi-Talented Actress, Singer/Songwriter and Voice Talent of Star Wars

 

By Suzanne Ordas Curry 

Olivia D'Abo is known to many for being Kevin Arnold's big sis Karen on the popular sitcom The Wonder Years (which by the way is getting a reboot). But Olivia D'Abo is so much more than just a sitcom icon, she's an accomplished film actress, singer/songwriter, voice-over talent (she's the voice of Luminara of Star Wars: Clone Wars) and podcaster. 

The daughter of  a rock start (Mike D'Abo of  Manfred Mann) and a model (Maggie London) who grew up in England, she's lead a very interesting public and private life and has many projects in the works.

Most recently she stars as the mother of Angie, in Angie: Lost Girls, a narrative feature by Julia Verdin and Artists for Change. It's a powerful, thoughtful and difficult story about a typical suburban teenager who gets trafficked. Randall Batinkoff plays her husband, and together they to get their daughter back from some very dangerous and evil people. The movie is streaming now and you can find where here:

https://www.artists4change.org/filmprojects/official-angie-lost-girls/

We had the chance to sit down and talk to Olivia. Here's the full interview:

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FgobL6NOdY

Females in Entertainment: Jane Widdop Stars as Angie in Angie: Lost Girls, A Powerful Film about Child Trafficking, See her Soon in Showtime's YellowJackets

By Suzanne Ordas Curry

Meet Jane Widdop. This up and coming actress stars as Angie, a teen who is trafficked in the newly-released film Angie: Lost Girls. In it she plays a suburban girl who falls prey to some of the worst things a parent could imagine, all because of a boy (played by Dylan Sprayberry of the CW's Teen Wolf) who lures her into a world she may not be able to escape.

I had the chance to interview this talented young lady, who spoke candidly about how deep the part was and how she hopes it will spread awareness about this other plague around the world, which worsened during the pandemic. And she tells us what she can about her upcoming role in the new Showtime series Yellowjackets

.

Or Watch here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DoHJUIwX3s

In this interview you'll also hear:

Garden State Film Festival Runs March 23 - 28 Virtual and In-Person: Almost 200 Films to Enjoy by Independent Filmmakers. IFC's Arianna Bocco and Actor Daniel Baldwin Honored

The Garden State Film Festival 2021 runs  this year from March 23rd - 28, 2021. There are some in-person events but most films are virtual. This year's festival features over 175 selections as well as special events. There are features, animation, shorts, docs and more. Tickets begin at $10 with $55 for a virtual multi-pass. Visit: https://www.gsff.org/

This year the the festival is honoring industry people for different efforts. Those being honored are: Arianna Bocco (IFC Films), Daniel Baldwin (Actor), Ming Chen and A Shared Universe PodcaSTudio, Declan O'Scanlon Jr. (State Senator), Christian Barber (actor), Chris Dudick (producer), Drew Henriksen (screenwriter) and ROB THORP (screenwriter).

The Garden State Film Festival was started to help support the works of independent filmmakers, in NJ and beyond, as well as pay homage to the state where many of the aspects of film as we know it were born. As stated on their website, it was in Menlo Park where Thomas Edison invented the first film cameras and projects and Fort Lee, which is where the first movie studios were located. (Note: Due to better weather and personal issues with some of the owners, they moved on over to Hollywood.)

Women Trailblazers of Early Cinema now on Herflix in Parnership with the NYWIFT Women's Film Preservation Fund: Watch films for free by Grace Cunard, Alice Guy-Blache, Angela Murray Gibson and Lois Weber

Launching during Women's History Month as of March 19, 2021 is a series of films called "Trailblazers of Early Cinema" on the platform HERFLIX. The Women's Film Preservation Fund of New York Women in Film and Television has partnered with HERFLIX to bring these films free to all viewers. Herflix is a new boutique online movie theater.

This ground-breaking series features films by early women filmmakers: Grace Cunard, Alice Guy-Blaché, Angela Murray Gibson and Lois Weber will be featured. You can also watch  a special  Trailblazers Q&A moderated by WFPF’s Founder Barbara Moss with guest panelists Kim Tomadjoglou and Buckey Grimm.

To view the programs, register and stream for free at HERFLIX.com.

Trailblazers of Early Cinema: 

https://herflix.page.link/282D

Trailblazers of Early Cinema Q&A Panel:

https://herflix.page.link/d1kN

Help Save an Iconic Performing Arts Center: NJ's Bergen Pac Presents Free Online Star-Studded Extravaganza with Appearances by Jay Leno, Paul Anka, Wynton Marsalis, Ali Stroker, John Fogerty, Dionne Warwick and More on March 13th

 

Review of Marvel's Wandavision on Disney: Unique, Imaginative and a Must See for Marvel Fans, but Here's What It Could Have Done Better

By Harry Sherer

I love Marvel more than anyone I know. That’s why I didn’t like Wandavision.

Clickbaity enough for you? Hear me out— it’s not a bad show. The concept is brilliant, the acting is superb, and it beautifully sets up what will likely be MCU’s return to theatres in Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness. But something just didn’t sit right with me as the credits (and post credits, and post-post credits) came to a close. And I think it has to do with something Marvel has had a problem with for a long time— transferring the “Marvel formula” into the television medium.

As a film nerd and MCU fanboy, I’ve heard the term “Marvel formula” thrown around quite a bit. There’s no one true definition, but it refers to the various cookie-cutter elements that the studio includes in nearly all of their productions. Before I describe some of these elements, allow me to preface it by saying: I f*cking love Marvel, and I say all of this out of love. It’s not you, it’s me, babe. That being said, most every MCU production contains: a merely serviceable plot, a likeable protagonist, quirky side characters, a one-and-a-half dimension villain, and a Macguffin. And it works. But here’s the thing— Wandavision includes these elements, and does some of them really well, but in the end, it just doesn’t feel right. Let me explain what I mean. 

The Women behind the movie Angie: Lost Girls talk about What it Takes to Make a Movie about Child Trafficking and What they hope it will Do on Alan Locher's Youtube show, The Locher Room

Go behind the scenes with the ladies from the new movie Angie: Lost Girls on Alan Locher's The Locher Room on Friday, March 12  at 3pm EST. (Available on youtube after). Writer/Director Julia Verdin will be joined with star Olivia D'Abo (The Wonder Years, Star Wars) and Producer Cady McClain (Days, ATWT, AMC).

To Watch the Show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y-N7NOxSZY

These three ladies will talk about what is was like to create this film which is meant to spread awareness about the plague and devastation of child trafficking. In the story, which is narrative fiction but based on research, a young, normal, suburban teen played by Jane Widdop (YellowJackets)  gets seduced into the dark work of sex trafficking by a young man she meets at the park, played by Dylan Sprayberry (CW's Teen Wolf). Olivia D'Abo  is her mother and Randall Batinkoff the father who try any means possible to find her and get her back. Also starring in this film is Anthony Montgomery (General Hospital, Star Trek), MC Lyte, Amin Joseph and Cherie Jimenez.

The movie is available on demand almost everywhere, and is also available for group screenings with a Panel discussion. Please see the website for details: 

https://www.artists4change.org/filmprojects/official-angie-lost-girls/

Movie Review of Minari: A Haunting, Beautifully-Filmed Story of Korean Immigrants Never Giving Up on the American Dream

By Ashton Samson

When anyone in society is called upon to adapt to a new way of life, it can prove difficult. While simple changes, like purchasing a new car, can cause momentary angst, monumental changes like moving, attending a new school or adapting to conditions of a pandemic, can be the most challenging for some to endure. Either way transitions are not easy, but this can be especially so if the people involved are immigrants, thrust into a completely different culture, language and way of life.

Director Lee Isaac Chung took this concept, along with his own childhood memories, and crafted Minari,  a compelling, melancholic, and heartfelt ode to the resilience of immigrants in wanting to retain a sense of the culture that makes them who they are all while taking a stab at the American Dream. The film is my new favorite of 2020 and if people continue giving it the love it clearly deserves, it could become the second year in a row that a Korean film wins an Academy Award. The film is just that impressive: with haunting, soul-stirring music, breathtaking cinematography, excellent performances across the board and a wonderfully-realized message that is, at its core, metaphorically related to the title itself.

Film Review of Thomas Vinterberg's Another Round: This Danish Dramedy about What We All Share as Humans - Indentity, Purpose and Motivation - is the Perfect Film for Now

 

by Connor Moriarty

I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Soul, Possessor, Sound of Metal - all of these films have something in common. 

2020 was a challenging year for all of us. Silver linings were few and far between, if not completely absent. However, one universal we were all presented with was time. In an instant, the hustle and bustle of our daily lives slowed down. Of course, that means something different for everyone. But regardless of circumstances, we were all called at some point during the year to stop and think about what kinds of people we are. And the cinema of 2020 reflected that.

 

Identity. Purpose. Motivation. These are heavy, heady and difficult subjects to address without being preachy or melodramatic. The films mentioned above manage to flawlessly walk the fine line between the kitsch and the superficial to create meaningful, authentic stories. And each in their own, unique way. However, no film in 2020 did it better than Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round.

 

Review of Finnerty Steeves' Feature Film Before/During/After: An Honest and Visually Appealing Story of a Marriage Gone Awry and the Hope for After

By Suzanne Ordas Curry

I just wanted to tell her it was all going to be okay.

Finnerty Steeves' first feature film, Before/During/After, is inspired by the consequences of her choice of a mate in her own life. Finnerty is an actress best known for her role as Beth Hoefler on Orange is the New Black.  With this feature she is not only acting but also writing and producing. Before, During and After is a dramedy set in New York City. With more drama than comedy, it works well as the subject of the film - the dissolution of a marriage- is quite heavy. It's still an engaging, easy-to-digest movie.

IN THE LA AREA? See a special screening of before/during/after at Hollywood's Chinese Theater on 9-9-2021.

Finnerty plays a struggling, no longer twenty-something actress named Jennie Lonergan who we will have more and more empathy for as the movie proceeds. When the movie begins, we see her auditioning for a part in New York City where the movie takes place. We experience the cutthroat world of auditions through the eyes of the protagonist (pre-pandemic anyway, when auditions were largely in-person) as she walks into a room of look-alikes all wanting the same, scarce role, We've seen this exercise portrayed in La La Land, it's a tough job to be an actor and requires a very thick skin. It also requires an ability to get along with your competition. It's just business, as they say.

Sundance Film Festival 2021 Hightlights: Why three of the Best in the Horror/Thriller Genre are Knocking, Eight for Silver and The Sparks Brothers

By Ashton Samson

At this time in our lives, cinemas are in dire need of help. Film fans are worried about the effect that Covid-19 has had on the industry. While some theaters are open, not enough people are attending. Even the most avid film fans won’t take the risk of walking through the doors of a cinema. This loss in customers is leading to a lack of business, which causes the owners and supporters of movie theaters to lose hope for future generations of moviegoers.

Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival: View List of FREE Special Presentations, Classes, Actor Interviews and Complete List of Films for Feb. 27 - March 3, 2021

 

Whether you've been to in-person film festivals in the past or tried the new "virtual festivals" what should be known about festivals is that the people that make these festivals LOVE film. One of the new aspects of virtual festivals is making what were once free "attractions" at in-person festivals have now moved online. So whether you purchase a ticket of not, many of these festivals are offering free "specials." 

The Ridgewood Guild International Festival is presenting a dozen interviews, 2 free "classes" and 3 events. The festival runs February 27th-March 3rd, 2021. You can find how to access these specials on the website: www.RidgewoodGuildFilmFest.com . (Be patient as the site will be updated closer to the date.) These free specials will give the viewer a chance to experience some of what the festival has to offer and to gain insight and knowledge about the films, filmmakers and the industry in general. You can access them anytime during the festival  (and some may remain on Youtube even after the festival). 

TO VIEW THE FREE SPECIALS AND THE FILMS VISIT:

https://ridgewoodguildfilmfest.com/

Movie Review: The Map of Tiny Perfect Things on Amazon - A Message We Need to Remember Over and Over Again

By Suzanne Ordas Curry

I make it a habit not to read too deeply into any preview into a movie. So I read the synopsis of The Map of Tiny Perfect Things on Amazon Prime and filed it away into my list of Movies to Watch. I like romcoms and I like meta movies.. space, time travel...anything. This seemed to check off the boxes. It billed itself as similiar to Groundhog Day. This movie has at its heart a young couple Margaret (Katherine Newton) and Mark (Kyle Allen) reliving the same day.

Opinion: In these Days of Contrived Romance on TV: Bridgerton is a Breath of Fresh British Air

 By Grace Julianna     

Writer's Note: Bridgerton is a show like no other. Hi, my name Grace Julianna. and I'm an actress moonlighting as a writer for Suzee Behind the Scenes. Beware there will be SPOILERS in this review so please don’t continue to read if you have not yet watched the show. And come back for more of my take on some of the most popular shows available these days.

As I state, Bridgerton is a show like no other. Let me start off by saying I despise the genre that is romance. I think it creates a false fantasy in the audience’s minds and gives off a fake impression of what love is supposed to be. But, not Bridgerton. The minute the dashing Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset, pleaded about his love for Daphne, I fell in love with not only him but the show. The  little monologue he told Queen Charlotte about his love for Daphne was authentic and real. The couple recently found out that the Queen denied their pending approval for marriage, so the next step had to be to prove their love in front of her. Daphne started off with a lie, saying the traditional line, “it was love at first sight,” which made me cringe. But, the Duke immediately cut her off and saved the day.

Females in Entertainment: Interview with Writer/Director/Actress Catherine Eaton of The Sounding Film: Hear The Incredible Story of How This Film Got Made

By Suzanne Ordas Curry

Catherine Eaton is a filmmaker, writer, actress, professor and also a director. The latter came to her in a most unusual fashion, which she explains in this interview. (You just never know who is around to lend a helping hand, or even point your life in a totally different direction.)

Her feature debut as a director and writer, The Sounding, starring Harris Yulin (Training Day, Ozark) and Frankie Faison (The Wire, Silence of the Lambs), has won two-dozen awards on the festival circuit (including four Festival Grand Prizes) and was called “a lyrical and audacious debut feature” by the WSJ. Catherine and The Sounding are the subject of a branded mini-doc by Stella Artois currently running on Hulu. Catherine was chosen for Tribeca's "Through Her Lens" Lab and Grant for her pilot "On the Outs," Her newest pilot script "Breaking News" – based on her personal experience working with freelance news crews in conflict zones – was selected for IFP's Independent Film Week Project Forum. She also co-wrote the dramedy pilot "Flawless - A Feminist Fairytale" currently being shopped. As an actor, she's been seen on Broadway, TV and film, and is currently nominated for a Helen Hayes Award. Catherine teaches Screen Directing at Harvard. We talk to Catherine about The Sounding and more. See the video for the full interview.

SBTS: I watched this movie with my husband. There are very few movies we both agree on...and we watched it to the end because it’s the kind of movie you have to watch to the end! So tell me how all this will be got started. I know there’s a fascinating story behind it.

Catherine Eaton: Yes there’s a super fun story behind it, thank you for saying that. It's super fun to hear when a couple is watching it  together and talk about it. The Sounding is definitely something that people want to talk about afterwards to compare notes and things like that so I love hearing that.

SBTS: And figure it out!

NJ/NYC Event: Caytha Jentis' New Film Pooling to Paradise Holds Covid-Conscious Dinner and a Movie

Looking to get out and see a movie? If you're in the Northern NJ/NYC area, the Hohokus Inn & Tavern, Hohokus NJ is hosting an outdoor screening of the new movie Pooling to Paradise under their tent with heat lamps on February 11, 2021. A socially-distant, pre fixe 3 course meal will be served for $45. Reservations are required. Start time is 6:30pm.  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/137798305441

Pooling for Paradise is the new movie by Director/Writer Caytha Jentis (Bad Parents, The Other F Word). It's a comedy about four strangers who end up sharing a ride to Paradise, Nevada, the places they wind up at on the way and the connections they make with each other in the cramped car. It is not available in theaters or streaming yet and is currently on the festival route.

With theaters in the region closed and festivals almost entirely virtual this event promises audiences an opportunity to see a film with friends and support a local restaurant. This is the fourth Covid Safe screening that Fox Meadow Films has offered during the pandemic - two in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan while indoor dining was allowed. 

For more information on the movie visit:

 www.poolingtoparadise.com 

Sundance Film Festival 2021 is Virtual: Here's How to Fest from your Couch

Well, Sundance, one of the most prestigious and popular film festivals in the US is still being held. It's a combination of in-person and virtual. Though nothing, absolutely nothing compares with going to Sundance, having it virtually does have benefits. First, you can watch it from your warm living room instead of trapsing in the freezing cold of Utah to watch the movies and attend the events. Though I love Sundance, it's really cold.

Film Review of Amazon's Mangrove - Small Axe: Steve McQueen Swings an Axe at Racial Prejudice in the Year's Best Film

By Ashton Samson

“If you are the big tree, we are the small axe.”  - Bob Marley

This quote is at the heart of 2020’s Small Axe, a brilliant and very timely new effort from director Steve McQueen. Being an anthology series of five films that takes place between the 60’s and the mid 80’s in the West Indian area of London, it covers a wide range of ideas. 

Among them is the “celebration of all that community has succeeded in achieving against the odds,” (McQueen) an exploration of racial prejudice, Black resilience, resistance and freedom. Part of the magic is in the individuality of each film, which is fresh and different from the previous installment.

Despite their individuality, fundamentally each of them are linked together by the phrase small axe that McQueen took from the Bob Marley song of the same name. Marley’s lyric, “If you are the big tree, we are the small axe,” emphasizes his belief that the imposing and oppressive established order can be brought down or changed for the better with small, but peaceful acts. McQueen’s Small Axe puts this belief on display in all five, with the best of them being my favorite of the year, Mangrove. 

Females in Entertainment: Dorothy Papadakos Talks about Her Book Entitled The Kingdom of Winter, What we Can do to Save the Planet and Why Children Are Our Hope

Interview by Suzanne Ordas Curry

Dorothy Papadakos is setting out to make a difference. And she is doing it by reaching children. Her novel, The Kingdom of Winter, has not only become beloved by those children (and adults) that are reading it but has also become invaluable as a teaching tool in several districts, and with good reason. The book is all about our planet, our physical world and it's changes and what we must be doing to preserve it, It's quite the heavy and overwhelming subject but through her writing and plot devices she manages to make it engaging and adventurous. Read on to find out more about this book and what other projects she is taking on. And oh.. find out about just how much she admires Greta Thunberg.

Heroic knights, starry dogs... tell me what  The Kingdom of Winter is about.

Dorothy Papadakos: The book is about science-savvy kids who enter a realm never revealed to humans until now: the Kingdoms of the Seasons.  This incredible climate science adventure with heroic knight Sir Windham the North Wind takes them into wild & wonderful nature on land, in sea and sky and into our galaxy where the Great 88 Constellations live — lead powerfully by Orion and his starry dogs Canis Major & Canis Minor. 

Review: The Queen's Gambit is A Boon for Chess, but it's so Much More: Read Why you Don't Need to know a thing about Chess to Understand What this show is About

By Beth Abramson Brier

The Queen’s Gambit? Check!

In the summer of 1971 Mike Turner, the heartthrob lifeguard at our swim club, taught me to play chess.  hat and the fact that I share my first name with the protagonist of The Queen’s Gambit is where, much to my disappointment, the similarities between us end.  Anya Taylor-Joy who plays Beth delivers an Emmy award worthy performance as an unexpected child chess prodigy who enters the mostly male ranks of competitive play. 

Set during the Cold War, #TheQueen’sGambit is a seven part miniseries that has become an international success as Netflix’s most watched series.  If you haven’t yet seen it because obviously you’ve been busy following the news of “Kimye’s” rumored divorce or perhaps you’ve been hiding under the covers*- start binge watching right away.  

And don’t worry that you haven’t finished or even started watching The Crown.  It wasn’t until halfway through the first episode  that I learned that The Queen’s Gambit has nothing to do with Victoria/Elizabeth/Diana/Kate/Meghan/BabyArchie, “Brexit”, or digestive biscuits.  It has everything to do with the rather unlikely subject of chess in the even more unlikely backdrop of an orphanage in Kentucky. Wait!  Don’t go back to bed.  Let me explain why chess boards are selling out faster than Gwyneth’s candles.