Interview: Soap Star Cady McClain Forges New Career as Director: She's On Trend with New Doc Seeing is Believing: Women Direct

                                                        Interview by Suzanne Ordas Curry
Cady McClain is forging a name for herself as a director. Most well-known for her lengendary roles on the soaps All My Children, As The World Turns and Young and the Restless, her true passion is behind the camera. Cady's recent documentary, Seeing is Believing, Women Direct, showcases several women current women directors, revealing their struggles and successes. The word is out now on the power of the female director and Cady is helping to spread it. 

Seeing is Believing: Women Direct is making the rounds now at film festivals. It was awarded the Jury Award for Best Doc, Short Film Honorable mention at the Newport Beach Film Festival and will be featured at New York City's Soho Festival in June. 

In this very candid interview Cady talks about how her mother's cancer and death lead her on her path in life, how she acknowledges sexism in this industry and deals with it, and how finding your passion is difficult but the journey of pursuing it and perfecting it is what makes life meaningful.

Amazon Horror Series Changelings by Vincent Veloso Releases New Episodes

New York, NY- Changelings, a unique horror series on Amazon Prime is set to release new episodes of Season 2 in the month of June 2017. The next episode of Season Two, called “Forlorn Lauren”, is now available on Amazon. It can be viewed here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XJFGK5W

Season One, which includes three episodes, as well as the first episode of second season are currently available to stream on Amazon prime and Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/changelingstheseries).

Movie Review: Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman Is Not Only The Summer’s Biggest Blockbuster But Also The Most Important Film Of The Millennia

Review by Landon Funk

I have said before that I hate films based off of comic books. While there are a few outliers, this pretty much rings true for I find that studio executives are more interested in making a film with expensive explosions than one with substance. Deadpool and The Dark Knight showed the industry that you can have both, but Hollywood still churned out superhero films that lacked anything real.

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you know that I have written about three articles on Warner Brothers’ and DC Comics’ most recent collaboration, Wonder Woman. All coming out before the film, these pieces were about the history of Wonder Woman and her impact on the Women’s Movement (did you know that she was the first cover girl for Gloria Steinem’s Ms. Magazine?). Having never read a single Wonder Woman comic, I found this research incredibly empowering and started to admire a fictional cartoon.

MTV Beach House Back at the Jersey Shore: Episode Films in Long Beach Island

MTV is coming to the Jersey shore, but this time, it's not the teeny-bopper - high school seaside town of Seaside. Rather, it's the grown up, upscale island of Long Beach Island in the million-dollar mansion area of Loveladies. The show, MTV Beach House, is not about booze and beach babes but claims to be a performance-based reality show.

It kicks off with an party at Bay View Park, a popular venue for bands on Long Beach Island, on June 8th.  Shooting will be just a few days and then MTV leaves the island. For more on it, to see a photo of the house and to hear what the locals think, click here: http://thesandpaper.villagesoup.com/p/mtv-producing-beach-house-season-on-lbi/1658323

Related:
http://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2016/02/jersey-shores-nicole-polizzi-returns-to.html

New Play: SubPrime Comes to Jersey City Theater - Beck Lee's Dark Comedy Takes Place Right Before the Financial Fall of 08

SubPrime, is a new play debuting at the Jersey City Theater June 8th, 9th and 10th. Set in the summer of 2008 when hints of an impending financial meltdown were being felt and studiously ignored, “Subprime” introduces us to the Crocker-Kellys and the Swensons, two couples from the well-to-do Linden Hills neighborhood in Minneapolis.  The scope of their denial about the state of their finances, their marriages and even their identities comes into sharp focus in the course of an evening of relaxation in their hotel.

Subprime is the creation of veteran publicist Beck Lee. This dark comedy “Subprime,” represents his professional debut as a playwright. Directed by Jason Jacobs, the five character comedy, in which two Minneapolis couples come to New York for a bargain vacation nobody can afford, is a limited four-show
run at JCTC’s Merseles Studios, 339 Newark Avenue, on Thursday June 8 at 7:30pm, Friday June 9 at 8pm, and Saturday June 10 at 3pm & 8pm. 

Stories to Inspire: Without Being Able to Move: Young Man Goes for College Degree at Rutgers University

It's graduation season. One of the benefits on technology is that it allows people who would not have access to school and its courses to actively participate as a real student. This is the story of Thomas Roy,  a determined young man from NJ who despite being able to move most of his body, having been born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy is successfully working towards a degree from Rutgers University. As his disability is severe, his grandmother Barbara provides some needed assistance.To read the full story click here: http://news.rutgers.edu/feature/undaunted-disability-rutgers-student-excels/20161012#.WTG6YmjyuUl

To make a donation to help find a cure for muscular dystrophy or to find out more about it click here: https://www.mda.org/

Interview: Meet Sue Kinkead, Project Runway Producer - Go Behind the Scenes Of this Hit TV Show Where "There Is No Typical Day"

e                                                                      Interview by Suzanne Ordas Curry  #femalesinentertainment

   Sue Kinkead is working at her dream job. This Project Runway producer works in the fashion world, on the cutting edge of what's new, and also in television. For those of you looking for a career like this, read on to see how she went from sitting in front of a television set watching MTV to behind-the-scenes at the hottest fashion show of the millenium. And get a glimpse of what a day at Project Runway is really like. 

What was your career goal when you were in high school?

Sue Kinkead: I didn’t really have a specific career goal in high school, but i was obsessed with all things music (mtv at the time), pop culture and fashion. I knew that one day i would leave my small upstate New York town for bigger and better things.

#FemalesinEntertainment: Sofia Coppola Wins Director's Prize at Cannes; Only Second Woman To Do So

Sofia Coppola   From IMDB

Sofia Coppola is to be congratulated for winning this tremendous distinction. She took home the award for Best Director at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Only one other woman, the Russian director Yuliya Sointseva took it home in the festivals's 70 year history.

This begs the question, why? Is is simply a numbers game because there are so few films directed by women than make it in to Cannes? I certainly hope that this starts a trend. There are a growing amount of women directors making a name for themselves and hopefully this will create larger numbers of films increasing the odds for larger numbers at Cannes.

For more on Sofia, click here:
http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/29/entertainment/cannes-sofia-coppola/?iid=ob_homepage_deskrecommended_pool

To learn more about some up and coming female directors, visit: http://seeingisbelievingwomendirect.com/

Exclusive Photos: See Tainted Dreams At the 2017 Emmy Awards

Tainted Dreams' Natalia Livingston

Tainted Dreams went to the 2017 Emmy Awards  in sunny Pasadena, California. Tainted Dreams received 5 Emmy Nominations in the Digital Programming category which were given out at the Creative Emmy Awards Ceremony on Friday, April 30th.

The sun was hot that day and the winds were blowing, but nothing could stop the excitement nor the glamour of the Red Carpet at one of the biggest events in the daytime world.

Starting at 4:30 pm the stars and teams lined up for the Red Carpet outside the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Anxious reporters including all those from well-known soap and other media were there to take photos and chat with the stars and producers, including those from Tainted Dreams.

Movie Review: James Gunn’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 Tries A Little Too Hard To Mimic The First One But Features Hilarious Performances From Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, and Bradley Cooper

Movie Review by Landon Funk

If you were to ask my ex-boyfriend from college whether or not I liked Marvel films, he would spit out his drink and laugh in your face while repeating “no” over and over again. One time, we went on a date to New York City and saw IRON MAN 3, which is arguably the worst movie that I have ever seen in my entire life. After that, I stayed away from Marvel as best I could.

But then, Marvel started to make good movies. I, of course, did not realize this until this same ex-boyfriend begged me to watch GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY with him. I was shocked at how good it was, and the self-sacrifice of Groot is one of the best executed scenes in all of cinema. Having seen a Marvel film that I actually liked, I was naturally super excited to see GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2.

Movie Review of Snatched: Jonathan Levine’s SNATCHED features a Hilarious Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn

Review by Landon Funk

Okay, so I have to admit that I went into SNATCHED thinking that it was going to be complete and total garbage. It has been getting ripped to shreds in the reviews, but it also looked like it would be mildly entertaining. I mean Amy Schumer can always deliver some laughs. Which is exactly what my friend and I kept in mind as we decided to go see Jonathan Levine’s film about a mother and daughter’s misadventure in Ecuador.

Maybe it was because my friend that I saw the film with has the same mannerisms as and kinda looks like Amy Schumer. Maybe it was because there were a plethora of random actors like Joan Cusack and Christopher Meloni making casual cameos. Maybe it was because I actually thought it was funny. Regardless, I found myself laughing my sides off at the Mother’s Day flick.

Interview - Meet Stephanie Little from Amazon's The Other F Word: "There's SO Much More Wisdom in This Stage of The Game".

Actress Stephanie Little has found a home in Caytha Jentis' The Other F Word, an Amazon Video Directo Star show. I met Stephanie on the set while filming Season 2 of this hit series, which takes a comedic look at life for Generation X. If you haven't seen it yet, it's worth watching. Think Sex in the City all grown up. 
SBTS: Tell me about your character in The Other F Word.
Stephanie Little: I play Amy, a recent-empty nester and now “emotionally widowed” after my husband’s mid-life crisis triggers him to join the Peace Corp for a year. After having a very fulfilling life as a suburban stay-at-home Mom, Amy is at a mid-life crossroads. She has no choice but to make a significant life-pivot and starts her new chapter by joining her sister Diane in New York City. Amy is like a modern day Dorothy on this new adventure and it’s exciting to think what lies ahead (although I don’t know if she’s fully aware of all that yet!!).

Movie Review: Anne Hathaway Gives A Monstrous Performance In Nacho Vigalondo’s COLOSSAL

Review by Landon Funk
Anne Hathaway is either really on point or really not. There is no in between. Starting with her star-making performance as “Mia Thermopolis” in Disney’s THE PRINCESS DIARIES, Hathaway ranges from not her-best-work like her leading role in THE INTERN or quite literally Academy Award winning gold like her turn as “Fantine” in LES MISERABLES. Like I said, there is no in between.
So when I read that Colossal was a film that finally put Hathaway back on the map after her post-Oscar-win downfall, I knew that I had to go see it.

Interview - Loving's Christopher Mann: On Growing Up, Going Places Unplanned and Where He's Headed Next

Interview by Suzanne Ordas Curry

Off the heels of  his role as Theoliver in Loving, which received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations,  Actor Christopher Mann is now appearing in an indie film, But Deliver Us From Evil. His resume is impressive, having appeared on such notable shows as The Wire, House of Cards, many other hit shows and the movie Michael Clayton.

I was thrilled to have the chance to interview Chris when I met him through a film festival and even more thrilled to hear his honest, insightful and experienced answers.

Equity's Alysia Reiner and David Alan Basche to Appear at Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival April 26: Red Carpet and Movie Screening

Alysia Reiner and husband David Alan Basche will appear at the Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival on Wednesday, April 26th at the Ridgwood Bow Tie Cinema in Ridgewood, NJ. Alysia and David will be there for a special screening of the movie Equity, which they both star in and are producers of.

Equity's Sarah Megan Thomas to Appear at Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival

Sarah Megan Thomas, producer and star of Equity the Movie, will be appearing on the Red Carpet at the Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival at the Ridgwood BowTie Cinema on  Wednesday, April 26th from 6- 7 pm. She will be there for a screening of her movie, Equity, and will be part of the Q and A following the movie. The theater is located at 190 W. Ridgwood Avenue in Ridgewood, NJ.

The movie will screen as part of the festival at 7:40 pm. There is no charge for the Red Carpet. There is a $10 tickets charge to get into
the festival which is an all-access pass for the whole night of films, features and music. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

Event:Tainted Dreams Comes to the Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival, Cast and More on Red Carpet include Austin Peck, Tonja Walker, Terri Conn, Erik Ransom

(Press Release) Coming to the Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival on Wednesday, April 26th is the soap within a soap, Sonia Blangiardo's Tainted Dreams This immensely popular Amazon Series will be shown at 7:10 pm at the Ridgewood Bowtie Cinema, 190 Ridgewood Avenue in Ridgewood, NJ (half hour from NYC) as part of the growing festival. One episode will be shown and there will be a Q and A with the actors immediately following.  

Event: Emmy Winner/Soap Icon Martha Byrne to Conduct Workshop about Getting Into Show Business at Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival

Review: Winner of the Prix de la Mis en Scene at the Cannes Film Festival, Olivier Assayas Delivers a Haunting Horror/Thriller in his Kristen Stewart Starrer PERSONAL SHOPPER.

Personal Shopper Review by Landon Funk

There is something so beautiful about going to see a film without knowing anything about it. I think that part of the problem with today’s film consumption culture is that we love to know the ending before we see the film. Whether that be through a review in Entertainment Weekly or a brief skim of Wikipedia while in line to buy a ticket, we want instant gratification.

But that is not what film is, and I had the pleasure of revisiting this antiquated, superior idea on Monday evening when I settled into my dead center of the room seat after purchasing a ticket to see PERSONAL SHOPPER at Nashville’s The Belcourt Theater.

New Jersey's Benzel-Busch Motor Car Dealership Launches Its First-Ever Luxury Publication – Highways

Stories to Inspire: Bergen County CASA for Children Holds Casino Night- Bet on the Children, Mark and Debbie Levy to be Honored

(Press Release): Hackensack, NJ – Have some fun and benefit children in foster care at the same time! CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for Children of Bergen County is holding its 12th annual event, Casino Night: Bet on the Children on April 27,  2017 from 6:30pm to 10:30pm at Seasons, 644 Pascack Road in Washington Township, NJ.  

Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival Starts April 24 - Red Carpet Features Alysia Reiner, Martha Byrne, Sarah Megan Thomas, Christopher Mann, Soap Stars and More, Watch Features, Animation, Student Films, Foreign and Hear Live Music

                       
(Press Release) Ridgewood, NJ  - Soaps, Stocks, Students and Suspense highlight the lineup for this year's  Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival  which runs  Monday, April 25th  to Thursday, April 27th in downtown Ridgewood, NJ. This year's film festival promises to be bigger and better than before with celebrities coming out for the Red Carpet, a world premiere, a musical performance, an acting workshop by an Emmy winner, and local student films. 

New Music: Meet Libby Kallins of Zoochie and Mellow Out with Her Original Song Aphrodite

There's more music out there to find and enjoy then ever before.  I had the opportunity to interview Libby Kallins of Zoochie, a student at Rutgers University. Libby's got some tunes out on her own, and is now concentrating on being the lead vocalist of Zoochie. Libby writes many of her songs and collaborates on the music. This talented Gen Z has  a soulful sound with looks reminiscent of Stevie Nicks.

I found out about Aphrodite and just loved it. Her band Zoochie has more of a rock vibe, sometimes with a little Latin influence, but no matter the genre expect her voice to carry the music.

Alec Baldwin Signs Copies of His New Book Nevertheless, Says Favorite Chapter was Definitely "The One About His Wife"

                                                                            By Suzanne Ordas Curry 
Hot off the presses and hot off his performances on SNL and his tour for Boss Baby, actor/writer/icon/the immortal Alec Baldwin visited the small suburb outside of New York City of Ridgewood, NJ, to sign copies of new new memoir, Nevertheless. 

Bookends on Ridgewood Avenue in Ridgewood, NJ is often a stop on A-listers book tours, and this one came the day after his book dropped.

Movie Review: Scarlett Johansson Might Sell Tickets but Nothing Can Save the Atrocity that is Rupert Sanders’ GHOST IN THE SHELL

Review by Landon Funk

I always knew that the gender gap in Hollywood was absolutely ridiculous, but it was not until I started to write for this blog that I realized how truly horrendous it is. Films by women about women are almost impossible to find, and, as of right now, it seems that leading ladies seem to be prevalent but the people who make the films are almost always men. Come on, Hollywood, step up your game.

This week, I scoured for a film to watch that had even the smallest thing to do with women. GHOST IN THE SHELL was quite literally the only film that met this category, and I had read reviews in Variety, The New York Times, and Entertainment Weekly that just destroyed the movie for whitewashing and bad writing. In fact, this film was recognizably so bad after its opening weekend that when my friend and I went up to buy our tickets, the guy at the kiosk next to us saw what we were seeing and said, “You know that it is supposed to suck, right?” “We know,” my friend and I responded flatly.

Although GHOST IN THE SHELL did not meet its projected box office numbers, the theater that we were in was packed, nearly every seat was filled with popcorn-eating comic book nerds. It is safe to say that my friend and I were woefully out of place. As the credits started to roll, it was obvious that android birthing sequence had been taken from HBO’s hit WESTWORLD.

Review: Nevertheless by Alec Baldwin - A Look Back at his Life, The Culture, and What He Found in the Rabbit Hole

                                                                                                                                                                     Review by Suzanne Ordas Curry

Why I liked this book: Alec Baldwin, born as Xander Baldwin is a bit older than me, but we're in the same range. He grew up in a suburb outside of New York City like me. I did not think of the similarities until I began to read the book. The geographic culture is the same, but also is the pop culture we grew up in.

Alec begins the book by saying the he wrote it, simply, because he was paid to write it, which he also says was his motivation with many other things he did.

I think that when one is their forties, but really fifties, if they have lived that long and lived well, they ask that question,  "How did I get here?" And that is the question Alec answers with honesty and insight in this
memoir. He may not have sought out to be introspective I mean who has the time to be with so much going on in one's life like he does- but the book forced him to.

Movie Review: Life - No Matter How Incredible Rebecca Ferguson’s Performance Was, Daniel Espinosa’s Sci-fi Thriller LIFE Has Anything But

Life    From IMDB

Review by Landon Funk

I honestly do not know what I expected. After seeing the trailer for LIFE nearly a year ago, I remember thinking, “Wait, is this not the plot of ALIEN?” I was upset and felt ripped off by major studios. Unlike the usual blockbuster garbage that is based off comic books, this was a film that was not even trying to hide that it was a rip off from Ridley Scott’s science fiction masterpiece. Nevertheless, I went to go see LIFE because I had faith in writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, two lads whose claim to fame is their fantastic script for DEADPOOL. Also, I was taken aback that up-and-comer Rebecca Ferguson received second billing after Jake Gyllenhaal and before Deadpool himself, Ryan Reynolds. How could someone who has only had small parts receive such a massive part accompanied by a multimillion dollar paycheck?

Justin Beiber Helps out NJ Animal Shelter: Makes Surprise Appearance at Tribe Body Dance Benefit

Bieber cane to NJ to help animals. Photo from Twitter

Icon Justin Bieber gave a little help to a friend by appearing at a benefit for the Ramapo Bergen Animal  Refuge annual benefit named "A Cause for Paws" held at Tribe Body Dance Studio in Ramsey, NJ. 

The widely-recognized singing sensation was ushered in secretly and surprised everyone, though the owner of Tribe Body Dance Studio found out he was coming earlier in the day. He sat in the front

Complete List of Daytime Emmy Nominations 2017: Outstanding Digital Daytime Nominations Include The Bay, Red Bird, Tainted Dreams, Tough Love and Venice The Series

The 2017 Daytime Emmy Award Nominations have been announced and congratulations go out to all of those behind the scenes and in front of the cameras that are responsible for the high level of entertainment and quality that the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences recognizes.

Review of Beauty and the Beast: Emma Watson Leading the Way for Disney’s New Feminist Heroines

Review by Kelly Byrne

Stunning Emma Watson                        Credit: Disney

After almost a year long marketing campaign, there were two popular and opposing sentiments surrounding Disney’s new live-action Beauty and the Beast: excitement and indifference. The latter comes as no surprise since Princess movies
tend to target specific audiences, namely daughters and their parents. Many who grew up with the 1991 animated film questioned the necessity of this live-action addition; what would director Bill Condon add that Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise failed to incorporate in the original?  

Amazon Series Tainted Dreams - The Story of a Soap within a Soap Nominated for Five 2017 Daytime Emmys

Tainted Dreams, the soap within a soap that is reeling in the viewers on Amazon, has received 5 daytime Emmy nominations. They are as follows:

Michael Lowry nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Digital Daytime Series

Kelley Menighan nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Digital Daytime Series
Natalia Livingston nominated for Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actress in a Digital Daytime Series
Anthony Wilkinson nominated for Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actor in a Digital Daytime Series

and Tainted Dreams for Outstanding Digital Series

Rating Films: The Woman-O-Meter Seeks to Rate Films and Programming on Different Female Variables

It has been very hard to have a conversation about film the past few years without having the "female" aspect of it come into play.

More reviewers are now looking into and at the female aspects of a film or any production, whether it be behind the scenes or in front of the camera. Also including in this is the subject matter and the way women are portrayed in the film or content.

As a producer, I am always looking for projects created by women and featuring women in positive roles. I know other producers looking at potential projects in the same light and realized that right now there is no
"rating system" taking into account these types of variables.

On this website we would like to introduce a new rating system to see how the movie (or other content) scores in relationship to many variables about women. We are calling it the Woman-O-Meter.

From this point on we will use a Woman-O-Meter to rate films on several criteria. To score one point (a pump) on the Woman-O-Meter one would have to have or be:

1. One or more producer, Executive Producer, Associate or Co-producer that is female

2. A female director

3. A strong female lead

4. A strong female lead that acts as a positive role model in some way/makes good decisions

5. One or more females that are over 40 in the cast

6. One of more females in the cast that are over a size 8

7. A movie about women you would be proud to or want to bring your daughter to see

8. A movie that has at least one minority woman in it, either by race or orientation

9. A movie that has deals with a topic that is specific to women, or something that women have to deal with often

10. A movie about a female that faces some kind of discrimination or problem in life and clearly seeks to triumph over it or successfully triumphs over it

Review: Before I Fall Movie: Ry Russo-Young's Coming of Age Thriller Evolves From Horrendous to Engrossing with a Noteworthy Performance by Zoey Deutch

Review by LANDON FUNK

I will be honest. I went into BEFORE I FALL with extremely low expectations. Based off of Lauren Oliver’s novel of the same name, the film had an absolutely horrendous marketing campaign with an anything but climatic trailer and little to no promoting commercials or billboards. But, quite truthfully, I was pleasantly surprised by Ry Russo-Young’s BEFORE I FALL.  After I snuggled into my purple socks and snapped open the snuck-in can of Dr. Pepper, I settled into my seat in the dead center of the theater. There were only two other women in the theater, and each of us was spread out far enough to not even be in the same eye sight as the other two. The opening credits started to roll, opening with loud pop-rock over beautiful scenes of the pacific northwest. BEFORE I FALL follows a high-school girl named Samantha Kingston (Zoey Deutch), a popular girl that is part of a MEAN GIRLS-esque clique, and her life on February 12 aka “Cupid Day.” At her school, students anonymously send each other roses, and the girls with the most roses are the most popular ones. As the day progresses, Samantha and her friends gossip, pick on a “crazy” girl named Juliet, prepare to swipe their V-cards, and go to party. The twist? Samantha and her friends are in a horrible car accident on their way home from the party, essentially halting time for Samantha as she is forced to relive Cupid Day over and over again GROUNDHOG DAY style.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center Celebrates Women's History Month 2017 with Art Exhibit by Jersey Artists: Women in the World: A Visual Perspective

Hollywood Awards Season 2016 - The 18th Annual WIN Awards Ceremony: Anne Archer, Carrie Fisher and Karen Sharpe-Kramer Honored

Kat Kramer stands with Honoree Karen Sharpe-Kramer,
Honoree Anne Archer and Marisol Nichols

On a rainy night in LA- yes the worst storm in a decade- the 18th Annual WIN Awards (Women's Image Network) took place at the prestigious Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Though some attendees trickled in a little late and a little wet, all but a few made it to this awards ceremony which recognizes the artistic and humanitarian contributions of females in entertainment.

The Red Carpet was abuzz with the nominees, astounding women who deserved to be nominated for their achievements over the past year or in their lifetimes. Gracing the Red Carpet were many of the nominees, not just actresses but writers, producers and directors as well. For a full list of the nominees visit:
http://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2017/02/what-are-womans-image-awards-at-time.html

The 18th Annual WIN Women's Image Awards: Recognizing Achievement of Women Behind, In Front of the Screen and in Life: Anne Archer to be Honored

What are the Woman's Image Awards? At a time when women are in the news, making a very large noise about what they want and what they do, the Woman's Image Awards has been honoring women in entertainment, politics and the humanities for decades. Beginning in  1993 they have been recognizing the achievements of females in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Started by actress and film maker Patricia Stuart the goal was to recognize and honor women who create positive and dimensional images for and of females.

Obsessed with La La Land: Top Five Fan Videos You Will Want to See

                                                                                                                                                                            By Suzanne Ordas Curry

If you're like me and you love La La Land, you want more. There's several good videos on Youtube that will put a smile on your face and satiate that need for more music and details about the movie. After foraging through Youtube, here's my Top 5 La La Land videos you might want to see. I am not including those made as a promotion for the movie. Those are great too but these are just fan videos.

#1 All time Favorite: Somewhere in the Crowd by Atawat Paurueng

Ridgewood Guild International Film Festival 2017 Kicks off with Oscar-Themed Fundraiser: Come as Your Favorite Actor or Dress for the Red Carpet

Authors Alec Baldwin, Deepak Choprah, Katey Sagal, Dance Moms' Maddie Zieigler Come to NJ - See Them at Bookends and Other Venues

Ridgewood, NJ - Long live the local bookstore! Bookends in Ridgewood is hosting a variety of authors over the next few months. Meet Soap Star Eric Braeden from The Young and The Restless, Dance Moms star Maddie Ziegler and Superior Donut's Katey Sagal. You will catch me there to see Alec Baldwin, who is not only a prolific impressionist as of late but shows he is a prolific author as well.

I highly recommend these book signings for two reasons. One is that the authors often talk before hand and the room is not that crowded so you can see and hear them. Photography is allowed. Secondly, you are not rushed. Most often when you meet the author you are allowed to say a few words to them and also someone you know or a bookstore employee will snap a photo with you and that person. 

Please note that for some of these authors there are special instructions.and they are not al at the bookstore. Please scroll down for all the authors and details.

Visit the site at www.Book-ends.com for more information or to pre-order. Some events do get sold out.Please note that  Each person attending must purchase one or more books.

Oscar Nominations for 2017 Revealed: Is Your Fave on the List?

They're out. The Oscar nominations for the 89th Annual Awards Ceremony for 2017 are out, and LaLa Land tops the list. How many of these films have you seen? If you haven't seen them all, theaters often run the contenders again so look for them in your local theater and at the same time support the theaters. There's nothing like watching a movie in a real theater. Read the list here;

http://variety.com/2017/film/news/2017-oscar-nominations-academy-awards-nominees-1201968107/

RHONJ Dina Manzo Has Acting Debut in New Amazon Series Tainted Dreams: Cast Includes Reality and Soap Stars

Dina Manzo and Anthony Wilkinson star in #Tainted Dreams

RHONJ Dina Manzo has another show on her IMDB profile, a soap. Dina appears in Tainted Dreams, a continuing drama now streaming on Amazon. Tainted Dreams is the brainchild of Sonia Blangiardo, who has been behind the scenes in the land of soaps as a director for decades. Tainted Dreams chronicles the behind-the-scenes happenings of a soap opera, Painted Dreams - and if you think the on-screen happening are interesting there's even more drama behind the cameras.

Dina called her appearance, "my little acting debut among all these soap pros." Indeed, she is in the cast with iconic players from daytime, Alicia Minshew, Austin Peck, Terri Ivans, Walt Willey, Grant Aleksander, Michael Lowry, Kelley Hensely, Bobbie Eakes, Colleen Zenk, Natalia Livinston, the late Larkin Malloy, Jaimes DePaiva, Ilene Krsten, Nathan Purdee, Tonya Walker and Marie Schulenberg. Rounding out the cast is Anthony Wilkinson of  the My Big Gay Italian Wedding franchise and Big Brothers/wrestling's Jessie Godderz and others.

In her exclusive promo for the show she talks about "how she always wanted to be an actress." She also states how "it's a very different dynamic" versus being on a reality show, when the cameras are following you around. In this show, the Manzo surname is gone. She's a DiGiacomo!

Review: La La Land Starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling: Simply a Delight for the Eyes and Ears

I had to see what all the rave was about regarding La La Land.

I went to see it, and I can't get the song "City of Stars" out of my head.

If you are a fan of romance, jazz, Emma or Ryan, musicals, or movie nostalgia, go see this move. It's also a movie for dreamers, if you have a dream in your heart that you know can come true there's meaning in this for you.

Here's what I liked about this film, no what I loved:

Go Behind the Scenes of a Soap with TAINTED DREAMS on Amazon - Features Alicia Minshew, Austin Peck & Other Iconic Daytime Talent plus From RealityTV Dina Manzo, Jessie Godderz

A Soap Fan's Dream - New Series Tainted Dreams Premiering on Amazon 12-26 -16

Tells the Story Behind the Scenes of A Soap Opera: Cast Includes Iconic Daytime Talent from All Networks and Reality Stars

NEW YORK CITY,  December 18, 2016 – Tainted Dreams, the Emmy-nominated web series about the "behind the scenes" drama of the fictitious soap Painted Dreams will start streaming on Amazon on December 26, 2016. Tainted Dreams (#TaintedDreams) will be available free, even for non-subscribers (without ads for prime members and with ads for non-prime subscribers).  Tainted Dreams is produced by NYC Brand Productions which includes the critically acclaimed film Equity’s Executive Producer, Candy Straight.  Visit www.tainteddreams.com for more info. View the Sneak Peak Trailer here: https://www.facebook.com/tainteddreamstheseries/

Females in Entertainment Interview: Producer/Actress Sarah Megan Thomas of Backwards and Equity Movie Can You Have it All?

                                                                                      By Suzanne Ordas Curry

Sarah Megan Thomas of  Equity and Backwards

Sarah Megan Thomas is an actress, writer and producer whose second film, Equity, a financial thriller rolled out in theaters nationwide this past year and is now available on DVD.

Aside from the suspense and storyline of this timely drama, Equity is known as being a film written, directed, starring, and produced mainly by women. In Equity it’s the females that call the shots.

Prior to Equity, Sarah produced and starred in Backwards, a movie about a subject near and dear to her heart, rowing.

But how did Sarah go from the suburbs of Philadelphia to Hollywood? In this interview Sarah talks about her beginnings, and what it’s like being a female and a mom in entertainment.

Suzee: So let’s start at the beginning. When did you first realize the field of entertainment might be for you?

Sarah Megan Thomas: It’s so funny cause I feel like I have wanted to do it since I was born, I don’t really remember the genesis. I do remember my dad made me and my sister play the piano for many years. And remember putting on Les Miserables with my sister in our living room, playing various roles. That was the beginning and end of my singing career because I’m a horrible singer! Just always wanting to create and perform. My parents were like “that’s nice she’ll outgrow it”. I come from two lawyers, very practical. So they said “not until after college, you have to wait till after college to pursue it.”

They thought maybe I would stop, and I was a theater major, they were always supportive. After college they said, ‘Well, I guess she’s really going to do this.”

Sarah Megan Thomas,  Roe Hartrampf and Samuel Roukin behind the scenes at the making of Equity

Equity Movie Fans: ABC Picks up Pilot Commitment from Sony Tri-Star for TV

Save 20% at JCrew Stores in Bergen County NJ and Help Support Kids in Foster Care Through CASA for Children of Bergen County

In The Car with Blossom and Len: Queens Theatre's Newest Production Stars Emmy Award Winner Martha Byrne and Patricia Randell

There's a lot going on in the car with Blossom
and Len.                 Photo by Dominick Totino

Who's in the car with Blossom and Len?

Emmy award-winning actress Martha Byrne is in that car.

After a few decades away from the stage having started her career in Broadway's Annie, three-time Emmy Winner Martha Byrne returns to star as Fern in "In the Car with Blossom and Len, a play about the trials and tribulations of growing up, growing old and having to take care of parents who are simply old. The play is a Queens Theatre in the Park production.

An Evening to Benefit Bergen County Family and Children's Charities: The Universal Unitarian Outreach Auction

Equity the Movie Screens at Rutgers: Special Discussion by Producers Follows