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| Candy Straight at Soho Film Festival (NYC) |
The world lost Candy Straight, producer, banker and champion for women's causes.
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| Candy Straight at Soho Film Festival (NYC) |
The world lost Candy Straight, producer, banker and champion for women's causes.
Becoming Astrid is the story about the prolific, groundbreaking author, Astrid Lindgren. The film is now available on Herflix, the online movie platform for women. This film is a moving depiction of this Swedish author and her life, especially her formative years as a young girl. Even if you did not read the books, the biopic stands on its own as a telling tale of an author in the making. Featuring acclaimed performance by August Alba and Audience Award Winner Chicago International & Mill Valley Film Festivals.
To watch it click here or visit the links below:
Other films coming to Herflix:
3.5/5 🌝🌝🌝🌛
Cruella, the new film by director Craig Gillespie, is witty, glamorous and dark, showcasing the phenomenal talent of Emma Stone and Emma Thompson. It’s definitely a fun time for all. That the film is pure fun and not really much else is essential knowledge to gain before heading into it.This shining gem of a film festival is at the Jersey Shore. Located on Long Beach Island, a narrow strip of pristine beaches on one side and bayshores on the other, it's a festival gaining recognition with its selection of award-winning and new independent films. A plus for this festival - this year it is outdoors as well as inside. Last year, the Lighthouse Festival was one of the few festivals that were actually held, and using a drive-in format, some of the showings were even sold out. What's better than watching a movie outside? That would be watching a movie outside with the smell of the beach in the air.
If you're making your plans to get out like before the pandemic, here's an outing with a good cause, in the fresh air and with lots of activities. Golfers will enjoy the beautiful course (located less than an hour from NYC) and others may enjoy the dinner at the club or a peruse of the Silent Auction. Here are the details:
Interview by Suzanne Ordas Curry
Ziva Bakman-Flamhaft has gone through more in life than most people. In her book War Widow: How the Six Day War Changed My Life, she chronicles the trials, tribulations and triumphs in her life. And along the way gives hope to others. In this conversation, you'll find out how very personal her revelations are hopefully, be inspired to read the book and gain truth from her words.
You have led a life of tragedy and resilience. First, tell me why it was necessary to write this book and something about the process?
Ziva Bakman Flamhaft: The first part of your question provides the answer to the reason I needed to write my book: My life of tragedy and resilience. I was an unexperienced, sheltered young woman seemingly unprepared to handle the unimaginable loses I had suffered. And yet, I surprised all around me, including myself, with tremendous strength and resilience I did not know I had.
Looking for something new and exciting to do? Here's a new quiz show hosted by the iconic TV host Jay Leno. They are looking for people from all walks of life. You can apply online and if you're chosen they fly you out to LA for the taping. Good luck!
Update: With a soft launch in April 2021, the first ten episodes will officially launch on December 1, 2021 on the official Youtube Channel.
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!)
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 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:
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.
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.
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:
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.)
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:
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.
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/
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.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.
By Suzanne Ordas Curry
I just wanted to tell her it was all going to be okay.
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.
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:
By Suzanne Ordas Curry
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.
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.
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