Red Oaks TV Series on Amazon Prime: Twelve Things You Didn't Know About the Show

by Suzanne Ordas Curry

1. The body swap episode was an homage to 80's body swapping movies, like Freaky Friday and 18 again. That was the first episode Amy Eckerling directed. Craig Roberts (David)  said his back hurt after doing the episode.

2. David has a British accent, and needed a voice coach to learn an American accent. Also, he is a fan of video games.

3. On the other hand, Ennis Esmer, who came to North America from Turkey when he was three.has no accent..

RHONJ Kathy Wakile Opens Pizza Love in Wyckoff, NJ: Italian Specialties Top the Menu

Kathy Wakile    Courtesy Facebook

by Suzanne Ordas Curry

One slice with pepperoni please!!

Real Housewife of NJ Kathy Wakile has announced the opening of her new pizza restaurant, Pizza Love. It is located in the suburban Bergen County town (a suburb of New York City) that is next to Franklin Lakes, the upscale town that is home to many RHONJ ladies.

On the main street in Wyckoff, which is peppered with a few strip malls, businesses, restaurants and stately homes, Mrs. Wakile has opened up her own place, 637 Wyckoff Avenue is her new home.

Review: http://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2017/10/rhonj-kathy-wakiles-pizza-love.html

Mrs. Wakile has always talked about her love of cooking, so it's no surprise she is in the restaurant business now nor is the name of the establishment a surprise.

DGA Reports More Women and Minorities Being Hired as Directors

Equity Movie Director Meera Menon speaks at Sundance

Well the numbers are looking better. Perhaps there is a concerted effort from the traditional media and platfoms to expand their hiring practices, but this DGA report shows gains in the hiring of female and minority directors. Though female and minority directors are almost a mainstay in the independent world, this report shows they are being hired by the corporations in Hollywood. See full report as reported by Deadline.

 http://deadline.com/2017/09/dga-report-finds-record-gains-for-first-time-women-and-minority-tv-directors-1202177628/

You May Like- Cady McClain Talks about Women Directors  http://www.suzeebehindthescenes.com/2017/06/interview-soap-star-cady-mcclain-forges.html

New Clothing Line Livari is Socially-Conscious and Fashionable, Alysia Reiner, Claudine DeSola and Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs Premiered New Line at NY Fashion Week

Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs, Alysia Reiner
and  Claudine De Sola talk to press
at the Livari Premiere

By Suzanne Ordas Curry

New York Fashion Week. There’s not much that matches the excitement of this week in New York. For me, this was my first time.

I got to witness the unveiling of a new line of socially-conscious clothing, called Livari. The lovely and inspiring ladies behind it are Alysia Reiner (actress/producer/feminine activist known for Equity the Movie, Orange is the New Black and Better Things),  Claudine DeSola (Founder, Caravan Stylist Studio and Celebrity Stylist) and Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs (Designer of Tabii Just and a Women’s March Organizer).

According to the press release, LIVARI is “a luxury fashion line that was created with the sole purpose of empowering women. It is zero-waste, women-led, women-designed and made ethically in New York.”

“Manufacturing a typical garment produces an egregious amount of waste – up to 15% of the fabric used to make a garment is tossed out and can end up in landfills”, said LIVARI founders Reiner, DeSola and St. Bernard-Jacobs. “By using the remnants from mills and sourcing other unique and ethical materials, we’re able to create something beautiful and desirable out of what would normally be discarded as waste.”

NJ Event: Gina Avino's Artistic Design Presents Lu La Roe Fashion Show to Benefit Diabetes Research Institute

Gina Avino's Artistic Designs of Ramsey, NJ will be holding a Fashion Show benefit for the Diabetes Research fund at the Ramsey Golf and Country Club in Ramsey, NJ.

Update: This show has been postponed until Spring 2018.

The show will feature Lu Lu Roe clothing. Lu La Roe clothing is a casual clothing line known for comfort, color and style. Clothing is available in many sizes including plus sizes and is reasonably priced. In addition to this fashion show benefiting diabetes research, Lu La Roe also donates a portion of sales to the National Down

Event: New Movie The Neighborhood with Danny Aiello, Armand Assante, Daniel Baldwin Comes to NJ and Select Theaters Nationwide

by Suzanne Ordas Curry

Frank D'Angelo's newest movie, The Neighborhood, opens this weekend in select theaters. A well-known cast brings this mafia- movie to life. The premise is that a group of young thugs who terrorized their neighborhood start stepping on the wrong toes. For fans of this genre, this is a must-see.

Cast includes Danny Aiello, John Ashton, Armande Assante,Keisha Augustun, Sherman Augustus, Daniel Baldwin and more. Look for cameos from Maureen McCormick and Margot Kidder.

Event: Meet the Bands of the 2017 Ridgewood Music Fest - Declan Power, Blue Plate Special, Eugene Thomas and No Big Deal, Stillettos, Trouble, No Money Down and Country Joe Trio to Perform

by Danielle Altamuro

The 4th Annual Ridgewood NJ Music Fest is set for September 10, 2017 rain or shine at Memorial Park at Van Neste Square in beautiful downtown Ridgewood. Admission is free and bands will be performing from 1-7pm. Bring your lawn chair, your appetite for food available from fine local restaurants and get ready for a great day.

Meet the Bands of the Ridgewood Music Fest!

Event: Fourth Annual Ridgewood Music Fest Features Local Bands, Fine Food and Free Admission

Looking to spend a nice weekend outdoors this fall?

The Ridgewood Guild is holding its 4th Annual Music Fest on September 10, 2017 from  1pm to 7pm in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square in downtown Ridgewood, NJ rain or shine. Bring your lawn chairs, sit back and listen to a variety of great local bands. Admission to the event is free. When you're hungry, take a stroll around the park and visit the tables of many of your favorite local restaurants which will have food for purchase. There's also a Beer and Wine Garden for adults. Also see what Plein Air Painting is, done by the Ridgewood Art Institute.

Zoochie Band Announces Fall 2017 Lineup, Opening for Drake Bell Band of Drake and Josh at Stanhope House, On The Border, Mexicali Live and More

Libby Kallins of Zoochie

Rock/Jam/Groove Band Zoochie out of New Brunswick, NJ  has announced their lineup for the fall. This emerging band. lead by vocalist Libby Kallins, has  a wordly sound with its use of different genres.

All appearances will have originals included mixed in with popular covers. The band recently debuted its new single Running Water which will be played at future concerts. Here's their schedule. Check back for updates as more shows are added.

Expect their first EP out late 2017.

Listen to their original song "I'm The Only One" here:

Movie Review of Ingrid Goes West - An #AllTooReal Depiction of Generation Me

Movie Review by Kelly A. Byrne

A week ago, my buddy who works in comedy took me to see a movie I knew almost nothing about. It was getting great reviews, so in I went, blind as a bat, to see Ingrid Goes West starring Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olson, Wyatt Russell, and Billy Magnussen. Directed by Matt Spicer. What a time it was. 

A quick logline;  A young woman, Ingrid, who has just suffered the loss of her mother moves west to Los Angeles to pursue and befriend an Instagram model who lives the “perfect” life. Anyone who has interacted with social media knows the fraudulent nature of it. It’s the sliver of life that everyone wants you to see – even strangers. When Ingrid can no longer make life work for herself at home, she takes the $60K her mother left her and travels to the land of perfect Instagrams and model living: Venice Beach, California. Ingrid Goes West was an expert satire and commentary on the way the under-30 generation is addicted to technology and social media; how they love the semblance of living a certain way, but cannot truly commit to or claim any single style or habit because they are always onto the next thing. The movie is a genius mockery of and serious warning to those trying to impress the masses through exploiting pop-lifestyle, as well as the lemmings who follow.

Interview: Soap Star Natalia Livingston of General Hospital and Days of Our Lives Now Starring as Liza Park in Tainted Dreams and Owner of Her Own Business - Learn What Inspires Her

Natalia  Livington is an Emmy-award winning actress, producer and also a business owner. From her days in soaps as a member of the Quartermaine clan Emily Bowen Quartermaine on General Hospital to her time at Days of Our Lives as Taylor Walker, Natalia has also produced, acted in commercials and also film. In this interview she talks about her new role as Liza Park on the Emmy-nominated Tainted Dreams now streaming on Amazon, her new role as owner of the www.ActorBoutique.com business in Atlanta and how her inspiration can be yours too. 

Event: Special 1Act Play Is Title of Off Broadway Production about Sexual Abuse: Nann Gill Stars in This Ann P. Meredith Production

Empowering Women Everywhere Host and Producer of the award winning movie Collar, Nann Gill, a native New Yorker to star Off Broadway in "SPECIAL 1Act Play" by Ann P. Meredith, which will be a part of the awesome NYSUMMERFEST's Theatre Festival at The Hudson Guild Theatre, 441 West 26th Street (between 9th and 10th Avenue), NYC 10001 with Performances on August 3rd @ 9:00pm, 4th @ 6:15pm and 6th @ 8:30pm. "SPECIAL 1ActPlay" is a Labor of Love and Passion and speaks to anyone who has experienced sexual abuse.

Anthony J. Wilkinson's My Big Gay Italian Series Showing at Atlantic City's Resorts: Expect Fun and Mayhem at Weddings, Funerals and in Mid-Life

Anthony J. Wilkinson's My Big Gay Italian Funeral comes to Resorts on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City on July 28, 2017 at the Superstar Theater at 9pm. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or at the Resorts Box Office.

If you've seen the precursor, My Big Gay Italian Wedding, you know what's ahead of you, a night of laughs and fun as these plays find the humor in 21st century families coming to term with new issues amid ingrained stereotypes left over from the century before.

In My Big Gay Italian Wedding, which has toured the country and was recently seen at Resorts this past summer, creator/writer and three-time Emmy Winner Anthony Wilkinson plays Anthony Pinnuziato. Spoiler alert, Anthony does end up marrying his partner, played by Brandon Goins, but not without some clever maneuvering to please his Italian parents as well as some out-manuevering of a past boyfriend who does not this marriage to become until death do you part.

New Movie Egg: A Dark Comedy About Surrogacy by Alysia Reiner, David Alan Basche and Michele Ganeless Stars Christina Hendricks, Anna Camp and More

There's an egg being hatched in Hollywood,

Egg is the name of  new indie movie by  Equity Producers Alysia Reiner, husband David Alan Basche and Michele Ganeless (Comedy Central), about, well, an unusual route to motherhood.

This movie is set to be "eggcellent" from a female perspective. As she did with Equity as a producer, Alysia, David as well as  Ganeless have assembled a crack team of females to help them in this venture. The writer is female, Risa Mickenberg (Taxi Driver Wisdom), the director is Marianna Palka (Good Dick, Glow) and you can be sure much of the team cooking up this movie will be female.

Movie Review of The Little Hours: Jeff Baena's Limited Release Comedy with Alison Brie, Dave Franco and Mollie Shannon Has a Wide Range of Humor

By Kelly A. Byrne

Jeff Baena’s The Little Hours came out in select theaters bringing joy and laughter to the self-selecting audiences who love a good 15th century nun sex comedy. After premiering at Sundance, the film was distributed by Gunpowder & Sky to positive reviews in two theaters, followed by a larger roll out. The Little Hours is home to a star-studded cast including Dave Franco, Molly Shannon, Allison Brie, John C. Riley, Kate Micucci, Aubrey Plaza, and Fred Armisen, among others. 

When Masetto (Franco) is caught sleeping with his nobleman’s wife, he must run for his life or else be killed. In his escape, he meets a priest (Riley) and gains shelter and a job as a gardener at the monastery where he must pretend that he is a deaf mute in order to keep the nuns from bothering him. In a twist of expectations, the monastery is the least sanctimonious place of the Middle Ages.

Females In Entertainment: Wonder Woman is One Super Step in the Right Direction in the Quest for Female-Driven Movies

Wonder Woman is doing more than just Wonderful at the Box Office. It's another testament to the fact that women-directed, women-centric movies can make money from both male and females for the producers. CNN takes a good look at the power of this Patty Jenkins-directed superhero flick, but also asks a very important question. Where are movies about real women, like Vera Atkins, a World War II spy, or Harriet Tubman, for example? Hidden Figures didn't hide the fact that is was a true story about women, and look how well that did. Hoping Hollywood hears the call for more female-oriented movies based on true stories. And if not Hollywood independents should realize the need for and success from what women can bring to the camera, both in front of and behind them. Read full CNN article here: http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/02/opinions/wonder-woman-you-call-this-feminism-beale/index.html

Kevin Spacey Foundation New York Music Festival Grant Winner The Goree All-String Band is a New Musical about Redemption from Behind Bars - See It At The 2017 New York Music Festival

What is the Goree All-String Band? 

First, it's the winner of the Kevin Spacey Foundation Musical Theater Artist of Choice Grant for the New York Music Festival.

Second it's a new musical that's about something quite unique. A bunch of women in the year 1928 making music. Behind bars. Who did not know how to play music. To get out. And, it's inspired by a a true story.

Review and Recap of Jane The Virgin on the CW: This Girl is Resilient and Makes for Empowering, Engaging and Must-Binge TV

By Kelly Cronin

Jane The Virgin, the CW's award-winning drama about Jane Villanueva as she navigates becoming an adult while also becoming a mother, will be going into its fourth season this coming October. The series recently wrapped up the third season, which brought many changes to Jane’s life as well as the death of her husband, Michael mid-season. Jane’s resilience is quite admirable in her time of grief and it is clear she inherited her strength from the women who raised her: Alba, her grandmother and Xiomara, her mother. Throughout the course of the series, Jane and her motherly figures have disagreed and argued, but ultimately they are the ones who taught her how to be resilient in the face of adversity.

NJ Groove Rock Band Zoochie To Play at Stanhope House Followed by The Mighty Spectrum Band

Zoochie comes to the Stanhope House in Stanhope NJ on Friday, July 7, 2017 at 8:00 pm. They are opening for the popular cover band The Mighty Spectrum, who will be doing their Bruce Springsteen show.

Zoochie is an emerging groove rock band out of New Brunswick. The four male and lead female singer band are all college students. Formed in late 2016 they already won the Demarest Battle of the Bands at Rutgers University.

At the Stanhope House, they will be playing thier favorite original songs including Honey, Three Missed Calls and Matador. Also expect covers of Amy Whinehouse and Anderson Paak.

New Jersey Performing Arts Centers Celebrates 20 Years: Complete 2017-18 Season Listing includes Bill Clinton, Ringo Starr, Izthak Perlman, Yo Yo Ma, Daniel Tiger, YES, Temptations, Shen Yun, Classical and Hip Hop Performances and More

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ is celebrating it's 20th anniversary with a new identify and a diverse and interesting lineup for the 2017-18 season. 

Highlights include a conversation with former President Bill Clinton, a musical performace by Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, the TD James Moody Jazz Festival, the Broadway Musical "Ain't Misbehavin', violinists Itzhak Perlman and Pichas Zukerman, The Hip-Hop Nutcracker, Ringo Starr, John Cleese and a showing of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, John Anderson of YES, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood Live!, The Temptations/Four Tops, Journalist Cokie Roberts, and many other classical, musical and cultural performances and events. See below for current schedule.

Women: Looking to Learn or Make a Change in Your Life? Morphmom Conference in NYC Features Renowned Speakers, Special Guest Big Life Author Ann Shoket

Are you looking to do something new with your life? Make a change, start a new career, get a fresh or different outlook on life?

Enter the Non-conference conference by Morphmom to be held on Monday, June 26th at Playwright Horizons on 42nd Street in New York City.. Not your typical conference, this event is geared towards women (men welcome though) who want to learn more about different opportunities in life from successful women who have pursued their dreams.

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