New Streaming Platform Herflix Offers Free Movies: This Changes Everything, Nora Ephron, The Girls in the Band and More

Looking for something new and different? The new online movie theater for women, Herflix, is announcing a  line-up of movies just in time for the summer which can be streamed for free. Herflix is all about content for and about women. The movies that are available to stream for free are This Changes Everything, The Girls in the Band, Chavela, Sand Dollars, Nora Ephron (documentary) and Gemma Bovary.

These movies are sponsored by Martha Stewart Perfectly Roasted Coffee by Barrie House. They can be viewed for free at anytime at www.Herflix.com using the links listed below. No membership is required. Just sign in for free to access the site.

A New NO! An OLD Way to Watch Movies is Back, and There's Nothing Like a Drive-In.

A Case of  Blue Film premiered at a  Drive-in Film Festival
Photo courtesy Dana Glazer

By Ashton Samson

Against the backdrop of the current state of the world, how can we retain our connection with one another, all while keeping our safety? That’s the question that everyone is pondering and I have the answer: Drive-ins. You might have heard this phrase from one of your grandparents as they reminisced about a Friday night hangout from the days of yesteryear. Come on this journey to learn about the time of its apex at a much more simplistic moment in history, its decline at the commencement of a much more technologically complex era and intertwined with it all through the ages, the power of cinema. It will help you to understand why we could really have the potential to return to the good old days of our parents and grandparent’s youth, so I entreat you to dream with me of the past, present and future.

Movie Review of The Help: It will Make You Laugh and Make you Cry, But Above All it is Movie To Help you Understand

By Julia Colucci

Since the recent protests around the world, Netflix and other streaming services have been showcasing more films on systematic racism to help people better understand the issues. The movie The Help is a 2011 film directed by Tate Taylor and based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett. It’s rated #7 in Netflix movies today, because not only is the cast phenomenal, but the story is an honest representation of the tragic racial injustices that were so prevalent in the past and still linger today.

The movie is about an aspiring writer named Skeeter, played by Emma Stone, living in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s. It was a time when being a black woman meant that your only future was being a maid to white families and raising their babies. Growing up, Skeeter was very close with her maid, Constantine, who was a much more loving and present figure to her than her own mother. This is one of the reasons she is so dismayed by the way the black community is treated by her friends, neighbors and white people across the country.

Females in Entertainment: Interview with Writer/Actor/Coach Shevaun Cavanaugh Kastl - All about Her Film The Mourning Hour Now on The Reel Women's Network, Her Past Films and Her Quarantine Projects

by Suzanne Ordas Curry

Shevaun Cavanaugh Kastl has always been keeping herself busy in the film world as an actor, director, filmmaker, writer, dancer and teacher. And during the pandemic, she's used the time to create even more.

I got a chance to talk to her about her short film, The Mourning Hour, which she stars in alongside Brandon Barash (General Hospital, Days of our Lives), that is now streaming on the new The Reel Woman's Network.

 The Mourning Hour is about a 1950's suburban housewife whose husband was killed in a train accident. The film is unique is that it tells the story in an unusual way, seeing the women "travel" through two periods of time, her present life as well as when she was an aspiring cellist at 19.

Shevaun is also busy with her acting school, which she says has been quite a challege during the pandemic (she is in hard-hit NJ) and looking towards the future of coaching as well as making more films. Read on to find out what inspires this young woman to keep working in a very hard business.

What inspired you to make The Mourning Hour?

Shevaun C. Kastl: Wow! BIG question. So many things! I had just finished my first short as a Writer/Producer/Actor and was on this crazy high after the Premiere. I couldn’t wait to write something else. I was like a cinematic junkie. And I love a good challenge, so I wanted to write a period piece. And right away I thought of adapting a short story I had read in High School called “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. I always loved the author (who also wrote The Awakening) and this particular story of love and loss and reawakening really resonated with me, even at an early age.

Brad Forenza's "Squeaky" to Stream Live July 5th at 2020 Hollywood Fringe Festival: A New Take on Manson Cult Leader Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme Delivered in a New Kind of Theater Environment

(Staff) The Fourth of July is a celebration of our Independence and the radical proclivities of our founding fathers. However, in Brad Forenza’s Squeaky, the day after Independence Day may paint a less liberated picture.

This Fifth of July, Forenza’s Squeaky (an examination of Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme) will receive her own show, as presented by the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Squeaky will be accessible to all through the rapidly expanding “streamed theater” experience. It stars Sara Eklund, Rosie Gunther, Brooke Hoover, and Roberta Lipp, as different dimensions of the titular character, as she opines about the current state of affairs and the unavailable men in her life (Tom Pryor and Forenza also appear).

Review of Netflix Series Hollywood: Hooray for this Series About Glitz, Glamour and Getting a Seat at the Table

By  Beth Abramson Brier

Hooray for Hollywood! I’m talking, of course, about the seven episode series Hollywood  by Ryan Murphy released by Netflix in May.

Set in post WWII Tinsel town, it is coincidentally (no, strike that) - it is eerily part of our current national conversation. And it is a “must see” for so many reasons. Trust me when I tell you this because in the last three months I’ve had the attention span of a carrot. Just when I thought I just didn’t have it in me to watch anything along comes Hollywood. Finally- a reason to bunker* down and binge watch through the night.


Hollywood had me at “hello” - in this case the dramatic introduction which I never once opted to skip when given the choice. Ambitious hopefuls ascend the landmark Hollywood sign: would-be stars and starlets, aspiring writers, budding directors - all willing to climb a little bit higher, leap without a net, take a chance.

It’s the golden age of studios and film. Big production numbers featuring staircases, swimming pools, and a hundred extras. Glamorous leading ladies (I’m talking opera gloves, evening gowns, feather boas). Swoon-worthy male stars in hats and suits instead of hoodies and shorts. It’s Hollywood at its best. Only better. It’s Hollywood reimagined.

View: My Must-See Summer Movie List has just Two Movies on it - Something's Gotta Give and Weekend at Bernie's...And Maybe Just One More

by Suzanne Ordas Curry

My summer viewing list is short. Yes, I'll watch several movies a week on the streaming platforms, but just as I have my Must-See list for the holidays, even though I've seen most of the holiday movies 20 times or more, I've also got my summer playlist. And I'll watch them every year.

For me, there's just two movies on that list. Something's Gotta Give and Weekend at Bernie's.

Total opposites, right? But, both make me smile. Isn't this exactly what we need now, and pretty much all the time?

I love Something's Gotta Give, because I want to step into that beachouse and be living that life. Written and directed by Nancy Meyers, Diane Keaton plays Erica Barry, a NYC playwright juggling work, her daughter, an ex-husband and two "suitors".

I don't think I am alone that most women watching that movie want to be Diane Keaton. She lives in the most stunning beach house in the Hamptons, she treks into New York City for fancy-schmancy events, she spends her days writing, and she has two guys swooning after her. Okay, so one of them is Harry Sanborn, (played by Jack Nicholson) who is a self-absorbed, womanizing, aging music producer that has a heart attack. But the other one is the handsome doctor Julian Mercer played by Keannu Reeves.  He pursues her, calls her, brings her flowers and whisks her away to Paris. Aaaahhh......

What We're Viewing: Review of Mindy Kaling's Never Have I Ever - A New Twist on a Common Teen Plight But Shhhh.. Moms Like it Too

By Julia Colucci

The Netflix Original show Never Have I Ever is a hilarious comedy that highlights the life of a teenage girl struggling to survive high school and the many obstacles that come her way.

Honestly, I was a bit hesitant going into this show. From the Netflix description, it seemed a little cliché. When I read that it was about a high school girl trying to “spruce up her social status,” it sounded like dozens of other teenage dramas with mediocre writing. Just based off the name, Never Have I Ever, I figured it was for a younger age range, since it’s a game my friends and I played in junior high.

This is why I was shocked when my parents said we should make it our new “family show.” We’ve had this tradition in my house during quarantine where we all watch an episode of a television show together after dinner. Before the pandemic, most of the shows we watched as a family have been on the darker side—Breaking Bad, Dexter, The Walking Dead, How to Get Away with Murder, etc. 

NJ's Lighthouse Int'l Film Fest Goes Drive-In & Virtual: NJ Producer Scott Rosenfelt to be Honored for Home Alone, Teen Wolf, and his New film A Case of Blue, 80 Films Screened

Tucked away on a 18 miles stretch of white sandy beaches and shore houses along the Jersey shore is a film festival getting bigger each year.  The Lighthouse International Film Film is now in it's 12th year. Yes, the islanders and vacationers surely know about it but it's getting better and more reknown each year attracting people from all over the NY/NJ/Philadelphis area and more.

Courageously the show will go on this year despite the pandemic in a drive-in and virtual format from June 16th-20th. Luckily the island presents beautiful spaces where cars can socially distance themselves and movie buffs will get to see some great films on a big screen under the stars (which you can actually see on this pristine island).

What We're Viewing: The Killing of A Sacred Deer with Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell - An Unsettling, Fascinating Horror/Thriller Not for the Faint of Heart

By Alicia Wilcox

The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a horror/thriller based on the ancient Greek tragedy “Iphigenia at Aulis” written by Euripides. Filled with symbols and metaphors worth analyzing, this movie is uniquely disturbing. Due to strange character details and dramatic orchestrated music throughout, The Killing of a Sacred Deer is sure to keep you in a state of suspense. The title itself comes from an ancient Greek myth where someone in a group was responsible for accidentally killing a sacred deer, and a sacrifice was required to reconcile the situation. The plot is based off of this required sacrifice. 

This movie follows Dr. Stephen Murphy, a cardiac heart surgeon (played by Colin Farrrell) who secretly befriends Martin. Martin is a teenage boy whose father was killed by Stephen during heart surgery, a surgery that he performed while drunk. When Stephen introduces the boy to his family, they all begin to fall ill under mysterious circumstances. This is because Martin forcibly makes Stephen choose one of his family members to kill to equalize the fact that he killed Martin’s father. If he fails to choose one family member, they will all die under the control of Martin’s plan. Quickly, they all begin to show symptoms of unidentifiable illness, such as bleeding out of the eyes and paralyzation. 

Entertainment Weekly Presents an All My Children Reunion May 26-29th for Feeding America: Susan Lucci, Cady McClain, Eva La Rue, Kelly Ripa and More to Appear

If you're a soap fan or fan of the Hallmark Channel, here's a bunch of stars you will know getting together for a good cause. Entertainment Weekly Reunions #UnitedatHome will stream an event from May 26th-May 29th featuring dozens of the actors who once were on the Emmy-winning daytime Drama on ABC, All My Children.  It is a five part series with a new live episode each morning at 10am EST.


You can stream them for free on EW.com and PeopleTV.com.

Females in Entertainment: NYC's Director Isabella Olaguera Talks about the Pandemic's Affect on Production and how She's Helping her Friends with Feed The Freelancers

I met Isabella Olaguera on the set of the independent film A Case of Blue, shooting outside of NYC in the burbs of Jersey. I was impressed first of all, to see a female as 1st AD and even more impressed to see the other females in the crew she surrounds herself with. 

Being part of a crew, doing production in NYC is a tricky thing; it's gig work and takes a lot of adjusting to the needs of each set. During this pandemic, "adjust" is the key word. Sitting in her apartment, with all production shut down and none even scheduled, Isabella knew she had to do something. And so, she started Feed the Freelancers, recognizing that though she could put food on her table that so many of the people in production that she had worked with through the years were going hungry now. Read on about how she got help from her friends, FEEL, and major companies. As Mr. Rogers said, "the helpers come out."

Suzee: So, tell me about what you do and some of your recent work.

I’m a non-union 1st Assistant Director for commercial and narrative work. Some of my projects include Oscar-nominated short film My Nephew Emmett, international feature film No Land’s Man (directed by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Tahsan Khan), and All These Small Moments (starring Molly Ringwald and Brian D’Arcy James). I’ve also AD’d commercial spots for clients like Equinox, Facebook & Walmart. 

The Wrong Missy is just the RIGHT Movie to Watch Now: Happy Madison Productions Gives us More of what They're Famous For

By Suzanne Ordas Curry

What can I say about the new Netflix flick The Wrong Missy?

I stumbled upon it one night when it showed up as the number one most viewed movie on Netflix, which was a few days after it's 5-13 release. Seeing it was a Happy Madison Production, and as I am a big Adam Sandler fan (which some people may not admit to) I watched it.

Let me say that about one quarter of the way through I almost turned it off because the crudeness was over the top (I kept saying, this was written by a man for sure). But  I kept on watching like someone would a car wreck just to see what was going on.

Well, I am glad I continued to watch. As I said, I am a fan of almost anything Adam Sandler has a hand in. That means I am used to cringing due to the vulgarities, language and body part humor as well as the  nonsensical but clever dialogue often found in them. (There is one song about body parts, I must add, that was over the top even for an HM movie as well as one other scene that is not without controversy.)

And of course, I can find all the usual suspects in his movies from Rob Schneider to Nick Swardson to Nick Farley (Chris' brother) and even to Mrs. Jackie Sandler, who I may add, was rocking her bikinis. Adam always takes care of his friends. (I saw him recently in AC, and Rob was his surprise special guest). Phone, wallet, keys, laptop forever but I digress.

Females in Entertainment Interview: NYC Actress/Director Shara Ashley Zeiger Talks about Getting Started in the Big Apple, Keeping it Going and her #MeToo Moments

Shara Ashley Zeiger

Back in the day, pre-COVID, I would spend an afternoon every so often meeting with young women in the business that I've never met in person. Shara was on of the go-getters that I sat with at a busy midtown coffee shop to talk "shop." Shara is well-entrenched in the NYC acting community. Her seven shorts have circulated on the film festival circuit, she has another in post, she's acted in several hit TV shows and she's got a script looking for production. Shara survives and thrives with a circle of creative people to constantly keep her on her toes. Right now, she's part of "The Homemade Sketch Show" which can be seen on Youtube, but she's also got so much more going on.

Suzee: You are like on creative overload! Let's talk about your latest project first. Tell me about the virtual reading you had. How greatly have you been affected by this crisis?

Shara Ashley Zeiger: The crisis has been interesting. I have asthma and it's newish and I never thought it really put me in danger, but it puts me in the immune-compromised category, and navigating that and living in Queens has been quite a doozy. It's taken a lot of planning but I find delving into my creative projects to be a wonderful distraction.  I'm currently working on a few projects. 

Behind Lee Grant's Retrospective: A Modern Way to give New Life to Classics in Theaters: Interview with Curator Taylor Purdee on how this Model Could Help The Independent Theater

By Suzanne Ordas Curry

If you're not familiar with the work of Academy Award-winning Actress/Director/Producer Lee Grant, you can now get familiar with her work in the comfort of your own home (while still supporting local theater) by viewing the Virtual Cinema series 20th Century Woman:The Documentary Films of Lee Grant . This retrospective was curated by Actor/Director Taylor A. Purdee out of New York City. Though curation is not a novel concept, new times call for new processes and this series, which started as a series of screenings at New York City's Film Forum before Covid, has now become a series of films and clips available to view anywhere through the websites of local theaters. Virtual cinema is a relatively new concept that gaining a lot of traction since the pandemic. Independent theaters can still make money without bodies in their seats. And, in the case of 20th Century Women: The Documentary Films of Lee Grant, the viewers get to view a package not seen elsewhere.

We talk with Taylor A. Purdee who put this retrospective together, Taylor is filmmaker with, as they say, folks in showbiz. His dad is popular daytime star Nathan Purdee (known for One Life to Live and Y&R), and his mother Roberta is a producer who has worked for years with Lee. In this interview we talk about how he found himself putting this series together, how he's introducing them to a new generation, and how something like this might just be around for quite some time.

Taylor, I asked Lee if she every thought she would be the subject of virtual cinema. Her answer was "never". Tell me how this started.

Night of Solidarity on Youtube Supports Victims of Domestic Violence May 13th: See Gloria Steinem, Alysia Reiner, Gabrielle Union, Melissa Benoist and More as they Raise Awareness During this Pandemic

One of the many challenging and tragic outcomes of the Covid-19 pandemic is the rise in domestic violence around the world—the UN predicts an increase of at least 15 million cases this year due to the lockdowns and isolation. And even before the pandemic, partner abuse was devastatingly widespread...and often under-covered and under-resourced. And domestic abuse had far-reaching effects, including the break-up of families and an increase of children sent to the foster care system.

In order to raise awareness and raise funds and show unified support to those that are suffering through it now, a diverse mix of artists, survivors and activites are presenting Night of Solidarity, A Youtube event produced by The Meteor and also hosted on Refinery29's Youtube Channel. It will be live May 13th at 8pm EST but available to watch anytime after.

Interview: Actress Amanda Baker - A Country Girl Whose Heart is in Hollywood, Read about her Journey from ABC's General Hospital to the CW's Black Lightning.. and a Role in a Hallmark Christmas Movie

The beautiful actress Amanda Baker may be from the South, but her ambitions brought her to different parts of the country. Like a lot of aspiring actors she went to LA to find a job, but the difference is that she actually did. Her first big role was on the GH spinofff Nightshift, but she also found roles on many other shows including another daytime classic All My Children, Rules of Engagement, One Tree Hill and Parenthood. Film work includes Hello Sister, Goodbye Life (with Lacey Chabert) and Pandemic  (which my guess is enjoying a lot of streaming success these days.) Now she's using her time to raise her family, but still working. You can see her as the reporter Rebecca Larson on the CW's Black Lightning and also in the Hallmark Christmas Movie A Nashville Christmas Carol.  Find out more about Amanda's life and also, what's she's watching now.

UPDATE: Watch Amanda in Hallmark's A Nashville Christmas Carol premiering 11-21-2020

When did you get the acting bug?

Amanda Baker: I was in a play in middle school called, “How To Eat Like a Child” and I remember the rush I got on stage performing. That was when I knew I had a love of acting! 

Interview: The Iconic Lee Grant talks about Making Documentaries, Being Blacklisted, What She Wants Every Female Filmmaker to See and Her Virtual Cinema Retrospective

by Suzanne Ordas Curry

Lee Grant. Groundbreaker. Actress. Documentarian. Filmmaker. Role Model. Academy Award Winner.

If you would have told me ten years ago starting a new career in showbiz that I'd be working with some of  Lee Grant's "people" on some projects, I would have not believed it. But you never know what life brings to you.

And speaking of whatever life brings to you, whether good or bad you can take those ingredients and make lemonade out of it or you can just toss them aside and let them sour.  Lee Grant is all about the lemonade. The best lemonade you can make. 

I've had the opportunity to meet with her on several occasions. First, for a signing of her book, I Said Yes to Everything and then at the premiere party for her retrospective at Film Forum in NYC. (And by the way, her possie, including her husband Joey and pal Brenda Vaccaro are always there supporting her). 

Upon first meeting her, I could not believe what a petite yet big dynamo she was. She's poised, articulate, born with the gift of gab, clever, updated and full of spunk. She's got a zest for life, an interest in people and an optimism hard to find these days. She's not done "doing" yet, and she's in her 90's. We talked about things going on in the world now, and she talked about projects she was yet going to do. And if anyone can get something done as a nonagenarian, Lee Grant can.

To be honest I was not aware of all that she had done and been through. I am sure my mother would have known, but with a little bit of research I came to realize that this women broke ground for every woman in the workplace, and was one of the first ladies in Hollywood to "f" the establishment and forge a path for herself in an almost 100% industry dominated by men. Being blacklisted and being Hollywood "old" as a female didn't stop her from doing anything. 

Lee's IMDB profile is so long I stopped counting after 100. Movies and shows include Shampoo, Peyton Place, In the Heat of the Night, Fay, Ben Casey, Plaza Suite and so many more. She is an Oscar and Emmy Award winning actress and a DGA Award winning director. But what is most compelling about Lee is her presence behind the camera with her documentaries, Down and Out in America was before it's time in shedding light on some of the darkest topics in America.

Lee is still working, and you can hear her in the upcoming movie Killian and the Comeback Kids.

CareCardsforCoronaCaregivers: $1500 Raised and Matched by Local Dairy Queen for Gift Cards for Workers at Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey

CareCardsforCoronaCaregivers would like to thank everyone that donated to the program as over $1500 has been raised for  workers at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck NJ so that they can be thanked for their service with Dairy Queen gift cards. We are also very happy to announce that the Dairy Queen of Emerson, NJ has matched the raise by donating $1500 worth of cards. In addition, each worker will also receive an additional token of appreciation with a Ben's Bell's #BeKind coin. 

Daytime Cares: A LIVE EVENT - Stars of Daytime Come Out to Support Covid-19 Non-Profits - Laura Wright, Ariane Zucker, Shawn Christian and Many More to appear on Virtual Event

Daytime Cares: A Live Event is an event to be held virutally on Saturday May 9th at 8pm EST. It's purpose: raise money for non-profits that support Covid-19 services. If you're a fan of daytime, you'll appreciate seeing and hearing from a lineup of daytime's shining stars from many networks al coming out to do what they can to help those in need. 

You can view the show here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42Fd2wLUL3Q

Interview: Jon Lindstrom on his Many Roles on Screen and In Life: From General Hospital to Homeland to New Movies PLUS the Unique Cause He Just Can't Say Enough About

Jon Lindstrom

If you're a fan of daytime, you'll understand that there are only a few actors that can successfully portray two people at one time. True soap fans can recite a list of the handful that have played two people, most often twins, and one more than likely a not-so-nice version of the other.

Multiple award-winning and Daytime Emmy-nominated veteran actor Jon Lindstrom currently plays Dr. Kevin Collins and Ryan Chamberlain on the Emmy-winning and long running daytime drama General Hospital. That's probably what he is most known for. But, this accomplished actor has a whole lot more on his resume. Most recently, he was on the series finale of Homeland, on Bosch Season 5 on Amazon, and safely returned back to his home in LA from NYC for a role on CBS' Bull, just before the virus took at bite out of the Big Apple. He will also be seen in two movies yet to be released, Marzipan and Dark Foe (with Selma Blair.)

His acting career is impressive, from roles on daytime dramas such as As The World Turns, Port Charles and Santa Barbara  to many roles on TV series such as NCIS, SWAT, True Detective, Blue Bloods and more. He also makes his own films and music. (He's a drummer).

Four Classic Psychological Dramas by Top Directors to Watch Now: You'll Find Out You're Actually Doing Quite Well During this COVID-19 Isolation

By Ashton Samson

You can’t hang out with friends, go to restaurants, vacation, greet your neighbor or touch anything that isn’t your own. You feel as if you’re having a breakdown, like you are about to implode and run outside. Don’t do that. Instead, take my suggestion. First, watch three dark films about the psychological effects that being isolated can have on someone mentally unstable, to confirm that you're handling yourself really well in comparison. Then, watch one that presents positive messages. 

1. The Shining

Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, a masterpiece of modern horror, is the quintessential cabin fever movie. From the film’s ominous commencement, to it’s frigid denouement, you will never feel safe, always thinking that you are secluded in The Overlook Hotel alongside Jack Torrance. There are so many things to love about this film; the phenomenal acting, haunting score and eerie vibes. 

SheShortzzTV: Sandcastles is a Heartwarming Tale

Editor's Notes: Welcome to SheShortzzTV: short films by, for or about women, and all free to watch.

Sandcastles, a short written by Tina Fine, is the story of a little girl at the beach making a very special sandcastle. It's a heartwarming story about family and memories set against the peaceful backdrop of the ocean. View it here for free:
https://vimeo.com/114481476

View: The Pandemic Pregnancy

 

By Suzanne Ordas Curry

Editor's Note- Though we usually cover lighter subjects on this site, extraordinary times beget stepping out of the box.

I am not writing here about those mothers giving birth during this pandemic especially those mothers separated from their children until it is safe which is heart-wrenching. Nor is it about the Pandemic Baby Boom we will most likely see in the next year. It's about what the feeling of this pandemic is taking out of the equation the sheer devastation brought on by this crisis.  And, to make it clear I am blessed to be in a house with my family and food and there is still a paycheck coming in. 

What I am writing about is the feeling that I have and I've had it before. As I Marie Kondo my closets,  refresh some rooms, organize my calendar, and look at what I can and can't do each day, I am getting flashbacks of another time in my life. When I was pregnant.

Review of Love, Wedding Repeat on Netflix: Is it Good Enough for a Repeat Watch?

By Suzanne Ordas Curry

Now is the time we all need a little rom-com to perk up our lives.

Yesterday was the premiere of Love, Wedding, Repeat on #Netflix and I was first in line. This UK/Italian joint venture is about the marriage of an American woman (Eleanor Tomlinson) marrying an Italian somewhere in Europe in a magnificent castle in the summertime. You get to know her brother (Sam Claflin) who is quite the ladies man, the maid of honor (Joel Fry) an aspiring actor, and the girl that got away from the brother (Olivia Munn). There's also an assortment of other characters that play into the drama including a Hugh Grant-type character (Jack Farthing), the guy pretty much any woman does not want to sit next to at a wedding (Tim Key) and the brother's ex girlfriend (Freida Pinto).  What goes on at this wedding which is pretty much the whole movie. But that's okay, we love weddings. 

I always hesitate to read reviews prior, or even before writing, because I don't want it to change my gut reaction of the movie. As far as romcoms go, I would give this about 4 heartbeats out of 5. It checked off a lot of the boxes:

Kara Mayer Robinson of the REALLY FAMOUS Podcast Interviews Uma Thurman, Patrick Fabian, The Fonz and Mrs. C, Elisabeth Moss, Keri Russell, Jessie Eisenberg, and More: How She Gets them to Really Open Up

By Suzanne Ordas Curry

I had the pleasure of meeting Kara Mayer Robinson at the New York City premiere screening of Patrick Fabians' movie DriverX. Kara spent many years as a journalist at some of the top media in NYC and nationally, and as the world morphed so did Kara. A trained therapist, she now runs the podcast REALLY FAMOUS, in which she interviews, well, really famous people! Her podcasts are not the usual interviews, they delve deep into the subject, revealing apsects of the celebrity you've never heard before. Kara's is a female making a name for herself in this business, while at the same time raising a family.

Turning the tables now on Kara, here's a quick interview with this "really famous" interviewer 

First question - of course - when did you start interviewing people?

Kara Mayer Robinson: I guess you can say I actually started interviewing people when I was a therapist! Yes, I’m a licensed therapist. I had a private practice before I became a writer. I started writing articles on the side, mostly about health and wellness, but when my editors asked me to write profiles and Q&As, I was hooked. I was drawn toward profiling people in entertainment — I have a lifelong passion for TV and film — and before I knew it, I was a full-on celebrity interviewer. 

VIEW: I'm Not Watching COVID-19 News Today - I'm Watching Hallmark and Here's Why

By Suzanne Ordas Curry

I live in a house with men. I have a husband and two sons. Around the holidays, we have a saying in our house. It's called the "definition of a split second." That's the time it takes for one of the men to walk in to a room with the TV on, see it's a Hallmark movie, look around for mom and if I'm not there,  then shut is off. Really, they can do this in half a second. And no matter where I am in the house, I'll hear it.

They often ask me, why do you watch these movies? I tell them, "I watch them because they put me in a good mood." Because I have them on so often, they are even starting to recognize them.  So the next question is, "Why do you watch them over and over again?" I answer, "Again, because they put me in a good mood. And I don't always watch them glued to the set. I might be doing something else while they're on, but I will tune in for the best parts." Examples: like when Danica McKeller shows up at the ball with the red dress on at the top of the staircase, or when Lacey Chabert takes off her long white glove to eat the food at the ball, or when the perfume is verified to be old so we know Candace Cameron Bure is really from the past. I could go on... And of course, I always tune in at 1 hour and 59 minutes into the movie to see the final kiss. 

Bruce Springsteen, Stephen Colbert, Whoopi Goldberg, Danny De Vito, Rutgers's Carli Lloyd, Charlie Puth, John Stewart, BonJovi and First Lady Tammy Murphy Team Up to Launch the NJ Pandemic Relief Fund: Video

By Suzanne Ordas Curry

Several of New Jersey's most notable entertainers and personalities have banded together from the inside of their homes to come out in support of the new initiative, the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund. Visit: https://njprf.org/.

Bruce Springsteen, Stephen Colbert, Whoopi Goldberg Danny DeVito, Carli Lloyd, Charlie Puth,Jon BonJovi and Jon Stewart have already come out to support this fundraising and grant-giving program.

The program is hosted by the Comunity Foundation of NJ. It is lead by Board members First Lady Tammy Murphy and NJ Resident John Weinreich .

Are You a College Student Stuck at Home with Your Parents? Here's a Top Ten List of How to Make Your COVID-19 Isolation Happy, Productive and with less FOMO - Suggestions on Binge-Watching and More

By Julia Colucci

Editor's Note: Julia is our newest writer. She is a currently a College Freshman at home with her parents!

Many college students around the country have found themselves bored, down, and missing their schools while they are quarantined in their homes and practicing social distancing. For me, coming home early from Ithaca College was very unexpected and definitely took some getting used to.

But this temporary isolation doesn’t have to be the worst thing to ever happen to you. There are plenty of ways to stay busy and entertained while waiting out this global pandemic. Here is a list of ten activities for you to do while stuck at home that have helped both myself and some of my fellow peers:

Pick up an old hobby or start a new project: One thing I have found to be a great way to stay occupied and positive when you have a lot of time on your hands is to find a hobby or start some sort of project. This week I decided to start playing the guitar again, which is something I used to love but haven’t done in years. Playing an instrument has helped me stay positive because it feels like I am doing something productive by getting better at an old skill. Liam Barron, a freshman at William Patterson University, has turned to music as an outlet. He said, “Social isolation has allowed me to both focus on and express myself much more effectively through the music I write.”