Film/TV Archives - Page 2 of 25

21Jul

Sneaking is the New Bingeing

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I won't lie - 14 years into this thing called motherhood and I'm still seeking balance. Between all of life's obligations - work, motherhood, marriage, grad school, my health (I'm a cancer survivor of just a few years), and volunteer work (which I do quite a bit of), there can be bumps. I have to admit that being a mom has thrown me for a loop over the years and even though my kids are older, it's not 100% easier. Their needs have changed and they still need me just as much as they did when they were younger. Still, I have more freedom than I used to, Read More

03Jul

My Latest Netflix Binge: GLOW #StreamTeam

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My latest (and fastest) binge was GLOW, created by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch and executive produced by Orange Is the New Black’s Jenji Kohan. It's a show about women's wrestling, a true story based on a group of women in a male-dominated sport in the 1980's. My dad used to be a wrestling nut, and I was exposed to the sport as a young girl. I vaguely remember women in the ring, I am quite sure he had this very group on. So for me, this show was not only a piece of nostalgia from my own childhood, but also very much a modern dose of women's Read More

14May

The Broadway Show That Changed Everything

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A few months ago, I was on an international flight and happened upon the documentary, Life Animated, the true story of an autistic boy who learned to talk watching Disney films. Tears swelled up in my eyes, thinking of the power of the arts and my own son who has ADHD and sensory issues. I had been trying to use this power in our own lives for years without much success until one day, when everything changed with a single show. I first took my cue at Stomp, which I took him to see in 2010, when he was 6 years old. He managed for the most part, but Read More

13May

Review: “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812”: An Epic Pop Opera

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My teen and I had a particularly unique theatrical experience the other night in NYC and it's called Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. All I can say is, what took me so long? I love grand historical musicals on this scale. It was also truly a great choice for my teen, too. It's a slice of history AKA War and Peace by Tolstoy, about a family in Russia circa 1812; it's a love story; it's a tragedy. It's educational; it's entertaining; the music is amazing. But it's just so much more. Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 It's a pop Read More

23Apr

Review: Lillian Hellman’s “The Little Foxes” on Broadway

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The role of Regina Giddens in Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes has to be one of the most powerful female roles in stage history. She's a fiercely strong Southern woman who struggles for wealth and freedom within the confines of an early 20th-century society where fathers considered only sons as their legal heirs. The play is set in Alabama circa 1900 during a dinner that Regina and her brothers attend. It is there that they agree that they want more money and collaborate on a scheme to go into business with a Chicago developer who wants to build a Read More

21Apr

Why “13 Reasons Why” Should Be Your Next Binge

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I just finished 13 Reasons Why and I feel compelled to write my feelings about the show. Watching it was a very intense experience, one that I was slightly reluctant to have after reading some of the negative press about how it glorifies teenage suicide. However, my daughter raced through the series in a matter of days and came out of the experience with only high praise for its storylines and characters. Regardless, every mom under the sun has told me that it's absolutely necessary to watch it. After all, it tackles some very serious issues other than Read More

06Apr

Review: “Gifted” Movie Teaches Girls About Breaking Barriers

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The movie "Gifted," coming to theaters nationwide this Friday has a lot going for it. For one thing, it delves into the issue of having a gifted child and asks important questions: Do you keep these children in a regular school, surrounded by a variety of types of children and let them be ordinary kids? Or do you put them in a setting where their skills are nurtured so that they can prepare for an extraordinary life and career? The movie also features a great cast, has a lot of humor and offers several tear-jerking moments. Chris Evans plays Frank, a Read More

31Mar

“Going in Style” Gives Insight into Getting Older

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Disclosure: This post is in partnership with Warner Bros. By 2060, there will be about 98 million older persons, more than twice their number in 2014, so it's becoming increasingly apparent and even more important to get a grasp on this important segment of our population. Movies and TV shows have a great role in educating the public on these types of issues and the new film "Going in Style" is a great example. It gets a lot of things right about getting older and is a great perspective on ageism. The movie is an updated remake of the 1979 film Read More

22Mar

The Zookeeper’s Wife, a Holocaust Film that Celebrates Light

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Last week I screened The Zookeeper's Wife, a Holocaust-themed film directed by Niki Caro. The Holocaust is a very personal issue for me. My feelings have very deep roots, stemming back to my childhood and it often fuels my writing. I've interviewed survivors, written about my recent visits to concentration camps, talked about why my being a mother makes the connection even deeper, and why we must #NeverForget. I also gravitate towards Holocaust films and review them as often as possible. Holocaust films are not easy to make and I've watched my share Read More

01Feb

What to Watch on Netflix in February

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Before we knew it, January came to an end. It was a tough month with the inauguration and drastic change that has hit America, but one thing keeps me sane: NETFLIX. Here's what we are watching in our house. Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events One Day at a Time 13Th CrazyHead The OA Of course, my kids are watching other shows. What are they watching? Stay tuned. Disclosure: I am a member of Netflix's #StreamTeam but all opinions are my own. Read More