Not So Wordless Wednesday - War Horse Screening Q & A with Actress Emma Watson {Photo + Video}

I have attended some great events this months, and slowly but surely I'm sneaking in event recaps during our annual holidays buying guide because I love to make you feel like you were there with me! I had the opportunity to attend a special screening of the movie War Horse thanks to Moms & The City, the Film Society of Lincoln Center and a live stream of a questions and answers session with Actress Emma Watson that was live streamed by the New York Daily News!

DreamWorks Pictures "War Horse" directed by Steven Spielberg is an epic adventure that tells the story of a very special friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man Albert who trains Joey, the adventure begins when they are forcefully parted due to The First World War. Joey changes and inspires the lives of all he meets including the British Cavalry, German Soldiers, and a French Farmer and his Grand-Daughter, meanwhile his friend Joey's life is forever changed in attempting to reunite with him. It's a heartfelt and touching tale of friendship, of the single thread that unites us all even under (or maybe especially under) dire circumstances, tenacity and friendship. I'd say the age range for young ones would entirely depend on your child's maturity level. There is some violence as this is a war epic after all!

As if Mimosas, warm popcorn, bagels and other assorted snacks weren't enough incentive, the screening was followed by a Question and Answer session with one of the films stars, Actress Emma Watson!

Here are my two best shots from the Q&A Session:

Emma Watson Center, holding microphone!

(Left) Raina Seitel, Moms & The City (Center) Actress Emma Watson (Right) Melissa Gerstein, Moms & The City

NY Daily News was live streaming the Q&A, and if you'd like to hear Emma's answers to moms questions, press on the video below (you might want to view this in full screen mode):

I would definitely recommend checking out War Horse the movie which will open on Christmas Day! Emma is incredibly down-to-earth, (a bit shy!), and super approachable, I enjoyed meeting her and greatly enjoyed the screening!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, no monetary compensation has been received. I was invited to a special screening as a member of the digital press, I was fed and did receive a gift bag! :)

{CLOSED} The Littlest Angel DVD Giveaway! Ends 11/23

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor The Littlest Angel on DVD! The Winner is: 'Terri S.' (We post winner site usernames for privacy reasons). Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!

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Ascending Butterfly's 2011 Holidays Buying Guide, Giveaway #4 brought to you by:

KIDS CORNER

We started our Kids Corner in our Annual Holidays Buying Guide with a review of Cars 2, and now we have a review (with giveaway this time! YAY!) for The Littlest Angel! This classic childrens story has been reimagined and is now available for purchase. This rated G release has been been approved for all ages by The Dove Foundation. 

The Littlest Angel (who reminds me a great deal of my nephew, inquisitive, smart, and sometimes mischievious), is the story of a young boy who arrives in heaven way before his time, he finds himself lonely and very home-sick  and goes on an adventure back to earth with his trusty pup Halo both to earn his wings and to retrieve a gift for the baby Jesus, as well as learn valuable lessons along the way. Discovering that the greatest gifts in life are faith, friendship and doing the right thing!

With great animation and strong vocal talent including Ron Perlman (who also voiced characters in Beauty and the Beast as well as Tangled) The Littlest Angel is sure to become a favorite holiday tradition much like the book it is based on.

Wanna keep the little ones entertained while waiting for Turkey Day Dinner? How about coloring pages?

Press on each picture individually, then print as many copies as you need, do this for each picture separately if you want all of them!

Coloring Pages

I haven't colored in ages, I might have to print out a set for myself! Have the kiddos color them and then put them on the fridge!

 My Take:

This is definitely a fun & safe for all ages film, that is heart-warming and charming. With a more classic animation style that relies less on the special effects and more on telling a great story. As an Aunt and Godmother what I love is that this allows you to give a gift of faith in a way that makes it fun for the child.

As a God-Mother I really like to find gifts that are Faith based for my God-Children and it's a challenge to find items sometimes, I want to enhance their faith in a way that is age appropriate and still very fun and this movie is definitely a perfect stocking stuffer!

You didn't think I'd forget about you right? Who loves you butterfly?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Anchor Bay Entertainment would like to give 1 lucky winner The Littlest Angel on DVD!

Don't you just ♥ The Littlest Angel? I know I do!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - How to Win: (1) You must be a PUBLIC follower of Ascending Butterfly to be eligible for this and all giveaways. Indicate in your entry that you follow (if your 'comment name/user id' differs from your profile id, please let me know what name you follow under) and (2)MANDATORY ENTRY: Answer the following question: What is your favorite gift of Faith to purchase for a young child?  (3) You must also leave your email address somewhere in your comment. (You can format it this way for security, example: ascendingbutterfly AT mail host DOT com). (If your email is clearly visible in your profile, you can just say so, that's OK!) Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning (or in this case, the A,B,C’s of winning!) This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older. No PO Boxes. No purchase necessary. One entry per Household, see Ascending Butterfly Giveaway Rules and Disclosure Policy HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please follow directions or you will be disqualified! All comments are moderated, they may not appear on the site right away (comments like "I want this" or "I want to win" will not be entered). You have from Friday, November 18, 2011 until Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 03:00 PM (EST) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. You will have 48 hours to confirm if we do not hear from you we will be forced to move on to an alternate. (We only notify winners DIRECTLY via email, so if your profile or your comment does not have an email your entry will not be processed)

EXTRA CREDIT:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - In honor of all things with wings, what is your favorite 'winged thing'? Is it an Angel, a butterfly, a dragonfly, a bird? (I think you already know my choice!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blog about this giveaway, linking to this giveaway post. Leave the URL in a comment. (If your blog post contains more than just a pic and link you'll get 5 extra credit entries!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Grab our NEW Button and put it on your Blog. Leave the URL where we can see it in a comment (if you have our old one, please swap it out, our URL address has changed!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Tracy_Iglesias on Twitter (this is ascendingbutterfly’s editor) and give me your twitter ID in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Ascending1 on Twitter (this is Ascending Butterfly's new account, we will soon be hosting twitter parties which necessitates having a second account so you can make updates throughout the entire party!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @AnchorBayEnt on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Enter to  #Win The Littlest Angel DVD #Giveaway from @AnchorBayEnt + @Ascending1  Ends 11/23 #movies - http://tinyurl.com/82o6x7h

(Leave a comment with the tweet’s url so you can get a valid entry (click on the time your tweet was sent to get the direct URL and then copy and paste it here). You can Tweet TWICE per DAY. If you Tweet more than that, that entry will be disqualified.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Digg about this giveaway and leave your digg username in your comment

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Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Anchor Bay Entertainment (a STARZ company) on Facebook HERE (Tell them which item you are trying to win on Ascending Butterfly or copy and paste 'I am trying to win The Littlest Angel DVD Giveaway on Ascending Butterfly') - Be sure you leave the link to your comment here for extra credit. (You can get the link the same way you do on twitter, press on the time you left the comment on their facebook wall, and when the page fully loads, highlight and copy the URL address and then paste it into the comment field here). If you say "I wrote on their wall" and do not leave the link that Extra Credit Entry will NOT be processed.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's NEW Community/Real Time Chat, Group HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog -This is ONE time per giveaway, NOT daily.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Have you entered another active giveaway on Ascending Butterfly? Let me know which one and you’ll get more extra credit!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Have you commented on a non-giveaway entry? Let me know which one here and you’ll get more extra credit!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - NEW! Here's a win/win extra credit entry if you join Scorebig from my affiliate link you will be entering for the chance to win a $100 ScoreBig Gift Card AND a $100 Amazon Gift Card (yes both) and if I get the most people to sign up via my link, I get a shot at a prize too! How cool is that? ScoreBig is the members-only place to save up to 60% on sports, concert and theater tickets. (Unfortunately if you have already signed up on your own or under someone else, you cannot claim the extra credit here) - tell us which email you used to sign up.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Press the button below and join, you get an extra entry for this giveaway and a shot at more great prizes, lets win together! (one time extra credit, will be verified before entry can be accepted)

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FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway:  The Littlest Angel DVD was provided for review free of charge. No monetary compensation has been received. The sponsors are fulfilling directly to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of the products. All opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.

Cars 2 {Movie Review}

About the Movie:

Star racecar Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in Cars 2 when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world's fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile (Michael Caine) and the stunning spy-in-training Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer). -- (C) Disney

My Take:

Boys aren't the only ones into cars. I had Matchbox cars when I was a kid (and had to constantly keep an eye on my male cousins!), all very ironic as I don't drive but I do appreciate muscle cars! The next best thing to driving fast cars is watching them race right?

Cars 2 focuses in more on the friendship between McQueen and Tow Truck Mater with a mix of international espionage thrown in for fun. The kids will love Mater's goofy charm and Pixar's fantastic animation that will take them around the world (without the expense of airfare) and teach them a thing or two about friendship in the process.

So join me in scoring cool Auntie points and check out Cars 2 today! And you can nab a coupon for $5 off HERE

There are some fun activities you can check out below:

And for my foodies:



and stuff to do on the go:

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Go back to the Hundred Acre Wood with Winnie the Pooh - Now on Blu Ray

Winnie the Pooh was always my favorite bear when I was a kid. I attended the screening earlier this year when the movie was released, which you can read about HERE

What I loved was the retro feel of it, no special effects, classic animation, no inappropriate humor, just a good clean family movie that you can feel confident taking the little ones to see.

Film Synopsis:

Disney returns to the Hundred Acre Wood with “Winnie the Pooh.” Featuring the timeless charm, wit and whimsy of the original featurettes, thisall-new movie reunites audiences with the philosophical “bear of very littlebrain” and friends Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo – and last, butcertainly not least, Eeyore, who has lost his tail. “Ever have one of thosedays where you just can’t win, Eeyore?” asks Pooh. Owl sends the whole gang ona wild quest to save Christopher Robin from an imaginary culprit. It turns outto be a very busy day for a bear who simply set out to find some honey.Disney’s all-new “Winnie the Pooh” movie is inspired by three stories from A.A.Milne’s books in Disney’s classic, hand-drawn art.

Blu-ray™ Bonus Features:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ  · Exclusive bonus short “Mini-Adventures of Winnie thePooh: The Balloon” – In this charming short, Pooh comes up with a daring plan to get a hold of some honey by fooling a group of bees.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ·  “The Ballad of Nessie” - The animated short film included in the theatrical release is the heart warming tale of  how Nessie found her new home in the Loch Ness.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ·  “Winnie the Pooh and His Story Too” – A fun and informative behind-the-scenes look at the film, designed for the whole family. Hosted by John Cleese (narrator of the film), and with occasional help from Pooh himself, this featurette explores Winnie the Pooh’s history from his beginnings as a character in a book, to his continued life in the movies. The filmmakers reveal how they worked to keep the look of the characters and settings in this movie consistent with their first appearances on-screen in1966. Pooh, being a bear of very little mind, finds much of this confusing, but the Narrator and the filmmakers make it all clear to Pooh – and you! 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ·  Deleted Scenes introduced by directors, Stephen Anderson and Don Hall – 5 deleted scenes including “TheTummy Song,” “Rabbit’s Friends and Relations,” “Original Eeyore Intro”, ”Original Tigger Intro” and “Pooh Searches for a Tail” 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ·  Sing-Along with the Movie – Follow the red balloon and changing word colors to seven song lyrics featured in the film.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ·  Disney Song Selection –“Winnie the Pooh Theme Song,” “The Tummy Song, “A Very Important Thing To Do,”“The Backson Song,” “It’s Gonna Be Great,” “Everything is Honey” and “The Winner Song Finale”

DVD Bonus Features:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ·  “Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon”

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ·   “The Ballad of Nessie”

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ·   Deleted scenes introduced by directors,Stephen Anderson and Don Hall – 3 deleted scenes including “The Tummy Song,” “”Rabbit’s Friends and Relations” and “Pooh Searches for a Tail”

Movie Download Bonus Features:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ·   “Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon”

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ·   “The Ballad of  Nessie”

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ·  Deleted Scenes introduced directors. Stephen Anderson and Don Hall – 3 deleted scenes including “The Tummy Song,” “Rabbit’s Friends and Relations” and “Pooh Searches for aTail”

And that 'silly old bear' is even cuter with a butterfly on his nose! Disney movies never disappoint on the butterfly sightings! I'd love to think they are being thrown in there just for me.

Want to keep up with your favorite bear in all places social?

Follow Winnie on Twitter and on Facebook

If you didn't catch this one in the theater you should definitely get the Blu Ray/DVD Combo to add to your home Disney library.

Happy Pooh Bear Tuesday Butterflies!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. I have received no compensation to review the movie, however screening passes were provided when I saw it in theaters and the Blu-Ray was provided to me for editorial consideration. This is no way influenced my opinion.

The Help - Whatever you do, do NOT miss this movie!

I usually tend to read the book BEFORE I see the movie, but this is the first instance where I've viewed a movie based on a book before reading the book. This is definitely a first for me, and I have to say SO worth it.

After a summer of mostly 3D and CGI, I was absolutely ready for something 'real' and 'raw', something that not only tugged at the heartstrings, but had real 'meat' to it, and The Help did not disappoint.

The Help is a movie with a simple yet very powerful tagline: Change Starts with a Whisper. And so it does. Based on one of the most talked about books in years and a #1 New York Times best-selling phenomenon,  “The Help” stars Emma Stone (“Easy A”) as Skeeter, Academy Award®–nominated Viola Davis (“Doubt”) as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny—three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s,  who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed—even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-face with the changing times.

Deeply moving, filled with poignancy, humor and hope, “The Help” is a timeless and universal story about the ability to create change. It's not just the ability to create the change that's the story, it's the courage to create it both within and without!

Based on one of the most talked about books in years and a #1 New York Times best-selling phenomenon, “The Help” is a provocative and inspiring look at what happens when a southern town’s unspoken code of rules and behavior is shattered by three courageous women who strike up an unlikely friendship.

It's truly a powerful movie, and there was not one dry eye at the end, and yes that includes many of the men in attendance as well! (No easy feat for a New York Press Screening!) 

While the entire movie is expertly cast, look for Jessica Chastain (pictured above) she's a real scene stealer, she plays the character Celia Foote, and she gives the character tremendous depth, humor and spirit! and as a 'Truebie' I was also excited to spot Nelsan Ellis (who portrays Lafayette Renolds on True Blood) in another disney movie (he was also in Secretariat), Nelsan is a great chameleon who really throws himeself into his roles, and he is always fun to watch.

I know most people cite the 'leads' but this is a well rounded cast, and every single character brings this movie a tremendous amount of depth, feeling and emotion.

THE HELP opens in theatres everywhere on Aug 10th. Butterflies, what ever you do, do NOT miss this movie! I'm leaving this thread open, because I'd love everyone to come back here and comment when they've seen it!

“Like” THE HELP on Facebook

Order the book on Amazon using banner below:

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. I attended the New York Press Screening of The Help movie. All opinions about the movie are my own and have not been influenced in any way! An Amazon Affiliate Link has been provided to the book.

Sunday Moment of Gratitude! + Winners!

This week, I am grateful for:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - For the Smooth Cruise! I got to see Najee in concert on a Smooth Jazz sail. The weather was awful, it was pouring and no one was able to sit out on deck. For last year's sail, I sat out on the deck the entire sail and I enjoyed that serenity. Great music, great view, great company. This year when I realized I couldn't sit out on the deck, I wasn't so happy at first. I arrived on the ship, looking like a drowned rat, because despite my umbrella, the winds were making it so that I arrived wet anyway. So there I was wet, uncomfortable and forced indoors. But it truly turned out to be a blessing in disguise! I met great people that I would never have met if I sat on deck, and had a wonderful time. In fact, the cruise didn't even feel like it was the full time, because the time went so fast talking to everyone at my table! Spoiler Alert: OK, so it wasn't a movie, so this technically isn't a spoiler, but there will be an encore sail in October, and I'd highly suggest you keep checking our Today's Butterfly, because there may something special coming up for BOTH of us! :)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Help, that movie is a *MUST* see, as you can see Friday I gave you a teaser, and Tuesday I'll have a full review, but for a movie to make my Sunday gratitude list, you know it must be good!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - It was an incredibly busy week this week, between events and errands, I didn't feel like I had enough time to get everything done, but somehow I did. I'm filled with gratitude for my busy and productive week!

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What are you grateful for today? I'd love for you to write in and share what you are grateful for this week. The more you say it, the more you speak it, and the more you live in gratitude, the more you will find reasons to be grateful for, and the more reasons that the universe will send you to be grateful for. So join me on this journey of gratitude and inspiration. And you can post here daily (even though my list will be posted weekly).

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

It is OK to *Re-Tweet* the link to this post and You can find me on Twitter here (@Tracy_Iglesias) Twitter love: re*tweet by copying and pasting the following into your update field at Twitter:

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias This Week's 'Moment of Gratitude' and Great giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

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Active Giveaway!

1) Ends 08/08/11 - Jockey Staycool Collection Giveaway - 3 winners!  Enter HERE

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For those of you who are interested in keeping a gratitude journal this year, here is my recommendation and where to purchase it:

Make this Your Best Day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

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BORGHESE GIVEAWAY WINNERS:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Eclairre

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Alicia E.

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FTC Disclosure: Journal Recommendation uses an Amazon Affiliate Link. We list winners by their ascending butterfly usernames instead of full names for privacy purposes.

Today's Words of Inspiration - Can you show love to your enemy?

Today's Quote:

'If you can show love to your enemy, then you already have the victory'  ~ The Help Movie Quote

Last night I had the chance to attend the NYC Press Screening of the Dreamworks movie, The Help, based on the novel The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I can't really discuss it yet, so you will see my full review on Tuesday, but I selected this quote for Today's Words of Inspiration because I thought it was incredibly powerful in general, as well as the context in which it is used in the movie itself.

Today's Challenge: Love your enemy! I'm not going to pretend this is easy. When someone hurts you, it's totally understandable that your first reaction is to lash out. To fight fire with fire. Just remember if you truly believe my favorite quote 'Attitude determines Altitude' then you know that your good energy, begets good energy. If you allow your heart to be filled with hate, be it for a situation or a person, you are filling yourself with negative energy. An energy that harms YOU, more than the person you are harboring that energy towards.

Today's Breathing Affirmation: Close your eyes, take a deep, slow breath in through your nose, and affirm "I give and receive love energy."

Before logging out for your weekend fun, if you haven't already done so, please enter our latest giveaway with Jockey - 3 winners winning a top and bottom from their new StayCool Collection HERE.

August's Bag in our monthly 'Featured Handbag in the Spotlight' will be posted this Monday!

Remember that attitude determines altitude, go out there and make this your best day ever, bless and be blessed!

Have you ever forgiven an enemy?

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Meeting Spencer {Film Review}

Meeting Spencer, is a Malcolm Mowbray Film, coming to The Quad Cinema  in New York City on Friday, April 8, 2011, it's a contemporary comedy, that takes place in the famed Frankie & Johnnie’s  Steakhouse restaurant in New York City.

It’s a sort of ‘comedy of errors’ that brings new meaning to the ‘Murphy’s Law’ expression “If anything can go wrong, it will’.

ABOUT

Famed director Harris Chappell (played by Jeffrey Tambor) plans to relaunch his Broadway career after suffering a humiliating series of flops in Hollywood. He arrives at Frankie & Johnnie’s restaurant anxious to see his former flame Didi (played by Melinda McGraw) and meet a struggling young actor, Spencer West (played by Jesse Plemons), as a favor to an old friend. A night of revelry and revelations proceeds as Chappell encounters a series of unexpected roadblocks. As his plans for a triumphant comeback spiral wildly out of control, he not only must doubt whether his highly anticipated new play will ever see the light of day, he begins to question his own sanity.

CAST

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ – JEFFREY TAMBOR (Harris Chappell)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ – MELINDA MCGRAW (Didi Ravenal)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ – JESSE PLEMONS (Spencer West)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ – YVONNE ZIMA (Sophia Martinelli)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ – JILL MARIE JONES (Nikki Ross) (some of you may remember her from Television Sitcom ‘Girlfriends’ where she portrayed the very ‘confident’ character, Toni Childs)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ – WILLIAM MORGAN SHEPPARD (Larry Lind)

MY TAKE

This is a well paced movie, that keeps you laughing, so much so that you almost forget that the entire movie takes place inside the Restaurant! You can actually almost see this as being a play instead of a movie, and whenever you can get play caliber these days for the price of a movie ticket, you’d be foolish to let it pass you by!

Harris has a very dry humor coupled with a huge ego and is brilliantly portrayed by Jeffrey Tambor. As a New Yorker myself I did appreciate Melinda McGraw’s portrayal of Didi, she was definitely that theater hound that never misses a show, the one who seems to know almost everyone. And I also thought Jill Marie Jones nailed the relentless Nikki Ross, the reporter who will do anything for the story (and I will say the ‘twist’ given this character was a very surprising one, no spoilers here, so you’ll have to see for yourself!).

For anyone who has a dream and anyone who wants a good laugh!

Keeping it – Social Social Media That is!

Meeting Spencer on Facebook
Meeting Spencer on Twitter @Meeting_Spencer

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FTC Disclosure Info: This is not a paid insertion. This is a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding the movie are my own. I was provided with advanced screening passes to facilitate my review.

Disney Pictures Presents Gnomeo and Juliet!

I had the pleasure of attending a NYC 3D screening of Gnomeo and Juliet and it was a welcome break between the madness of pre Fashion Week events and events surrounding the NYC Toy Fair!

The greatest love story ever told, starring...garden gnomes? In the upcoming “Gnomeo & Juliet,” Shakespeare's revered tale gets a comical, off-the-wall makeover. Directed by Kelly Asbury (“Shrek 2”) and showcasing both classic and original songs by Elton John, the film features the voices of James McAvoy and Emily Blunt as Gnomeo and Juliet, who have as many obstacles to overcome as their quasi namesakes when they are caught up in a feud between neighbors. Two garden gnomes, Gnomeo (voice of James McAvoy) and Juliet (voice of Emily Blunt), try to avoid tragedy and find a happy ending to their star-crossed love affair when they are caught up in a feud between neighbors.

I had a fun time playing ‘who is that voice’ in my head, some were easier to recognize than others, like Patrick Stewart, Hulk Hogan, Ozzy Osbourne, Dolly Parton and Michael Caine!

And hopefully you like Elton John, because you will be hearing lots of Elton songs in this movie! There is a very energetic version of Crocodile Rock Performed by Nelly Furtado and Elton John. J

Here is the clip:

MY REVIEW:

While the movie is rated General Audiences, there are a few double entendres in there, and while they will course of make the adults laugh, you want to be aware they are there and decide based on your child’s maturity level, if you feel comfortable with that. I thought the 3D effects in Tangled was a bit more dynamic than in Gnomeo and Juliet, but all in all it is a fast paced, cheeky take on the Shakespeare Classic, With a Cameo by the man himself, well ….. at least his statue was there! J

I was excited to find some butterfly sightings! And when you visit the website gnomeoandjuliet.com you will find a blue butterfly there too! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

I have been enjoying playing spot the butterfly during Disney Animated Films and I’ve even got family and friends doing it now! J

I did want to let you know that Disney did offer us a giveaway, but I’m covering pre-fashion week events and fashion week itself as well as the NY Toy Fair for outlets that I write for, and with our Valentine’s Guide now in full swing I just couldn’t take anything else on. My apologies dear readers, I did however want you to know that Disney was very much thinking of you!

In fact, because of the insanity of my schedule, our Valentine’s Day Buying Guide, is running well past Valentine’s Day itself and it will run straight through February!

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FTC Disclosure: I was provided with Screening Passes for this film. There was no monetary compensation. I was not asked to write about my experience, and my opinions of this film are expressly my own.