Candyman – In Theaters Now! #CandymanMovie

I've always been a huge fan of the horror/thriller movie genre and there are some cult classics which have been on my "favorites" list for years. The original Candyman film has always been on that list so I was thrilled to find out that Jordan Peele unleashed a fresh take on the blood-chilling urban legend. The film focuses on the residents of the housing projects of Chicago's Cabrini-Green neighborhood and how they were terrorized by a word-of-mouth ghost story about a supernatural killer with a hook for a hand, easily summoned by those daring to repeat his name five times in a mirror. In present day, a decade after the last of the Cabrini towers were torn down, visual artist Anthony McCoy and his partner, gallery director Brianna Cartwright unknowingly open a door to a complex past that unleashes a terrifying wave of violence. (from left) Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris) and Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) in Candyman, directed by Nia DaCosta. My eighteen-year old … [Read more...]

THE BOSS BABY: FAMILY BUSINESS – In theaters and on Peacock July 2! #BossBaby @Dreamworks

If you had a second chance at childhood, what would you do? My family and I had the pleasure of attending the Boss Baby World Premiere and we enjoyed the film so much! It was an endearing animated family movie for adults, kids, and teens! My two teenage sons loved the movie and commented that many of its themes were very relatable, even for older kids. In the sequel to DreamWorks Animation’s Oscar®-nominated blockbuster comedy, the Templeton brothers—Tim (James Marsden, X-Men franchise) and his Boss Baby little bro Ted (Alec Baldwin)—have become adults and drifted away from each other. Tim is now a married stay-at-home dad. Ted is a hedge fund CEO. But a new boss baby with a cutting-edge approach and a can-do attitude is about to bring them together again … and inspire a new family business. (from left) Tim Templeton (James Marsden), Tina Templeton (Amy Sedaris) and Ted Templeton (Alec Baldwin) in DreamWorks Animation's The Boss Baby: Family Business, directed by Tom … [Read more...]

Spider-Man Homecoming Is A Must See Movie! #SpiderManHomecoming #Ad

    I have to admit, I have never been a big fan of the Spider-Man movies over the years.  While I have always considered him to be an engaging superhero, I just didn't think all of the previous films did his character justice.  Despite this, I wanted to keep an open mind when heading to the screening of the new Spider-Man Homecoming movie.  I'm so glad that I did because it literally blew my mind how good this movie was!     The factors that made a difference for me with regards to how much I enjoyed Spider-Man Homecoming were its great cast and the fact that it displayed the perfect combination of action and humor.  Actor Tom Holland was the perfect choice to play young Peter Parker/Spider-Man because of his innate goofiness and sincerity.  He did a great job of navigating his role of the web-slinging super hero as well as the awkward teenager in this movie.     As Peter, he is thrilled by his experience with the Avengers and returns home where he lives with his Aunt May, played … [Read more...]

Take Your Family To See Mr. Peabody & Sherman This Weekend! #MrPeabody @DWAnimation #Ad

*I participated in this campaign on behalf of DreamWorks Animation. I received a promotional item to facilitate this review and as a thank you item for participating.  All opinions are my own.     Recently, my sons, nephews and I had the pleasure of attending the screening of Mr. Peabody & Sherman in New York City.  We were all very excited to see the film version of this timeless classic.  All of us had already become enamored with the characters that we were introduced to in the previews that we had seen.     The film is centered around Mr. Peabody, who is an intelligent dog who speaks and lives in the human world, and his son Sherman who is a real boy. Together they use their time machine, called the WABAC, to have some amazing adventures.  When Sherman takes the WABAC for a joyride to impress his friend Penny, they rip a hole in the universe and end up altering some of the most famous events in world history.  Luckily, Mr. Peabody comes to the rescue and, in the process … [Read more...]

Go Back In Time Walking With Dinosaurs! #WalkingWithDinosaurs #Ad @JohnLeguizamo

*This post was written by me on behalf of 20th Century Fox.  All opinions are 100% mine.     Last weekend, my family and I had the distinct privilege of attending the Walking With Dinosaurs premiere in New York City.  My sons and nephews are big dinosaur fans and they were thrilled to have the opportunity to be transported back in time to a period when they walked the earth.  I'm not sure who enjoyed the film more, our kids or my husband and I.     The thing that makes this film so unique is the fact that, for the first time in movie history, audiences will truly see and feel what it was like when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. WALKING WITH DINOSAURS is the ultimate immersive, big screen adventure for families. Meet dinosaurs more real than you've ever seen as you take off on a thrilling prehistoric adventure, where Patchi, an underdog dinosaur, triumphs against all odds to become a hero for the ages.     One of the things that I really enjoyed about Walking With Dinosaurs, as an … [Read more...]

Check Out My Interview Of David Soren, Director Of Turbo! #TurboMovie

*This post was written by me on behalf of 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks Animation.  All opinions are 100% mine.     This past week I had the pleasure of interviewing David Soren, the Director/Screenwriter of Turbo the movie.  Before our interview, I did a little background research on his accomplishments and I was very impressed to find out that he directed "Merry Madagascar" the first animated holiday television special starring the beloved quartet of Central Park Zoo animals from Madagascar and Madagascar: Escape to Africa.  Seeing as how this is one of my sons' favorite animated films, I knew that I was in for a real treat being able to speak to him about what inspired him to create these films.     Soren joined DreamWorks Animation after graduating from Sheridan College, located near his hometown of Toronto, Canada.  His latest project, Turbo, raced into theaters on July 17th in 3D.  It features the story of a snail named Turbo who aspires to win the Indy 500 despite the … [Read more...]

Meet Jeff Kinney, Author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days in Theaters Aug. 3rd! #WimpyKidDogDays

       This past Monday, we had the opportunity to attend an exclusive screening of the new 20th Century Fox film, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days which will be opening in theaters across the country on Friday, August 3rd.  The movie was a big hit with all the kids and adults alike but, you'll have to see for yourself this Friday!         Nobody could have possibly anticipated the widespread success of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series of books which have catapulted their author, Jeff Kinney into being named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2009.  This was no surprise considering that, in the four years since the publication of his first book in this series, there are 52 million copies in print and has been translated in over 37 languages.   photo credit: Matt Hoyle    As a Literacy Teacher, I have had quite a bit of experience with this series in my own classroom.  Although I teach English Language Arts to seventh and eighth … [Read more...]