While at the D23 Expo last summer I learned a little bit about Queen of Katwe. I have been looking forward to it ever since. I love Lupita Nyong’o and cannot wait to see her in this film. The trailer and poster were just released this week and now I am even more anxious to see this film! It is sure to be a hit!
Synopsis
“Queen of Katwe” is the colorful true story of a young girl selling corn on the streets of rural Uganda whose world rapidly changes when she is introduced to the game of chess, and, as a result of the support she receives from her family and community, is instilled with the confidence and determination she needs to pursue her dream of becoming an international chess champion. Directed by Mira Nair (“Monsoon Wedding”) from a screenplay by William Wheeler (“The Hoax”) based on the book by Tim Crothers, “Queen of Katwe” is produced by Lydia Dean Pilcher (“The Darjeeling Limited”) and John Carls (“Where the Wild Things Are”) with Will Weiske and Troy Buder serving as executive producers. The film stars Golden Globe® nominee David Oyelowo (“Selma”), Oscar® winner and Tony Award® nominee Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave”) and newcomer Madina Nalwanga.
Lupita Nyong’o and Madina Nalwanga star in the triumphant true story QUEEN OF KATWE, directed by Mira Nair.
For 10-year-old Phiona Mutesi (Nalwanga) and her family, life in the impoverished slum of Katwe in Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle. Her mother, Harriet (Nyong’o), is fiercely determined to take care of her family and works tirelessly selling vegetables in the market to make sure her children are fed and have a roof over their heads. When Phiona meets Robert Katende (Oyelowo), a soccer player turned missionary who teaches local children chess, she is captivated. Chess requires a good deal of concentration, strategic thinking and risk taking, all skills which are applicable in everyday life, and Katende hopes to empower youth with the game. Phiona is impressed by the intelligence and wit the game requires and immediately shows potential. Recognizing Phiona’s natural aptitude for chess and the fighting spirit she’s inherited from her mother, Katende begins to mentor her, but Harriet is reluctant to provide any encouragement, not wanting to see her daughter disappointed. As Phiona begins to succeed in local chess competitions, Katende teaches her to read and write in order to pursue schooling. She quickly advances through the ranks in tournaments, but breaks away from her family to focus on her own life. Her mother eventually realizes that Phiona has a chance to excel and teams up with Katende to help her fulfill her extraordinary potential, escape a life of poverty and save her family.
QUEEN OF KATWE opens in theaters on September 23rd!
The universe’s greatest protector will rise again in the all-new series DREAMWORKS VOLTRON LEGENDARY DEFENDER, premiering June 10, exclusively on Netflix. Witness the rebirth of the legend with this ambitious re-imagining of the fan-favorite science-fiction saga, promising galaxies worth of action, comedy, and adventure, as good battles evil in an intergalactic war ten thousand years in the making. These series will launch with an hour-long origin story called “The Rise of Voltron,” and will be followed by 10 episodes.
I remember growing up watching Voltron, and so I am super excited to be able to share new Voltron episodes with my daughters! We are always watching Netflix shows together and this is one I will definitely be adding to our list!
While this bold new series will be instantly recognizable to Voltron’s legions of dedicated fans, Executive Producer Joaquim Dos Santos and Co-Executive Producer Lauren Montgomery (The Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender) have re-engineered core elements of the original show using all of the twenty-first-century technology and storytelling innovation at their disposal. With a killer mix of old and new animation techniques, creative transformations of the characters and designs and inventive plot expansions, this fresh Voltron saga will leave kids and super fans hungry for each new episode. Like the newly designed Voltron, which bears its old battle scars with pride, DREAMWORKS VOLTRON LEGENDARY DEFENDER honors the show’s venerated history while amplifying its strengths and scope tenfold.
Synopsis
The Netflix original series DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender reimagines one of the most popular fan-favorite shows of all time in this all-new comedic action-packed show from executive producer Joaquim Dos Santos (The Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender) and co-executive producer Lauren Montgomery (The Legend of Korra). Five unsuspecting teenagers, transported from Earth into the middle of a sprawling intergalactic war, become pilots for five robotic lions in the battle to protect the universe from evil. Only through the true power of teamwork can they unite to form the mighty warrior known as Voltron.
Cast Princess Allura – Kimberly Brooks (Ben 10: Omniverse, Justice League: War)
Coran – Rhys Darby (What We Do in the Shadows, Flight of the Concords)
Shiro, Black Lion – Josh Keaton (Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Transformers Prime)
Hunk, Yellow Lion – Tyler Labine (Reaper, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil)
Lance, Blue Lion – Jeremy Shada (Finn in Adventure Time, Batman: The Brave and the Bold)
Pidge, Green Lion – Bex Taylor-Klaus (Arrow, Scream: The Series, iZombie)
Keith, Red Lion – Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead, The Legend of Korra)
Emperor Zarkon – Neil Kaplan (Transformers: Robots in Disguise) Haggar – Cree Summer (Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Dawn of the Croods)
To celebrate the DVD debut release of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir this week, I have some amazing coloring sheets featuring the show’s two main characters. Perfect for a superhero super fun weekend activity for the kids! My girls LOVE this show and so they were thrilled when I handed them these pages and some crayons. My 4 year old couldn’t wait to go to school and show her friends!
About Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir Get ready to bug out with two new super heroes! The exciting new CGI animated TV series Miraculous™: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir is available on DVD as of May 3, 2016, from Shout! Kids, in collaboration with ZAG. The release features seven incredible episodes, bonus features, and a French language track – très bon! Wildly successful on Nickelodeon, its legions of fans worldwide know that Miraculous™: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir is superhero super fun.
Marinette and Adrien, two seemingly normal kids live what appears to be an ordinary teen life in Paris with daily encounters that create amusing circumstances in school, with friends, family, and even with strangers. But when the evil Hawk Moth threatens their beloved city of Paris, they transform into the superheroes Ladybug and Cat Noir using super powers gained with the help of their magical friends. Hawk Moth is using his evil energy to transform normal people into super villains, so our two heroes need to use all their skills to defeat him.
Becoming Ladybug is a complicated process. First, Marinette needs a “Kwami,” which is a tiny magical assistant (called Tikki). She also needs a “Miraculous,” which is a magical accessory (her special pair of earrings). Tikki uses the Miraculous to transform Marinette, but her Ladybug super powers only work for a limited time!
It is a good thing that she gets a little help from her superhero partner, Cat Noir even though she insists she doesn’t need him. If only she knew Cat Noir’s true identity – her school crush, Adrien! It will take a lot – friendship, teamwork and skill – to outwit Hawk Moth. Will Ladybug and Cat Noir be able to balance their double lives and keep Paris safe? Will they ever find out each other’s true identity? Until then – there is a whole city of baddies to defeat… SPOTS ON, CLAWS OUT!
International pop icon Pink from the music video for her new hit, JUST LIKE FIRE, which is featured in Disney’s ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, the all-new adventure featuring the unforgettable characters from Lewis Carroll’s beloved stories.
I am a huge fan of P!nk (I saw her tour with *NSYNC many years ago – don’t judge me) and I am also a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland. I loved the original, and the recent remake, and am really looking forward to the sequal, Alice Through The Looking Glass. The cast is amazing and I know it is sure to be a great film. P!nk just released her music video for “Just Like Fire” from the movie and it is incredible! Not only is the song great, but the costumes are amazing – check it out!
ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS opens in theaters everywhere on May 27th!
About Disney’s Alice Through The Looking Glass
In Disney’s “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” an all-new spectacular adventure featuring the unforgettable characters from Lewis Carroll’s beloved stories, Alice returns to the whimsical world of Underland and travels back in time to save the Mad Hatter. Directed by James Bobin, who brings his own unique vision to the spectacular world Tim Burton created on screen in 2010 with “Alice in Wonderland,” the film is written by Linda Woolverton based on characters created by Lewis Carroll and produced by Joe Roth, Suzanne Todd and Jennifer Todd and Tim Burton with John G. Scotti serving as executive producer. “Alice Through the Looking Glass” reunites the all-star cast from the worldwide blockbuster phenomenon, including: Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska and Helena Bonham Carter along with the voices of Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen and Timothy Spall. We are also introduced to several new characters: Zanik Hightopp (Rhys Ifans), the Mad Hatter’s father and Time himself (Sacha Baron Cohen), a peculiar creature who is part human, part clock.
Alice Kingsleigh (Wasikowska) has spent the past few years following in her father’s footsteps and sailing the high seas. Upon her return to London, she comes across a magical looking glass and returns to the fantastical realm of Underland and her friends the White Rabbit (Sheen), Absolem (Rickman), the Cheshire Cat (Fry) and the Mad Hatter (Depp), who is not himself. The Hatter has lost his Muchness, so Mirana (Hathaway) sends Alice on a quest to borrow the Chronosphere, a metallic globe inside the chamber of the Grand Clock which powers all time. Returning to the past, she comes across friends – and enemies – at different points in their lives, and embarks on a perilous race to save the Hatter before time runs out. Presented in Digital 3D™, Real D 3D and IMAX® 3D, Disney’s “Alice Through the Looking Glass” opens in U.S. theaters on May 27, 2016.
My daughters LOVE Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. It is one of our favorite shows to watch together as a family. We have a lot of DVDs of this show and they enjoy watching them at home and in the car on long trips. He is a go-to in our home and I love all that they learn from him!
Preschoolers can climb aboard Trolley and join Daniel Tiger as he goes for a checkup, gets a shot, and helps Mom Tiger when she’s not feeling well. When Daniel visits the doctor for his checkup, he is “one stripe scared” about going. To help Daniel feel better, Mom Tiger talks with him about the visit and sings “when we do something new, let’s talk about what we’ll do.” Other helpful strategies that Daniel and his friends and family use in select stories featured on the DVD include: “when you get hurt, find a grown-up to help you feel better” and “when you’re sick, rest is best.”
“DANIEL GOES TO THE DOCTOR” will be available on DVD starting May 10, 2016. The DVD has a run time of approximately 110 minutes and an SRP of $12.99. The “DANIEL GOES TO THE DOCTOR” DVD includes the stories below. Purchase Here.
“Daniel Visits the Doctor” – Bonus Story
Daniel is going to Dr. Anna for his checkup – but he is very anxious! Mom Tiger teaches him that talking about the situation will help him feel calmer, so Daniel makes a book with all the information he knows about the doctor.
“Daniel Feels Better”
Daniel is having a ball playing with Margaret, but he accidentally falls, twisting his ankle. Mom is concerned, so they pay a visit to Dr. Anna’s office. He is scared at first, but gradually becomes more comfortable with the idea that Dr. Anna can help take care of his ankle. He even learns about the x-ray machine, firsthand – or foot!
“Miss Elaina Gets Hurt”
Daniel is at Miss Elaina’s house and the friends are playing “astronauts” with their toys. That is, until they crash into one another…OUCH! Lady Elaine comes and fixes up Miss Elaina’s booboo, but Daniel is reluctant to admit he is hurt as well. Later, Lady Elaine makes him feel better, too.
“Daniel Gets a Cold”
It’s Prince Wednesday’s birthday party at school! Daniel really doesn’t want to miss the party, but he is not feeling very well at all. He learns that when you’re sick, rest is best.
“Mom Tiger is Sick”
It’s a busy day at Daniel’s house and everyone is working on something. Mom Tiger is finishing up invitations for Fruit Picking Day, but…achoo! She’s not feeling very well. Dad and Daniel help with the invitations so Mom Tiger can get some much-needed rest.
“Daniel’s Neighbors Help”
Achoo! The Tiger Family is under the weather! Daniel is sent home from school because he doesn’t feel well, and Mom Tiger is couch-bound! Lucky for them, their neighbors are at the ready to bring them soup, books, and encouragement to help them feel better.
“Neighborhood Jobs”
Daniel and Mom Tiger are visiting the library today. Unfortunately, X the Owl isn’t feeling very well and needs to go to the doctor. Daniel learns the importance of all the Neighborhood jobs when he and Mom Tiger fill in as librarian for X so he can go see Dr. Anna.
“Daniel Gets a Shot”
Daniel has an appointment at the doctor today and he has to get a shot. He is very apprehensive and does not want to go. Daniel asks Mom Tiger questions about the shot, and she shares her trick for staying brave in scary situations. Daniel finds that the shot was not so bad after all!
“A Stormy Night”
Daniel and O the Owl are having fun playing outside in the rain until a thunderstorm builds up and worries them. When Mom Tiger teaches them to think of something happy, O and Daniel learn that the thunderstorm is not so scary after all!
The first TV series inspired by the iconic, award-winning MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD, DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD from The Fred Rogers Company stars 4-year-old Daniel Tiger, son of the original program’s Daniel Striped Tiger, who invites young viewers into his world, giving them a kid’s-eye view of his life. One of the key ingredients that makes the series a standout is its groundbreaking use of catchy musical strategies, grounded in Fred Rogers’ landmark social-emotional curriculum, that reinforce each theme and that preschoolers and parents both sing – and use – together in their daily lives. DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD, which debuted in September 2012, airs daily on PBS KIDS (check local listings).
The opinions expressed here are that of Mama Smith’s only. While the products in this post were given complimentary (unless otherwise stated) for me to review, that does not alter my opinion of the product(s) mentioned. This post may contain sponsored links and affiliate links (which will be stated at the beginning of the post).
While in LA last month, I got to be one of the first people to see Captain America: Civil War – almost a month before it hit theaters (which is today!). To say I was blown away is an understatement. Most of you know how big of a Marvel fan I am, so I have been looking forward to this film for a long time. I knew going in that it most likely would vary from the comic books, which is a good thing because I like to be surprised (and Joe Russo, one of the Directors, agrees with me), but I was surprised by just how much. It was like watching a whole new story and I loved the way they did it.
Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War..L to R: Sharon Carter/Agent 13 (Emily VanCamp), Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans)..Photo Credit: Zade Rosenthal..? Marvel 2016
Full of EVERYTHING!
Captain America: Civil War is full of action, drama, and even some romance. I always promise no spoilers so I won’t give anything away but I will say that this is my favorite Marvel movie yet. Yes, it even trumps Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1 as my all-time favorite. The tension between Captain America and Iron Man is done perfectly. It is a story about politics and each of them is doing what they truly feel deep down is the right thing to do. In the comic books, I am one thousand percent #TeamIronMan, but with the movie version, I honestly cannot choose. They both make some very valid points and I just don’t know which way is the best answer.
I love every character in this film but the addition of Tom Holland as Spider-Man was brilliant. He is incredible as Peter Parker! He has the humor, the youth, and the excitement. I loved watching him on the big screen as one of the most iconic superheroes out there. Some of you guys have asked me if Stan Lee makes another cameo in this film, I won’t say anything, but has he ever missed a Marvel movie before?
The battle scenes in this film are amazing but I will be honest, it is strange to watch some of my favorite heroes fighting each other and not a common villain. Even though I knew this was coming, it was intense to watch. The airport scene is probably my favorite of the whole movie. This is one REALLY cool thing that happens that I cannot talk about because I don’t want to ruin it for you guys – but watch Ant-Man closely. I may have shed a tear or two during the movie as well. It is truly full of emotion – there is a huge reveal at the end that had me sad and mad for one of my favorite characters. You really do not want to miss this movie!
As with all Marvel movies, there are some post-credit scenes. I got to see one – and there is a second one as well! So I plan to go see Captain America: Civil War for a second time this weekend for many reasons, but one is to see that second scene!
To help celebrate the release of Captain America: Civil War, DisneyStore.com has lots of personalization items. I could have spent hours looking through them all – but I finally settled on a Black Widow shirt and a Scarlet Witch shirt with my daughters’ names on the back. Those are two pretty strong and pretty amazing women from the film, and I want my girls to have great role models. The process was easy, I could have put their names anywhere on the shirts (and I could change color and size of the lettering as well as color of the shirt too!) and decided to put them on the back. We are eagerly awaiting them and I cannot wait for my daughters to represent the women of Civil War and show off their awesome shirts thanks to Disney Store! Check out the personalization shop here!
Choose your side – #TeamIronMan or #TeamCap because Captain America: Civil War hits theaters everywhere TODAY!
About Captain America: Civil War
Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War” finds Steve Rogers leading the newly formed team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. But after another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two camps—one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark’s surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability.
The opinions expressed here are that of Mama Smith’s only. While the products in this post were given complimentary (unless otherwise stated) for me to review, that does not alter my opinion of the product(s) mentioned. This post may contain sponsored links and affiliate links (which will be stated at the beginning of the post).
I am a total Marvel Fan Girl, and if you haven’t figure that out yet, then you haven’t been paying a lot of attention to my site. So when I found out that one of my exclusive interviews in LA would be Anthony & Joe Russo, the directors of Captain America: Civil War (and Captain America: The Winter Soldier) I was beyond excited! These brothers will also be directing Avengers: Infinity War Parts I & II – which are movies I cannot wait for.
I was lucky enough to see the movie the night before talking with them so my mind was filled with questions. As a comic book reader, I was very happy with how the film was done. As much as I love the story lines, I don’t want to go and see the movie follow exactly the same story. Don’t get me wrong, I want to see it done well and for the film to stay true to the characters, but I like to be surprised. I was happy to hear that Joe Russo feels exactly the same way,
“I’m the first guy to line up to see the midnight showing of a movie I’m excited about. I’ll drag my son out with me and sit there till 2:30 in the morning and watch the film just because I want to have that immediate response to the movie the same way that everybody does. [I] want to be part of the cultural conversation about that movie.”
“As a diehard comic book fan I’m not interested in seeing a straight interpretation of a comic book – I already know the story, so why would I go see the movie? The Marvel Cinematic Universe is building its characters in a very specific way that is very different than the comic books. Film is a very different medium then comic books. We have 2 to 2 ½ hours to tell a story and we can only put out one of those movies once a year to move these characters forward. So we have to make choices that are servicing the storytelling that is built up in the MCU. And so Civil War in the MCU is very different than Civil War in the comic books. We don’t have the same characters, we don’t have the same storytelling. So for us, we borrowed the concept and applied it to our characters, but we also needed what we felt was a very emotional reason that would drive the story on both sides.“
Anthony and Joe asked us what team we were all on and we were pretty evenly split. We asked them if there was any rivalry between them when writing the script and planning out the film between Captain America and Iron Man. The answer was as I expected – they love both characters equally. Anthony explained:
“I don’t think there was rivalry just because we both love both characters. Our process has always been very layered storytelling so often times when we’re breaking the story or prepping a movie we’ll step through the story from different characters points of view. We’ll take a pass where it’ll just be all about this character and then we’ll take a pass where it’ll be all about that character.”
“We work with ensembles a lot in our work and so it’s become part of our process to really have moments where the whole movie belongs to somebody else – just one particular character for a moment – as we’re thinking about the film from beginning to end. They’re both very near and dear to our hearts. Joe and I love characters who are exciting and fun and cool but also are very human and vulnerable – we always look for that side of the character. So for us it was very important to find where’s Steve Rogers vulnerable? Where is Tony Stark vulnerable? And sort of play to those in this movie in a way that would put them in conflict with one another.“
Conflict Creating Discussion
I must say, the conflict was done extremely well. I felt for both characters are different points throughout the film and I honestly left a little bit Team Iron Man and a little bit Team Cap. That is hard to admit guys, because I am totally Team Iron Man…the movie is done that well. I just cannot wait for you all to see it so we can talk about it!
And that really is what the directors had in mind while writing and making the film.
“The intent with the film was hopefully when you’re done watching you leave the theater and you argue with your family and friends about [whose side you are on]. We didn’t want to make a declarative statement one way or the other. We just want to represent both as accurately and emotionally as we could.” Joe explained.
You may or may not have known, but the Russos’ vision for Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a 1970s spy movie type film. Someone asked them what their vision was for Civil War and Anthony answered,
“You can’t do a movie called Captain America without thinking about the politics of it. It’s at the center of the character, who the character is from as inception, and obviously in his name. So while there is still elements of the political thriller that carries us forward and maybe even launches us into this movie, we always thought about this movie as a psychological thriller.”
“That shift was very important to us because the heart of this movie for us is the relationship and the conflict between Captain America, Bucky Barnes, and Tony Stark. It’s what has to play out between those three characters in the climax of the film that we are driving towards as storytellers for the whole movie. We are setting up that sort of awful reveal and that awful tension that plays out between those characters in that moment. So that’s why we always thought of it as a psychological thriller in terms of what happens to these characters on a psychological and emotional level when this horrible revelation comes through at the end of the film.“
No spoilers from me guys but I will say WOW, that reveal is pretty amazing – you have to go see Captain America: Civil War this weekend, you won’t regret it.
There are some pretty amazing and intense scenes in the film and so we asked what the hardest part about filming was. Anthony explained that
“There’s different things [so] it depends on what you’re focusing on at any given moment. These actors are all so good, right? They’re easy to direct – their amazing actors. So getting the emotional stuff, the performance stuff out of them is easy. The execution of action though is very, very hard. We are action fetishists we always say, so we love action. We use action very specifically to find ways to express character and express narrative through action.”
“That airport scene was about the biggest thing we’ve ever attempted to do. It was almost like a mini movie within the movie. It took months and months and months to prepare that sequence. It took us an extremely long time to execute that sequence. That sequence was built in many different ways. There’s some practical shooting we did at a location in Germany called Leipzig at an actual airport there. We had to build a huge back lot outside our studio in Atlanta where we just put down an enormous slab of concrete and surrounded it with green screen. Some of those characters are really physically there and are highly trained to do very difficult stunts with the stunt team and some of those characters are entirely CGI.”
Joe added in that the Atlanta heat made filming hard for the actors as well.
“We would take the temperature of the asphalt we were standing on and it was close to 125. Guys like Chris Evans and Chadwick Boseman in full costumes standing out there. Poor Paul Bettany, I remember one day where he was hanging on wires out there in full Vision outfit and he moved his arm in a way that his sleeve opened up and sweat just squirt[ed out]. That’s true.“
I personally love that airport scene – it is one of my favorites from the entire film. As you know from the trailer, Spider-man shows up and WOW – that kid (Tom Holland) is a great actor! He is the perfect Spider-man, and I wasn’t the only one who saw the film that thought that – we all did! Someone actually asked the Russos where they found him and if they plan to hold on to him. Joe expressed the same enthusiasm we did immediately.
“Oh my God, we are doing everything we can to hang onto him. There was a really exhaustive audition process for that role. We saw him for the first time in our office in Atlanta – it was Anthony and I – we were doing work sessions with all the actors. Spider-man was a very important character to me as a kid. I was a big comic book collector – I still have my collection in my closet to my wife’s dismay. That character was my favorite character growing up so to be able to interpret him on screen was like a dream come true.”
“The things that I loved about him as a character when I was a kid were his vulnerability, his insecurity, his sense of humor. But I loved that his sense of humor in the [comic] books was a very self-aware. He was a smart ass kid but he was a kid. We felt that we wanted to have an actor very close in age to Peter Parker – and Tom’s a young actor. We also wanted to make sure that the actor had both vulnerability and a confidence at the same time. It made him accessible but also would allow him to stand in contrast to all these other really experienced superheroes who are running around dealing with a very adult problem. Then you insert into that a kid who’s trying to improvise his way through the situation but doesn’t really understand the stakes and couldn’t understand the stakes because he’s a kid – and Tom Holland just embodied all of that. He brought a real authenticity. That was the other thing too is that we really wanted him to feel like he was of New York today, right now and not comic book New York.“
Avengers: Infinity War
What can we look forward to with the Infinity War movies? Well I can tell you one thing, I don’t think the Russo brothers will disappoint us. “What we thought would be most interesting heading into Infinity War would be putting these characters in the most complicated position they could possibly be in to face the greatest threat that they’re ever going to face. Can they pull together? Can they forgive each other? Will they forgive each other? Should they forgive each other? Can they ever work together again? And so I think you’ll see some fracturing as we move forward – this Civil War is not over – and it’s certainly going to carry forward. In the fracturing you will see camps of characters dealing with each other and moving forward.” I cannot wait to see what the Russos have in store for us over the next few years, I know it is going to be amazing!
Captain America: Civil War hits theaters on May 6th, 2016 Be sure to see it (at least once) opening weekend – I will be!
About Captain America: Civil War
Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War” finds Steve Rogers leading the newly formed team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. But after another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two camps—one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark’s surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability.
We got to see a little bit of Sharon Carter/Agent 13 in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and I thought Emily VanCamp played her well. I was excited to find out that we would be seeing much more of her in Captain America: Civil War. Captain America got to spend some time with her in this film – and they even shared a kiss. (I promise you that really isn’t a spoiler). So when I got to interview Emily VanCamp at the #CaptainAmericaEvent in LA, I debated asking her about “the kiss”. I mean, who wouldn’t want to know what it is like to kiss Chris Evans?
One of my twitter followers (I wish I could remember who) wanted me to find out if Steve Rogers tastes like freedom, haha! Well, it wasn’t exactly phrased that way, but we did bring up the kiss.
“It’s kind of refreshing to see Captain in a more intimate situation. They have chemistry – it was there even in The Winter Soldier – so it’s kind of nice to see it finally happen. What her and Steve initially identify with each other (and ultimately in the comic books, it led to a very complicated relationship) – what brings them together, as well as their love of Peggy, [is that] there’s an initial trust there. [Something] that maybe he doesn’t have with anyone else and maybe she doesn’t have with anyone else.“
Emily will go down in history as Agent 13, and that is pretty cool. I want my daughters to have some strong women role models to look up to, and as a Marvel fan myself, Agent 13 will for sure be one of them. We asked Emily what she thought about knowing that she will forever be known as Sharon Carter.
“It’s really cool. Being a part of this universe is really a special thing especially with the movies that they’re making and how good they are. I’m really happy to do it with the people I’m doing it with because everyone’s great and super talented. These movies have been very surface level but what I love about Marvel is how they delve into the characters. They give us the freedom to create a version of the character that hopefully the fans will like and it’s a really fun process. So the fact that people love the movies is an extra bonus.“
Well, what she has done with her character is great. Emily told us that she loves Sharon’s moral compass.
“I love a girl with a strong moral compass and a lot of integrity. I think she really has that and I think you see her struggle with that within this film because she’s battling her work and her loyalty to her work. Is she gonna follow her head or her heart – and we ultimately see what she does but I think people can relate to that struggle.“
Just wait until you see the movie guys, Sharon’s journey is fantastic to watch. I have to agree that a lot of people can relate to that. Emily does a great job portraying just how hard it is for Agent 13.
In Captain America: Civil War, our heroes become divided – some go to #TeamCap and some to #TeamIronMan. We asked Emily which side she would be in real life.
“I have to be in Team Cap. For me to say I was anything but Team Cap would be a massive problem but I also agree with him. Watching the movie I was really trying to take myself out of it and my personal connection to the character. [I was thinking] what do I think and I really get what he’s doing. I truly do.“
She may have chosen the enemy (I am so Team Iron Man) but I still love her!
Emily has some pretty intense fighting scenes in this film – she kicks some serious butt! We asked her what the training was like and what she had to say was impressive!
“It’s just a lot of working out really. I had already done some training for Revenge so it was an easier segue into the films. But you wanna go into these movies feeling really strong and feeling fit and I [wanted to] be able to keep up. We were wrapping Revenge while I started training for the movie which is very interesting and I realized how much I should have done that for Revenge. I was fit doing Revenge but I was like oh, this is another level. It’s fun, I love that stuff. I was a dancer so all that physical activity is great and [my dancing background] helps with the sequences because ultimately it’s choreography. I hope to get to do more of it.“
When asked if there was any particular scene that was hard to film for her, Emily answered
“It’s very rare that you go into a movie already knowing it’s going to be great and successful because just historically they’ve been so successful. You wanna bring your A game – I was in Winter Soldier but not very much so it’s always a little intimidating. There’s that nervous factor before you go into it but everyone’s so kind and generous and the Russo Brothers have always made me feel so comfortable. So I wouldn’t say difficult I just think you just wanna do the best job you can.“
It is a bit comforting to me knowing that someone as fit (and amazing) as Emily VanCamp gets intimidated at times, just like us normal people.
If you have not seen it, Agent 13 is a Funko Pop Figure now. I have a huge collection of these, so I was super excited when Marvel gave us all one for attending this event. Mine actually sat on the table with Emily during the interview and she mentioned how cool it was at one point. It was her first time seeing it out of the box and she told us she wants to get one for her mom!
There is no denying it, Emily VanCamp is being sky rocketed to a position where she is a role model for young girls and young women. I for one, am happy that my little girls have someone great to look up to. Emily is someone they can relate to and when she was asked about being a role model, her answer only made me more impressed with her.
“I always hate it when I hear actors or musicians or people in the public eye say that they have no obligation to be any sort of role model because it’s not like you have an obligation but you have a choice. Why would you choose not to empower young women and use yourself as a vehicle when you have a voice to inspire that. I don’t see why you wouldn’t. That’s not to say I’m always going to play this kind of character. It’s amazing to play a kick ass girl like Sharon or a really tortured version of a woman when I played Emily Thorn or I just did a film called the Girl in the Book which is much more rooted in reality and much more real.”
“But I also think she, in her own way, is strong and on her own adventures so I tend to pick characters that have those elements to it. I guess in terms of being a role model, I know it’s not a responsibility but it’s something that I feel connected to. I have three sisters. I have wonderful women in my life and I just want to see girls have the best opportunities they possibly can and if I can inspire that in the tiniest way I don’t see why I wouldn’t.“
Since she is becoming a role model herself, we asked her which superhero she looked up to while growing up. Her answer surprised me, and at the same time thrilled me because it means she is exactly like my young daughters.
“I was obsessed with the Ninja Turtles, I’m not gonna lie. I was one like four years in a row for Halloween. Do they count as superheroes, I don’t know but that was my thing – and probably inspired some of these characters I really like to play. I wanted to be a Ninja Turtle. I think I was Donatello one year and then Michelangelo three years because I love pizza.“
My daughters watch the Ninja Turtles all the time, so it was really cool knowing that they have that in common with Emily. My 3.5 year old loves Michelangelo, so I was really excited about her answer.
I loved chatting with Emily. She is so nice and down to Earth. As she was leaving she mentioned that she started with the women and the rest of her day was going to go down hill from there – she really is so sweet! Check out Emily as Agent 13 in Captain America: Civil War this weekend – and see the kiss for yourself!
Captain America: Civil War hits theaters on May 6th, 2016 Be sure to see it (at least once) opening weekend – I will be!
About Captain America: Civil War
Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War” finds Steve Rogers leading the newly formed team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. But after another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two camps—one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark’s surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability.
The Real O’Neals is one of my favorite shows on TV right now. It airs on ABC Tuesday nights and is well worth a half hour of your time. It is hilarious and I love how they tackle real topics with humor. While in LA a couple weeks ago, I was able to watch two upcoming episodes (one of which is airing tonight) as well as chat with the cast and Executive Producers.
You may have seen the article I wrote last week about my interviews (read it HERE if not).
This episode is so good! It is definitely one of my favorites to date. In it Jimmy (Matt Shively), Kenny (Noah Galvin), and Shannon (Bebe Wood) go to a retreat while Pat (Jay R. Ferguson) and Eileen (Martha Plimpton) spend their first weekend as singles without the kids.
Let’s just say what we will see is Noah trying to overthrow Jimmy by starting a “crew”, Shannon interviewing for her first kiss, and Pat and Jay fighting over Jay’s lesbian coworker. Be sure to tune in, you will not regret it. It is a great episode.
(ABC/Kevin Estrada)
In one of the scenes, Jodi (played by Mary Hollis Inboden) brings over a karaoke machine and so when we were chatting with her and Matt, we asked if she likes karaoke in real life. She said that she absolutely loves karaoke – and she and Matt had a great story to tell us about it.
MATT: Before we filmed one episode – we all went out the night before. Ah, where is that picture? It’s an amazing picture of me and Noah and [Mary] got on top of a chair. We were in a bar and she’s doing karaoke and she’s on top of this chair and we were very worried for her because it was slippery. So we’re both standing behind her, and we both had one arm up and we were just [holding her up].
MARY: I’d had a couple of drinks. And all you hear is Martha Plimpton from the audience, (because Martha loves karaoke too), from the back of the house over all of this loud music [yell], “Flank her! Somebody, flank her!” So Noah and Matt just run up from behind Martha and grab me on each side because they were so afraid I was gonna fall off the chair.
MATT: We were giving you your moment…safely.
For the record, Mary passed her phone around so we could see the picture, and it was fantastic! This cast truly has chemistry!
(ABC/Adam Taylor)
THE REAL O’NEALS – The Real Retreat Synopsis
When Jimmy is unexpectedly named Faith Leader for the weekend at the Catholic Youth Retreat, a jealous Kenny decides to take on his older brother’s role as ring leader of the bad kids. Home alone without the kids, Pat invites a new lady friend over, and Eileen can’t help but enlist Jodi to spy on them, with surprising results, on The Real O’Neals, airing TUESDAY, MAY 3 (8:30-9:00 p.m. EDT), on the ABC Television Network.
Tune in to The Real O’Neals Tuesdays at 8:30/7:30c on ABC – and remember – be sure to watch live (or on DVR within 3 days) to help boost ratings so we can be sure there is a Season 2 of The Real O’Neals!
ALL-NEW SERIES, PEANUTS, PREMIERES ON MONDAY, MAY 9
Peanuts, the brand-new animated series based on one of entertainment’s most iconic brands, heads to Boomerang on Monday, May 9. For the first time, the individual Peanuts print comic strips come to life in vignettes filled with humor and heart for the whole family. New episodes premiere daily at 11:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m. PT.
The series captures the spirit of the timeless adventures of Charlie Brown’s gang and his wildly imaginative, supremely confident and world-famous beagle, Snoopy. The watercolor art style, textured backgrounds and framing deliver a viewing experience that will excite both classic Peanuts enthusiasts and new fans alike.
Viewers will be able to catch a sneak peek of Peanuts on Cartoon Network the week of May 9 at 10:30 a.m. (ET/PT) and further engage with the series as select individual shorts roll out on the Cartoon Network video app.
Boomerang’s exclusive U.S. premiere of Peanuts further establishes the network as a prime destination for original, family-friendly animated programming with a slate that includes Bunnicula, Wabbit, Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!, The Tom and Jerry Show, and the hour-long special Super Hero High.
I am so excited about this because my girls and I love Peanuts! I cannot wait to tune in and watch new episodes featuring Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang!
Peanuts is produced by Normaal Animation under license from Peanuts Worldwide LLC.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
