2016 Entertainment Recaps, Reviews and Recommendations

Photo by Leslie Smith Doan Hollywood, California – October 2015

The following entertainment items are a few TV Shows and Films I am enjoying in this new year:

Television

• The Bachelor
  Years ago when the first season of  The Bachelor aired, I made my two daughters (who were only 8 & 4 at the time) promise me that they would never, ever, appear on The Bachelor. I told them that I didn’t mind if they auditioned for American Idol, were stranded on a deserted island on Survivor, or traveled through a foreign country on The Amazing Race, I just didn’t want them to embarrass themselves on such an idiotic show where women’s brains seem to go out the window! So here I am now, every Monday night, glued to the television set watching the 20th season of The Bachelor. I am intrigued, interested in and entertained by the young women and the new bachelor, Ben Higgins, a software salesman from Indiana who now lives in Denver, Colorado. The series premiered on January 4 with 28 women, including Maegan from Texas who shows up with her miniature horse, Huey, and Rachel, 23, from Little Rock. It just took a few moms with Facebook accounts to find out Rachel graduated from Harding University, was roommates with the daughter of a friend and also was interviewed by another friend for a job in business. See “Watch The Bachelor” for more tantalizing details!

• American Crime

  Season Two of American Crime is an American anthology crime drama television series that airs Wednesday nights at 9:00 pm on ABC. This year the ten episodes focus on shocking photos of a student from an elite private high school that are posted on social media while the school’s headmistress tries to maintain the school’s reputation.This show is a very intense and emotional portrayal of an alleged assault of a male student at a party and the life changing aftermath of everyone involved. Each episode is very well written, brilliantly produced and features amazing acting of a superb cast including Felicity Huffman, Timothy Hutton, Lili Taylor, Regina King and Connor Jessup.

Films

• Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens

  I saw the new Star Wars movie over the Christmas holidays with my oldest daughter, Lauren, who turned 23 years old in January. It brought back memories of when I was 15 years old in 1977 and saw the first Star Wars movie. We both enjoyed this newest release and I really liked seeing the original cast, including Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher along with newcomers Adam Driver, Daisey Ridley and John Boyega.

• Ride Along 2
  My 18-year-old daughter, Sara, and I saw Ride Along 2 when it opened up in early January. Even though I had not seen the first movie, the second one is very funny and features great performances from stars Ice Cube and Kevin Hart.  And it’s filmed in Miami!

  (Television and Films photos from IMDb)

  HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO DARREN CRISS!

  Photo by Leslie Smith Doan Darren Criss stars in Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Belasco Theatre New York City, New York – June 2015

  COMING SOON!  NEWS ABOUT A VALENTINE’S DAY PROMOTION FEATURING GHIRARDELLI CHOCOLATES AND JOSH CELLARS WINE!
  #ASWEETPAIRING

  

   

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