Marvel Studios Begins Production on GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 Start of Production Image L to R: Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), Drax (Dave Bautista), Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and Gamora (Zoe Saldana) ©Marvel 2017

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2
Start of Production Image
L to R: Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), Drax (Dave Bautista), Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and Gamora (Zoe Saldana)
©Marvel 2017

Marvel Studios has begun principal photography at Pinewood Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, on Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” which is slated to hit U.S. theaters on May 5, 2017. The production will shoot at Atlanta’s Pinewood Studios.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is written and directed by James Gunn (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Slither”). The film marks the return of the original Guardians, including Chris Pratt (“Jurassic World,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”) as Peter Quill/Star-Lord;  Zoe Saldana (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Star Trek Into Darkness”) as Gamora; Dave Bautista (“Spectre,”  “Guardians of the Galaxy”) as Drax; Vin Diesel (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Furious 7”) as the voice of Groot; Bradley Cooper (“Joy,” “American Sniper”) as the voice of Rocket;  Michael Rooker (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Jumper”) as Yondu; Karen Gillan (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “The Big Short”) as Nebula; and Sean Gunn (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Gilmore Girls”) as Kraglin. New cast members include Pom Klementieff (“Oldboy”), Elizabeth Debicki (“The Great Gatsby,” “Everest”), Chris Sullivan (“The Knick,” “The Drop”) and Kurt Russell (“The Hateful Eight,” “Furious 7”).

Set to the all-new sonic backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” continues the team’s adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is produced by Marvel Studios’ president, Kevin Feige, with Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jonathan Schwartz, Nik Korda and Stan Lee serving as executive producers.

Director James Gunn’s creative team also includes director of photography Henry Braham (“The Legend of Tarzan,” “The Golden Compass”); production designer Scott Chambliss (“Star Trek,” “Tomorrowland”); editors Fred Raskin (“The Hateful Eight,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”) and Craig Wood (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”); composer Tyler Bates (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “John Wick”); three time Oscar®-nominated costume designer Judianna Makovsky (“Captain America: Civil War,” “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”); Oscar®-nominated visual effects supervisor Chris Townsend (“Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Iron Man 3”); stunt coordinator Tommy Harper (“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” ); co-producer / first assistant director Lars Winther (“Captain America: Civil War,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”); and six-time Oscar® nominee, special effects supervisor Dan Sudick (“Captain America: Civil War,”  “The Avengers”).

The original “Guardians of the Galaxy” was a hit with critics and audiences alike, earning over $770 million at the worldwide box-office, and holds the record as the most successful debut film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In addition, the film’s soundtrack went platinum and was nominated for a Grammy®.

Based on the Marvel comic characters first published in 1969, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ” continues the lineage of epic big-screen adventures chronicled in “Iron Man,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Iron Man 2,” “Thor,” “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “The Avengers,” “Iron Man 3,” “Thor: The Dark World,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Ant-Man,” and the upcoming release schedule, which includes  “Captain America: Civil War” on May 6, 2016; “Doctor Strange,” November 4, 2016; “Spider-Man,” July 7, 2017; and “Thor: Ragnarok” on November 3, 2017.

Marvel Studios continued its unprecedented success in 2015 with the release of “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” At the time of release, the film recorded the second biggest opening weekend of all time with a $191.3 million box office. It has also been the #1 release in every country where it has opened and has grossed over $1.4 billion in global box office. The studio also successfully launched another franchise with “Ant-Man,” starring Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly. The film opened #1 at the box office on July 17 and went on to gross more than $519 million at the worldwide box office. The film propelled the Marvel brands’ #1 domestic box-office opening streak to a record-breaking 12 consecutive films.

ZOOTOPIA – Now Playing in Theatres (and draw the characters!)

HOW TO DRAW JUDY HOPPS:

HOW TO DRAW FLASH:

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Visit the official ZOOTOPIA website here: http://movies.disney.com/zootopia

ZOOTOPIA opens in theatres everywhere on March 4th

THE FINEST HOURS – Featurette and Clip

A heroic action-thriller, “The Finest Hours” is the remarkable true story of the most daring rescue mission in the history of the Coast Guard. Presented in Digital 3D, Real D 3D and IMAX® 3D, the film will transport audiences to the heart of the action, creating a fully-immersive cinematic experience on an epic scale.

Coast Guard Featurette

Film Clip: “Nothing to Do with Luck”

Like THE FINEST HOURS on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefinesthoursmovie

Follow Disney Pictures on Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneystudios

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Visit the official THE FINEST HOURS website here: http://movies.disney.com/the-finest-hours

THE FINEST HOURS storms into theatres everywhere tomorrow, January 29th

A Bronx Tale at PaperMill Playhouse

My son and I recently saw the show “A Bronx Tale” at PaperMill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ.  For those of you who don’t know anything about the story, it’s based on the real life of Chazz Palminteri, who then wrote a play about it as well as preformed a one man show.  There is, of course, also a movie with the esteemed Robert De Niro, which did very well. Now preformed with a full cast, music, dancing- the works- A Bronx Tale is a fun musical theater production that you should see before it closes it’s doors.

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“Based on the real life story by Chazz Palminteri‚ A Bronx Tale: The Musical is set against the backdrop of racial strife and organized crime in the 1960s. It is the story of an Italian-American teenager finding his path in life as he must choose between the father who raised him and a mob-boss father figure who fascinates him.”

My son and I enjoyed the show.  I had explained the premise to him beforehand, and since he understands what the civil rights movement was, and how things “used to be in the olden days” as he puts it, he was prepared.  I don’t know that all children of all ages would be able to see the show- there is cursing and some violence (gunshots, people are beaten up, there is a car explosion off stage, etc), but it’s not vulgar- you would need to be the judge of what your child is mature enough to handle.  It is in no way a show I found to be explicit or over the top- but your child would need at least a basic understanding of the times, and you would need to be OK with them hearing bad language now and again.  (It’s not “Jersey Boys” bad language- just now and again.)  You are exposing your child to both history and theater, which is a good thing- just make sure they are mature enough for it at the time.

Picture via PaperMill Playhouse

Picture via PaperMill Playhouse

The show is about a young Italian boy from the Bronx, Calogero (who grows into a man) who is torn between the father he loves and the gangster he admires.  His father is a hardworking, honest, middle class man who adores his family, while the racketeer is fun, wealthy, exciting- and takes the young Calogero (“C”) under his wing.  As he gets older, he falls in love with a black girl from his school, which of course brings about problems for both of them and their friends.

The show hopes to make it to Broadway, and it would be great if it does.  The cast is wonderful, the themes of loyalty, family, and a classic “coming of age” story will resonate with most people. Will “C” change with the times, or be stuck in the past?  Whose footsteps will he follow in- his father’s, or his mentor’s?  Will he find his way in such turbulent times?

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A Bronx Tale: The Musical will be performed at Paper Mill Playhouse eight times a week, Wednesday through Sunday. Performance schedule: Wednesday at 7:30pm, Thursday at 1:30pm and 7:30pm, Friday at 8:00pm, Saturday at 1:30pm and 8:00pm and Sunday at 1:30pm and 7:00pm. Tickets are on sale now starting at $32. Tickets may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, or online at www.PaperMill.org. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express accepted. Groups of 10 or more can receive up to a 40% discount on tickets and should call 973.315.1680.  College students may order $20 rush tickets over the phone or in person at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office on the day of the performance.

Next up is West Side Story- one of my all time favorites.  Check out all PaperMill has to offer, including children’s shows, shows for special needs families, and more by visiting www.PaperMill.org.

Summer Road Trip Essentials

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Are you channeling Thelma and Louise this summer? If you’re gearing up for the road trip of a lifetime, here are some essentials to pack in your trunk.

Clothing

A summer road trip is all about sun, sea and sand. Pack your swimwear and some light layers for evenings. Choose a mixture of laid-back daytime outfits, beach attire and a couple of smarter looks for going out. Try and pack light, as you may have limited space.

Sat nav

The films often show glamorous starts wrestling with paper maps with the wind blowing in their hair, but the reality is that sat nav is a lot easier. Plug in motel postcodes and landmark sites to navigate your way without any stress or arguments with your co-pilot. Take a map with you just in case the road layout has changed, or your sat nav stops working.

In-car charger

If you’re planning to spend long periods of time in the car, it’s wise to pack an in-car charger. You may need to make calls and you’ll undoubtedly need your phone to stop off and take some snaps.

First aid kit

You never know when accidents could happen, and it’s always best to be prepared. Bring a first aid kit with you to treat any scrapes and scratches you pick up along the way.

Sunglasses

Don’t forget your shades, the ultimate road trip accessory. Not only will your glasses give you that retro road trip look, but they’ll also enable you to enjoy the views without squinting.

Beach accessories

Load up your trunk with beach chairs, a Frisbee and a bat and ball for endless hours of playing around and lazing in the sun.

Sun cream

Even the most beautifully golden sun-kissed skin can burn, so take care to protect your skin. Apply lotion before you sit out and avoid the powerful midday sun. You will need to be particularly careful if you have fair skin, or you burn easily. Wear a sun hat, use a high factor and stay hydrated throughout the day.

Drinks and snacks

There’s nothing worse that trying to drive when all you can think about is feeling hungry and thirsty. Stock up on bottles of water and some snacks to keep you going on long drives. You never know when you may hit traffic or puncture a tyre, so it’s best to be prepared.

Camera

If you’re a keen photographer, or you want to keep a photo diary of your trip, a camera is a must. Don’t forget to bring a charger and a spare battery.

ID

If you’re crossing borders, you’ll need the relevant identification documents with you. Check what you need before you go. In some cases, you may need a tourist visa. Always make sure your passport is in date before you make any travel plans. It’s also highly beneficial to take out travel insurance if you are planning to travel to a different country.

If you’re looking forward to a summer on the roads, follow these simple packing guidelines to avoid any hassle and have an incredible time!

3 Ways To Organize And Transform Your Garage

For most families, the garage is often a messy, disorganized and unloved storage space. As well as housing your car, it’s a place where you store tools and belongings you don’t need every day. But with a lack of care and attention over time the items in your garage can build up. Making it difficult to navigate and potentially hazardous to your family members. But with these organization and planning tips, your garage could actually become one of the most functional rooms in your home.

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Declutter and maximize the space

Decluttering is a popular thing to do inside your home, but can be just as beneficial to your garage too. You probably won’t need to do this if you’ve just moved in. Giving yourself an hour or two on the weekends to declutter can make a significant difference. You need to go through all of the items that are stored inside and determine whether they still have a purpose. Get rid of anything that is broken or past it’s best. Once completed this should open up the space and make it easier to move around. While decluttering also make sure the hardware in your garage is in full working order. If you find that the door or lights are not working, you may need to replace or fix them. This too may give you more additional space. Take a look at this garage door service info to help you consider your options.

Give your garage a new purpose

If you don’t have a lot of items to store and you are able to park your car elsewhere, why not give your garage a new purpose. You could turn it into a home gym, an office or a playroom for your kids. The possibilities are endless and it could even add value to your home if you’re thinking of selling. Think of converting your garage into a space that your whole family can use such as a cinema room or art studio. Why not also take a look online to see how other people have transformed their garage space for further inspiration and ideas. You’re bound to come up with something that puts this neglected space to much better use.

Create zones

If you use your garage to store multiple items, you can make it far more organized by establishing zones. Sort the items in your garage into set piles such as kids toys, gardening tools and sporting equipment. Place these items in color coded or labelled boxes. Now divide up the space in your garage into zones and store your newly organized items in the same place. So all your gardening tools will be located in zone one, kids toys in zone two and so on. This will make it far easier to locate items when you need them and makes it simpler to maintain a tidy garage space.

With these suggestions, you shouldn’t find it too difficult to create an organized garage you can be proud of. So don’t let it continue to be a dumping ground for your family’s things.

Visiting the Poconos

This most recent visit to the Poconos, we stayed at Split Rock Resort & Golf Club and visited Jack Frost Mountain ski area during the day. It was only a short ride, making spending the day outdoors easy (and coming back to our room was relaxing).

Winter is a great season to enjoy time at a resort- and to take advantage of the winter-weather sports like skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing while you are there. Split Rock Resort and Jack Frost Mountain are the perfect escape combination that you are looking for this season. Split Rock Resort is not just for winter, however. Every season is a good time to visit, with a different experience each and every time. Located in the western region of the Poconos, you will find the sense of adventure that you have been missing from everyday life.

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Split Rock Resort has over 1,200 acres to explore, and is lots of fun for the entire family. The resort offers lots of on-site events and live entertainment, as well as a pool and several restaurants and eateries. You can check out local bands and award-winning festivals. There is something going on every single week, so while you are there you can soak in some music and festivities. There is also an arcade, movie theater, and bowling alley, all for additional fees.

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The resort has all sorts of accommodations, so whether you want to stay in a suite, lodge room, villa, or cottage, you have that choice. Lake Harmony is the gorgeous view that you will get from the lodge rooms. If you are planning on a longer stay (or you have a larger family), you may want to look into the suites or the villas, which offer a fireplace, full kitchen and even a dining area. The bathrooms were amazing in our room- there were showers and a whirlpool tub, which we loved.  What a great way to relax after a day outdoors! It’s like a home away from home, and in some cases, better. The cottages are perfect for an intimate stay.

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There is also the H2Oooohh! waterpark you and your family can visit, but that is a separate price from the rest of the resort. Ticket prices range from $16 for observer only (you can enter, but not ride or take part in anything) to $32 for adult and children over 12.   There are 53,326 square feet of water attractions, five exciting body, tube and raft slides, a wavepool, activity pool, water dumping bucket, and more.  There is also a surfing activity, where kids and adults can try to ride a wave standing up or body-boarding style on the Komodo Dragon – Pennsylvania’s First Indoor Flow Rider.  There are also hot tubs and a kiddie play area. This was the highlight of the trip for my son, and the place where we spent most of our time.

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While you are staying at the Split Rock Resort, you should take the time to visit the Jack Frost Mountain ski area. It is just as iconic as the resort that was founded for the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company to get away as a retreat. In 1942, it was built along the shores of Lake Harmony and had an adjoining Hazzard ski slope. When the lodge was sold in 1947, the ski slope was renamed to be known as the Big Boulder Ski Area. This was the first commercial ski resort in Pennsylvania and was where snowmaking was first used successfully for commercial enjoyment.

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Fun fact? John Guresh, an employee who was instrumental in building Big Boulder Ski Area, perfected the snowmaking machine.  In 1956, there was now a sprinkler type machine that released crystals that looked and acted like snow. Jack Frost was born in 1972 and is now a resort that is a companion to Big Boulder Ski Area. These two resorts are now a big part of the skiing community in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

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My son had the best time snow tubing (his favorite winter activity).  After you choose your tube, you drag it a short way to a tow-rope lift.  The way it works (for anyone who has not tried this before) is that you sit inside the tube, and an employee snaps the rope onto a tow-rope that drags you up the hill at a not-too-brisk pace.  Once you get to the top, you hop out of the tube, take the rope, and wait for your turn to go down the hill.  This saves you from having to drag it  up the hill yourself over and over again, which we all know is exhausting.  (And if you have small kids, to drag them, their tubes, and your own tube up as well!)

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At Jack Frost, the parking and tubing areas are at the top of the resort. You will find everything that you need in the Main Lodge, and the Tubing Park is right there as soon as you arrive. Parking is no problem, and it’s not far to walk to. There is also Big Boulder Park that operates mostly at night, but does have some daytime and weekend hours. They also have a tubing park. With a multitude of different runs to experience, there is never a dull moment.

Head over to http://www.splitrockresort.com/ to book your stay.  You and your family will have a great time!

Gardenia’s Fire Gourmet Pastry Bouquets

Some occasions call for something special.  While you might think “bouquet”, you want something that is both eye catching and long lasting.  Flowers work, but sometimes you prefer something different.  This is where Gardenia’s Fire comes into place.  They specialize in gourmet pastry bouquets. Gardenia’s Fire is dedicated to providing you and your gift recipients with the highest standard of gift giving excellence. They offer a unique and memorable line of delectable items that are a combination of the visual aesthetics of modern flower arrangements with the decadence of fine patisserie. Enjoy discovering and experiencing the lovingly crafted gourmet floral pastry bouquets and centerpieces, the perfect gift or special occasion centerpiece.

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The bouquet we took a look at features many delicious baked goods including Belgian chocolate cupcakes, vanilla bean macaroons, and brownie berries.  The favorite among all these delicious baked treats were definitely the brownie bites, which were bite sized brownies covered in chocolate and sprinkles to give a rich chocolate flavor that is both crunchy and savory.  The bouquet has a total of 3 cupcakes, 3 macaroon sticks, and 3-5 brownie berries.  The name of the bouquet is Forever Yours Silver Line.  This particular arrangement also has two red candles and a silver vase.  This bouquet makes the perfect complement to a dinner party where dessert is the center piece.

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The Forever Yours Silver Line bouquet starts at $65.00. You can add balloons or plush bears to round out your gift if you’d like.  Gardenia’s Fire has also recently started online gift delivery service.  All baked pastry bouquets are delivered in refrigerated vehicles to NJ customers in Bergen, Passaic, Essex, and Hudson Counties.  Gift boxes of Gardenia’s Berries and French Macaroons may also be sent anywhere throughout the U.S.  In addition, Gardenia’s Fire pastry bouquets can be ordered at http://gardeniasfire.com/ or by calling (844) 273- 3642.