Diana Vaccarelli Sees GALAVANT

galavantkingdickby Diana Vaccarelli

“Once Upon a Time, there was a knight named Galavant who loved the beautiful maiden Madalena….”

With these simple words, the ABC mini series musical GALAVANT opens, sweeping us into – well, I was going to say “Into the Woods,” but instead I’m ging with “into a kingdom of musical delight.” The show follows Galavant in his quest for revenge against the evil King Richard, who stole Madalena from him.

This show has it all singing, dancing, humor, betrayal, and, most importantly, love. The show’s creator-writer Dan Fogelman and composers Alan Menken and Christopher Lennertz have given us a series that reminds me of the great old Monty Python and Mel Brooks films. read article

Diana Vaccarelli Sees GONE GIRL

Gone-Girl-Ben-Affleck-Rosamund-Pikeby Diana Vaccarelli

Looks like I should start reading more books, as the film industry is making more and more films based on literature, contemporary and old. GONE GIRL, written by Gillian Flynn, is one of those films.

Like the book (or so every single bit of publicity about this project has told me), the film follows a man named Nick Dunne after the disappearance of his wife and shows us the media circus that develops once he is a suspect. Ben Affleck tackles the role of the charming husband with something to hide. As a fan of Affleck’s writing and directing but not so much his acting, I’m surprised to say that this role suited him perfectly. He portrays Nick with charisma and an interesting, edgy attitude that I didn’t expect.

Rosamund Pike takes on the difficult role of Amy Dunne, Nick’s rich wife. The part has many layers that Pike peels back and exposes with perfection. She definitely proves herself not only as a star but as Oscar-winning material. read article

Diana Vaccarelli Sees OUTLANDER, Season 1

Outlander-2014-TV-Show

by Diana Vaccarelli

I’m a romantic at heart and after seeing a promotion for the new Starz show OUTLANDER, based on the series of books written by Diana Gabaldon, I had to give it a chance.

The first season is over now, but what a ride it gave us!

The TV series, like the books, follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743 Scotland . Claire is thrown into a time that she only knows through the history books. Her heart is torn the life she knows and Frank, her husband, and her new timeframe…and newfound love, Jamie Fraser for Jamie the Scottish warrior she is forced to marry in order to save her life. read article

Diana Vaccarelli Sees CHEF

by Diana Vaccarelli

chefI’m a foodie and love to eat. In spite of that, or maybe because, I had no expectations when I sat down to watch the film CHEF, written and directed by IRON MAN’s Jon Favreau.

Jon Favreau not only wrote and directed this film but also stars as Carl Casper, a highly regarded chef at a prestigious L.A. Restaurant, who quits his job to escape his controlling employer,. Finding himself in Miami, Carl teams up with his ex-wife, an old friend, and his son to open a food truck. As the truck takes to the road, Carl finds himself back at his roots.

As much as this film is about food it is more about family, with food the link between family members. Carl and the others have long been estranged, and toiling on the truck not only returns Carl to his roots, reminding him of why he loved being a chef in the first place, it also brings father and son back together. read article

Diana Vaccarelli Sees the VERONICA MARS Movie

veronica mars.mov

by Diana Vaccarelli

I have never watched the television show VERONICA MARS, but the premise of the film intrigued me.

After a very successful Kickstarter campaign, Rob Thomas, the creator and showrunner of the series, has brought us this feature-length sequel. In the film, Veronica, now living in New York and interviewing for prestigious jobs at law firms, is pulled back into the life of a private eye when her ex-boyfriend, Logan Echolls, becomes embroiled in a murder mystery involving old high school friend Carrie Bishop.

Kirsten Bell stars as the super private eye just as she did in the series. She’s good, but as a fan who loved her in FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, I expected better. She she does have good chemistry with Jason Dohring, who reprises his role as Logan, and they play off each other well. But overall, the acting in the film is subpar. Every major cast member I’ve seen before has been better before than they were here. read article