Wednesday, October 22, 2025
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‘Mama Bear’ Screening at Santa Monica Film Festival This Weekend

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Mandy Musgrave in ‘Mama Bear’ – Courtesy of Matt Cohen

Matt Cohen’s Mama Bear is set to screen at another film festival – this time the Santa Monica Film Festival!

Mama Bear was written by Lee Ehlers, stars Mandy Musgrave and was directed by Cohen. Mama Bear previously screened at festivals such as the Olympus Film Festival, Philadelphia Independent Film Festival, California International Film Festival and Woods Hole Film Festival.

The short has won several awards from Hollyshorts, including Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Actress and Best Producer from the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards, as well as the Zeus Award from the Olympus Film Festival.

The film is set to screen this Saturday, November 30, at 1:00pm. Tickets are $10 plus fees, and you can purchase them here.

If you can’t make it to a screening — no worries! It’s available for rent on Vimeo.

Saved Christmas, shopDisney Has: Baby Yoda Merchandise Is Here!

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Courtesy of Lucasfilm/Disney, artwork by Christian Alzmann.

Do you remember what the world was like before The Mandalorian graced us with the most unbelievably precious creature to ever exist in the Star Wars universe? Yeah, us either.

The Child, also known as Baby Yoda Who We Know is Not Actually Yoda, has captivated the hearts of millions over the course of the past two weeks (we’ll stick with Baby Yoda to keep it simple.) Even those who were not previously fans of Star Wars have somehow found themselves glued to their TV screens, leveraging their new Disney+ membership to see just what all the big-eyed, floppy-eared fuss is all about.

As the adorable asset was meant to be kept under wraps for as long as possible (at least until Disney+ officially arrived), it was originally believed that merchandise would not yet be in production in time for the Christmas demand. However, it seems that Santa and his little Jawas clocked some overtime over the past couple of weeks, because the products have begun to roll in!

shopDisney, the official website for Disney merchandise, now has a selection of Baby Yoda items available for purchase! The merchandise line includes a selection of adult and children’s shirts, as well as cups, a bag, and phone cases, and all of it features the Baby Yoda concept artwork by Christian Alzmann. Based on the raving fanbase that this small creature (and the show itself!) has already garnered in such a short amount of time, we can only assume that more items will be on the way sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, make sure to catch Chapter 4 of The Mandalorian on Disney+ this Friday, November 29.

‘The Blacklist’ Season 7, Episode 8 Recap: “The Hawaladar”

If you missed last week’s recap, check it out here.

This episode begins with Dembe and Red busting through the door of Ilya’s house to try and save Ilya (Bloom) from Katarina, but after examining the room, it looks as though there was a struggle and Katarina has him. We see Ilya in Katarina’s apartment strapped to a chair, bloodied. Katarina and her associate are in the kitchen and he tells her that this is a bad idea to do this in her apartment as they are waiting on another associate to get them the information they need from Ilya.

Red arrives at a house and goes upstairs to where Skip Sutherland is being taken care of. Red seems to be there to end his life but Skip gives him information about how he received his money from Katarina and how Red can find out who else. It was a restaurant in London called the “Clay Elephant.” Liz is talking to Agnes when she gets a call from Maddy Tolliver (Katarina) who says she is at the train station because an old friend is in town and she will try to take care of Agnes. Liz tells her that Beth can take care of Agnes and to have a good time with her friend. Red arrives at the “Clay Elephant” and speaks to a man who delivered the money to Skip Sutherland from Constance Drucker. He explains the request came from the main office in New York, they run the outposts and use restaurants as a front. Red calls Liz and tells her he has a new blacklister, Bhavish Ratna.

Liz briefs the team on Ratna and how the hawaladars do transactions for the worst of the worst all around the world, a bank outside a bank. We see a man make a call to Ratna for his boss about another transaction. Rhatna answers and the transaction is being processed. Liz tells the team that Red gave the team this case for information on the woman who took him in Paris. Cooper tells the team to head to New York for surveillance on Ratna. Katarina is talking to a bloodied Ilya and says that she never thought he would betray her. He says it’s complicated but he will die before he tells her anything. She says that an associate is coming the following day and before he knows it, he will give her all the information she wishes to know.

The team is in New York and are tailing Ratna. He steps outside the restaurant and takes two bags in his hands and begins walking. The team follows but sees that he has two guards protecting him. Ratna stops at a park and Reddington is there waiting. Reddington tells Ratna the FBI are after him and if he gets in the car, where Dembe is seen waiting, he can offer protection.  As they talk, the team tries to see who Ratna is talking to and discover it is Reddington. Ratna tells Red he won’t give information out about his clients but Red says that he might change his mind. Ratna isn’t biting so Red leaves and gets in the car. Ratna looks around and then makes a run for it but Park goes after him and Ressler and Keen put their guns up to the body guards. Ratna makes it to Red’s car and they drive off as the body guards are arrested.

Ratna is at Red’s safe house and Ratna discusses how he and his team were so careful. All the clients’ information and workers, the restaurant, they all are going to jail, his resources will be gone, etc. Ratna says that he was transporting 3.5 million for the Zhao Triad to Eli Atticus. Red says he can loan Ratna money for what he lost but will charge him 19 percent. Red makes a call and has his men bring down the loan for Ratna. Red asks about other payments Constance Drucker has made through Ratna’s network. He pulls out his notepad and says the other one besides Skip Sutherland was to “Orion Relocation Services.” Red makes a call to Glen and tells him to find “Orion Relocation Services.”

Courtesy of IMDb.

Katarina gets a call about the other associate arriving and that there has been a delay. The associate and Katarina argue about their plan as Ilya breaks free from the chair he was strapped to. Katarina tells her associate that she doesn’t care what happens, she wants to use every last option they have to get the information they need.

Cooper calls Red with Ressler and Park listening and wants an explanation on why he crossed them in New York. Red tells him that Ratna is in his debt and he set him free. Red tells them that a friend is missing and he did what he had to do to get information. Red does give them a tip about the money Ratna was moving for the Zhao Crime Syndicate to Eli Atticus. He tells them that Atticus is an extraction expert and if the Zhao lost someone, they want them back. Red doesn’t know who but he does know it will be bloody. Park is upset but Cooper says they need to get moving on Atticus.

Courtesy of IMDb.

Liz gets a call at work from Beth, who is watching Agnes. She tells Liz that Shelley and Agnes were drawing and Agnes drew a picture of a dead guy. Liz is visibly worried and confused and tells Beth that Agnes must’ve walked in on Liz watching a bad television show. Liz hangs up and the team meet to talk about Atticus. Aram tells the team that the next stint may be local. Park chimes in that the DEA did an investigation on PPR Global company, who launders money for the Zhao Crime Syndicate. One of the associates, Alfred Yang, is in stable condition at Nations First Hospital and seems to be Atticus’ next stint. Cooper tells Liz to warn the DEA and sends Park and Ressler to the hospital to retrieve Yang.

Ressler and Park arrive and meet a DEA agent as gunshots are heard. Park and Ressler split up. Park arrives on the other side of the wing and sees hospital staff and security detail dead. One agent is still alive and he tells Park they took Yang. Park radios to Ressler as he takes the staircase and meets Atticus’ men. He pulls his weapon and there is a shootout. A DEA agent is shot and as Ressler goes to help, one of Atticus’ men chokes Ressler. They struggle and Ressler grabs a hospital ID badge. Park arrives and shoots Atticus’ man and runs to Ressler. She tries to run after the man but he gets away.

Red goes to Glen’s office but Glen is busy with his “Casino Night.” Red tells him it’s important that he finds the “Orion Relocation Services.” Red hangs up the call Glen takes and Red gets stern. Red says there is nothing but Glen finding out any information on “Orion.” He explains to Glen that a friend was taken by the woman from Paris and as he talks, we see Katarina and her associate save Ilya as he is seen hanging himself. Katarina cries and doesn’t understand why he was willing to die for “him.”

Liz calls Red and tell him that Atticus’ men got to Yang. Red says that it doesn’t make sense for Zhao Wing to hire Atticus to shoot up a hospital to save Yang unless it was desperate. Liz figures out why Yang was so important as she talks to Red. Yang arrives at a garage where Zhao Wing welcomes him back. He goes to hug Yang and stabs him in the stomach. Yang was an undercover agent for the DEA and Liz tells the DEA agent that they are going to kill him if they don’t find Yang. Ressler approaches them and tells them that when he was being choked, he slipped a hospital ID badge in the man’s pocket, which they should be able to track. Next, the FBI bust through the garage and a shootout occurs. Ressler takes Zhao and Liz finds Yang still alive and calls for an ambulance.

Red goes back to Glen’s office and asks why he isn’t working. Glen hasn’t found them yet because he is hungry and he has “Casino Night”, but Red becomes angry and throws Glen’s sandwich. He tells Glen that he tolerates him and that their relationship is business. “You’re a finder. You exist to me because you find things.” That’s the only reason Red is keeping him around. He tells Glen to find “Orion Relocation Services” and leaves Glen’s office.

Park is in Cooper’s office and he doesn’t understand why she is upset. They saved an agent, the Zhao are being prosecuted, and they are investigating all the clients from Ratna’s restaurant. She tells Cooper that she thinks Red is over his head and she doesn’t want the team to get involved in whatever it is he is dealing with.

Liz hugs Agnes and she asks Agnes about the picture she drew at Beth’s. Agnes reveals the truth that she saw the man at the park with Tolliver. Katarina and her associate have Ilya back in the chair and she says that all the preparation is for an old associate who is excited to meet him. A knock at the door takes Katarina away. It’s Liz and she wants to talk. They go to her apartment and discuss Agnes’ picture. Katarina says that she didn’t see anything and maybe Agnes is drawing this picture out of fear of what Liz does as an FBI agent. Liz becomes defensive and Katarina says that nothing happened at the park.

Red again goes to Glen’s office and apologizes for the way he acted earlier. Glen hands him a file folder and says that it’s everything he needs to know about “Orion Relocation Services.” Red says that he is in his debt and again apologizes. Glen tells him not to worry about it and he gets ready for his “Casino Night.” “And you know, I always bet on red.” Liz is at the park where Agnes and Katarina went and she brings the picture. She looks around and doesn’t see anything, seemingly worried for nothing. She goes to wash off her shoes in the bathroom when she discovers blood and a busted mirror. She knows that something has happened.

Katarina’s associate arrives and he meets Ilya. He tells him not to be afraid and says “It’s okay. We are just going to have a little look at some of your memories.”

Thanks for reading!

Here is the promo for the next episode in two weeks!

The Blacklist airs Fridays at 8 p.m. EST on NBC.

Book Review: Take a Trip With ‘Clean Getaway’ by Nic Stone

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Cover and Illustrations by Dawud Anyabwile. Courtesy of Penguin Random House

Still fresh off the release of her latest YA novel Jackpot, Nic Stone is preparing to release her middle-grade debut novel Clean Getaway. The book takes us on a journey with William “Scoob” Lamar and his (white) grandmother as they embark on a road trip through four different states in Grandma’s RV. Along the way, Scoob learns a little about African-American and segregation history in the south. But Scoob also learns that his grandma’s history isn’t as straightforward as he may have thought.

Similar to her first novel, Dear Martin, Stone isn’t afraid to write about the difficult topic of racism. However, she’s able to include the same ideas in a way that’s easier to digest for the intended younger audience. (During a book event I attended for Stone, she referred to Clean Getaway as “Dear Martin light.”) More importantly, she doesn’t sugarcoat. Early on in the road trip, Scoob and his grandmother experience it, and though Scoob is still young, his grandma doesn’t try to “protect” him from reality. Throughout the entire book, she mentions how being married to a black man shaped her experiences. The subject matter is gracefully handled for its target age range.

One of the book’s other strongest fortes is only focusing on two characters: Scoob and Grandma. Doing so really allowed these two characters to flourish, and readers are able to learn more about the characters. First, we have Scoob’s grandma. This little old lady is chock full of nostalgia, and she recruits her grandson to take a trip down memory lane, one she tried to take years and years ago. Scoob, however, doesn’t know the purpose of the trip, and readers won’t either until closer to the book’s conclusion, making Grandma all the more interesting. Her vague and cryptic explanations about her past and the present keep you invested. Through the book’s progression, we learn more about Grandma’s past and the difficulty she encounters trying to face it. Stone creates a character easy to sympathize with, especially the more we learn about her. Her guilt, her sadness, her love, and her joy are all palpable and create a complex but wonderful character.

Next up is Scoob, who we primarily see trying to understand his grandma for a majority of their trip. I really enjoyed how he found more out about his grandma at the same time as the reader. It boosted the impact of the story. It also kept me engaged with Scoob’s personal journey and helped me feel more connected to him. Another aspect about Scoob that was excellently written is his emotions. There’s a little about his admiration for a friend in there (which is totally adorable). We learn about the anger and frustration he often feels, because of a bully at school, his father, and his grandma not always giving him straight answers. He also harbors a lot of confusion about what his grandmother teaches him about racism and segregation. But what I love the most about Scoob is that he doesn’t just accept answers the adults in his life give him; he questions them. Sometimes he understands, and sometimes he doesn’t. Kids don’t always quite understand their feelings, but when they read this book, they will see a character who’s feeling something similar to them and know it’s okay. Stone gives them a young character full of intricate emotions who grants them permission to feel without shame.

Though a woman of a many talents, one of my favorite things about Nic Stone’s writing is the point-of-view she chooses to write with. In her previous books, each POV lends itself to the story in some way and is always fitting to what’s happening. Clean Getaway is no different. She writes this one in the same POV as Dear Martin, third person limited. She grants access into Scoob’s thoughts in a way that helps empathize with him more and creates more intrigue with his Grandma.

Clean Getaway is another triumph from Stone. It’s humorous and heartfelt. You’ll laugh, and at some points, you may even jerk a tear or two (or 10, like I did). Stone creates suspense that will keep you guessing at what happens next. The dynamic between Scoob and Grandma is fantastic; they have tension, but not without love. Following their journey is entertaining and eye-opening and deeply satisfying. It’s the perfect introduction to tougher topics for kids and is a definite must-read.

Clean Getaway hits shelves January 7, 2020. You can pre-order it through Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, Amazon, and more.

The Hillywood Show is Bringing ‘The Umbrella Academy Parody’ to Utah

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Mark your calendars, Hillywood is going to Utah to celebrate the release of The Umbrella Academy Parody. Hilly and Hannah Hindi are taking over Sandy, Utah, with a fan event at the Megaplex Theaters at Jordan Commons on December 8, from 5 p.m.-10 p.m. The event will consist of a screening of the parody video followed by a Q&A Panel, a costume and prop display, meet and greet with Hilly and Hannah, autographs, selfies, and much more!

You can find out more information on the event and purchase your tickets here – tickets are $20 and limited.

Check out Hillywood’s The Umbrella Academy Parody video below!

Interview: Rob Benedict Talks Saturday Night Special, Passenger List, Working with Rich and More! [EXCLUSIVE]

This past weekend we attended Creation Entertainment‘s Supernatural convention in Jacksonville, Florida, where we got the opportunity to sit down with with Rob Benedict for an interview.

Rob discussed convention memories, Saturday Night Special, working with Rich (did we hear something about a Kings of Con thing in the works?!), Passenger List and his role on Supernatural.

Check out our interview below! Make sure to check out Creation Entertainment’s website to see a list of conventions where you can see Rob and Louden Swain! Louden Swain also has some shows coming up — see the dates on their website!

 

 

WATCH: Interview with Emma Fitzpatrick and Tyler James [EXCLUSIVE]

Our next Rockwood interview will introduce you to a Rockwood newbie, Tyler James. Tyler has worked with Rockwood veteran Emma Fitzpatrick and they have just finished producing an EP together. In our interview, Emma introduced us to Tyler and their working relationship – they’ve known each other since college – and also talked about their project, the sound to expect and some insight into the EP.

Emma has been at every festival since its establishment in 2015 and used to perform in her group with Aaron Beaumont and Amanda Wallace. This year she introduces fans to a new musical project and a new sound, and to an additional talented musician and producer who has definitely enriched the festival for the better.

Check out our interview below!

Rob Benedict Appearing on ‘Giving It Up for Less’ Podcast Tomorrow!

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The November 26 episode of Lauren Ash’s podcast Giving It Up for Less will feature Rob Benedict as a guest.

Giving It up For Less is hosted by actress Lauren Ash (Superstore), who often talks about her real-life in very public settings. Ash brings in old and new friends to “share real stories about their lives that they probably shouldn’t tell.” 

Benedict is best known for his role as Chuck/God on Supernatural and as the frontman of the L.A. based band Louden Swain.

You can catch the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform!

Trailer Released for ‘Doctor Who’ Season Twelve!

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The Doctor is back!

The trailer for the next season of the British sci-fi TV show has just been released, and it looks exciting. It shows the Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) joined by her companions Graham (Bradley Walsh), Ryan (Tosin Cole) and Yasmin (Mandip Gill) traveling to World War II Paris, to space, and more.

The Tardis crew will encounter Cybermen, Judoon, and what looks like a member of the Racnoss. Featured in the trailer are Stephen Fry (Bones), Sir Lenny Henry (Broadchurch), Goran Visnijc (ER), and Robert Glenister (MI-5) alongside as guest stars. Nothing is known yet about their characters.

The new season of Doctor Who will air on BBC and BBC America in early 2020, watch the trailer below!

Busch Gardens Unveils Ride Car for Newest Hybrid Coaster

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Image Courtesy Busch Gardens.

A new legend is coming in 2020 to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay with the evolution of Iron Gwazi, North America’s tallest hybrid coaster, and the fastest (and steepest) in the world. Iron Gwazi will be 206 feet tall with a 91-degree drop and reaching top speeds of 76 mph! The journey will include three inversions and 12 airtime moments as it races along more than 4,075 feet of track. With a 48″ height requirement, Iron Gwazi will be an exciting thrill attraction that families can experience together.

Elements of the former wooden attraction will be integrated into the new ride, but the steel track and reimagined layout will present a unique experience. Iron Gwazi will highlight the best of both worlds — the classic nostalgia of a wooden coaster and the bold innovation of a steel coaster. Thriving and adapting over millions of years, this evolutionary crossroad is perfectly represented in the crocodile, the largest living reptile, and the animal inspiration for Iron Gwazi and it’s ride car, which has finally be unveiled!

Image Courtesy Busch Gardens.

Keep an eye out for new updates on Iron Gwazi as it races toward 2020.