Happy Halloween From Frankenstein And His Bride

Happy Halloween. Hope everyone has a great one.

Here's a funny picture of my husband and I about 12 years ago as Frankenstein and his bride. It was the picture I used on our wedding website. I love it. Hope it gets you all in the Halloween mood.

Go forth and be frightful!

Halloween on The Hub

The Hub invited my daughter and I to a great Halloween, The Haunting Hour and My Little Pony screening party the other night. If you're looking for Halloween shows for your kids these are great options, see below for air times.

The Haunting Hour is a R.L. Stine series, who you may know from the Goosebump series. It is a bit more scary though. They've sent me some stills of it but I don't want to give anything away. So watch it with your kids (7 and up) and make sure not to throw the popcorn when you jump.

For the younger set there is My Little Pony's Halloween episode. My 7 year old loved it equally but differently, obviously.

I gotta say the Hub is one of my favorite channels for my daughter, from their game shows to the series it is universally quality programs.

Here are some of the highlights of “The Haunted Hub” weekend schedule:


• Saturday, October 29, 10 a.m. ET - “My Little Pony Friendship is Magic” (encore presentations throughout weekend). The Halloween-themed episode “Luna Eclipsed” centers on the Ponyville celebration of Nightmare Night. The celebrations are in full swing when Princess Luna comes to Ponyville determined to change her frightening public image. Produced by Hasbro Studios.

• Saturday, October 29, 5 p.m. ET - “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series,” All-new episode (encore presentations throughout the weekend). Frankie Jonas (“Jonas” TV series) and Kacey Rohl (“The Killing”) guest star in “Pumpkinhead,” a new Halloween-themed episode that follows three siblings as they visit a spooky pumpkin patch. But the patch’s sinister farmer seems to have more tricks than treats in store for the kids in this spooky episode of the live-action series produced by Haunting Hour Productions, Ltd. and inspired by the master of children’s horror himself, R.L. Stine (“Goosebumps”).

• Saturday, October 29, 3 - 9 p.m. ET - “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series” Marathon (with different episodes airing Monday, October 31, 5 – 7 p.m. ET). Anthological storytelling returns to television in this half-hour, live-action children’s series that embraces the thrill of the chill taking viewers, young and old, on a new and creepy adventure every week. With back-to-back episodes to celebrate the Halloween holiday, this is the show kids won’t let their parents watch by themselves! The series is produced by Haunting Hour Productions, Ltd. and inspired by the master of children’s horror, R.L. Stine (“Goosebumps”).

• Sunday, October 30, 3 – 7 p.m. ET - “Goosebumps” Marathon (with different episodes airing Monday, October 31, 3 – 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET) Based on the award-winning “Goosebumps” books written by R.L. Stine, the anthology series is set in a strange reality where nothing is ever as it seems. The marathon will feature highlights of the eight scariest episodes of the series including iconic Halloween episodes “The Haunted Mask” and “The Haunted Mask II.” Produced by Scholastic Media.

Disney Video Games and Halloween

Last week my whole family was invited to play Disney video games and trick or treat at the historic Disney Studio to start the Halloween season with a bang! My seven year olds was over the moon. There were so many great treats and all of the great games set up, including Lego Pirates of the Carribean, Cars 2, and Disney Universe. Her favorites were virtual worlds:Pixie Hollow, and Club Penguin and the video game Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension .

There was cookie decorating, which was eaten before I could get a picture of it. Then there was Club Penguin sketch class. My daughter is still practicing her Puffles and Penguins every day, and teaching her classmates. ANd if that all wasn't enough there was lots of yummy food and desserts.

Thanks Disney Interactive.

Earthquake in Turkey: Be Prepared

After seeing all the terrible destruction and loss of life in Turkey from their 7.2 earthquake this weekend, I'm reminded to update my earthquake supplies.
The Los Angeles Fire Department Earthquake Guide is an excellent and comprehensive guide to all the things you should know how to do and have on hand in case of earthquake.

Several years ago I took the C.E.R.T.(Community Emergency Response Team) course and learned a lot of important things. Everything from how to triage the injured to where to keep your earthquake kit. I highly recommend taking the classes.

Here are some less obvious things I learned that really stood out for various reasons:

1. Keep a pair of comfortable shoes, sweater, and flashlight in your car. Not to mention a little food and water. You may have to walk home if streets are impassible after a quake.

2. Keep shoes under your bed. If objects have fallen during a quake and the lights are out you may need to walk across a lot of broken glass in the dark. I remember the teacher saying some huge amount of people after a quake come into the hospital with badly cut feet.

3. Have a 5 gallon bucket with a lid and lots of kitchen plastic trash bags. Should you loose water this will be your toilet.

4. Now this wasn't in the class but I think any good earthquake kit should have at least a little booze, for medicinal reasons of course.

Please leave your best disaster tips in the comments

Free Agents on BBC America

If you enjoyed Free Agents on NBC, that is now cancelled, fear not. BBC is coming to our rescue with the original British version of Free Agents. It started at the beginning of October, so I'm a bit late, but since we only got 3 or 4 of the American version it might be just right.
Anyway, it airs Saturday nights on BBC America. Check your local listings.

Still, I'll miss these guys. Truth be told I have a little thing for Hank Azaria. Though I may not know how to spell his name.

Update: You can catch all The BBC Free Agents on On Demand

Wordless Wednesday: Peter O'Toole's Footprints at Grauman's Chinese

UPDATE: So Sad to hear of Peter O'Toole's passing yesterday Dec 13, 13. I'm adding a little video of the handprint ceremony.

KCET Cinema Series

KCET is starting another of their Cinema Series October 25th at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in North Hollywood. If you aren't familiar with these they are screenings of films before they open in theatres with interviews and Q&A with the people that worked on the film. Sometimes directors, producers, writers, costumers, and even the stars! It really is great fun to be in the know. Here's the new KCET cinema series schedule
So if you're in the LA area check it out, they are on the Westside too so have a good look at the web site.

See you at the movies

Lisa Ling's Our America

Lisa Ling's Our America starts tonight on OWN. In her own words it's "an anthropological study of American subcultures" and in my words it's fascinating, tragic, and incredibly illuminating.
These are in depth hour long investigations into parts of America we either don't often get the chance to see, or really prefer to pretend don't exist. They explolre everything from the returning veteran experience to human traffic of children on our streets.
The new season starts tonight October 16th 10/9c. I encourage you to watch.

Wordless Wednesday: Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood

Being Elmo

Very excited to see Being Elmo. This Documentary is about Kevin Clash, the man behind Elmo. I had an opportunity to meet Kevin and Elmo at The PBS Press tour last summer, and he really is an amazing person, as well as, puppeteer.

About The Film:

Beloved by children of all ages around the world, Elmo is an international icon. Few people know his creator, Kevin Clash, who dreamed of working with his idol, master puppeteer Jim Henson. Displaying his creativity and talent at a young age, Kevin ultimately found a home on Sesame Street. Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, this documentary includes rare archival footage, interviews with Frank Oz, Rosie O’Donnell, Cheryl Henson, Joan Ganz Cooney and others and offers a behind-the-scenes look at Sesame Street and the Jim Henson Workshop.

You can find showtimes and theatres on Being Elmo website

New Hollywood Museum

I was so excited to read that LACMA and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be partnering to open a Hollywood Museum. I was even happier to hear that it will be housed in the old May Company building on the Miracle Mile! Many of the beautiful old buildings in this area have been bull dozed and it gladens me to know that will not be this ones fate.

I'm sure it will be years before it opens, but in the mean time we can all head over to the Paley Center and visit Debbie Reynolds collection. Hopefully, the powers that be will snap up a good deal of her treasures at her next sale in December.

Rosie O'Donnell Show on OWN

The Rosie O'Donnell Show on OWN starts Monday! I have to say I'm am very excited to have Rosie back. I loved her show way back in the day, I loved her when she was on The View (which by the way I haven't watched since she left) and I know I'll love her new show on OWN.
During the summer I got to go to the Television Critics Association OWN panel and see Rosie. She talked for about half an hour and it was hysterical. There is something about her that just makes me happy.
You can see her too, Monday - Friday 7pm/6c, why don't they ever say what time Pacific? I think it's 7pm but check you local listings, you don't want to miss the first episode with Russell Brand.

Ides Of March

I gleefully went to see a screening of The Ides Of March starring George Clooney last night. It was great! As I prophesized it would be in my previous Ides of March post
If you were following my tweets, you know I noticed a lot of bird imagery in the film, and had no idea what it meant. Thanks to @TheRedan3553, I now know that birds were used as an omen that Julius Caesar would die on the Ides of March. Who knew right?
Well, if any of you Julius Caesar scholars out there see the film and can add any other interesting tidbits, Please leave them in the comments.
Thanks!

The Playboy Club cancelled

Looks like Gloria Steinem will be happy, The Playboy Club on NBC has been cancelled, but not before they started a storyline loosely based on her. Including the reporter getting a going over for daring to mess with these sweet girls who are just trying to improve their lives. Talk about hitting us over the head with their agenda.
Anyway, it's no great loss, though I have to admit there were parts of the show that intrigued me, but critics hate it and I guess that's that. At least, Mad Men will get their Bunny back.

Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland

Disneyland invited me and my family to come enjoy the first night of Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland last week. This is such a fun way to get into the Halloween spirit. Many of the rides have been altered to make them extra spooky, there's trick or treating, photos with your favorite Disney villians,spectacular halloween decorations, dancing, and the amazing firework show.
Disneyland really is a great time anytime, but it's fun to see it with the all the halloween pumpkins and ghosts, not to mention all the free candy!!!