A chat with Deric McCabe “Charles Wallace Murry" from "A Wrinkle in Time" the movie comes home on Blu-ray today! #WrinkleInTimeBluray

****Disney is providing an all-expense paid trip for me to cover this great event, all opinions are 100% my own ****

Did you ever dream that there was more out in the universe to discover? With the movie adaption of the loved children’s book A Wrinkle in Time, you will find more dimensions then you could have ever imagined!  This amazing story is about a young girls extra ordinary adventures across space and time with three supernatural beings, including Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey), and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling).
From visionary director Ava DuVernay comes Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” an epic adventure based on Madeleine L’Engle’s timeless classic which takes audiences across dimensions of time and space, examining the nature of darkness versus light and, ultimately, the triumph of love. Through one girl’s transformative journey led by three celestial guides, we discover that strength comes from embracing one’s individuality and that the best way to triumph over fear is to travel by one’s own light. 

The film is produced by Jim Whitaker and Catherine Hand with Doug Merrifield and Adam Borba serving as executive producers, and stars two-time Academy Award® nominee Oprah Winfrey as Mrs. Which; Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy winner Reese Witherspoon.

The movie is filled with action and adventure that takes the viewers on an extraordinary journey that is filled with imagination, entertainment and positive messages. The main character is the same age as my daughter and it was nice to see a strong willed young girl that was not afraid to fight for what she wants. I love that this film encouraged self confidence and embracing your individuality. 


If you really thing about all that has to align up in the unverserse to make you possible, it is really amazing! My daughter and I were big fans of this movie, and were excited to check it out on Blu-Ray.  Storm Reid was wonderful as the struggling eighth-grader Meg Murry, she really made you feel for the character and was a great fit for the role. 

Another great character in the movie was the gifted youngster Deric McCabe who plays the younger brother, while in LA we were able to sit down for an interview with Deric McCabe who plays “Charles Wallace” in the film. This little boy had so much energy and spunk, he was just a down to earth kid who was having a blast. During the interview started Deric showed us his best cartwheel, he was really having fun. As we asked questions he would shout out you, you, you... to choose who could ask the next question. It was so fun, and relaxed. Check out the fun questions we had for him read on to learn more: 

Q: Who are your acting heroes?

Deric McCabe:   Scarlett Johansson (he has a bit of a crush on Scarlett)  and Chloe Bennett. They are delightful.   I haven’t met them.  They are hot and they love me even though they don’t know me.  So, that’s one thing.

Q:  Do you have any advice for kids who want to get started in acting?

DM: When you don’t get any jobs, keep the faith.  Yeah, I think that’s good.

 Q :   You said you were super nervous and the audition process.  What helped you get through that?

DM: me?  My parents.  They did because they were like, don’t worry.  They may call you back.  They’re going to call you back.  And then the time where Ava called me, my mom was like oh, here, it’s for you.  And I was like, okay.  Hello, not thinking it was going to be Ava, and she’s like hi.  And I was like who are you?  She’s like, oh, I’m Ava, the one that was doing the auditions.  I was like wow, hello.  She was like I was wondering if you would like to work with me on A Wrinkle in Time.  And I was like, yes!  That would be great.

Q:  What was the hardest scene for you to film?

DM: The end scene.   I had to cry in it so that was hard.  Ava was like okay, we’re going to do this.  And the brain was super sticky.  So, it kept sticking to my back.  So, I was like thinking of something to try.  And the wardrobe person comes up and says hey, you have something in your back.  Can you stand up and get it?  And I’m like, oh, God, I was just in the middle of almost crying. This will just take a second.  Five minutes later, hey, you have stuff on your back.  We don’t want that in the scene.  Can I have it?  I was just about to cry.  Yeah, that was hard.

Deric with help from his acting coach taught himself to cry by thinking that is baby brother was injured... aww....

Q:  How important was it to you to be a part of this film being part Filipino and Ava wanting a lot of diversity?

DM:  It was really important.  Not only that, but it was really important to me in the film because not only am I Filipino but this is my first big role.   It was my first big role that I’ve done so, that was really important to me.
Q: Do you remember when you knew you wanted to be an actor? 

DM:   This is going to sound really silly.  But I was watching the Avengers with my dad.  Hi.  I was watching the Avengers with my dad and I just saw Scarlett Johansson and I was like oh, I want to do that.  And I was like, and I’m going to meet her.  So, then I was like, I think I want to do acting.  So, they put me into acting and now here I am talking to all you mommy bloggers.
What was something Deric learned in making this movie? He learned the place where they keep their snacks. Ha ha, see I told you he was a funny kid...   Deric loved the candy and the popcorn maker because when he first met Oprah, Deric had doctored up the set popcorn with some butter and cheddar and Oprah asked who’s popcorn is this?  This is delicious. Derec was pretty impressed that Oprah liked and was eating his popcorn.   

Deric was such a sweetie, even mentioning during the interview that it was great to see all of us nodding in agreement, uh huh.. haha... Well, that is what moms do right? I admit it I nod along when questions are answered...I am sure you will be seeing much more of this talented actor.  But for now, Deric is focusing in on school (his favorite subjects being lunch and recess... the same as my daughter) and taking things day by day. He has a great head on his shoulders and is full of positivity (which he says he gets from his dad..).





Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling fit their roles of these otherworldly beings to a tee! The extras on the Blu-Ray included the always fun bloopers. I love watching these and laughing along, seeing that even the biggest starts are just like us and make mistakes and even they can laugh about it. 

The deleted scenes are great as well, I always like to see how the plot may have changed, or how things may have been very different if certain scenes were left in the film. We really enjoyed watching the bonus feature A Journey Through Time, with this we were able to take a close look at the making of the movie, with the cast and Director Ava DuVernay.

After seeing this movie my daughter was excited to get the book and see it how the author originally wrote it, she wanted to explore and see if there were differences, and to see if she loves the book as much as the movie. This is such a wonderful thing, when a movie excites you and wants to get you reading, that is a plus! 

Overall we all enjoyed the movie very much and would recommend it, it is a great family film.  Have you had the chance to see Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time yet? What did you think of the movie?  Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” from acclaimed director Ava DuVernay, is now available on Digital HD, 4K Ultra HD and Movies Anywhere and on Blu-ray™, 4K Ultra HD™, DVD and On-Demand.

 Stay social with A Wrinkle in Time:

Like A Wrinkle in Time on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WrinkleInTimeMovie/

Follow A Wrinkle in Time on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WrinkleinTime

Follow A Wrinkle in Time on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wrinkleintime/

Visit the official A Wrinkle in Time website here: http://movies.disney.com/a-wrinkle-in-time

Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” is available  on Digital HD, 4K Ultra HD and Movies Anywhere and Blu-ray now!

Disclosure: The reviews and or opinions on this blog are my own opinions. No monitory compensation was received. I was not required to write a positive review. Your experience may differ. The opinions I have expressed are my own I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement and Testimonials in Advertising.

Take off to Neverland! With the 65th Anniversary edition of Walt Disney Animation's Peter Pan, available on Blu-ray June 5th #PeterPanBluray

****Disney is providing an all-expense paid trip for me to cover this great event, all opinions are 100% my own ****

What can be said about a classic movie like Peter Pan that hasn't already been said countless times? Peter Pan is a Disney movie that has entertained us for 65 years and will continue to entertain us all for many years to come. My family and I were able to check out the newest Walt Disney Signature Collection release of Walt Disney Animation's Peter Pan, and it is more amazing than ever.  Peter Pan is the classic tale of the boy who refuses who just so happens to pop into the Darling children’s room looking for his missing shadow and before they know it their flying over London and off to have the journey of a lifetime. Along the way Peter, Wendy, John & Michael run into pirates, fairies, the lost boys, Indians and mermaids! 

We get introduced to so many classic Disney heroes and villains in this movie from Peter and Tink to Captain Hook & Mr. Smee this movie is a classic through and through. But my favorite aspect of the movie is not a scene or a character even but the song “You Can Fly” whenever I hear this song I instantly become happy and I get whisked away to Neverland. Now the movie itself besides looking fantastic has a bunch of really great special features including deleted scenes, deleted songs, backstage looks and a features such as The Peter Pan That Almost Was and much more.

To get everyone even more excited for this release, I have some fun Peter Pan coloring and activity sheets for you, simply click on the image below and print out the sheets and enjoy! 

A visit to where all of the magic is stored, & preserved the Disney Animation Research Library #PeterPanBluray #DisneyAnimation #DisneyARL

****Disney is providing an all-expense paid trip for me to cover this great event, all opinions are 100% my own ****

While in LA we were celebrating the 65^th anniversary of Peter Pan, and we were going to get to go to a place that not may have the privilege of going. We were all treated to a visit to the Disney Library. Now this is unlike any library you have visited. This is not really a home for books but a home for magic. The place where all of your favorite Disney classics are stored. This is the home the home of original cells, paintings, artwork… Just about all you need to make a Disney animated movie. Imagine, original drawings from Walt Disney, original cells from Disney classics such as Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and all others.

Walt Disney knew the importance of saving and preserving the artwork, when saving the art was not a common practice, Walt still kept the work. When some movies art was put away and stored, they were just put in a folder or a box, with no organization… the drawings are all there but not in any order.

Come along and join in on a visit to Walt Disney's Office and a Disney Studios scavenger hunt! To celebrate the 65th anniversary of Peter Pan! #PeterPanBluray

****Disney is providing an all-expense paid trip for me to cover this great event, all opinions are 100% my own ****

While I was in LA to celebrate the 65^th anniversary of the classic film Peter Pan, we were very fortunate to be able to take a tour of Walt Disney's office! The office where Walt Disney worked for many many years. In 1940 Walt Disney moved his animation studios from the original Hyperion studios to Burbank, from 1940-1966 Walt Disney worked on the third-floor office, this is where the magic of Disney Animation was born. Where your favorite films were dreamed up, what an honor it was to walk through this amazing place.
How did this renovated office come to be? Years after Walt passed on, these offices were converted for others to use as their own… But before this was done the Disney Archives founder Dave Smith, cataloged Walt Disney's office. He wanted to preserve Walt Disney's office, by cataloging and taking pictures of everything so all would know exactly how Walt left it... 

Did you know that Walt had multiple secretaries and multiple offices? Well, Walt had the offices for different reasons, when you walk into the room you start off in Walt's formal office. This was the organized office that Walt wanted to show the world. This was for more professional meetings and was always super neat and clean.

The office was filled with items collected from around the world from Walt’s travels or from gifts. One of the items that stuck out for me was this tiny birdcage that Walt found in New Orleans, the birds would sing and move… This very bird cage helped Walt come up with the idea of Audio Animatronics, such a little thing that turns on the imagination and leads to the invention that Disney is known for… so very cool.

Most of the offices are filled with authentic artifacts. Some items however the originals are in the possession of Walt Disney’s family members. Such as the hand-drawn pictures of Walt Disney’s daughters, drawn by Norman Rockwell. Reproductions are there in place of the originals. 

There was a piano in the office as well… This was used to help create some of your favorite songs. Just imagine Walt and the Sherman brothers working together, coming up with a soon to be classic Disney song? 

We were told on the tour that Richard Sherman came and visited the office when it was fully restored and sat down and played this piano, he played “Feed the Birds” from Mary Poppins, in honor of Walt, because this was his favorite song. 

The more informal office looked similar but Walt Disney liked to have a separate space so he could have his paperwork or art lying around the office.  Walt's Working Office was filled with paperwork, rolls of paper and plenty of cool maps on the walls. 

An Exclusive Solo: A Star Wars interview with Paul Bettany “Dryden Vos” #HanSoloEven #HanSolo

****Disney is providing an all-expense paid trip for me to cover this great event, all opinions are 100% my own ****

In a galaxy far, far away… we had the chance to meet up with the newest Star Wars villain Dryden Vos… Ok really it was in the US not that far away in LA when we met up with Solo: A Star Wars Story star, Paul Bettany who portrays said baddie with such flair and believably. The amazing actor is also known for his many movies, including A Beautiful mind and The Davinci Code and he is well known for his voice role as J.A.R.V.I.S. and as Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 24 great bloggers and I got the chance to sit down and chat with Paul, to see how Star Wars changed his world, and see how hard it is to jump from being a superhero to a being a villain and much more... read on to learn more!

Q:  You said before the Star Wars changed your world as a child.  Was there a moment for you on set when you kind of went, oh, my gosh, I’m in a Star Wars movie?

Paul Bettany:     Yeah, there were many moments where I went, oh, my gosh, I’m in a Star Wars movie.  And I think because Ron and I were, newcomers on the block as it were.  Everyone else had been in there for eight months or whatever.  And we were still totally un-jaded by it.  And I kept elbowing him and saying, were making a Star Wars movie.  We’re making a Star Wars movie.  And my first day in fact, was on my starship. I have a starship and I was coming down the spiral staircase and a super chic asymmetric cloak I think you probably all noticed.  And an R2 unit went by me with champagne flutes on and I went, f-, I’m in Star Wars! And that was amazing.

Q:  How did you become involved in the project?

PB:  This is a hugely embarrassing story which I shouldn’t tell you but I’ve got to tell you anyway.  I heard that my old mate, Ron, was doing it and in 1977 I saw Star Wars, right.  I was six years old and it took me out of the gray, miserable 1970’s London.  London was really depressed in the ‘70s, by the way.  So, it was just to be taken away to that universe and it was amazing. Suddenly, but now I’m in the Avengers so I think there’s no way I’m ever going to be asked to be in Star Wars.  Unless Ron Howard becomes the director.  And that happened.  I literally texted him this, I said, I said, hey, Ron, have you ever spent long winter evenings, like I have wondering why you’re not in the Star Wars franchise? That’s a true story.  And he said, you know, give me a moment.  And, LOL, give me a moment.  And two weeks later I was flying to London to shoot it. True story…if you don’t ask… 

Getting a behind the scenes look at the classic show General Hospital, now celebrating its 55th year! #GH55 #ABCTVEvent

****Disney provided an all-expense paid trip for me to cover this great event, all opinions are 100% my own ****

When I found out that there would be a set visit to General Hospital during the press trip for the Solo: A Star Wars Story premiere, I have to admit I was pretty excited. I grew up watching General Hospital with my mom, it was her favorite soap opera. As I grew up I strayed away from the show, but in high school, I was back as a huge fan. Oh, those were the days Ricky Martin and Antonio Sabàto, Jr. The love story between Sonny and Brenda… Remember those classics? Because I was in school in the afternoon, and by the time I got home I would miss most of the show, I learned to program my VCR. Yes! 

Remember those days? I learned to program the VCR just to not miss General Hospital (I think I am dating myself a bit here…) I just loved it too much to miss a minute! Can you believe that General Hospital turns 55 this year? 55 years of entertaining, keeping old fans and getting new ones. General Hospital is both the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the longest-running scripted television drama currently in production. That is pretty impressive.

Getting to be on the set was a bit surreal, we were exploring and checking out all the little nooks and crannies of the set. I was surprised at how large the set was, I expected different sections of a building, not one long long hallway sit different “rooms” on the left and the right.  The hall was filled with different sets, from a courtroom to, a bedroom to a bar and of course the hospital… and much more.


We had a peek at all of the props and clothing that they need on hand, there were plenty of tops and accessories, even a whole bin of cell phones!

Sonny’s Bar was stocked with plenty of alcohol, but we were warned that we would not enjoy it… The alcohol was there for many many years. They just keep the bottles there and only replace them when they start to look funky.

We were given a tour around the sets and given so interesting information about some of the props. Of course, when they have bar scenes the actors are not drinking alcohol… But do you know what they are drinking? Watered down juice, or watered down diet coke or just water for certain liquors, for the beer they tend to us non-alcoholic beer. Interesting huh?

Check out a room from the Quartermaine mansion, looks pretty nice, doesn’t it?

As we toured the nurse's station it was cool to see all of the paperwork, and the hospital set up. There is only one floor of the hospital, and when the scene needs to be on a different floor the monitor will change with the new floor number and a description of the floor, and the floor numbers on the elevators will also be changed, they are Velcroed on. 

There were even some flowers for the "patients" in the hospital. I had to sit back and take some calls to help out, it is a busy station and I tried to do what I could. 


 After my long day at work, I was looking forward to some snacks in the vending machines, anyone up for a Hanshey’s Bar or some Baked Cheezlos? Unfortunately, they are not plugged in, so no treats for us, and these too are all pretty old!

The courtroom was a really cool part of the set that we were able to check out and play around, we even set up a fun picture opportunity of all 25 bloggers either being a party of the trial or being in the trial, it was a lot of fun.

 We were able to have a quick chat with Executive Producer Frank Valentini, and Joshua Swickard "Detective Harrison Chase" as well as get an exclusive sneak peek of one of the much-anticipated performances from this year’s Nurses Ball! How much do you pay attention to Twitter, as far as the storyline? According to Frank, "We all have opinions, and preferences fans will say "I hate it" but they really love it. We may not listen to something like that, but if a fan says that a storyline is going on for a long time... Our fans love the three dimensionality, there is an intense familiarity with the storytelling".

Frank let us know how hard everyone works on the Nurse's Ball episodes, "Some of the bigger numbers have much more people and are much more complicated, we are really fortunate to have some really talented singers. This year for the Nurses ball episodes, there are popular songs, eighties songs, and original numbers".

We asked Frank Valentini how will General Hospital be in the next 55 years? Frank said, "To have a continuing drama and to be on the air for 55 years is incredible, the pioneers were creating something ... entertainment... that was groundbreaking. There are ways to tell stories that can change peoples lives. Who knows what television is going to be, our audience has stayed with us and has loved the show". 

Josh Swickard who plays, Detective Harrison Chase, is the star of the Nurses Ball performance we were able to preview. He did such an amazing job such a talented dancer and singer. How does one get the chance to be in a Nurses Ball episode and do a performance? Did he sign up to do the performance? According to Josh Swickard, he was asked if he could sing... he was a bit nervous. 

When Josh gets a script about seven days before he will read it 10-20 times to make sure that he knows the script, he was impressed how fast his co-workers could learn their scripts.

For Josh and the other actors, the Nurses Ball performance took a lot more practice than the usual scenes. There were extra performance days to practice, even some weekends were thrown in there to make sure the scene would be perfect.  We all applauded him for the amazing job he did, and he was so modest he graciously accepted and complements, and I think he blushed just a bit, what a cutie.

Joshua Swickard, "General Hospital"
© XJJohnson/jpistudios.com
Episode # 14059; U.S. Airdate 05/17/18

“General Hospital’s annual Nurses Ball, this year sponsored by Olay, returns WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, and airs through MONDAY MAY 21. Founded in 1994 by Port Charles resident Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring), the Nurses Ball is one of fictional Port Charles’ most glamorous charity events, dedicated to HIV/AIDS awareness and research. This year, celebrity guest appearances include “The Chew”’s Carla Hall and “The Bachelor”’s Nick Viall. 

Joshua Swickard, "General Hospital"
© XJJohnson/jpistudios.com
Episode # 14059; U.S. Airdate 05/17/18

In her debut performance, Hall takes on an infamous role decades in the making; while Viall joins Aurora media maven Nina Clay (Michelle Stafford) on the red carpet, as they welcome viewers into what promises to be a memorable night. From Sam McCall’s (Kelly Monaco) stunning arrival to Sonny Corinthos’ (Maurice Benard) unwavering support and Jason Morgan’s (Steve Burton) tireless search for answers, as well as never-before-seen musical performances and a surprise proposal, the Nurses Ball promises to be this year’s can’t-miss event.

The Nurses Ball sneak peek was amazing. Be sure to stay tuned for more Nurses Ball awesomeness, starting Wednesday, May 16th through Monday, May 21st. With all of the great things coming up for GH including the Nurses Ball, and some great new plots that I can not say a peep about… I know I will be back watching General Hospital full time, to see what happens… but now I will be DVR’ing the show! 

Stay social with General Hospital:

Visit the website: http://abc.go.com/shows/general-hospital

Like General Hospital on Facebook 

Follow General Hospital on Twitter (#GH55)

Follow General Hospital on Instagram 

Follow Executive Producer Frank Valentini on Twitter
Follow Joshua Swickard "Detective Harrison Chase" on Twitter
Follow Joshua Swickard "Detective Harrison Chase" on Instagram

“General Hospital” airs weekdays on The ABC Television Network check your local listings or streaming or on the app.

Are you a fan of General Hospital, and the Nurses Ball?

Disclosure: The reviews and or opinions on this blog are my own opinions. No monitory compensation was received. I was not required to write a positive review. Your experience may differ. The opinions I have expressed are my own I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement and Testimonials in Advertising.