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Academy Award winner George Chakiris and Academy Award nominee Russ Tamblyn along with TCM Host Ben Mankiewicz (along with too many other credits to list in the film and broadcast industries) discuss the opening night film and 60th Anniversary of West Side Story during TCM Classic Film Festival press day.

The TCM Classic Film Festival begins on Thursday, May 6, 2021 on TCM and HBO Max giving a variety of options and interests virtually. The significance of this being the second virtual festival allows people who were not able to attend the events in Hollywood in person for whatever reason a chance to be apart of TCM and film history through the wonderment of technology.

Beginning its run on stage before being adapted as a full length feature film, West Side Story (for those who have not seen it yet) is essentially an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. A remake has been in the works for sometime and Rita Moreno, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the film is also one of the executive producers on the new iteration.

In this short interview we discuss the legacy West Side Story has left on generation of film and musical fans and why people have no problem watching a stage performance multiple times with different cast members but are apprehensive in watching a movie remember.

The TCM Classic Film Festival begins on Thursday, May 6, 2021 and runs through Sunday May 9, 2021.

For the full list of films and events visit www.tcm.com or follow TCM on Twitter @tcm and Instagram @tcm.

#TCM #ClassicFilm #FilmFestival #TCMClassicFilmFestival #TCMCFF

Famed Director, Robert Lorenz (Gran Torino, Flags of Our Fathers, Mystic River) talks about The Marksman available now on VOD and on Blu-ray and DVD May 11, 2021.

Lorenz follows the tale of Jim a hard nosed, ex-military, reclusive rancher that gets dragged into a battle for the life of of an 11-year-old boy, whose mother is murdered in front of him by a drug cartel leader played by Juan Pablo Raba.

We discuss the difficulties of the subject of immigration, illegal-immigration, right and wrong, what is lawful and what is just in our interview.

Official Synopsis:

Hardened Arizona rancher Jim Hanson (Liam Neeson) simply wants to be left alone as he fends off eviction notices and tries to make a living on an isolated stretch of borderland. But everything changes when Hanson, an ex-Marine sharpshooter, witnesses 11-year-old migrant Miguel (Jacob Perez) fleeing with his mother Rosa (Teresa Ruiz) from drug cartel assassins led by the ruthless Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba). After being caught in a shoot-out, a dying Rosa begs Jim to take her son to safety to her family in Chicago. Defying his cop daughter Sarah (Katheryn Winnick), Jim sneaks Miguel out of the local U.S. Customs and Border Patrol station and together, they hit the road with the group of killers in pursuit. Jim and Miguel slowly begin to overcome their differences and begin to forge an unlikely friendship, while Mauricio and his fellow assassins blaze a cold-blooded trail, hot on their heels. When they finally meet on a Midwestern farm, a fight to the death ensues as Jim uses his military skills and code of honor to defend the boy he’s come to love.

Directed By: Robert Lorenz

Written By: Chris Charles & Danny Kravitz and Robert Lorenz

Starring: Liam Neeson, Katheryn Winnick, Teresa Ruiz, Juan Pablo Raba

Produced By: Tai Duncan, Mark Williams, Warren Goz, Eric Gold, Robert Lorenz

The Marksman is available now on VOD and on Blu-ray May 11, 2021.

Official Synopsis:

Hardened Arizona rancher Jim Hanson (Liam Neeson) simply wants to be left alone as he fends off eviction notices and tries to make a living on an isolated stretch of borderland. But everything changes when Hanson, an ex-Marine sharpshooter, witnesses 11-year-old migrant Miguel (Jacob Perez) fleeing with his mother Rosa (Teresa Ruiz) from drug cartel assassins led by the ruthless Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba). After being caught in a shoot-out, a dying Rosa begs Jim to take her son to safety to her family in Chicago. Defying his cop daughter Sarah (Katheryn Winnick), Jim sneaks Miguel out of the local U.S. Customs and Border Patrol station and together, they hit the road with the group of killers in pursuit. Jim and Miguel slowly begin to overcome their differences and begin to forge an unlikely friendship, while Mauricio and his fellow assassins blaze a cold-blooded trail, hot on their heels. When they finally meet on a Midwestern farm, a fight to the death ensues as Jim uses his military skills and code of honor to defend the boy he’s come to love.

Directed By: Robert Lorenz

Written By: Chris Charles & Danny Kravitz and Robert Lorenz

Starring: Liam Neeson, Katheryn Winnick, Teresa Ruiz, Juan Pablo Raba

Produced By: Tai Duncan, Mark Williams, Warren Goz, Eric Gold, Robert Lorenz

The Marksman is available now on VOD and on Blu-ray May 11, 2021.

Juan Pablo Raba talks about his role as the big baddie Mauricio in The Marksman available now on VOD and on Blu-ray, Tuesday, May 11, 2021.

Juan Pablo Raba plays the Mexican Cartel member, Mauricio as he chases after a mother and her young son in The Marksman.

We spoke to Raba about how this is a multilayered modern Western that deals with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), immigration issues, adhering to duty as well as honor while trying to navigate the grey areas of this tumultuous world.

We also find out the etymology of Raba's surname and its Aramaic origins.

Official Synopsis:

Hardened Arizona rancher Jim Hanson (Liam Neeson) simply wants to be left alone as he fends off eviction notices and tries to make a living on an isolated stretch of borderland. But everything changes when Hanson, an ex-Marine sharpshooter, witnesses 11-year-old migrant Miguel (Jacob Perez) fleeing with his mother Rosa (Teresa Ruiz) from drug cartel assassins led by the ruthless Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba). After being caught in a shoot-out, a dying Rosa begs Jim to take her son to safety to her family in Chicago. Defying his cop daughter Sarah (Katheryn Winnick), Jim sneaks Miguel out of the local U.S. Customs and Border Patrol station and together, they hit the road with the group of killers in pursuit. Jim and Miguel slowly begin to overcome their differences and begin to forge an unlikely friendship, while Mauricio and his fellow assassins blaze a cold-blooded trail, hot on their heels. When they finally meet on a Midwestern farm, a fight to the death ensues as Jim uses his military skills and code of honor to defend the boy he's come to love.

Directed By: Robert Lorenz

Written By: Chris Charles & Danny Kravitz and Robert Lorenz

Starring: Liam Neeson, Katheryn Winnick, Teresa Ruiz, Juan Pablo Raba

Produced By: Tai Duncan, Mark Williams, Warren Goz, Eric Gold, Robert Lorenz

Follow Juan Pablo Raba on Twitter @juanpabloraba and on Instagram @juanpabloraba.

The Marksman is available now on VOD and on Blu-ray May 11, 2021.

Iranian-American actor, Omid Abtahi (The Mandalorian, American Gods, Argo, Better Call Saul) talks about voicing Hawkman in Justice Society: World War II available on VOD today, April 27 and on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Blu-ray May 11, 2021.

Abtahi has performed  in the World of Warcraft and Call of Duty videogame franchises and now makes his DC Universe Movies debut as Hawkman in Justice Society: World War II.

The Iranian born, Orange County native and Cal State University, Fullerton alumni and I joke around about the two biggest sports in Iran, which are soccer and wrestling, how we probably crossed paths at various Persian parties in our youth throughout Orange County, especially in Irvine and of course what it means to bring life to a Middle Eastern character like Hawkman, who is of Egyptian origins.

We also plan on getting some kebabs, tea and hookah once we can gather together again as California heads into the yellow tier.

Official Synopsis:

Justice Society: World War II finds modern-day Barry Allen – prior to the formation of the Justice League – discovering he can run even faster than he imagined, and that milestone results in his first encounter with the Speed Force. The Flash is promptly launched into the midst of a raging battle – primarily between Nazis and a team of Golden Age DC Super Heroes known as The Justice Society of America. Led by Wonder Woman, the group includes Hourman, Black Canary, Hawkman, Steve Trevor and the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick. The Flash quickly volunteers to assist his fellow heroes in tipping the scales of war in their favor, while the team tries to figure out how to send him home. But it won’t be easy as complications and emotions run deep in this time-skipping World War II thriller.

Follow Omid Abtahi on Twitter @AbtahiOmid and on Instagram @omidabtahi.

Justice Society: World War II is available on VOD today, April 27 and on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Blu-ray May 11, 2021.

Stana Katic (Castle, Absentia and A Call To Spy) talks about voicing Wonder Woman in Justice Society: World War II available on VOD April 27, 2021 and on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Blu-ray May 11, 2021.

Katic returns to the DC Universe Movies as the voice of Wonder Woman in Justice Society: World War II. She made her debut in 2013 as Lois Lane in Superman: Unbound (2013). She also was featured as the voice of Talia al Ghul in the 2011 videogame, Batman: Arkham City.

We were lucky enough to catch up with our favorite American Actress of Eastern European ancestry who pays tribute to her grandmothers and their accents when voice everyone's beloved Amazonian princess from Themyscira along with another Metropolis' first female full fledged investigative reporter in Lois Lane.

Official Synopsis:

Justice Society: World War II finds modern-day Barry Allen – prior to the formation of the Justice League – discovering he can run even faster than he imagined, and that milestone results in his first encounter with the Speed Force. The Flash is promptly launched into the midst of a raging battle – primarily between Nazis and a team of Golden Age DC Super Heroes known as The Justice Society of America. Led by Wonder Woman, the group includes Hourman, Black Canary, Hawkman, Steve Trevor and the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick. The Flash quickly volunteers to assist his fellow heroes in tipping the scales of war in their favor, while the team tries to figure out how to send him home. But it won’t be easy as complications and emotions run deep in this time-skipping World War II thriller.

Follow Stana Katic on Twitter @Stana_Katic and on Instagram @drstanakatic.

Justice Society: World War II will be available on VOD April 27, 2021 and on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Blu-ray May 11, 2021.

#WonderWoman #JusticeSociety #JSWWII #DCAU #DCUniverse #DCComics #DCEntertainment #StanaKatic #FanboyNation

Editor's Note: The sound quality is good, but there were a couple of internet connection issues that were resolved as best we could.

Swedish Filmmaker Johan von Sydow (Ratata Through the 80s, The Artist Who Disappeared, Mare Kandre: I Am the Genius!) discusses his latest documentary, Tiny Tim: King for a Day, available now in theaters in the United States and all over Europe.

We chatted with our new European friend about how outsiders were drawn to Tiny Tim, how "Weird" Al Yankovic, who was thought at one point to be Tiny Tim's son came on board to narrate the documentary and what Tiny Tim meant to so many people who felt like outsiders looking in on a society that does not fully accept them.

Official Synposis:

With archival footage from D.A. Pennebaker, Jonas Mekas, Andy Warhol and others.

Tiny Tim: King for a Day is a biographical documentary about a musician who is not only well known for hits such as TipToe Through The Tulips but for his trailblazing personae that paved the way for other rock stars such as David Bowie, Prince, Iggy Pop and Boy George. An outcast from a young age, Herbert Khary’s rise to stardom as Tiny Tim is the ultimate fairytale. Considered a freak by many of his peers, Tiny Tim left no one unaffected. His wedding to Miss Vicki on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson was watched by over 45 million Americans, and his queer personality has been celebrated by the likes of Bob Dylan and Lady Gaga. There were plans and hopes that Tiny Tim would be a lasting star, not only a novelty act but one man ruined these plans: Tiny Tim.

Tiny Tim: King for a Day premiered at the 2020 Fantasia Film Festival and was an official selection at DocNYC 2020.

Directed by: Johan von Sydow (Mare Kandre: I Am the Genius!, The Jussi Bjoerling Saga)

RT: 78 Minutes

Tiny Tim: King for a Day on Facebook by clicking here.

For showings of Tiny Tim: King for a Day click here.

#TinyTim #JohanvonSydow #Documentary #Interview 

Reality TV Star, Personality, businesswoman and mother of two Molly Hopkins talks about 90 Day Fiance: The Single Life, streaming now on  Discovery+.

Hopkins first made her television appearance on the reality series Double Divas about her undergarment business LiviRae Lingerie before looking for love on the TLC Reality show 90 Day Fiance where her journey through the K-1 Visa process allowed us to follow her adventures (or misadventures) regarding her relationship with Luis Mendez, a man from the Dominican Republic, who eventually began asking inappropriate questions to her then teenage daughter and unwilling to be a stepfather, a role he knew full well he was signing up for during the fifth season of the show.

From her time on the original 90 Day Fiance series, she has become a part of 90 Day Fiance: Pillow talk with her business partner and best friend Cynthia Decker, where they discuss the love lives of other's who appear on the TLC and Discovery+ spin-offs.

Now, Hopkins returns as a focal point in another sister series of the franchise in 90 Day Fiance: The Single Life, streaming on Discovery+. Through a social media interaction with a police officer, Hopkins met a man who she thought would also be the love of her life, but as the season unfolds with the possibility of him having a secret child and Kelly rethinking the notion of having his own offspring, things take a lot of twists and turns for Miss Molly.

We spoke with Molly Hopkins about being prominently features in the series, what we can look forward to in the upcoming 90 Day Fiance: Tell All and that what everyone needs in life is a companion on this crazy thing we call life.

Not too much tea is spilt in this interview, but we do hint at possibly hanging with Molly and Cynthia on a booze cruise, which would be tremendously enjoyable...even if the cameras are off.

Follow Molly Hopkins on Instagram @liviraebras1 and LiviRae Lingerie @liviraelingerie. Visit LiviRae Lingerie official website at liviraelingerie.com.

#MollyHopkins #90DayFiance #DiscoveryPlus #TLC #RealityTV #Interview #FanboyNation

Persian-American author, screenwriter, director, comedian and actress Negin Farad talks about Birdgirl, StarTalk and celebrating Ramadan.

Negin Farad and I first became acquainted when she released her film 3rd Street Blackout (now available on Peacock). Since then, we have had a few interaction as she continued with her blossoming career in filmmaking and stand up comedy. Now Farad has continued her journey in life with marriage, motherhood, working in animation with the new Adult Swim series Birdgirl where she voices Meredith the Mind Taker and has worked with the likes of Neil deGrasse Tyson on StarTalk.

Farad is the daughter of Persian immigrants, of which both our Iranian fathers (mine being an ethnic Assyrian) went into tradition, "respectable" careers. Her's a doctor, while mine an engineer.

Fortunately for Farad, these days instead of questioning career choices, her parents can sit with pride and brag to their relatives people like Bill Nye the Science Guy and former medical doctor turned television personality, Bassem Youssef, who was referred to the "Egyptian Jon Stewart" before the Arab Spring.

Farad's talents, humor and sensibilities are what keep her succeeding in the wacky world of the arts, but being able to wear multiple hats as stated above will ensure her longevity in this career.

During this month of Ramad, we also talk about the significance that Islam, whether either practicing or viewing oneself as, "Culturally Muslim," has helped shape her worldview, giving a unique perspective in growing up in the United States.

We also tried to figure out how Farad would react today, to her high school bully, and try to explain to our White friends that a 93% on an exam is what we lovingly refer to as an "Iranian F." Why you might ask? Because there was still seven percent we could have improved on.

For more information on Negin Farad, follow her on Twitter @NeginFarad, Instagram @neginfarad and disappointing on on TikTok where she won't belly dance @neginfarad. Visit her official website at neginfarsad.com.

Birdgirl airs Sunday nights on Adult Swim.

#Birdgirl #AdultSwim #NeginFarsad #StarTalk #FakeTheNation #Persian #Iranian #NewYorker #Mother #Wife #Ramadan #FanboyNation

Bellator Welterweight Raymond Daniels talks about his rematch with Peter Stanonik at Bellator 257, from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut, live on Showtime. Tonight’s main card begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, while preliminary bouts will stream on the Bellator MMA YouTube channel, Showtime Sports YouTube Channel, and Pluto TV beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.

Bellator World Kickboxing Champion and MMA Fighter, Raymond Daniels returns to the cage tonight against Peter Stanonik at Bellator 257 in a rematch for a fight that did not end so pleasantly for Stanonik. Both fighters had previously been apart of Glory Kickboxing, where I first met Daniels at Glory 16 in Denver, CO with his incredible highlight reel double spin kick. Unfortunately for Stanonik, their match ended in a no contest with an unintentional groin kick.

We are all thrilled for Stanonik's recovery as both men seek to close the chapter in their lives to answer the question, who is the better kickboxer in MMA.

Daniels, the Orange County, CA resident and former Marine, has two things to celebrate as his wedding anniversary is coming up and his wife, Colbey Northcutt Daniels will be fighting on his birthday, making April a month to remember.

Daniels, weighted in yesterday at 169.75 lb, while his opponent came in at 170 lb on the dot.

Follow Bellator MMA on Twitter @BellatorMMA and on Instagram @bellatormma. Visit their official website at www.bellatormma.com. #Bellator257

Follow Showtime on Twitter @Showtime and on Instagram @showtime.

Follow Raymond Daniels on Twitter @RD_GOAT and on Instagram @rd_goat.

Bellator 257 takes place from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut, live on Showtime. Tonight’s main card begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, while preliminary bouts will stream on the Bellator MMA YouTube channel, Showtime Sports YouTube Channel, and Pluto TV beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.

Bellator Flyweight Desiree 'Dirty Dez' Yanez (5-2) talks about her fight tonight at Bellator 257 against Veta Arteaga (5-4), from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut, live on Showtime. Tonight's main card begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, while preliminary bouts will stream on the Bellator MMA YouTube channel, Showtime Sports YouTube Channel, and Pluto TV beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.

Yanez as well as her opponent Arteaga, are coming off of losses as they are one of the featured fights leading to the main event where ewly-crowned light heavyweight king Vadim Nemkov (12-2) will take on the No. 2 ranked light heavyweight Phil Davis (22-5) in a rematch three years in the making for both the light heavyweight strap, and to advance to the semifinals of the Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix.

Yanez spoke with us about going up to Flyweight, allowing her to retain muscle mass and not having such a hard cut as her previous bouts and how she is looking to put on a show tonight against Veta Arteaga.

Yanez fights out of Straight Blast Gym is beyond ready for her bout against the number seven ranked Arteaga, where as we all know, the female fights are often more intense than the male combatants.

At yesterday's weigh-ins, Yanez topped the scale at 125.75 lbs, making the cut off as Arteaga came in just under the weight class limit at 124.5.

Follow Bellator MMA on Twitter @BellatorMMA and on Instagram @bellatormma. Visit their official website at www.bellatormma.com.

Follow Showtime on Twitter @Showtime and on Instagram @showtime.

Follow Desiree 'Dirty Dez' Yanez on Twitter @dirtyydezz and on Instagram @dirtydezmma.

Bellator 257 takes place from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut, live on Showtime. Tonight's main card begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, while preliminary bouts will stream on the Bellator MMA YouTube channel, Showtime Sports YouTube Channel, and Pluto TV beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.