Getting Up Close and Personal with the Cast and Crew of “The Book Thief”

the book thief

Five years ago, someone in my book club selected The Book Thief by Australian author Markus Zusak.  As soon as I turned to the first page, I was mesmerized. Let me preface this article by saying that I am Jewish and I'm someone who has always felt a profound sense of responsibility towards my people and heritage because of what happened during the Holocaust.  I read a lot of books about this time period. I watch movies about it.  I have even thought about going back to school to study the Holocaust. I am currently interviewing survivors for my … [Read more...]

My Pop Culture Best of List 2011

midnightin-paris

Here's a short top 10 of my richest pop cultural experiences of 2011: Best Movies: I loved that my son enjoyed the dazzling film directed by Martin Scorcese, Hugo, just as much as I did. A long time fan of Woody Allen, I adored Midnight in Paris and found it just as compelling and genuine as some of his early films.  I saw it in a Brooklyn film house with other longtime Woody Allen fans and it was one of my most memorable cinematic experiences of the year.  I laughed out loud with all the ladies of the hit movie Bridesmaids and am thrilled that … [Read more...]

At the Movies with Steven Spielberg and Emily Watson

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Today I was lucky to attend a private screening of War Horse, the new film directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg. I was thrilled to go into Manhattan on a Monday morning and sit in a dark theater for several hours at the beautifully restored Film Society of Lincoln Center.  No kids, nowhere to be until much later in the day. This was an atypical morning for me and I didn't take it for granted. The film is about a strong friendship between a boy and a horse.  Their bond is fierce and when they get separated at the outbreak of World War I, the film … [Read more...]