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Behind The Scenes: Mighty Cruise Ships

Mighty Cruise Ships on Discovery

Mighty Cruise Ships returns to the Discovery Channel tonight for its second season and I had a chance to chat with Executive Producer Karen McCairley. Find out more about the production process below and see which celebrity she wants to travel with in this special Q&A.

How does your show attract and engage with viewers (like myself) who have never been on a cruise?

Mighty Cruise Ships is the only show of its kind in the whole world. We take all the preconceived notions viewers like you may have about cruise ships and set the story straight!

It’s not all big buffets and cheesy lounge singers – we focus on what it takes for the hard working staff aboard each vessel to pull these trips off time and again. We pull back the curtain and focus on the big technology and navigational skill it takes to dock these ships in very interesting and oftentimes difficult ports. We spend time in the engine rooms, bridge, galleys and behind the scenes of the huge mainstage productions that happen aboard these ships.

Put it this way, even the people who work for the cruise lines are oftentimes blown away when they eventually see our shows.

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Movie Review: The Founder

McDonald's movie poster

As soon as I saw a transit ad for The Founder, I knew I had to see it and I was right. It was fantastic. The Founder, starring Michael Keaton, focuses on the early days of McDonald’s and explains how Ray Kroc transformed a burger shack in California into an international institution. This portrayal of Ray Kroc’s life deserves to be nominated for awards and win.

Ray met the brothers behind the original McDonald’s while selling mixers. He was impressed by their story and observed that their cooking process was like “choreographing a crazy burger ballet.” After learning about their speedy system for serving fast food, which they called a “symphony of efficiency,” he convinced them to open franchises under his leadership.

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Movie Review: Hello, My Name Is Doris

hello-my-name-is-doris

When iTunes featured Hello, My Name Is Doris as their movie of the week, I immediately removed it from my wish list and rented it. Now that the Gilmore Girls revival is behind us, I had a chance to sit down and enjoy watching the movie this weekend.

Leading lady Sally Field is believable as a kooky data entry clerk in an advertising agency. I’m all about watching movies and TV shows that portray the media industry! As soon as she meets John (Max Greenfield), the new art director, she falls in love with him despite their age difference. I can’t blame her. I mean, have you seen him?

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Book Review: Hungry Heart

jennifer-weiner-hungry-heart

In her opening letter, Jennifer shares her wish that this book will help her become more relatable to readers. She immediately accomplishes that goal on the first page of the first story when she describes her outfit that includes UGG boots. Jennifer Weiner is anything but basic though. She’s a talented, opinionated and friendly author who has overcome personal issues and handled negative reviews.

Jennifer was a gifted student and skipped a grade. It was upsetting to read about how when her dad got mad, he sometimes tore up her books. Of course, she has always been an avid reader. Her mother and Nanna love telling a story about how Jennifer lost her shoes at camp, but never lost a book.

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Movie Review: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

Popstar-Never-Stop-Never-Stopping

Photo Source: Universal Pictures

Conner4Real loves Snapchat. He loves updating his fans on his surreal lifestyle and acting like everything is ok, even though it isn’t.

Recognizing how social media allows stars to control how fans perceive their lives, it’s entertaining to watch a mockumentary about what could actually go on behind the scenes. In this case, the footage is about Conner (Andy Samberg), a singer whose time in the spotlight is going to end unless he repairs his relationship with his childhood buddies. In real life, Conner’s former Style Boyz band mates Owen (Jorma Taccone) and Lawrence (Akiva Schaffer) make up the rest of The Lonely Island and they also co-produced and directed Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.

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