The Sleepover Movie Review
Meet Kevin (aka the scene-stealer Maxwell Simkins). He's a middle schooler who loves to exaggerate about his life whether it is to friends, teachers, or even his family. In fact we meet him while he is busy telling his class a tall tale about his family history. Honestly Kevin, you didn't think they would figure out that you were actually re-telling “The Martian?”
On his way to lunch he stops off in the bathroom and decides to bust some serious moves. Unfortunately, a bully is lurking and catches it all on video. Embarrassed, his mom finds him dealing with the bullies in the lunchroom. Unbeknownst to her she is also being recorded.
The video goes viral which leads to some serious consequences. Margot, Kevin's mom is actually not just some boring housewife. She is a former super thief who was in witness protection. That is until she winds up in the viral video.
One thing leads to another and Margot along with her husband Ron are kidnapped and it is up to Clancy (Kevin's introverted sister), Kevin, Mim (Clancy's bestie), and Lucas (Kevin's best friend) to save the day.
As I mentioned, Maxwell Simkins was the definite scene-stealer of this film. His energy is infectious, reminding us all not to take life so seriously. Just you know, don't try to pass off Golden Globe winning movie plots as your life story. Cree Cicchino's Mim had my favorite lines in the whole film when she questioned why she was continuing on the adventure with her friends.
Read more: Interview with Ken Marino, Maxwell Simkins, and Lucas Jaye
Ken Marino is hilarious as always. His character Ron is a direct contrast of Joe Manganiello's which makes for some hilarious interactions. And no Ron, we aren't mad about Joe's arms being shown off.
Malin Akerman, brought the girl power and reminded me of myself as a mother. Not the whole super thief thing but not letting my daughter have a cell phone thing. Yes I used this film as a way to prove my point about the dangers of cell phones. Thanks Netflix.
Read more: Interview with Malin Akerman, Sadie Stanley, and Cree Cicchino
While the plot seems predictable to the adults in the audience that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. In fact in the craziness that is our world, predictability can be nice. It was calming to see the good guys win, the bad guys lose, and see Malin kick some serious butt in several scenes.
Overall, The Sleepover is the perfect family movie night offering. Grab the popcorn, get comfy, and be ready to laugh your butt off this Friday on Netflix.
Is The Sleepover kid-friendly?
There are no curse words or violent aspects of The Sleepover. I will say there are instances of bullying. Kevin is bullied for his dancing and his weight. Clancy isn't the most popular girl in school and the others tease her about that. For his part, Kevin doesn't seem to bothered. Clancy however definitely feels the pressure to fit in but eventually learns to overcome her insecurities.
There is a party with the high schoolers where the parents are not home. No one is shown drinking but plastic red cups are being used. And after helping Mim swim, Kevin remarks to Lucas that he had b**bs touching his back. Fortunately, that moment is quick and was overlooked by my son who was more interested in the action scenes.
The Sleepover is available to stream on Netflix August 21, 2020
First look at Death On The Nile
Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot’s Egyptian vacation aboard a glamorous river steamer turns into a terrifying search for a murderer when a picture-perfect couple’s idyllic honeymoon is tragically cut short. Set against an epic landscape of sweeping desert vistas and the majestic Giza pyramids, this tale of unbridled passion and incapacitating jealousy features a cosmopolitan group of impeccably dressed travelers, and enough wicked twists and turns to leave audiences guessing until the final, shocking denouement.
“Death on the Nile” reunites the filmmaking team behind 2017’s global hit “Murder on the Orient Express,” and stars five-time Academy Award® nominee Kenneth Branagh as the iconic detective Hercule Poirot. He is joined by an all-star cast of suspects, including: Tom Bateman, four-time Oscar® nominee Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Ali Fazal, Dawn French, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Saunders and Letitia Wright.
“Death on the Nile” is written by Michael Green, adapted from Christie’s novel, and is produced by Ridley Scott, Mark Gordon, Simon Kinberg, Kenneth Branagh, Judy Hofflund and Kevin J. Walsh, with Matthew Jenkins, James Prichard and Matthew Prichard serving as executive producers.
Death On The Nile Trailer
First of all, it's a new movie trailer. In what has been an entertainment desert, Death of the Nile comes in as an oasis. Thank you for that! Second, this film looks stunning. The cast is stellar just like its predecessor Murder On The Orient Express. And overall I cannot wait to solve this mystery alongside Poirot.
I've read the Agatha Christie novels but it's been so long I actually don't remember what happens. Time for a refresh before October! Oh and my last thought, that use of Depeche Mode's Policy Of Truth- brilliant.
Death On The Nile is in theaters October 23, 2020
Death On The Nile Trailer Reaction
I had the chance to participate in a roundtable interview with the stars of The Sleepover: Ken Marino, Maxwell Simkins, and Lucas Jaye. These guys play Ron (dad), Kevin (his son), and Lewis (Kevin's best friend).
The Sleepover Interview with Ken Marino, Maxwell Simkins, and Lucas Jaye
With such a funny cast, was there a lot of improv happening or did you stick to the script?
Maxwell: Yes! A lot of it was improv. Ken really led the way for all that and a lot of the improv we said made it into the movie.This is the only one (movie) so far that's let me improv.
Ken: When you work with someone like Trish (the director) who understands the script is strong, but also understands working with people who like to kinda break away from it and bend it a little bit means you get some good stuff. She was really great at working with us and encouraging us to make it our own. That's what we tried to do.
The bathroom dance scene was awesome! Max, what was it like working on that part?
Maxwell: Yes I loved doing it. It took about 3 weeks to choreograph because I'm not too good of a dancer. I can bust move here and there at a wedding but I'm not too good. It took a lot of hard training and concrete listening to Gin and Juice for a couple of hours to be able to break that hard of a move.
It seemed like everyone had great chemistry on screen. Did you find that you felt like a family on set?
Ken: It's always a crapshoot on a new set whether everyone is going to get along or whether there will be chemistry. You try to create that of course, because whatever you create off camera translates onto camera. People can feel that. Everybody got along, enjoyed each other, it was a nice group of people to create with because of that.
Maxwell: He covered it!
Everyone seemed very in-tune with their characters. What aspects of your character can you relate to?
Maxwell: My character is really outgoing, super charismatic, super funny. I think he's got a little too much energy like a lot of too much energy. Just ate a whole candy bar energy. That has a lot to do with me. I think I can get like that too when I have a couple too many Capri Suns.
Lucas: I don't really have much similarities with Lewis, but I feel like I put my fear into his fear. The part when we are screaming it's sometimes genuine.
Ken: A lot of credit goes to Trish for casting people she knew that the essence of who they were goes with the essence of their character. What is really impressive watching Max and Lucas, Cree and Sadie work is that it was an extension of them. They had such an easy time not forcing anything and just being the character. That goes for us adults in the movie too. You find elements of who you are and you lean into them. It was so much fun watching the kids in the movie do it because they was such a natural ease to their performances.
This movie is full of hilarious moments! Do you have a favorite that happened on or off camera?
Maxwell: My favorite moment from behind the scenes is when we were in the back of the shot on the bridge and Ken pulled out his phone and started playing Umbrella. I started rapping the Jay-Z part and they started singing and it was so much fun.
Lucas: Every time Ken was doing his improv comedy it was so hard keeping a straight face because he was just so good at it!
Ken: Thank you guys. And I appreciate you not mentioning I paid you money to say those things. (Laughter) One of the most disgusting but also fun moments was the throw up scene. I hope it is as ridiculous as I remember it being.
So much action is packed into this movie. What was your favorite moment?
Maxwell: My favorite action scene was right after Ken goes “these hands are lethal weapons,” and he's called Suzanne, that had me dying. When you guys walk through that door and Ken goes rolling down the stairs and Joe picks up the American flag and smacks a guy with it, and Malin does a karate kick that was so cool! We were like 10 feet away watching, and I was like Oh my god our mom is awesome!
Lucas: The car scene because it was so chaotic, with the laser pen and shot it out of the window. And there was an explosion. It was hilarious and action packed.
Ken: I run into a wall and knock myself out. I remember one of the takes being pretty good. I hit it, hesitate, and fall. That was the most action I got. Mostly I was tied up.
Read more: The Sleepover Interview with Malin Akerman, Sadie Stanley, and Cree Cicchino
CGI spiders and super thief gadgets are a lot of fun, just ask these guys.
Maxwell: I wish that pen was real! It glowed red and I just used it like a Harry Potter wand and thank god for CGI because it made me look cool.
Ken: Before we did the CGI spider I did some rehearsing with a real spider. This spider actor flew in from Los Angeles to Boston and we worked for like 3 weeks on what my reactions would be to a real spider. But then he wasn't there on the day because we couldn't afford him. (Laughter)
Ken nailed the “dadness” of his character. What did your kids think about your performance? Max and Lucas, what would you do if you found out your parents were super thieves with all those killer moves?
Ken: My kids have only seen the trailer, but my daughter said oh that looks good dad. So so far so good. When they watch it they're going to be like yeah that's how my dad is. They won't see a difference except I'm dressed slightly differently. I got a different wardrobe than I normally wear.
Maxwell: If I found out my parents were super spies or super thieves I would be shocked because my dad isn't that great at being quiet. (Laughter) I can hear him 3 rooms away! My mom she could be a thief. She loves being on her phone in her room watching TV like the Real Housewives. You won't even notice she's there. She can go incognito for days.
Lucas: If I figured out my mom was a former thief I would probably regret every time I ever gave her attitude, I would change myself to be more forgiving and say I'm sorry I'm sorry!
Cree shared that it was cold on set, what was it like filming that boat scene in Boston temps?
Maxwell: Jack Frost was not nice to us. We filmed that scene in a warehouse, but they had wind and rain blowing on us. I was getting seasick I will admit that.
Lucas: On the harbor, we were actually on the Boston Harbor. It was cold they had to soak us. We had water suits underneath our pajamas. They felt so bad for spraying us because it was so cold!
WHAT IS THE SLEEPOVER ABOUT?
In this family adventure-comedy, Clancy (Sadie Stanley) and her kid brother Kevin (Maxwell Simkins) discover that their seemingly normal stay-at-home mom Margot (Malin Åkerman) is actually a former high-end thief in the witness protection program. When both their mom and dad (Ken Marino) are kidnapped and forced to pull one last job with an ex-flame of Margot’s (Joe Manganiello), the siblings must team up to rescue their parents over the course of one action-packed night that they’ll never forget. The Sleepover is directed by Trish Sie (Pitch Perfect 3).
The Sleepover debuts on Netflix Friday, August 21, 2020.
I had a chance to participate in a roundtable interview with the stars of The Sleepover: Malin Akerman, Sadie Stanley, and Cree Cicchino. These ladies play Margot (mom), Clancy (her daughter), and Mim (Clancy's best friend).
The Sleepover Interview with Malin Akerman, Sadie Stanley, and Cree Cicchino.
This film is full of epic stunt scenes. Did you do them yourselves and if so what was that like?
Malin: We did our own stunt work. We got to work with an incredible stunt team. It's a pretty cool feeling when you're on set and you're doing all your own stunts. Most of them. The really hard ones I had my stunt girl do. But it was empowering and funny when you watch playback. You see all the stunt people doing amazing jobs and you feel like you're part of it. And then you look at the playback and go wow I felt a lot cooler than I look! (laughter) You can definitely feel your age when you're doing stunts.
Sadie learned to play cello for this movie. Was it hard to pick up an instrument like that and are you still playing?
Sadie: Cello was very hard. It was a very scary instrument to try and get into. I didn't really know anything about it, I never picked it up before. Clancy (her character) had been playing it for years so I knew I had to at least look like I knew what I was doing. I took some lessons, they taught me the fundamentals and how to look professional. I learned how to play Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and that's about as advanced as I got. (Laughs). Right now, I think I've lost everything at this point! I don't think I could play Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and that's sad (laughs), but maybe one day I will pick it up again.
Cree brought a bit of herself and her culture into the role. Was that planned or something you wanted to do?
Cree: I don't think there was a plan to have Mim to be Latina, I don't think it was ever said in the script. Here and there I tried to throw in something so that maybe that would come across. Some of it got left in, so I'm really glad that it did.
Everyone seemed very in-tune with their characters. What aspects of your character can you relate to?
Cree: I think Mim spends a lot of time super stressed out in this movie. She is really loyal to Clancy so she is going to back her up no matter what. I think that all characters go on this journey of bravery. Mim doesn't. (Laughs). She kinda starts one way and stays there. I think it's nice to see that sometimes bravery looks like screaming the whole time but still doing the thing.
Sadie: I think I'm pretty similar to Clancy in a lot of ways. When I was in my early high school days I think I was a lot like Clancy. She's just a regular teenage girl, she has insecurities, there are mean girls, and she has a crush. She is dealing with all these things and trying to figure out how to be brave and how to put herself out there. I can definitely relate to her in that way a lot. She goes on this beautiful arc where she realizes that you know I am brave, I am courageous, and I am talented. I can believe in myself. I've kinda gone through the same thing growing up.
Malin: I think that I can relate to it in that I normally go out and fight bad guys and kick their *ss! (Laughter) No but I don't! (laughs) I wish I could be that tough! I relate to her (Margot) because she is a parent. I think that parent relationships are so interesting and complicated depending on the age of your child. Especially having to hold onto a secret that is this big, which I don't have that big of a secret but I've got little secrets that I know will come out eventually as my son becomes older. I think the most relatable aspect of this character was being a parent and the love you have for your kids. You would take a bullet for your kids, that's where it all came from.
This movie is full of hilarious moments! Do you have a favorite that happened on or off camera?
Malin: It's hard to say just one I think! I'll have to say we had a lot of laughs on set, some of them were laughing together, some of them were laughing at Ken Marino. (Laughter) When Ken had to do the vomiting scene, it was gross and funny all at once.
Cree: We had too many, like summer camp! My brain is going to the library set, it was an interesting night. It was a real, serious, practice library. We couldn't touch anything , it was late at night. I remember having the cape on and running up the stairs into this big beautiful library and having our Hogwarts moment together.
Sadie: That reminds me of the other section we did in the library. I was behind the camera dying laughing the entire time. Cree is the last one to go through the tunnel and she goes on this whole rant about how she doesn't want this adventure and this is the scary part in the movies where the four children go. And it was so self-aware, so witty, and quick that it made me laugh so hard.
read more: The Sleepover Interview with Ken Marino, Maxwell Simkins, and Lucas Jaye
Again, so many amazing moments in this film. When you read the script, was there any scene you couldn't wait to film?
Sadie: Any scene that the character Ron (Ken Marino) is in. Every scene that's written in the script I read and I thought it was funny. I laughed out loud while I was reading it. Then when we got to set and I met Ken and started seeing him work I knew that it was going to be 100x funnier on screen. Any scene that Ken is in. (Laughter). Ken and Joe together too are hilarious!
Malin: It's very true Sadie. It was a pleasure to work with Ken, he is such a funny guy. The action scenes, I was really excited to get into those when I read the script.
Super thief parents come with super thief gadgets. If you had to pick one from the film to keep what would it be?
Cree: That's a really good question.
Malin: I would have to say that really cool car.
Sadie: That's what I was going to say! That car is really cool! Or a laser pen. You never know when that's going to come in handy. It could be fun to have that in your back pocket.
Cree: I would say that Sadie and I were being bad on set in that scene, playing with the wigs. (laughter) And that's not a gadget it's just a good time!
After watching this one, my son looked at me and asked if I had a secret life I wasn't telling him about! Malin, did your son think about seeing his mom kick butt like that on screen?
Malin: They really wish that don't they! My son hasn't seen the film yet, but I have told him about it. When I told him the premise he contorted thievery into spies, because he loves the whole spy world. He got was quiet for awhile after I told him the premise of the movie. He said “Mom, you are really a spy though right?” I just went “What do you think?” He goes “Yeah, I think you are.” I said “Well, you'll never know will you?” So I think he's going to be pretty impressed with the action scenes and he's really going to be convinced that that is my actual job. Which I don't mind!
This movie takes place in Boston during one crazy night. How was it filming in Boston?
Cree: We were in Boston for the whole time. It was really cool and really cold, sometimes. All three of us actually spent a lot of time with our legs exposed in the cold Boston air. It was really fun, I had never been.
Malin: I love Boston. I loved eating my way through Boston. (Laughter) I found some great restaurants, I miss them dearly. I really truly have an affinity for Boston. I would go back anytime. I got my son and husband out to hang with me a few days and they loved it as much as I did. I see Boston in our future.
WHAT IS THE SLEEPOVER ABOUT?
In this family adventure-comedy, Clancy (Sadie Stanley) and her kid brother Kevin (Maxwell Simkins) discover that their seemingly normal stay-at-home mom Margot (Malin Åkerman) is actually a former high-end thief in the witness protection program. When both their mom and dad (Ken Marino) are kidnapped and forced to pull one last job with an ex-flame of Margot’s (Joe Manganiello), they must team up to rescue their parents over the course of one action-packed night that they’ll never forget. The Sleepover is directed by Trish Sie (Pitch Perfect 3).
The Sleepover debuts on Netflix Friday, August 21, 2020.
It's time to rock ‘n' roll and dance like no one is watching, Trolls World Tour Dance Party Edition is here! This musical adventure is available now on Digital HD and coming to Blu-ray, 4K, and DVD July 7. This is a dance party your whole family does not want to miss, just look at all these awesome bonus features.
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In this sequel to Trolls, Poppy and Branch discover that they are but one of six different Trolls tribes scattered over six different lands. Each tribe is devoted to six different kinds of music: Funk, Country, Techno, Classical, Pop and Rock. Their world is about to get a lot bigger and a whole lot louder.
Trolls World Tour is a radiant bright light in a time when everything feels dark. It looks great, sounds amazing, and delivers exactly what the world needs right now- a kaleidoscope of color and hope.
read more: Trolls World Tour Movie Review
Trolls World Tour Dance Party Edition
Before you get the party started, grab these Trolls World Tour Free Party Printables. Then pick out the most colorful outfits you can find. Finally, pop in the dance party edition of the film and get ready to move it, shake it, and dance your heart out.
read more: Trolls World Tour Quotes To Make You Smile
This special dance edition includes an interactive dance party mode that invites viewers to learn dance moves while get watch the film, lyrics to sing-along with your favorite songs, and even special surprises too! We are all about learning the moves, because if you haven't already tried to dance along with this soundtrack are you even a human? Only robots could not get caught in the infectious melodies of Just Sing, Crazy Train, and my fave- Don't Slack.
Trolls World Tour Bonus Features
Dance Party Mode – As Queen Poppy makes her way across the lands, this on-screen experience encourages the viewer to sing and dance along as they customize their own musical journey. With sing-along and dance elements, interactive pop ups and more, it’s sure to be a world of fun!
Tiny Diamond Goes Back To School – In this exclusive original short film, journey back to school with Tiny Diamond as he tries to figure out how to be the cool kid and ‘fit in’.
Trolls Dance Academy – Compilation of How-To-Dance pieces from Dance Party Mode
- Pop
- Waltz
- Country
- Funk
- KPop
- Reggaeton
Trolls World Tourist Map – Cloud Guy provides a quick “tourist guide's” view of the six realms that make up Trolls Kingdom.
- Trolls Village
- Symphonyville
- Lonesome Flats
- Vibe City
- Volcano Rock City
- Techno Reef
Deleted Scenes with intros by Director Walt Dohrn, Producer Gina Shay, and Co-Director David P. Smith*
- Cooper's Destiny
- Let's Go Save the World
- Bicycle Built for Two
- Breaktime
- Meet the Bounty Hunters
- Making New Friends
- Cloud 9
Trolls Perfect Harmony– Hear from the star-studded cast of Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Anderson .Paak, George Clinton, Kunal Nayyar, James Corden and the filmmakers about the history of music featured in the film. From classical to country to rock, pop and techno, the cast and filmmakers reveal their favorite types of music.
Trolls World Tour Backstage* – A behind-the-scenes making of featurette showcases Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Rachel Bloom, Ron Funches, George Clinton, Mary J. Blige, Sam Rockwell and Kenan Thompson as some of the talent behind the Trolls and the process of bringing the them to life.
- Opening Act
- Headliners
- Encore!
Feature Commentary with Director Walt Dohrn, Producer Gina Shay, and Co-Director David P. Smith
* Exclusive to 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ & Digital
Where to buy Trolls World Tour
Trolls World Tour is available on Digital NOW and on Blu-ray, 4K, and DVD July 7 wherever movies are sold. Get your pre-order in now so you don't miss out on any rocking moments.
