I attended a special advance screening for Marvel’s ANT-MAN! Guess who was there to welcome us and give a mini intro. The ANT-MAN himself Pa...

I attended a special advance screening for Marvel’s ANT-MAN! Guess who was there to welcome us and give a mini intro. The ANT-MAN himself Paul Rudd!

Note: I was invited as media to the press screening. Any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.

Paul Rudd! Live just a few feet away from me. How cool is that. Part of what made it so cool is that he was very personable. And had a bit of a sense of humor while sharing about his role in the movie.

Watch my exclusive video of Paul Rudd



Like I said, he has a sense of humor. To be honest it was this sense of humor that made me unsure about him being ANT-MAN. I couldn't see him becoming the iconic figure that I grew up reading about in comic books.

Plus in this version of ANT-MAN, he had to go up against The Avengers? Paul Rudd?! No way!


But who knew that he would take that sense of humor (that worried me) and use it to make both the character ANT-MAN and the movie up to a different level. By the end of the screening, I was ready to accept Paul Rudd as ANT-MAN!

And when you see ANT-MAN in theaters, I think you'll agree. The sense of humor helps to bring ANT-MAN fans to a new place from the ANT-MAN in the comics. And for this storyline, it's a good fit.


Beyond well placed humor, ANT-MAN is filled with amazing action scenes and strong characters. Even the Ants have their own time on screen.

Which was something I enjoyed because I really wanted to know how ANT-MAN does what he does with those amazing ants. Trust me those scenes and other are well done.

So get ready take your action loving family to see ANT-MAN. Paul Rudd and his humor makes it worthwhile.

Of course so does the scene with The Avengers. Don't forget to stay through the opening credits. You wont want to miss 2 reveals for upcoming story lines!

SYNOPSIS:

Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

Marvel’s “Ant-Man” stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne, Corey Stoll as Darren Cross aka Yellowjacket, Bobby Cannavale as Paxton, Michael Peña as Luis, Judy Greer as Maggie, Tip “Ti” Harris as Dave, David Dastmalchian as Kurt, Wood Harris as Gale, Jordi Mollà as Castillo and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym.

To learn more, visit - www.marvel.com/antman

Facebook - www.facebook.com/AntMan
Twitter - www.twitter.com/AntMan

My son joined me for an advanced screening for the Pixels Movie. While we bot were excited to see the video games come to life and save the ...

My son joined me for an advanced screening for the Pixels Movie. While we bot were excited to see the video games come to life and save the world, we each enjoyed the movie for very different reasons.

My Other Related Posts

• Pixels Movie Review: Discover Your Inner Video Game Hero

For my son, it was all about Pac-Man. He couldn't wait to see the big yellow guy on screen. I get it. Pac-Man is currently one of the video games my son is familiar with. But as I explained to my son we needed to wait for the Pac-Man scene, I thought to myself... kid you really don't know Pac-Man.

Or at least not the way I know Pac-Man.

You see I grew up with the start of Pac-Man. There's a scene in Pixels when the kids visit an arcade to play the games and I can so relate to that experience. It's in that setting that I first learned to play Pac-Man and so many other arcade games in the 80's.

During this scene my son asked what kind of place the kids were playing games in. And I had a moment. it was bitter sweet. My son has grown up playing games at home, on mobile and on various hand held devices. There really isn't a reason for him to know what an arcade is.


Yet, I didn't want to dismiss the experience. So during another media event, I saw a wall of arcade games and reminded my son about the scene is Pixels. I encouraged him to try playing. He of course thought I was crazy. Can't we just play at home?

No kid, we can't. This style of Pac-Man is very special. When I was a little girl, I use to play games this way. We can share this experience. So try it.

And try it he did. And enjoyed it.

And I had another moment. This time one that was more sweet then bitter. Now my son knows what an arcade place is. But more important now we both have this shared experience. I can only hope Pac-Man will continue to be around for a few more years. Then my son can share it with his child when he's a gaming parent.

The Pixels Movie is now in theaters and I highly suggest that families go see it this weekend. In part because of the storyline. Who hasn...

The Pixels Movie is now in theaters and I highly suggest that families go see it this weekend. In part because of the storyline. Who hasn't dreamed of saving the world by playing a video game?!

Note: I was invited as media by Sony to the press screening. Any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.



But more then the "save the world from alien invasion while gaming" storyline, it's the insane humor that will make Pixels a summer blockbusters. The laughs start with the childhood flash backs of awkward boys discovering their love of video games to the flash-forward of these same group of guys all grown and dealing with real life...but still awkward.

But the awkwardness is part of the charm of the movie. We've all gone through childhood with awkwardness until we discover a hobby, skill or talent that empowered us to face childhood and life.


In Pixels, it's Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler) talent of playing video games that comes in very handy to save the day. I enjoyed seeing into the mind of a gamer and then seeing how you can bring a game to life.

The mix of CGI video game characters and real life action scene was awesome! It was great to see video games I grew up with come to life on screen. I love how each video game had it's own mini plot and we had to discover (along with Sam and his team) how to defeat the game in real life.

While the nostalgic video games will be the main reason to see Pixel, I think the creative story telling along with great humor will make it a stand out movie this summer. Go see it!

Synopsis

As kids in the 1980s, Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler), Will Cooper (Kevin James), Ludlow Lamonsoff (Josh Gad), and Eddie “The Fire Blaster” Plant (Peter Dinklage) saved the world thousands of times – at 25 cents a game in the video arcades.

Now, they’re going to have to do it for real.

In Pixels, when intergalactic aliens discover video feeds of classic arcade games and misinterpret them as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth, using the video games as the models for their assaults -- and now-U.S. President Cooper must call on his old-school arcade friends to save the world from being destroyed by PAC-MAN, Donkey Kong, Galaga, Centipede, and Space Invaders.

Joining them is Lt. Col. Violet Van Patten (Michelle Monaghan), a specialist supplying the arcaders with unique weapons to fight the aliens.

To learn more, visit - www.pixels-movie.com

Facebook - www.facebook.com/PixelsMovie
Twitter - www.twitter.com/pixelsmovie

Looking for something artistic and creative for your child to enjoy this summer? Then your family will be interested in Design Camp at Coope...

Looking for something artistic and creative for your child to enjoy this summer? Then your family will be interested in Design Camp at Cooper Hewitt Museum.

Note: I was invited as media to this event. However, any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.

During a media preview at Cooper Hewitt, I learned more about the museum and what their Design Camp has to offer kids and their families.


The museum itself offers lots of interactive ways to learn about their art and design collection. The museum exhibits uses both visual and technology aids to draw viewers in.


I was really impressed by their interactive Pen, which lets you “collect” and “save” objects from around the galleries and the large touchscreen tables, that gives access to thousands of objects in the museum’s collection so visitors can view in the galleries, learn about its history, and related objects organized by design theme and motif.

Besides access to the museum, the Design Camp at Cooper Hewitt offers 4 week-long sessions where kids explore concepts of designs and art through challenges and gallery explorations. Each week, guest designers will provide campers with real-world design challenges and share innovative solutions.

To learn more, visit - www.cooperhewitt.org/designcamp

I attended an event hosted by Safilo to learn about their KIDS BY SAFILO collection: for 0-8 year old's, designed with a medical-scienti...

I attended an event hosted by Safilo to learn about their KIDS BY SAFILO collection: for 0-8 year old's, designed with a medical-scientific approach and engineered with advanced technologies and materials, specifically that is child friendly.

Note: I was invited as media to this event and received a gift card to cover travel expenses. However, any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.

KIDS BY SAFILO optical frames are created to respond to children’s unmet needs. A blend of innovation and comfort, the new eyewear collection matches children’s requirements and their parents’ expectations.


Features include:

• SAFETY: frames are flexible, safe, and free from sharp surfaces and edges.

• COMFORT and FITTING: frames are lightweight and stable, thanks to the presence of a lower bridge and to the special design of the temples with a horizontal bend.  Moreover, thanks to the enhanced design of the front, the lenses cover the children’s entire field of vision, ensuring effective correction.

• RESISTANCE: frames are made with flexible, stable and washable materials to prevent them from becoming deformed or weakened.

• AESTHETICS: frames are discreet on the child’s face, almost invisible, especially for the youngest ones.

During the event we heard from a panel including Dr. Andrea Thau, President Elect of the American Optometric Association; Dr. Ken Nischal, Director, Pediatric Ophthalmology; Bruce Abramson, Director of Safilo NA Brand Management.

It was shared that parents take care of kids teeth with visits to the dentist more then their kids eye care with a visit to a professional eye doctor. But vision is just, if not more important. As much as 1 in 4 kids have vision problems.

Since most insurance covers eye exams for children, parents don't have to worry about the cost factor. While simple eye exams in schools and pediatrics offices might seem like enough, its better and so important to have get a full eye examination from a professional ophthalmologist or optometrist at a hospital or eye center.


The panel also shared what makes the KIDS BY SAFILO collection different then other kids eyewear brands

• INNOVATIVE “MADE-IN-ITALY” CONSTRUCTION. The KIDS BY SAFILO optical frames are “100% made in Italy” and developed in light, safe and bio-based materials: soft rubber moulded over the internal temple and bridge, as well as high-performance polymers for the front and temples. These bio-compatible, hypoallergenic, non-toxic and washable materials guarantee the safety of the product.

• A SUBTLE COLOR APPROACH. The collection is based on a dedicated color approach featuring a transparent front which harmonizes with the child's face and allows parents to see their children in all their beauty.

• CHILDREN’S UNMET NEEDS. The design of KIDS BY SAFILO eyewear was guided by a clear understanding of children's unmet needs. As a matter of fact, we found that on a global scale one in every six children has visual defects, and that approximately 15% of those refractive errors which require prompt correction. For this reason, Safilo decided to develop a unique collection designed to respond to the complex demands of children's eyewear, thereby improving children's quality of vision and their healthy development.

So if you need glasses for your child, then learn more about the KIDS BY SAFILO collection. They have lots to offer.

The KIDS BY SAFILO eyewear collection is produced and distributed by Safilo Group, retails for $98.00-$120.00 and is available at select high end optical retailers nationwide.

I recently interviewed hip hop legend Rev Run and his daughter, new mom Vanessa Simmons, about their partnership with Novo Nordisk and its A...

I recently interviewed hip hop legend Rev Run and his daughter, new mom Vanessa Simmons, about their partnership with Novo Nordisk and its Ask.Screen.Know. campaign.

Both Rev Run and Vanessa Simmons felt it was important to spread the message of knowing your diabetes risk for both men and women, especially women planning to get pregnant.

Note: I was invited as media to interview. No other compensation was received. Any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.

Did you know that some women who are diagnosed with diabetes during pregnancy already had type 2 diabetes before the baby was conceived. If left untreated, diabetes can affect a mother’s whole body, including her unborn baby, and can lead to a host of complications.

That is why Rev Run and Vanessa Simmons, are spreading awareness about the Ask.Screen.Know. campaign and website.

You can learn more by watching my interview with Rev Run and Vanessa Simmons below


Rev Run is passionate that more people get to know their diabetes risk because he is at-risk, and has since made health a priority for his entire family. Because of his continued involvement in Ask.Screen.Know., his daughter Vanessa learned how important it is to be screened for diabetes. Vanessa is encouraging women thinking of having a baby to take the Diabetes Risk Factor Assessment and learn their risk factors of type 2 diabetes before becoming pregnant at www.AskScreenKnow.com

During our visit to "Brick Fest Live" at New York Hall of Science (NYSCI), we had a chance to preview Connected Worlds, an excitin...

During our visit to "Brick Fest Live" at New York Hall of Science (NYSCI), we had a chance to preview Connected Worlds, an exciting and groundbreaking exhibition on environmental sustainability.

Note: As media, I received a preview the exhibit. Views expressed are always 100% my own.

Found in NYSCI’s iconic Great Hall, Connected Worlds is a fully immersive, digitally interactive experience where visitors can explore the interconnectedness of different environments, learn about the importance of keeping systems in balance, and see how individual and collective actions can have widespread impact.

“Connected Worlds reflects what NYSCI is all about – a playful hands-on activity, a focus on problem-solving, and deep engagement with a topic. Connected Worlds gives visitors confidence in their ability to effect change, and empowers them within a larger environment,” said Margaret Honey, president and CEO of NYSCI.


Connected Worlds features gesture-based technologies that project images onto seven massive screens. Six of the screens are more than 14 feet tall and one screen, which shows a digital waterfall, is 38 feet tall.

The screens show six different, but interconnected, environments – desert, mountain valley, plains, reservoir, jungle and wetlands – each with their own unique trees, plants and creatures, but sharing common resources, such as water and weather patterns.

A central reservoir, which is fed by the waterfall and supplies water to the six environments, is projected on the floor, covering approximately 2,300 square feet.

One of the interactive features that impressed me about Connected Worlds is that kids (or adults) can interact with animated creatures, plants, trees and other objects, just making a gesture or doing a specific movement.


In one environment, my son learned about the importance of making sure this sea slug had water. He was also able to "tickle" the slug, which reacted and changed it's color. It was fun to see.


In another panel environment, my son learned how to plant a tree. The tree he planted grew quickly and then he learned how that tree affected it's environment. It provided food for the animals, who came into the environment and then they caused other changes.

Visitors in the Connected Worlds can use other simple gestures to plant seeds, harvest trees, and create clouds. All these changes determine the health of the environments, which influence which creatures and plants thrive or decline.



A result of a collaboration between NYSCI and Design I/O and a team of others, Connected Worlds is the largest, most complex responsive environment ever created for a museum.

“The responsiveness of the exhibition is accomplished through a number of technologies,” says Stephen Uzzo, vice president of science and technology at NYSCI. “Although visitors will not be aware of the technologies needed to make Connected Worlds come to life, the ability of the exhibition to respond to visitors’ actions in real-time creates the playfulness and interactivity that is at the heart of the experience.”

The exhibition’s simulated environments create continuously changing experiences for visitors through the use of cutting-edge technologies – location tracking, gesture sensing and global environmental and social databases. Other new and emerging technologies will be integrated as appropriate.

Connected Worlds opened on June 27, 2015 and will be a ongoing exhibit. It's free with NYSCI admission.

To learn more visit - www.nysci.org/connected-worlds

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Instagram - www.instagram.com/nysci