Food Fun Family

Pirates of the Caribbean-Inspired Recipes

Lolli — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 01:31:00 +0000

I’m excited to share these Pirates of the Caribbean-inspired recipes with you guys today. No compensation has been received for this post.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is now available on DVD/Blu-ray, and I’ve already watched it twice. It’s just so much fun! You can read about all of the bonus features on my post from last weekend.

Captain Jack’s Pirate Punch Smoothie (kid-friendly!) – This tropical Captain Jack’s Pirate Punch Smoothie is perfect for both pirates and scallywags alike!

Puff Pastry Pirate Coins – Seeking treasure? These Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales inspired Puff Pastry Pirate Coins will surely bring treasure hunters to the table! This recipe not only looks like a delicious bounty, but is easy to make with your little swabbies!

I’ll keep this short and sweet so you can enjoy these tasty recipes at home. Just click the button below to download and print them off.

And just in case you haven’t seen the trailer for the latest Pirates movie…I’ll leave you with this. :)

Bring Home Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Lolli — Sun, 01 Oct 2017 03:57:27 +0000

I was sent a copy of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales on Blu-ray/DVD to review. No other compensation has been received. All thoughts are my own. Amazon affiliate links are used in this post.

I was thrilled when I was invited back in May to attend the red carpet premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. So naturally, I was eager to get my hands on the Blu-ray/DVD as soon as it was available! This past week, I cuddled up under a blanket to watch the latest installment of the Pirates franchise with my son.

It was just as thrilling seeing it for the third time! I highly recommend this newest Pirates movie as an addition to your home movie collection!

Check out my interview posts and movie review here!

About Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is a rollicking new tale of the high seas, infused with all the elements of fantasy, humor and action that have resulted in an international phenomenon for the past 13 years. Johnny Depp returns to his Academy Award®-nominated role as the outrageous, swashbuckling scoundrel Captain Jack Sparrow, and is joined by Oscar winners Javier Bardem and Geoffrey Rush.

“PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES”..The villainous Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) pursues Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) as he searches for the trident used by Poseidon..Pictured L to R: Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites), Pike (Delroy Atkinson), Cremble (Adam Brown), Gibbs (Kevin McNally), Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and Scrum (Stephen Graham)..Ph: Film Frame..© Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The rip-roaring adventure finds down-on-his-luck Captain Jack feeling the winds of ill-fortune blowing strongly his way when deadly ghost sailors, led by the terrifying Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), escape from the Devil’s Triangle bent on killing every pirate at sea—notably Jack.

Jack’s only hope of survival lies in the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it he must forge an uneasy alliance with Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), a brilliant and beautiful astronomer, and Henry (Brenton Thwaites), a headstrong young sailor in the Royal Navy. At the helm of the Dying Gull, his pitifully small and shabby ship, Captain Jack seeks not only to reverse his recent spate of ill fortune, but to save his very life from the most formidable and malicious foe he has ever faced.

“PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES”..The villainous Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) pursues Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) as he searches for the trident used by Poseidon..Ph: Film Frame..©Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Check out what I LOVED about the movie in my review post.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales—the fifth film in the now-iconic “Pirates of the Caribbean” film franchise—became available on Digital in HD and 4K Ultra HD on September 19, and will be available on 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and On-Demand on October 3.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales BONUS FEATURES

I especially love watching bonus features on movies where I’ve met and interviewed the actors and filmmakers. As I was watching the bonus selections on this Blu0ray disk, I felt like I was right back in the interview room with the stars of the movie. So if you ever want to know what it’s like to participate in a movie press event, just watch bonus features and imagine that you’re sitting in the room with the stars!

Bonus features include*:

“PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES”..The villainous Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) pursues Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) as he searches for the trident used by Poseidon..Pictured L to R: Captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem)..Ph: Film Frame..© Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

BLU-RAY & DIGITAL in HD:

Dead Men Tell More Tales: The Making of a New Adventure – Get unique access into the making of this exciting new “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie with this collection of revealing and entertaining stories that you can view individually or as a “play all.”
A Return to the Sea – Two talented filmmakers, Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, team up to bring “Pirates of the Caribbean” back to the screen. Hear how this new chapter of the tale was developed.
Telling Tales: A Sit-down with Brenton & Kaya – Meet Brenton Thwaites and Kaya Scodelario, the young actors behind Henry and Carina. The two sit down together for a revealing conversation on becoming a part of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film franchise and its continuing legacy.

The Matador & The Bull: Secrets of Salazar & The Silent Mary – Oscar-winner Javier Bardem reveals more about his menacing new character and the foreboding ship he helms.
First Mate Confidential – Go on-set along with Kevin McNally, the affable actor behind the feisty Mr. Gibbs, Captain Jack’s reliable first mate from all five movies.
Deconstructing the Ghost Sharks – Peer below the depths at how these ferocious, mythical monsters were designed and brought to life.
Wings Over the Caribbean – Captain Jack has a memorable encounter with Sir Paul McCartney – rock ‘n’ roll royalty.
An Enduring Legacy – Take one more look at the “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” experience and the impact of “Pirates of the Caribbean” — the movies, the ride and beyond.
Bloopers of the Caribbean
Jerry Bruckheimer Photo Diary
Deleted Scenes: Highwayman | Henry Turner Learns a Lesson from Captain Jack | A Whale in Poseidon’s Tomb | Alternate Coda: Murtogg & Mullroy “Flogging”

My FAVORITE bonus features are always bloopers. As a teenager and young adult I would look for the blooper reel before I even watched the feature film. After interviewing these actors, I knew that the blooper reel would NOT disappoint!

“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, with the screenplay by Jeff Nathanson (“Catch Me If You Can,” “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”) and story by Nathanson and Terry Rossio. The executive producers are Mike Stenson, Chad Oman, Joe Caracciolo, Jr., Terry Rossio and Brigham Taylor.

“PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES”..The villainous Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) pursues Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) as he searches for the trident used by Poseidon..Pictured L to R: Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites)..Ph: Film Frame..© Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The film stars Johnny Depp (“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” Disney’s “Alice Through the Looking Glass”), Academy Award® winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Skyfall”), Brenton Thwaites (“The Giver,” “Maleficent”), Kaya Scodelario (“The Maze Runner” films, upcoming “The King’s Daughter”), Kevin R. McNally (“Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, “Macbeth Unhinged”), Golshifteh Farahani (“Paterson,” “Body of Lies”), David Wenham (“Lion,” “300: Rise of an Empire”), Stephen Graham (“Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, “Gangs of New York”) and Academy Award® winner Geoffrey Rush (“The King’s Speech,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise).

I know Talk Like a Pirate Day has passed, but…isn’t EVERY day a good day to talk like a pirate? Enjoy this fun printable activity!

Bring Home Bambi: Walt Disney Signature Collection

Lolli — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 15:27:05 +0000

I was invited to Los Angeles along with 24 other bloggers to cover the Pirates of the Caribbean press event as well as the newest Walt Disney Signature Collection release of Bambi on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD. All travel and accommodations were covered by Disney, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. Amazon affiliate links are used within this post. Movie stills posted courtesy of Disney.

Today marks the Walt Disney Signature Collection release of Bambi, a classic Disney film that is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year! Bambi joins three other classic Disney stories in the Collection – “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Pinocchio.”

The Collection release includes all-new bonus material, including recordings of Walt Disney discussing the production of Bambi, deleted scenes, and so much more. I think I may have enjoyed watching all of the bonus material even more than I enjoyed the movie (this is often the case….I LOVE behind the scenes looks!).

You can purchase Bambi: the new Walt Disney Signature Collection Blu-ray/DVD on Amazon or at retailers everywhere now!

Bambi was released in 1942 during World War II. Production took extra long (over five years!) because of its hand-drawn artwork and attention to detail. When I was watching the movie again recently, I was struck by the artistic value of the movie and found myself getting lost in the scenery.

I appreciated this insight from Ted Sears, Story Development, in “Inside Walt’s Story,” an intimate look into the transcripts of the planning sessions that Walt and his team had when working on Bambi. He said, “What bothers some of us is thinking the story we’re writing is Bambi: The Book. I think we should get away from the book. I think that we should look at it as a symphony based on the story of Bambi, or suggested by the story of Bambi. If we try to follow the book, we’re just going to be handicapped all the way through and the story will be too straight.”

My adorable Bambi souvenirs, courtesy of Disney

I’m grateful that Walt and his team were inspired to do the movie the way that they did, because Bambi is a story to be FELT, rather than just “watched.”

Check out the bonus features on the new Signature Collection release:

NEW SPECIAL FEATURES:

The Bambi Effect – Bambi was full of innovations for its time. Take a look at how those past innovations affected future Disney animated titles, all the way up to today.
Studio Stories: “Bambi” – Listen in on intimate moments where Walt Disney discusses the challenges, pitfalls, and triumphs during production of Bambi.
Deleted Scenes – Bambi’s Ice and Snow & The Grasshopper
Bambi Fawn Facts – Think you know everything there is to know about Bambi and his friends? Discover fun real-life facts about the creatures that live in the forest he calls home.
Oswald The Lucky Rabbit – “Africa Before Dark” – Oswald Short
Celebrating Tyrus Wong (Digital Exclusive)- A heartfelt look at the man who played a key role in the success of Bambi. He had a unique signature style all to his own. The soft water-colored backgrounds and beautiful palettes in Bambi were inspired by Tyrus’ concept art paintings.

Peter Behn and Donnie Dunagan, voices of young Thumper and Bambi, during our Bambi press day. Photo courtesy of Disney

Classic Special Features:

Deleted Scenes – Two Leaves, Bambi Stuck on a Reed, Winter Grass, & Twitterpated
The Making of Bambi: A Prince is Born
Story: Telling the Tale
Characters: Drawn to Nature
Actors: Giving Voice to Animals
Art Design: Impressions of the Forest
Music: Nature’s Symphony
History: Back to the Beginning
Trick of the Trade
Inside the Disney Archives
The Old Mill – Animated Short
Original Theatrical Trailer
The Golden Age

*Digital bonus offerings may vary by retailer

I’m excited about these free printables for kids. Click on the images below to download!

Bambi Backyard Camp-Out

Bambi My First Garden

BONUS: Don’t miss the exclusive Disney Movie Rewards offer for a tank top featuring the Paul Felix art inspired by BAMBI, which will be available via Disney Movie Rewards with every digital purchase/redemption of BAMBI. For more information on the promotion, click here.

Disneyland Ushers in Summer 2017! Summer of Heroes and Pirates of the Caribbean’s 50th anniversary!

Lolli — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 18:37:40 +0000

My recent #PiratesLifeEvent press trip would not have been complete without a visit to the ride that inspired the movie franchise – Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland! My travel, accommodations, and activities during the press event were covered by Disney. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland

Did you know? The Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, was the last ride that Walt Disney personally worked on, though he never had the chance to ride the completed ride. Pirates of the Caribbean has not only thrilled kids and adults alike for the last 50 years, but it has inspired a hugely popular movie franchise as well as and entire Pirates Land at Shanghai Disney.

Photo courtesy of DisneylandNews.com

There are several Disneyland and Disney World rides and attractions that have been inspired by movies over the years, but Pirates of the Caribbean remains unique in that the ride came first and inspired everything that followed!

Photo courtesy of DisneylandNews.com

After riding Pirate of the Caribbean as a group, we had some free time to spend at the park. I explored the park with two friends – Captain Jack and Emily from CleverHousewife! We had a blast, despite the crowds!

Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!

The newest ride at Disney California Adventure Park – Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! – is NOW OPEN! I missed the opening of the ride by days, but I know that it is epic! The new Guardians of the Galaxy ride is now a permanent attraction at Disney California Adventure!

Photo courtesy of DisneylandNews.com

About Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!: the brand new ride launches guests into an action-packed adventure that’s full of irreverent humor, combining a breathtaking free-fall sensation with all-new visual and audio effects. The action jumps to the beat of the attraction’s “awesome mix tape” of music, inspired by the films’ soundtracks. Guests will discover multiple ride experiences as they help Rocket in a daring plan to free the Guardians–a band of extraterrestrial misfits–from the fortress of The Collector, Taneleer Tivan.

Photo courtesy of DisneylandNews.com

Summer of Heroes

In Disney California Adventure:

“Avengers Training Initiative”: Black Widow and Hawkeye assemble young recruits for a series of tests to see if they have what it takes to join the ranks of the Avengers.
Heroic Encounter: Black Widow: Black Widow arrives on the scene several times throughout the day in an armored Avengers vehicle for her heroic encounter with park guests.

Grab a Piece (or Bite) of the Action: Special themed merchandise, plus food and beverage items, will be available throughout Hollywood Land.

Photo courtesy of DisneylandNews.com

“Disney Junior Dance Party!”: This fun concert experience invites adults and kids to dance and sing along to the music. Popular Disney Junior characters from Disney Junior TV shows “Doc McStuffins,” “Sofia the First” and “The Lion Guard” are joined by Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse from the new series “Mickey and the Roadster Racers.”

“Pixar Play Parade:” presenting the colorful and exciting worlds of the Disney•Pixar pals from “Toy Story,” “Monsters, Inc.” “Finding Nemo,” “Cars” and others, the Pixar Play Parade has returned to Disney California Adventure with daily performances full of fun and surprising movement and effects.

Princess Elena: the adventurous heroine of the Disney Channel series “Elena of Avalor” and the first Disney Princess inspired by diverse Latin American cultures will greet her fans in the patio of Paradise Garden Grill.

**Guests will enjoy these Super Hero experiences year-round:**

Super Hero Encounters: Meet Groot, the First Avenger, Captain America, and the friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man up close and personal!

“Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Dance Off!”: Join Star-Lord and his old-school boom box as everyone (including Groot, of course!) gets in the groove and shows off their moves!

Photo courtesy of DisneylandNews.com

In Disneyland:

Main Street Electrical Parade: the classic parade has been extended by popular demand through August 20, 2017! This nighttime parade features half a million twinkling lights and favorites like Cinderella’s ball, Elliot from “Pete’s Dragon” and the “To Honor America” finale.

“Fantasmic!” is coming back: the popular nighttime spectacular will be re-opening this summer on the Rivers of America, featuring Genie from “Aladdin,” and characters from “Tangled,” “The Lion King” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Returning this summer are the Disneyland Railroad and these Rivers of America attractions: the Mark Twain Riverboat, Sailing Ship Columbia, Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes and Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island.

Star Wars Launch Bay: In Tomorrowland, Star Wars fans can meet some of their favorite Star Wars characters and take a look at replica props and models from Star Wars movies, including the latest “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” Work is continuing on the new Star Wars-themed land, set to open in 2019!!

For more information, visit DisneylandNews.com.

Directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg Talk About Working on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Lolli — Wed, 31 May 2017 18:34:45 +0000

During the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales press even recently, I had the chance to sit down with Directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg to chat about their experience making the film. This spoiler-free interview was part of the Pirates red carpet premiere and press event. Travel and accommodations were covered by Disney but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

**Note: Interview photos are courtesy of Louise Bishop of MomStart.com. Movie stills are courtesy of Disney.**

For Directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, being a part of the iconic Pirates of the Caribbean franchise was a dream come true. Joachim and Espen grew up together. The childhood friends started making movies at an early age when they got a video camera (they still have some of those early films that they made together….I’m guessing that they are hilarious to watch!). Today, their children are growing up together (they have five kids between the ages of 9 and 13 between the two families) and Joachim says that the kids are best friends. What a blessing! I’m sure that their 10 year old selves had no idea where they would be at this stage in their lives.

When asked what they hoped that their own kids as well as kids watching the movie in theaters would take away from the film, Joachim said, “Something that was very important for us that we touch upon a little bit was the emotional core of the story and the kind of family theme that the film has. And, you know, a treasure is not always a chest of gold. It could be other things.”

Espen added, “Even for a pirate.”

Joachim continued, “Even for a pirate. And I think that was like something we really fought hard to do because I really inspired by the first movie in the series that had that a lot, had a big heart. And then of course you have the adventure and you have the scares and you have the comedy you know. But yeah, I hope that the audience will moved by it as well.”

Joachim said, “When we grew up, we were very influenced by Hollywood adventure family movies, you know movies that inspired us to become filmmakers in the first place. And Pirates reminds us of that. It’s very much that fun movie that gives you energy and we both have kids. It’s something they can relate to and you know be a part of.”

The opportunity to work on the fifth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean didn’t just fall into their laps. In fact, Espen said, “We chased it. We really wanted to make this movie. And I think the basic reason as you know Joachim and I started making movies together when we were 10. Movies that inspired us back then were the Spielberg and Lucas and Zemeckis films. And this franchise just reminds us of that. And it has that unique blend of spectacle and humor and scary parts and also a lot of heart. So that meant a lot to us.”

Because they’ve been working together for so long, Joachim remarked, “You know, we don’t really know any other way of doing this than being together. For us, it’s a very natural process. And I think it’s a collaborative one. We include the actors and the crew and everyone as part of the discussion basically. And we try to create a safe work environment as you could say. You know, where everybody is welcome and everybody can be a part of the discussion. And that’s important to us. I think that’s probably one of the strong advantages that we have as a directing team.”

They explained that through the course of the four years that they worked on the film (which, they said, is a long production time even for a big movie), there were many different ideas and concepts that they explored.

Joachim said, “I think that probably one of the things that we had the most versions of is probably Jack Sparrow’s back story and his origin story — how he became Jack Sparrow and all of that. I remember we had 10, 15 versions of that. That was a long and grueling process because the mythology of Pirates of the Caribbean, the series and movies, it’s a complex mythology and you don’t want to step on anybody’s (toes). You know there’s a lot of fans out there that knows everything. And so it was important for us to be ahead of that and not mess with any previous back stories.”

They also wanted to blend Jack’s backstory with Captain Salazar’s, so that the revenge story woven throughout this film was very personal and emotionally bound.

One of the things that everyone wanted to know was what it was like working with Johnny Depp and what the chemistry on set was like. I can only imagine how hilarious it would be to work side by side with Johnny Depp, and how different each day would be.

Joachim said, “It’s amazing. He’s so funny. And I mean, what you see with Jack Sparrow is, it’s all Johnny. And he’s a genius. I mean for us he’s like up there with Chaplin and the other ones because his timing is just perfect and he has such a weird imagination. He comes up with the craziest ideas. And for us, the highlight was always going into his trailer in the morning and going through the scenes and the lines and trying to come up with even more cool stuff to do to make it even more funny. And of course when we started shooting he would do something completely different. And everyone was sort of thrown off but that also makes it come alive and funny.”

I thought it was interesting that they pointed out that Jack Sparrow, of all characters, stays the same throughout all of the movies. He never learns from his mistakes or his experiences. Jack is Jack (thanks to Johnny Depp!). We’re grateful that Captain Jack Sparrow is who he is!

Both Joachim and Espen would love to be involved in future Pirates of the Caribbean movies, should they be given the chance. They’re crossing their fingers that this movie is well received and the fans want to see more. I know I do!

Check out this featurette that showcases Joachim and Espen’s work on the film:

It was a pleasure to meet these down-to-earth and talented directors! They even stopped to take a group picture with us before they headed out.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is in theaters everywhere now. Make plans to see it in the theater soon (and I highly recommend seeing it in 3D or IMAX!). Be sure to check out the rest of my Pirates posts (more coming!).

Kaya Scodelario as Carina Smyth in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Lolli — Tue, 30 May 2017 16:30:22 +0000

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Kaya Scodelario, who played Carina Smyth in the new Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (along with 24 of my fellow bloggers). This spoiler-free interview was part of the Pirates red carpet premiere and press event. Travel and accommodations were covered by Disney but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

**Note: Interview photos are courtesy of Louise Bishop of MomStart.com. Movie stills are courtesy of Disney.**

When a gorgeous woman like walks into the room and the first thing she does is admit she’s got a “really good pair of Spanx” underneath her beautiful dress, you can’t help but love her. Kaya was instantly relatable, as was her character, Carina, in the newest Pirates movie. Carina is a headstrong and smart girl – a unique combination for her time, which makes her stand out as odd. In fact, the movie starts out with Carina in jail for witchcraft and scheduled for execution. It’s impossible for the men of her day to accept her intelligence and curiosity and independence as anything but sorcery.

For those of you who have not yet seen Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead men Tell No Tales in the theater, I’ve left out any specific plot spoilers so that you could enjoy the movie surprises just as much as I did. Here are just a few of the things we talked to Kaya about.

Did wearing period costumes make you feel any different or help motivate you for scenes?

Kaya responded, “Yeah, there’s something really cool about a corset, it does feel quite empowering actually, because you have to sit up strong. The first day is awful. I’d get my husband to secretly loosen it up at lunchtime so that I could eat. But it does feel very strong and I like that Carina’s dress, it isn’t perfect, it’s actually tattered and old and ripped up and dirty as that helped me understand a bit of her back story. think this is a dress that she’s held onto because it’s the only one she has, and she’s managed to make it as practical as possible to her.”

What is it like working with a male-dominated cast (again!)

Pirates of the Caribbean is not Kaya’s first male-dominated cast. She agreed that she’s been very lucky. She said, “The guys have never made me feel like the only woman, especially on Maze Runner and again with this. They always treat me exactly the same. I’ve never felt like, you know, I’ll walk on the set and they’re like, ‘the girl is here, we have to stop farting.’ They continue to do that anyway. I’ve grown up with guys; I love them. My best friends are guys and I like that energy. I think that once they get over you being a woman, it can actually be kind of bonding and nice. But yeah, it was interesting.”

We then asked her what it was like coming in as a brand new character for the franchise and as a really strong feminine character. It was refreshing to see a woman that could hold her own among the Pirates!

Kaya responded, “With every role, I look for a woman that I would have liked to have seen at thirteen on the big screen. It’s a huge responsibility because people forget in blockbusters that we’re not simple, there are multi layers and there’s a lot going on and Carina has a lot of that. I mean, she’s an orphan, she’s a survivor. She’s also stubborn and argumentative and she’s also funny and flirty and there’s so much to her. And I’m grateful that they wrote her this way.

Because usually with a film this size, unfortunately there isn’t time to layer out a character too much. Because there’s so much going on. I made a real effort with her to try and hit all those beats. It’s something that I hope my son grows up watching and respects in women and understands in women, that we aren’t just the Disney princess or the love interest or the damsel in distress; and Carina’s certainly not any of those things.”

There was a lot of action and stunts in this film; do you do your own stunts?

Kaya actually does a lot of her own action and stunts. She said, “I do; I really love to do all that stuff. Because they’re not things you do every day in life, you know. If you get the opportunity to do it, especially when you have a great crew where you know it’s going to be safe and it’s going to be done the proper way. But I actually injured my shoulder…I popped out something in there on the Black Pearl of all places. And so afterwards it was kind of tough; we had about four weeks of filming still so I had to wear a sling in between takes and I had to go quite easy on it.

“But I did all the swimming; I swam in the Australian ocean with the sharks and every other thing that can kill you there. It was a lot of fun; I love having the opportunity to do that stuff.

What tips would you give kids or young adults with dyslexia that are interested in theater?

Kaya shared a little about being dyslexic and how her struggles could hopefully help and inspire other kids with dyslexia to not let that stop them in pursuing their dreams. I think her advice is helpful for kids pursuing anything, not just acting.

She said, “The biggest thing for me was just knowing that I wasn’t the only one. I remember when I was twelve and I was diagnosed, I was really freaked out by it because I didn’t understand what it was. For me it meant I’m dumb, that’s all I knew, I thought, ‘Well this just means that I can’t ever achieve what other people can.’ And then they had a poster up in my school saying Tom Cruise has dyslexia.

“And that instantly to me was like, ‘oh okay, well he’s doing all right. Maybe I’ll be okay.’ It’s just about having an open conversation about it. There are great resources out there; my school was wonderful, they gave me extra time in exams, I had a one to one teacher in classes for my reading because that’s where I really struggled. I recommend having an open conversation about it and then finding support groups and making sure that the school also understand what it is. Because it’s kind of a taboo subject, we don’t really know much about it. So the more we can discuss and the more resources we can bring into schools, I think the better.”

Kaya said that she only had about 3 weeks between being cast and starting to film, and her dyslexia makes it harder for her to learn lines, so she didn’t have as much time as she would have liked to study up on astronomy for her character. She would actually like to continue to learn more about astronomy now that the movie is over.

Carina and Jack Sparrow have a lot of fun scenes together, what was it like working with Johnny?

Kaya smiled and said, “It’s wonderful. I mean when you watch the movie, you get to see the one take that’s selected. We get to see the fifty five other ones that he comes up with on the spot. He’s just a genius; he really is. There’s a reason why he’s so successful. And he’s good at what he does. And his improvisation is just- I mean my first day on set with him, I had to be really serious in a scene, and I just laughed and laughed and laughed and I was like I’m going to get fired, there’s no way they’re going to put up with me. He just brings it every single time.

“PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES”..The villainous Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) pursues Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) as he searches for the trident used by Poseidon..Pictured L to R: Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites)..Ph: Film Frame..© Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

How much input did you have into your character? Any improvisation?

Kaya said, “What’s on the page is always the best thing possible and we have these incredible writers that know what works for these movies. But I am very instinctual, and that’s how I like to work, I like to improvise and I like to make sure that the dialogue fits my voice and my character’s voice and they were really great about it. The directors are really open; every morning we’d sit down, run through what we were going to do for the day. They’d ask if I had any issues with any of the dialogue, if there’s anything I felt would work better. There was a day where Johnny actually came into my trailer beforehand and reworked an entire scene with me, which I was amazed at, that they still do let you have that creative freedom.”

What do you hope movie goers take away from the film?

Kaya said, “I hope that they understand that this is an adventure for the whole family and it’s something that should be seen on the big screen and the best technology possible. We spent six months making this and two years in post production for a reason. That’s how it should be seen and that’s how the whole family will enjoy it at its best.”

I agree! Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is in theaters everywhere now. Make plans to see it in the theater soon (and I highly recommend seeing it in 3D or IMax!). Be sure to check out the rest of my Pirates posts (more coming!).

Brenton Thwaites as Henry Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Lolli — Fri, 26 May 2017 15:45:43 +0000

Last week, I sat down with Brenton Thwaites, who plays Henry Turner in the new Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (along with 24 of my fellow bloggers). This interview was part of the Pirates red carpet premiere and press event. Travel and accommodations were covered by Disney but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

**Note: Interview photos are courtesy of Louise Bishop of MomStart.com. Movie stills are courtesy of Disney.**

Brenton Thwaites is a newcomer to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but he fit in perfectly! I loved his role as Henry Turner, young adult son of Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner. He was a delight to interview – all smiles and very gracious! Here are a few things that we chatted with him about.

Take a look at this featurette. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is in theaters NOW! Be sure to check out the rest of my Pirates posts…movie review, red carpet experience, interviews, printables and more!

Question: What was it like stepping into such a role with Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner as your parents?

Brenton Thwaites appreciated the backstory that he came into his role as Henry Turner with. He said, “I feel as though as it was easier than not having them because they provided such a backstory for my character. We start the movie, Dead Men Tell No Tales, with the boy version in my character, basically saying, ‘I believe there’s a treasure that can break your curse, and I can spend more time with you.’ And he (Will Turner) says, ‘Okay, well if there is, go find Jack Sparrow. He can help you find it.’ And so I feel like the goal and obligation for my character has already been set, and that gives Henry a lot more drive and focus for the whole movie.”

Question: What was it like working opposite Johnny Depp and the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow?

Brenton didn’t hesitate to say, “It was terrifying. It’s still terrifying. It’s always terrifying because you never know what he’s gonna say or do, and it always results in humiliation for me. So you are always entering a scene, thinking ‘this guy now is five movies worth of Jack Sparrow.’ And he’s on the ball and kind of irreverent and impulsive. You just anticipate what he’s gonna do and say, so that’s great because, as an actor, it kind of improves your acting in the sense that you’re always open and free and relaxed to go with the flow, but also pretty terrifying.”

“PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES”..The villainous Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) pursues Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) as he searches for the trident used by Poseidon..Pictured L to R: Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites)..Ph: Film Frame..© Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Question: What was it like working on Disney films, especially now that you’re a father?

Brenton Thwaites had a little girl after filming Pirates of the Caribbean and said that being a dad certainly changed his perspective! He said, “It’s great being a part of Disney because, as a studio, it really plays for the younger audiences. I did a movie in 2012, released in 2014, called Maleficent which is something I can’t wait for my daughter to see. Pirates may take a while just because it’s quite scary, you know? One year at a time. I don’t even know about letting kids see movies yet, you know?”

Question: What was it like coming in to the Pirates franchise as a newcomer?

Because so many members of the Pirates of the Caribbean cast have done this several times before, we wondered if the existing cast would value a newcomer’s input. Brenton said, “I think they did value my input as an actor, as an newcomer. There were so many different characters coming into this one to make it a fresh new thing, and I think all the old-school dudes really wanted to make it fresh and exciting and, it’s something they hadn’t done before. So Javier coming on board, myself, Kaya, and the two new directors who had primarily done independent films were supported and encouraged on this one.”

Question: What was it like when you first walked onto the set?

Brenton laughed, “I was thinking, wow, it’s really rained, because my first day on the set, it had been pouring for months or weeks, and the town of Saint Martin, which was about twenty minutes west of the studio, was covered in mud. They kinda used it in the movie which is really cool and dramatic, and adds to the dirtiness of the pirate’s world, but I remember thinking, ‘I’m gonna have to get some new shoes.’

I had a scene where my character, Henry, is hiding behind a pillar, and he’s spying on Jack Sparrow, and I remember thinking, ‘Wow, what a perfect way to start the movie, and to see Jack Sparrow drinking rum in the middle of the street, and the whole parade of red soldiers trying to catch him.'”

Question: The visual effects are amazing. What was it like to see the finished film?

Brenton said, “Well, the visual effects side of things was, for this one, mostly kind of behind the actor’s consciousness. In Maleficent, it was a lot of work that we would have to do with our imaginations to kind of be specifically creating creatures that weren’t there. On Gods of Egypt, we did the same thing. But on Pirates, we were lucky because all of Javier’s makeup; all the ghosts were there. They looked fantastic.

The sets were real. You know, they, they had beautiful set pieces that allowed us to play and feel like we were actually in the space. The CGI, I guess I was surprised to see Javier’s hair. But yeah, it was mainly in the background, the CGI stuff which gave it this great depth of field when you watch it. But for us, we were lucky that we had so much given to us on the day.”

Question: What was a typical day on set like?

Brenton explained, “Typically a day on a set for me is– I get picked up eight o’clock, so I get out of the house at seven; I run down for a quick surf; I get out of the surf at eight; rush home; I’m half an hour late. So my driver speeds down the highway and risks our lives trying to get to work on time. And then I get made up and sit in the trailer for five hours, and then we start working.”

He told us that there was a lot of sitting around and waiting on set because the directors liked to be prepared for anything that they might want to add in. Brenton said, “Logistics, sets change, and everyday there was something crazy happening. For this one they liked to give the directors all the tools to play around with, and so we would all come to work; Javier would get made up; Geoffrey would get in makeup, and we would all be ready in case they wanted to do some improvised shot or something; they could kinda use any actor at any time. So it was cool way of shooting.”

Question: You had a lot of scenes with Johnny Depp. Did he do things to make you laugh?

Brenton laughed and said, “Everything (he did made us laugh). Listen, if you guys look closely, me and Kaya, behind the scenes are trying not to laugh.” He agreed that we should probably expect a lot of bloopers.

Question: Did you have a favorite filming location?

Brenton said, “We shot at about five or six different locations; mainly the studios. I was talking about Saint Martins Square twenty minutes west of the studios where all the mud was. We shot there for a good month and a half, and we shot in Northern New South Wales; they had a beautiful beach- both Hastings Point for our entrance into, our entrance into Saint Martins, I think, the coastal element.

“My favorite location was up on Hamilton Island, shooting out on the Great Barrier Reef. We had some days we shot at a beach called White Haven Beach which is beautiful squeaky beach. When you walk on the sand, it squeaks, which is not so good for the sound, but it’s great for effect, and it looks beautiful, and I think we had the most fun right there.

“Javier’s like a five year old kid, you know? As soon as he finished a scene, he’d be stripping off, jumping in the sea, playing, and fighting in the sand. It was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Question: What do you hope audiences take away from this film?

Brenton said, “I just hope they’re entertained. This is the kind of movie that never loses its drive and has so many action pieces, set pieces; comedic elements; romance; supernatural; there’s something for everyone in this movie. So I hope everyone takes something from it and connects with the characters.” Brenton personally wished that he could have taken a rowboat from the set to give to his mom to make a vegetable garden in.

See Brenton Thwaites as Henry Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, in theaters everywhere!

Geoffrey Rush as Captain Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Lolli — Thu, 25 May 2017 17:16:59 +0000

Last week, I traveled to Los Angeles as one of 25 bloggers covering the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales red carpet premiere and press event. Travel and accommodations were covered by Disney but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

**Note: Interview photos are courtesy of Louise Bishop of MomStart.com. Movie stills are courtesy of Disney.

Geoffrey Rush returns as the pirate Captain Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which comes to theaters this weekend (5/26)!! This exclusive bloggers-only interview is spoiler-free!

Question: You played different part of you in this film. How did it feel to take on a different Barbossa?

Geoffrey replied, “Well, it’s sort of something that happened over the first four films, you know. I think in the first one, before I actually entered into the story, he was described rather fearfully by the two pirates that are now my assistants. ‘He’s spat out from the mouth of hell.’

“To me that was the key line. I thought, whenever I enter into this story, if you don’t see that, then he’s a liar. So, he was pretty much the dark villain of the piece. And, you know, he had to break the curse. I think it was a great twist of the story that we were actually having to put all of the treasure back to reverse the curse, (after) which I then enjoyed having all my senses back for about 30 seconds. Then I got shot.”

He then went on to talk about Johnny Depp, who he obviously admires and respects a deal, and the iconic character that Johnny created in Captain Jack. He said, “Johnny was the king of the independent films…great characters like Edward Scissor Hands and What’s Eating Gilbert Great and all of the things that he did.

For him to create such a unique, unpredictable pirate — there’s nothing like it in literature or cinema. And he got nominated for a Best Actor, which is just fantastic, you know. ‘Cause adventure films just don’t really get a look in on that territory. But I remember him telling me when we shot the first film, he said, ‘You know, we can’t be stereotypes. We’ve gotta create really imaginative kind of people that an audience will get very engaged with.’

And he said, ‘I’ve been toying with the idea of, like the British rock stars of the ‘60s ’cause pirates always had sort of clear-cut identities. You know, the real Black Beard used to have fuse wire burning in his beard that when people saw him they thought he was the devil. So, that would go from ship to ship from port to port. With Barbossa I wanted to make him very arrogant and very pompous and very superior and maybe a bit slightly self-diluted about how bright he actually is.”

In this latest movie, as Geoffrey explained, “I sort of became like a politician. I was the guy getting the global pirate G20 meeting. And that was fun to play, because he he’s a control freak and he loves thinking he’s the most powerful person on the planet. And then I worked for the king. I liked that in Pirates 4. And I really insisted that I have a very elaborate wig and lovely makeup and a beauty spot.

“The teeth were always the same. And then, unfortunately, when he put on the courtly makeup with his crusty skin, he didn’t look any prettier. So that sort of shift has always been there. And I did it love it when I read the fifth script that he had become so wealthy. And I like that it brought out the vulgarity. Barbossa isn’t somebody with any sense of personal style whatsoever, you know.”

“And Penny Rose offered me a costume, and I said this is great. He wouldn’t care if he mixed checks with stripes. And what else does he spend his money on, you know. I love the fact that the wooden leg is a great way to show how ridiculously wealthy he is. It’s a bit like Saddam Hussein having gold everywhere on the bathroom taps and probably shaped like fish or something, you know. Ridiculous. And then the extra bit where they brought in a sort of deep secret from even before the first film started that there was something that Jack and Barbossa knew about.

“And I don’t know. I probably needed to go through therapy to un-repress that memory but he had obviously blocked it out, but I looked back at all the other films and just looked at it in the light of if that secret had been there, it’ll all still make sense. The obsession for the grandeur of his own persona is someone masking this guilty secret that he has.”

Question: You and Johnny have a great back and forth. Was that natural, or did you have to work on that?

Geoffrey Rush answered, “The scripts are always pretty good. We’ve sort of decided now that the Black Pearl is our mutual girlfriend and we both want her. Then chances are that Jack Sparrow will end up with the ship, but that sense of harmony’s never always gonna stay there.”

Question: Did you actually have to walk with the peg leg on?

Geoffrey responded, “No. I think back in the days when Robert Newton played Long John Silver I think he did with the leg strapped up, which would have been painful. So, I went down that path and talked to a prosthetician who specializes with amputees. And the engineering they do now — if you see people that have a leg from the knee down, it’s molded beautifully in titanium or whatever. It’s amazing engineering. But he said it takes these people maybe 12 to 18 months to really get all their musculature and their core muscles to kind of realign and to train it to be a good part of you. And when I had it strapped up, I couldn’t stand up. I mean it was just impossible. And I said you know what? I’ll act the leg. Because I wore a blue screen stocking that I made sure that we made the heel of it like the point that it would be. And I just got good at having — that leg had no life in it.”

“PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES”..The villainous Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) pursues Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) as he searches for the trident used by Poseidon..Pictured L to R: Captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem)..Ph: Film Frame..© Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Question: What was it like acting with a monkey?”

Geoffrey explained, “The monkey’s trained to really have no relationship with me — because if it did it would just be looking for things to eat in my wig. They’re very loyal to their owner if trained correctly. So, the monkey is completely in the hands of the trainer. And the trainers are brilliant. They’re able to sort of throw in all the instructions in and around the dialogue.

“I remember on the first film we’d shot the first meeting with Elizabeth Swann and I’d come down with the monkey on my shoulder, and we had a big dialogue between us. And suddenly when they came in for the close shots, there was this massive, deep, black-skinned guy called Isaac Singleton Junior. He was this gentle giant but from somewhere like Louisiana I think, and he hadn’t been there in the earlier shots. And the monkey was kinda going I don’t like this person and, you know, and I thought, oh, what are we going to do, ’cause we’ve shot some of the dialogue and close-ups and everything.

“And the trainer said I think it’s okay. She had this idea of just squirting a water pistol onto Tara’s chest. She had a little vest and everything. So everything looks like she’s looking at Elizabeth Swann, listening to the dialogue.” Of course, sometimes that little water pistol missed the mark and hit Geoffrey instead of the monkey, which was “hilarious.”

“PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES”..The villainous Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) pursues Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) as he searches for the trident used by Poseidon..Pictured L to R: Captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and Jack (Monkey)..Ph: Film Frame..© Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

He then went on to tell the story of seeing one of the monkeys after about 5 years (between films). He was worried that the monkey wouldn’t remember him after so long, but amazingly, the monkey saw him from across the room and immediately recognized his former pal. “I said to Martin, would he remember me over five years? He said, yeah, he’d remember the smell of your ear wax.”

I could have listed to Geoffrey all day! He is a natural story-teller! As we took our group shot with him at the end of the interview, he joked that maybe he could come back in a future film with 25 mommy blogger wives! He left us by stating that this was the most fun he’d had on the entire trip!

Javier Bardem on His Role as Captain Salazar in Pirates of the Caribbean

Lolli — Wed, 24 May 2017 15:46:10 +0000

This past week, I was able to travel to Los Angeles as one of 25 bloggers covering the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales press event. As part of that event, we interviewed actor Javier Bardem, who played Captain Salazar – the new villain in this installment. Travel and accommodations were covered by Disney but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Note: Interview photos are courtesy of Louise Bishop of MomStart.com

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales opens in theaters across the US on May 26!!

About Javier Bardem and his role as Captain Salazar:

Academy Award® winner Javier Bardem plays the fearsome Captain Salazar, a multidimensional antagonist for Captain Jack, known as “El Matador Del Mar” (“The Killer of the Sea”). Salazar and his crew of the “undead” are ridding the Caribbean of pirates (but always leaving one man alive to tell the tale) with the ultimate goal of exacting revenge on Captain Jack Sparrow.

While preparing for his role, Javier Bardem came up with the idea that Captain Salazar was “like a wounded bull, full of rage and a strong need for revenge. One of the things that attracted me as an actor to play it is because Salazar has a point. I can understand his mentality. Of course, he’s a villain, but we can also find empathy for him.”

Directors Rønning and Sandberg commented on Javier’s role as well. “It was a challenge because you read about Salazar on the page and he’s dead,” says Rønning. “He’s not really a ghost in the traditional sense of the word, but he’s cursed to walk in some kind of a middle ground. So, it was important for us to give that character depth. And that’s why we felt so lucky when we got Javier Bardem to play Captain Salazar. We were excited about what he could bring to it.”

“It was great working with Javier Bardem creating Salazar because he brought something new to the table in his way of portraying the two different Salazars that we meet: the live Salazar
and the dead Salazar,” says Sandberg. “He chose to play the living Salazar like a matador, and then the dead Salazar like the wounded bull. So that was his way of seeing his arc and it made for a really interesting character.”

Get a sneak peek of Javier Bardem as Captain Salazar in this clip:

I could have listened to Javier Bardem talk all day. Despite the roughness of his character in the movie, in person he was sweet and jovial, with a huge smile on his face the whole time. Here are just a few of the things we chatted with him about:

What was it like to talk through the black goo coming out of your mouth?

Javier explained, “They told me it was supposed to be like chocolate, chocolate my a**… I went to play the first scene, I think it was with Geoffrey Rush and it starts to pour out of my mouth and he was very disgusted. I thought it was like a rage pouring out, right? It’s not blood. It’s like the rage of the character coming out, like something more physical, like a bull. I’d always thought the character was like a bull, like a wounded bull with the blood and moving like wounded and out of breath and with a very strong idea for revenge.”

Was it difficult to portray so many emotions through all of that makeup?

“Very good question,” Javier said. “That was one of my concerns to see if my facial expression can go through the mask, but these guys won the Oscar for “Mad Max,” and they did an amazing job. Once I had the mask on the face, I realized that I could express myself through it, which is important. Otherwise, your performance is killed by it.

One of the things that these special effects people have done so well in this movie is that they brought magic into the performance without killing it, like the hair. It’s fantastic. It’s there but it doesn’t kill the physicality of the performance.”

How did you become involved in the project?

Javier explained that he got involved in the movie back in 2010, when he went to the “Pirates 4” set in Hawaii to see his wife, Penelope Cruz. He said, “I was very jealous because I was seeing all this amazing production taking place: the water, the special effects, the boat, the sword fighting. I wanted to be one of those. So, I said to Jerry (Bruckheimer), ‘Jerry please, give me a job.’

Lest you think it was really that easy, Javier went on to say, “I said that because I thought that he was going to say ‘yeah, right,’ but then he called me five years after and I was so surprised and honored because as a movie goer, I love the franchise. So, I knew that production wise and experience wise it was going to be great. Now it was a matter of what’s the story and what can I bring to the character, and when they gave it to me, I thought it was this great thing about one same character played in two ways, 1) he’s alive and it’s all about pride and it’s all about honor and 2) when he’s dead, it’s all about betrayal and pain and revenge. I liked it. It has some powerful moments, the movie itself.”

What was it like working with Johnny Depp and what was the chemistry like on set?

Javier started his answer with the story of the first time he met Johnny Depp, back in 1999. Johnny was dressed as a drag queen on the set of a movie he was working on at the time, and Javier saw him from behind, with a long blond wig on, and thought that he was a beautiful woman with a very nice bottom. He said, “And then since then, we’ve been good friends. He was a gentleman then. He was super nice, very caring, very funny, and don’t give himself too much importance at all.”

Javier said that he often had to cut in the middle of scenes because Johnny was being so hilarious that he couldn’t help but laugh (which would not have fit his character). However, despite the constant laughter he said that he couldn’t hate Johnny because “he’s a great colleague and a beautiful guy.”

Of course, we got to take a quick picture with Javier at the end of the interview. He seemed more excited to take a picture with US than we were to get a picture with him. So much fun!

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Premiere and Movie Review

Lolli — Mon, 22 May 2017 16:33:20 +0000

Sometimes I just have to pinch myself. Last week, I attended the Pirates of the Caribbean press event and red carpet event. The trip was beyond amazing. All travel and activities during my stay were covered courtesy of Disney. All thoughts and excitement are my own.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales opens in theaters on May 26.

Walking the Pirates of the Caribbean Red Carpet

Actually, the “red carpet” for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales was a gorgeous sea blue-green color. Perfectly fitting for the theme (and quite complimentary with my dress!). We arrived on the scene with plenty of time to enjoy the walk down the carpet, snap several photos, and meet plenty of pirates. We then headed in to the lobby of the Dolby Theater (where the Oscars are held!) and mixed and mingled until it was time for the movie to start. Here are just a few of the highlights of my red carpet experience:

(PS – be sure to keep scrolling down to see what I thought about the movie….no spoilers!)

(Photos of the talent courtesy of Getty Images for Disney)

**My dress is an elegant collection Carly from LuLaRoe (I sell this clothing!) and was the most comfortable and complimented red carpet dress ever!

About Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Johnny Depp returns to the big screen as the iconic, swashbuckling anti-hero Jack Sparrow in the all-new “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.” The rip-roaring adventure finds down-on-his-luck Captain Jack feeling the winds of ill-fortune blowing strongly his way when deadly ghost sailors, led by the terrifying Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), escape from the Devil’s Triangle bent on killing every pirate at sea—notably Jack.

Jack’s only hope of survival lies in the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it he must forge an uneasy alliance with Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), a brilliant and beautiful astronomer, and Henry (Brenton Thwaites), a headstrong young sailor in the Royal Navy. At the helm of the Dying Gull, his pitifully small and shabby ship, Captain Jack seeks not only to reverse his recent spate of ill fortune, but to save his very life from the most formidable and malicious foe he has ever faced.

“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” also stars Kevin R. McNally as Joshamee Gibbs, Golshifteh Farahani as the sea-witch Shansa, David Wenham as Scarfield, Stephen Graham as Scrum, and Geoffrey Rush as Captain Hector Barbossa.

Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg are directing “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” with Jerry Bruckheimer producing. The executive producers are Mike Stenson, Chad Oman, Joe Caracciolo, Jr., Terry Rossio and Brigham Taylor. The story is by Jeff Nathanson and Terry Rossio, and Jeff Nathanson wrote the screenplay. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” drops anchor in U.S. theaters on May 26, 2017.

Connect with Pirates of the Caribbean:

What I loved about Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Me Tell No Tales

The characters: It’s always fun to return to Captain Jack Sparrow, because there’s nobody quite like him anywhere, and he’s always good for some laughs. But this movie is so much more than a movie about Jack. In fact, I loved the new characters – the smart Carina Smyth, the brave Henry Turner, and the terrifying Captain Salazar. I also loved the new view that we got into Barbossa (made even more special after meeting Geoffrey Rush).

The action: This movie is full of action, both comical and edge-of-your-seats. I highly recommend seeing this movie in 3D, but for sure see it in the theater. As Kaya Scodelario said in our interview with her, this is a movie to see in the theater with the whole family. (Note: I would recommend this for older kids, as there is some intense action and characters that could be considered scary)

The story: I found the story line in Dead Men Tell No Tales to be engaging. I wanted to follow these characters through to see a resolution. The story is not complicated, and I appreciated that it was easy to follow. The story had me laughing, gripping the arm rests in anticipation, and getting emotionally attached, too.

If you are a fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, then go see this movie! I do recommend catching up on the previous four movies (that’s a link to find the 4-movie box set on Amazon), but if you don’t have a ton of time then definitely watch the first and third movies.

Follow PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DisneyPirates

Like PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PiratesOfTheCaribbean

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Visit the official PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES website here: https://pirates.disney.com/

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES opens in theaters everywhere May 26th!