Jeff Pfeiffer, Author at StayTuned Magazine

VOD Spotlight: “Madea’s Big Happy Family”

August 30, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

Ever since Grandma Madea (Tyler Perry) took a chainsaw to her granddaughter’s sofa to claim the woman’s half of her home from her cheating husband, filmgoers have been in love with the comedy and drama of Tyler Perry. In Madea’s Big Happy Family, Madea’s niece receives bad news from her doctor. She wants to break it to her family over dinner, but as can happen with relations, many are feuding, so it is up to Madea to bring them all together. “Comedy is all around me,” Perry says of his work. “Even in some of my greatest sadness, I find […]

Weather Channel plans comprehensive coverage of Hurricane Irene

August 25, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

By Jeff Pfeiffer Follow @ChannelGuideJP The Weather Channel has long found itself in the somewhat dubious position of seeing its broadcast and online ratings go up in times of severe storms and natural disasters, but it’s understandable why so many turn to them in time of need, since the network also has a long tradition of top-notch professional reporting that helps and informs viewers, particularly those in affected areas. Such will be the case now as Hurricane Irene progresses up the East Coast, with the potential to affect up to 55 million people. And already the network has ranked No. […]

BET special celebrates the short but memorable life of Aaliyah

August 25, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

Ten years ago today, at the age of 22, R&B singer and actress Aaliyah (born Aaliyah Dana Haughton) had her life and burgeoning career cut tragically short when she and eight others were killed in a plane crash in The Bahamas. Tonight, BET premieres a special that celebrates her memory. Aaliyah: One in a Million, debuting at 8pm ET, looks at Aaliyah’s life and notable moments from her short-lived career with never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage, her most popular videos, vintage interviews from BET’s earlier years and intimate conversations with the family and friends who knew her best. Among those sharing their […]

SOAPnet to air weekend of classic “All My Children” episodes

August 24, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

As the countdown continues until September 23, when ABC ends the television run of the daytime drama All My Children after 41 years, its sister network, SOAPnet, will celebrate the series with a two-day marathon of classic episodes, September 17 from 7pm-midnight ET/PT, and September 18 from 5pm-midnight ET/PT. The September 17 marathon is themed, “I Love Lucci,” and highlights some of Erica Kane’s (Susan Lucci) memorable moments, while the September 18 marathon, called “All My Children: Last Chance for Romance,” showcases seven of Pine Valley’s most beloved couples: Cliff and Nina, Jenny and Greg, Tad and Dixie, Ryan and […]

ABC’s “Pan Am” flight experience takes off at select malls

August 23, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

By Jeff Pfeiffer Follow @ChannelGuideJP Ready to go back to those thrilling days of yesteryear when air travel was actually romantic, glamorous and fun — not a colossal pain in the ass? ABC’s new fall series Pan Am certainly conveys the look and feel of such a time (star Christina Ricci is pictured), and in anticipation of the show’s premiere Sept. 25, the network is bringing a similarly themed “flight experience” to malls across the country, culminating in a daylong event in New York’s Times Square. The special booth at these stops, which premiered at San Diego’s Comic Con in […]

NBC and CW tout new fall primetime lineups with preview specials

August 19, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

By Jeff Pfeiffer Follow @ChannelGuideJP Fall is in the air! Around here, at least, you can feel it with the days getting darker a tad earlier than they had been, and some slightly cooler temps in the evenings. But even more so in our office you can sense the change in seasons by the non-stop flood of Fall 2011 programming info we have been getting from TV networks since July. At this point our staff is pretty well-versed in what is coming up, but you may not be. To help you out, some networks are presenting preview specials highlighting new […]

“Paradise Lost” filmmakers watch in court as West Memphis 3 set free

August 19, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

From HBO: Critically acclaimed HBO documentary Paradise Lost filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky were in court today to witness the stunning conclusion in which, after 18 years in prison, Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelly, known as the West Memphis 3, were set free. The award-winning HBO documentary series Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996) and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000) spawned a worldwide movement to free the West Memphis 3 for wrongful murder convictions. Set to debut on HBO in Jan. 2012, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory will have its theatrical premiere at the […]

TV specials mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11

August 17, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

Ten years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, our country remains scarred, physically and psychically, as we continue to deal with the swirling negative feelings of anger, vengeance, fear and, in some cases, prejudice, that have lasted since that fateful day. But over the past decade, other feelings have begun to rise as steadily as the memorials to the victims — feelings of patriotism, reflection, remembrance, regained confidence and hope that we can start to move forward. All of these emotions, and probably many more, in varying degrees, will be found in abundance over the next few weeks […]

VOD Spotlight: “Priest”

August 16, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

Sometimes the demands of successive film roles can be their own kind of hell. Before playing the title role in Priest, actor Paul Bettany had put on “about 45” pounds to portray Charles Darwin in the film Creation, a bit of bulk he couldn’t afford when it came to doing most of his own stunts in Priest. With plenty of hand-to-hand combat, intricate wire-rig sequences and intense motorcycle scenes, Bettany had to slim back down to fighting physique and then some. He’s glad he went through it all, even if it was difficult and, at times, downright insane. “I was […]

VOD Spotlight: “Something Borrowed”

August 16, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

In this romantic comedy, single gal Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) always seems to lose out to her more vivacious and flirtatious friend, Darcy (Kate Hudson). But trouble arises when Darcy becomes engaged to Dex, for whom Rachel has had a secret crush since they were both in law school. Since she’s also just hit age 30, in a fit of honesty she confesses her love to Dex and discovers that the crush is mutual. That’s when things get complicated.