Pop and Fizz’s Double Feature Movie Night Guide (Romance), by Erin Coughlin (April, 2018)

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Interactive Movie Guide Series Makes It Easier For Movie Enthusiasts To Enjoy Films and Entertain Others (In Digital Age).

NEW YORK, N.Y., April 10, 2018

Pop and Fizz’s Double Feature Movie Night Guide (Romance), a new book by Erin Coughlin (April, 2018) is the first installment in a new series of interactive movie guides aimed at helping movie enthusiasts say goodbye to evenings of aimlessly ping-ponging between streaming services, apps, and television channels.

Pop and Fizz's Double Feature Movie Guide Series will help movie enthusiasts of every genre plan an evening of great entertainment, whether they are flying solo, hosting a movie night with friends and family, or planning a romantic evening with someone special.

•The topical film pairings and easy to navigate, fun layout is designed to successfully cut down on time spent searching for great entertainment and increase the rate of actual screening time and interaction between viewers.

• The series will be available in both print format, and a digital, interactive ebook format which will enable readers to access and watch the films in live-time.

• It will bridge the gap between digital screening technology and customers by providing accessible, personable film knowledge and more accurate title suggestions which modern streaming services and digital platforms still strongly fail to provide. Features include Fun Film Facts, Cool Points, Stand Out Moments, Pop and Fizz's Brownie Point Screening Picks and Alternative Movie Suggestions. Readers can set the mood or keep that groovy feeling going with Playlist Picks featuring songs from popular romantic movies. They can win points with guests by learning and sharing fun movie facts, and starting personable conversations using a Movie Discussion Guide, Pop's Questions.

• Additional books in the Pop and Fizz Double Feature Movie Night Guide Series are scheduled for regular publication over the next two years, and will cover both popular and niche film/TV genres.

• Customers will receive special access to bonus content including feature interviews, behind the scenes information, news and supplemental material.

“The Pop and Fizz Movie Guide Series bridges the gap between digital technology and personal connection / knowledgeable service that the streaming services and digital platforms still strongly lack. It will simultaneously help others make the process of planning their evening a lot easier and help them spend more time connecting with others in a fun way. The main problem with relying on digital platforms is that they’re not only limited by selection, but they often provide unrelated, “filler” suggestions- which means viewers are forced to return to the unproductive cycle of searching for something to watch. I noticed that a lot of other people were complaining about falling into this same time trap and that they missed the one on one personable knowledge that they used to receive at the video stores etc. Hopefully, movie enthusiasts will find The Pop and Fizz Series both entertaining, useful and insightful.”

- Erin Coughlin

Erin Coughlin’s (@galaboutown) work as a Producer & Journalist recently earned her nominations for The 2016 Roger Ebert Fellowship for Film Criticism & Indiewire’s Critics Academy (2016, 2017). 

Her writing has been featured on Amazon, NBC Universal’s SYFY, Entertainment Weekly, AOL, and translated in internationally distributed publications overseas. She has created feature content and news segments for additional high traffic online sites, media outlets, print publications, popular film/TV productions, well known film directors & film festivals. She is the current Executive Producer and Host of ‘The...with Erin Coughlin Show’, where she interviews groundbreaking people in creative, altruistic and entrepreneurial fields for a global audience. As a specialist in Film & Television Production, Film History & Criticism, Literature, and Pop Geek Culture, Erin frequently covers and appears as a guest panel host /speaker at various entertainment related events.

Erin created the Pop & Fizz’s series when she realized that her friends and family spent more time debating what to watch instead of actually enjoying watching the movies together. She also enjoys connecting with her audience and show guests on her social media channels.

If you are looking to spend less time switching between apps and channels, and more time watching romantic films that bring out the romantic in you, then get your copy of Pop and Fizz today!

Pop and Fizz’s Double Feature Movie Night Guide (Romance) Retail Price: $21.99 Softcover ISBN-10: 9781388778965 ISBN-13: 978-1388778965 Available For Purchase: Ingram, Amazon, Blurb and wherever books and e-books are sold.

• To request official images, media clips, trailers & more related content• Schedule author interviews or appearances• To invite Erin to participate as a guest speaker or event panel host• To collaborate on a cross platform event or promotional project• To request a digital review copy

Contact Information:Erin Coughlin P: 516.819.8460 E: ekcough@gmail.com Official Website Site: www.ecoughlin.com Follow Erin on GoodReadsTwitter: @galaboutown Instagram: erinkcoughlin LinkedIn Official Blog: Erin Coughlin’s Official Blog

Author Bio

Brief Overview:

Erin Coughlin is an award nominated journalist, writer and producer specializing in film / TV production, history and criticism, entertainment, literature and popular geek culture. To learn more, visit her official site www.ecoughlin.com .

Short Bio

Erin Coughlin is an award nominated journalist, writer and producer (The 2016 Roger Ebert Fellowship for Film Criticism & Indiewire’s Critics Academy 2016 & 2017). 

Her writing has also been featured on Amazon, SYFY.com, Entertainment Weekly and translated in internationally distributed publications overseas. She has created content for high traffic online sites, media outlets, print publications, popular film/TV productions, film directors & film festivals. 

She has recently published Pop & Fizz's Double Feature Movie Night Guide (to Romance), the first installment in a series of interactive guides. Erin is also the current Executive Producer and Host of ‘The...with Erin Coughlin Show’, and enjoys covering and appearing as a guest panel host or speaker at live events.

Official Website: www.ecoughlin.com

Long BioErin's work as a Producer & Journalist recently earned her nominations for The 2016 Roger Ebert Fellowship for Film Criticism & Indiewire’s Critics Academy.

Her writing / original content has been featured on Amazon.com , SYFY, Entertainment Weekly, AOL, The Surge and translated in internationally distributed publications overseas. She has created content for high traffic online sites, media outlets, print publications, popular film/TV productions, film directors & film festivals. 

In March of 2018, Erin published Pop & Fizz's Double Feature Movie Night Guide (to Romance), the first installment in a series of interactive guides.  

She is the current Executive Producer and Host of ‘The...with Erin Coughlin Show’, which unites a global audience with groundbreaking people in creative, altruistic and entrepreneurial fields. Erin was the Founder / Executive Producer of the highly popular The Gal About entertainment network.

As a specialist in Film & Television Production, Film History & Criticism, Literature, and Pop Geek Culture, Erin also enjoys covering and appearing as a guest panel host or speaker at live events.

A life long Cinephile, Sherlockian and Anglophile, Erin also enjoys writing, We Meet Again, Mr. Holmes, a new segment on her official blog. She has recently finished / is shopping around three feature length screenplays, two novels, and is already at work on the next installment of the Pop and Fizz Movie Guide Series. 

Official Website: www.ecoughlin.com

Question and Answer Segment With Erin CoughlinNew York, N.Y. – March 28, 2018

Q: What made you come up with the idea for the Pop and Fizz’s movie guide series?

EC: I started conceptualizing what would eventually become the Pop & Fizz series back when I was producing #ScreenThis (a popular segment on my Gal About network’s twitter account). Using 140 characters or less, I would pair and review two films together to share with our site followers.

It’s funny because despite the growing popularity of using streaming services, apps etc., the process of deciding what to watch now can in fact, turn out to be an overwhelming experience. I noticed that – not just when my friends and family got together, but even on average nights - we often spent more time ping-ponging between Netflix, Hulu, cable and our own private listing of videos debating what to watch instead of actually watching films that we enjoyed.

Another problem with relying on the streaming services’ “suggestion titles” is that they’re not only limited to limited titles carried by the service, but they often repeatedly toss in unrelated titles aka fillers that really have don’t have a lot in common with the other films. I noticed that a lot of other people were complaining about falling into this same time trap and just channeled my own excitement about movies to help them do something about it.

Q: What is something that you hope the series accomplishes or that your readers will get out of using the series?

EC: First, I hope they find it entertaining and resourceful. I hope it helps them not only spend more time discovering or enjoying great movies, but that it provides them with an accessible, fun outlet in which they can use it to connect with other people. The book covers a lot of diverse subject matter within the chosen genres, so it’s designed to appeal to all kinds of movie enthusiasts and create a safe conversational environment. It’s very interactive, but solo viewers can also enjoy it as well.

There’s also a whole new generation of viewers who are missing that personable sense of assistance that we were able to provide during my Blockbuster days, and then there’s the generations of people who have expressed nostalgia for that type of customer service and personable knowledge that they used to receive at the video store. The series is also a new way of bridging and renewing that personal connection with movie enthusiasts that streaming services and digital platforms strongly lack.

Q: The book covers a lot of genres and a wide range of filmmaking. How do you decide what titles will be included in the movie guide series?

EC: I ask four basic questions. “Does it successfully transfer from the big screen to the small screen etc.? Is this something that can be enjoyed on a regular / re-occurring basis? Is it possible to pick up on something new or different every time it is re-watched? What makes this movie special?”

My first concern is how the movie transfers from the experience of watching it on the big screen to every day life screens. Is it just as effective or is the experience equally enjoyable at home etc. as it was in the theater? Of course, I enjoy going to the theater, but as a huge movie buff, I want to be able to repeatedly enjoy the film. The second question is, “Is this film something that I would watch on a regular basis and continuously enjoy? Do I think other people would share this feeling?” Personally, I love movies that I can watch over and over again, and never feel like I’m bored by it. There are some movies that, although I really appreciate them, I didn’t initially like them enough to re-watch them ever again. Occasionally that feeling changes, I do revisit the film and develop a newfound appreciation for it. The third prerequisite regards whether or not it is possible to pick up on something new or different every time that the movie is screened. Good filmmaking, like any other art form, reveals something different every time that we re-encounter it. It could be anything from a production element to an actor’s subtle reaction to even something carefully placed in the background that a viewer might not have noticed before.

Q: There are a lot of movie guides and film books out there. How is the Pop & Fizz series different?

EC: I knew right away that I didn’t want the series to look or feel anything like most of the text heavy guides that are already available. I wanted to create something that was insightful, entertaining, playful, useful in everyday life, and most importantly, it had to be interactive. So much is becoming digital; I knew that I wanted to incorporate that aspect within the guide so that people could have more direct access to the actual films. Unlike a lot of other film guides etc. that feel more like a reference guide, the Pop and Fizz series is designed to simultaneously help others make the process of planning their evening a lot easier and help them spend more time connecting with others in a fun and personable way.

The book is broken up into different chapters, which focus on and explore specific movie themes, but there’s a lot more. Instead of just creating a book with repetitive plot synopsis’ about the films, I turned it more into a humorous, How To guide. Each chapter starts off with Playlist Picks, a list of songs from or inspired by the films mentioned in that chapter that you use can use to set the mood ahead of time or enjoy afterwards. Every movie pairing is accompanied by informational Cool Points, Stand Out Moments or Fun Film Facts. My favorite features include Pop and Fizz’s Brownie Point Screening Picks (add on titles), Alternative Title Selections and Pop’s Questions, which is basically an icebreaker discussion guide that will help you start personable conversations regarding the films in each pairing. There’s also a fun new take on a Movie Guide Key that should come in handy and garner a few laughs. Of course, the E-book versions feature hyperlinks that take readers directly to say, iTunes, so that they have a direct link to the film in real time.

Q: Did you learn anything new in the process of putting the first book together that you think is important for readers to know about?

EC: Absolutely! First, the titles mentioned in the series, especially the Romance one, feature a good balance between male and female filmmakers, storytellers etc. During the process of putting the pairs together, I learned and even remembered very cool aspects surrounding the titles. The films all feature very strong, capable and complex characters of every gender. In some cases, the filmmakers adapted what were originally male dominated roles into equally successful, strong female-centric stories. Some original stories are so universal that they can be adapted to transcend gender, class, culture etc. and that’s highlighted throughout the book. I was also especially proud to point out that there were a lot of very talented women (both in front of the camera and behind it) responsible for a lot of the film selections.

On a personal note, I love movies with quirky characters, constant movement / action and snappy dialogue. You have the great screwball comedies of the 1920s – 1940s, the sexual farces of the 50s and 60s, but a ton of great romantic films were released between the 80s and 90s. There’s something about the romantic films I grew up watching that remain my favorite. There was more of a balance between male and female roles etc. The characters were equally quirky and loveable, the stories felt more original and the romance didn’t feel forced. Oddly, as an adult I really enjoy the romantic films set in the grungy and strange New York I remember from that period ( eg. Moonstruck, Desperately Seeking Susan, Working Girl, Walking and Talking). And on a side note, if anyone feels or notices that some films were left out of this first book, I would like for them to know that those titles might be featured in a runner-up supplement or another book in the series to be released at a later time.

Q: What was the hardest challenge you faced while working on the series?

EC: Would you like that listed alphabetically or chronologically? :laughs: There are two things I noticed. First, I noticed that since the mid to late 2000’s, the production of romantic films (especially great romantic comedies) took a serious drop in numbers. I had a harder time coming up with more modern titles for the book because of this. Now, it’s a rare treat to find a truly wonderful romantic film (eg. The Bick Sick) outside of say, The Hallmark channel. As much as I enjoy those romantic films, I have noticed a few negative traits in modern films in general that cause me to return to my favorites. A lot of women I know have also expressed their mutual disconnect with recent films over their consistent portrayal of women as flat, bumbling, socially awkward, whiney or shrewish characters. I like to think that the films in this book feature realistic, multi-dimensional women who can hold their own against their male counterparts.

Whereas the idea for the series was more organic, the physical act of putting the book together and figuring out how to translate the text into something tangible – that was both fun and visually stimulating -was another ordeal. Luckily, I have a background in graphic design, so I was able to utilize all of those skills and create a layout and graphics that held true to the feeling I wanted the book to evoke. The hardest part was the devil in the details. The little things you have to edit and adjust. And edit and re-adjust. As frustrating as that was, the real key to finishing something is to always remember why you started doing it in the first place. I kept remembering why I came up with the series and the excitement that greeted me every time I told someone about what I was working on. Their interest and excitement fueled my own during times that I needed it most.

Q: What’s next for you and our new friends Pop and Fizz?

EC: While I’m busy promoting the first in the series, Pop and Fizz will be busy putting together titles for the next few books in the series. Fizz is working on mysteries, thrillers and sci-fi. Pop’s out in the field asking people for their help on putting together a list of comedies. They’re both very excited about it and they want me to remind everyone to participate in their fun posts online so that they can make the new books even more special. :laughs: I’ve recently finished a few screenplays and fictional novels, so I’m trying get those stories in the hands of people who can help me bring them to a larger audience. I’m also booking guests for the upcoming new season of my online show, and hoping to be invited to cover or attend more events over the next year.

For updates, news, contests and exclusive content and more visit:

Erin’s Official Site: www.ecoughlin.com Erin on Twitter: @galaboutown Erin on Instagram: erinkcoughlin Follow Erin on GoodReads