Holly on Hollywood
“The Great Alaskan Race”
by Holly McClure
“The Great Alaskan Race” explores the Serum Run of 1925 and stars Actor turned actor, writer and director, Brian Presely, as the famous dog-sled musher, Leonhard Seppala. After losing his Native Inuit wife to a disease, Seppala raises their young daughter Sigrid (Emma Presley) on his own. In the winter of 1925, the town doctor, (Treat Williams) diagnosis diphtheria among the Native Inuit’s and locals and asks for medicine before it wipes out the town of Nome. Attempts are made by plane and train but eventually, Seppala is asked to battle through a snowstorm with his trusty dogs and other mushers, in what came to be known as, “The Great Serum Run.” The journey was covered by the first radio station in Alaska. Brad Leland, Henry Thomas also star.
The PG family-friendly action, adventure, is for brief bloody images, drinking, language, emotional scenes, deathly cold, whiteout blizzard conditions and scenes of sick children, including one that dies because of illness. This is a story about overcoming the odds to carry out a divinely appointed mission that saved the town of Nome. I enjoyed the natural chemistry between Presely and his real-life daughter, as well as seeing a grown up Thomas (the star of “E.T. the Extra Terrestrial”) in a smaller role. There is breathtaking Colorado scenery (substituted for Alaska), intense snow storm scenes and touching scenes with sick children, including a powerful, emotional scene by Williams. I thouroughly enjoyed this captivating story of the power of faith, the overcoming human spirit and a miraculous journey with man’s best friend! Stay for the credits to see photos of the real Seppala, including his famous dog Balto. And if you ever visit Central park, you can see a beloved bronze statue of Balto, rubbed shiny by the thousands of hands that touch it every year.
~Holly On Hollywood~
Holly McClure is a multimedia personality with a career that spans over 20 years in the entertainment industry. Her background as a film critic, film and television producer, creative writer, filmographer, radio and television host, author, and pundit for family values, has established her media expertise and made her a recognized advocate for family-friendly entertainment. Holly was the first ‘family film critic’ syndicated in over 365 newspapers by The Orange County Register. Her “Holly on Hollywood” movie reviews have been featured on various media outlets and can now be seen on Uplift TV, Parables movie channel, and thelaundrymoms.com.
In 2002, Holly was asked by Mel Gibson to film the behind-the-scenes interviews for “The Passion of the Christ”. She produced a one hour special, “The Making of The Passion of the Christ”, that aired on TBN and ION. She has since produced numerous press features for various films (The Passion Of The Christ, Do You Believe, Dancer and the Dame, God’s Not Dead, The Frontier Boys, etc.) and is listed on IMDB .
Holly is a charter member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and serves on the advisory boards of The Dove Foundation and The Parents Television Council. She is a proud mother, grandmother and mentor, passionate about supporting and creating life-changing entertainment!
For more information visit Hollymcclure.com or IMDB.com
