Family Film Commentator Tara McNamara Joins Fandango as Its Newest Contributor

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Fandango, the nation's leading moviegoer destination, has announced today that family film commentator Tara McNamara has joined the site in the newly created contributing role as its "Family Film Mom."

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McNamara is the editor and founder of KidsPickFlicks.com, one of the only sites where the film reviews are provided exclusively by children themselves – including McNamara's own kids, who serve as the resident critics.

McNamara will provide weekly insights on family entertainment in a regular  feature on Fandango's Family-Friendly Guide at http://www.fandango.com/movieblog/tara-mcnamara.html. She will also serve as an on-air spokesperson for Fandango, appearing in other news and entertainment outlets to provide her unique point-of-view on the latest family films.

"This is a fantastic new addition to Fandango's team of contributors," said Rick Butler, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Fandango. "The first question a parent asks before buying movie tickets for his or her family is whether the movie is appropriate and enjoyable for children. In addition to the outstanding content on Fandango from our partner Common Sense Media, Tara's columns will provide a unique point-of-view – infused with opinions from children themselves. This advice will be invaluable to moviegoers."

McNamara will provide frequent media analysis on such issues as:

* Will both parents and kids enjoy the movie?

* What is the film's age appropriateness?

* What are the movie's messages, values and surprising content?

* What are some parent/kid conversation-starters after seeing the movie?

"As a mom myself, I know how valuable it can be to find trusted movie reviews and columns written with parents in mind," says McNamara. "I am excited to share my perspective with Fandango's enormous audience of moviegoers."

Tara's children's movie expertise took shape when she helped her kids, now ages 17 and 10, create KidsPickFlicks.com in 2004.  The site encourages kids to review movies on their own, while McNamara's kids routinely provide their personal critiques. Tara's new 1-year-old is a future critic-in-training.

The Los Angeles-based McNamara originally hails from the Southwest and has been a frequent correspondent for Variety, CMT/Country Music Television, Sirius Radio Network and The Reelz Channel. McNamara was the original voice that launched the CMT Radio Network.

A frequent radio contributor since 1996, McNamara conducts weekly family-friendly movie review segments on a variety of stations every Thursday and Friday. Her colorful, dynamic commentary has made her a regular resource for Clear Channel, Westwood One and Sirius XM.

Fandango has become an increasingly popular resource for parents to obtain movie information and tickets, with more than 30 million people visiting Fandango's Web and mobile destinations each month. Fandango has also seen growth in the mobile marketplace, with more than 40% of its traffic deriving from mobile devices or tablets.

About Fandango

Fandango, the nation's leading moviegoer destination, sells tickets to more than 16,000 screens. Fandango entertains and informs consumers with reviews, commentary and trailers, and offers the ability to quickly select a film, plan where and when to see it, and conveniently buy tickets in advance. Fandango is available at www.fandango.com, via your wireless mobile device at mobile.fandango.com, and at 1-800-FANDANGO. Fandango's top-ranking movie ticketing apps, with nearly 20 million downloads, are available on the iPhone and iPad, Android, BlackBerry, Palm, Windows Phone 7 and many other platforms.

SOURCE Fandango