THE CREATOR Review — Should AI Robots Inherit the Earth?
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s The Creator review says the special effects are brilliant and and the design superb, but the plot is so full of puzzling holes it’s hard to embrace. The Creator sets up impossibly high hurdles for itself from the very beginning—it wants us to believe that AI robots are good and Americans…
DUMB MONEY Review — A Gangster Wall Street Takeover
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Dumb Money review says that if you liked The Big Short, you’ll love this David and Goliath accounting of how little Main Streeters beat billionaire Wall Streeters and changed the way stocks are traded. Warning: The more sensitive among you will probably be shocked and aggravated by the music playing behind the…
A HAUNTING IN VENICE Review — There’s Dark Magic in the Casting
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s A Haunting in Venice review says that even though it stars favorites like Kenneth Branagh, Kelly Reilly, Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Dornan, someone you’ve probably never heard of is the real star. All hail the extremely savvy Lucy Bevan, the breakout star of Kenneth Branagh’s A Haunting in Venice. “Never heard of…
Find Out Which Favorite Shows Are Canceled and Which Favorite Shows are Renewed Lately
Huzzah! Or not. You’ll be either cheering or sneering when you find out which favorite shows are canceled and which favorite shows are renewed. The only thing we can count on when it comes to TV programming is that we can’t count on anything when it comes to TV programming. It almost makes you fear…
Which Pink Looks Best on Me? Your Celebrity Guide for How to Look Prettiest in Pink
Before you go shopping for something that shows your inner Barbie spirit, you may want to consider the question, ‘Which pink looks best on me?’ If there was ever a color of the year, without a doubt 2023 is the year of pink. All the pink publicity leading up to the Barbie movie, through the…
BLUE BEETLE Review — Keep it All in the Familia
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Blue Beetle review says the tired boy-obtains-superpowers-and-struggles-for- control-theme is surpassed by a big hearted, engaging Latino family. Ay dios mio, I have such mixed emotions about Blue Beetle. I was not looking forward to yet another CGI heavy superhero origin story about a naive young guy accidentally acquiring superpowers and awkwardly learning…
STRAYS Review — Raunchy, But Doggone Funny
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s positive Strays review says you’ll either be highly offended or laugh your tail off. You know who you are. The first thing you need to know about Strays is that just because it’s about adorable dogs on a quest to find a fur-ever home, it’s NOT FOR KIDS. It’s rated R, for…
What Happened to the Barbie Dreamhouse — You’ll be Stunned
If you watched the HGTV show (and who didn’t?) you may be surprised to find out what happened to the Barbie Dreamhouse. Here’s the answer, and you may not like it. HGTV’s “Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge” aired its grand finale recently, unveiling a house its design teams had renovated to mimic a life-size Barbie dollhouse to…
THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER Review — Creative and Creepy
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s The Last Voyage of the Demeter review says it’s a terrifying take on the Dracula story, that may discourage you from going anywhere alone in the near future. You’ve got to hand it to Universal for the way they handle their classic monsters. Instead of decking them out in the same costumes…
MEG 2 – THE TRENCH Review — A Toothsome Movie That Makes a Nice Splash
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Meg 2 – The Trench review says bring you sense of humor and batten down for this summer’s obligatory voracious shark movie. Com’on. You weren’t really expecting Steven Spielberg quality, were you? Every summer needs a good shark movie, and they don’t all have to be Jaws. In fact, none of them…
