NOW YOU SEE ME 3 Review — aka Now You See Me: Now You Don’t
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Now You See Me 3 review says this third chapter in the franchise has run out of magic thanks to magic-free CGI. By the time a franchise reaches its third outing, you’d hope a decade of experience might refine its craft. Unfortunately, Now You See Me 3 is an all-too common threequel…
WICKED FOR GOOD Review—2nd Time is Even More of a Charm
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Wicked for Good review and reveals that the second half is even more splendified than the first, with epicaliferous cinematic artistry defying traditional sequel gravity. It’s never easy for a director to make lightening strike twice—especially with a sequel. Jon M Chu’s Wicked hadn’t really lost its cinematic zeitgeist status yet—the streets…
TAPAWINGO REVIEW: Jon Heder’s Back, and He’s Still Laidback
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Tapawingo review says Jon Heder hasn’t lost a comedic step since Napoleon Dynamite. Okay, so remember when we all collectively lost our minds over Napoleon Dynamite back in 2004? Well, Jon Heder just rolled up in a tricked-out dune buggy to remind us why we fell for his particular brand of weird in…
Rob Lowe Stars as the No. 1 Hollywood Dog Dad Thanks to Ultimate Pet Nutrition
Rob Lowe has inadvertently made a name for himself as the ultimate Hollywood Dog Dad by promoting Ultimate Pet Nutrition, a brand he truly believes in, and my dogs love. On the surface, it might look like just another celebrity cashing a check, but Rob Lowe’s partnership with Ultimate Pet Nutrition has a surprisingly specific…
The Girlfriend Review — 2 Critics Share 1 Strong Opinion
Critics Tandy Culpepper and Lisa Johnson Mandell actually agree in their The Girlfriend review—see what they think on Tandy’s podcast, The Hollywood Beat. In The Girlfriend, Robin Wright steps in front of and behind the camera, shaping a drama that begins as polished domestic perfection and unravels into psychological warfare. She plays Laura Sanderson, a…
FRANKENSTEIN Review — A Powerful and Poignant Masterpiece
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Frankenstein reviews says that director Guillermo del Toro’s latest work is monstrously brilliant. Of all the countless renditions of Mary Shelley’s classic Gothic tale of the manmade monster, this may be the most lavish, poignant and profoundly beautiful work yet, said she who normally eschews reboots, remakes, re-imaginings and retellings. Director Guillermo…
What’s the #1 Best Movie of All Time? This List Will Shock You
Here’s a fascinating list of what a number metrics reveal to be the best movie of all time, plus those on the Top 50 list. You will definitely not agree. “What do you think is the best movie of all time?” It’s the question I’m asked most, and the one that’s impossible to answer. “It…
GOOD FORTUNE Review — Keanu Reeves Saves the Day, and the Film
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Good Fortune review says Aziz Ansari’s cosmic comedy starring Keanu Reeves semi-successfully blends the absurd with the heartfelt. Set in modern-day Los Angeles, Good Fortune follows Arj (Aziz Ansari, making his feature film debut as writher/director/star), a down-on-his-luck gig worker juggling an endless string of low-paying side hustles. Whether he’s waiting in…
ROOFMAN Review, AFTER THE HUNT Review — 1 Authentic, 1 Fake
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Roofman Review and After the Hunt Review says that one film is charmingly real, and the other is alarmingly phony. Roofman Review — Authentic yet charmingly unbelievable What a delightful, understated surprise we have in Roofman. It’s based on an almost unbelievable true story of an extremely charming Army veteran who finds…
A TIME FOR SUNSET Review — Thriller With a Killer Payoff
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s A Time for Sunset review says it’s a slow-burn neo noir thriller that will change your mind about low-budget independent cinema. Listen, I know what you’re thinking when you hear “low-budget indie thriller”—you’re picturing grainy footage and wooden acting, right? Well get ready for big surprise, because A Time for Sunset is…
