Three Must See Movies Before Awards Season Begins
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s take on three Must See Movies in theaters now: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; Phantom Thread; Molly’s Game Quick! Before the broadcasts of the Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 7, on and the Critics Choice Awards on Thursday, January 11, you need to hasten to your local cineplex and catch what I consider to…
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI Review — Far Far Away the Year's Best Film
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI Review by Lisa Johnson Mandell I’ve been waiting all year for a film that would make me want to stand up and cheer—a film that would renew my joy in cinema, as well as my faith in Hollywood. Wonder Woman was exciting and inspiring, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri blew…
Your Guys Guide Spoiler-Free Movie Review Roundup for 2017
Your Guys Guide Spoiler-Free Movie Review Roundup for 2017 by James Mandell 2017’s been a bumpy ride for film, but year-end releases are once again saving the day. As always, it’s my broadcast film critic wife Lisa who gets all the screeners and premier invites. I’m just her arm candy and thankfully, haven’t seen everything…
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME Review — Creepy, Not Cool
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME Review by Lisa Johnson Mandell Amidst all the rapturous kudos and awards nominations poured out upon the popular indie film Call Me By Your Name, including eight nominations for Critics Choice Awards from my own group, the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), doesn’t it bother anyone that it’s a film…
WONDER Review — Plus Rundowns of the Other Two Movies With 'Wonder' in the Titles
WONDER Review, WONDER WHEEL Review, WONDERSTRUCK Review A whole lot of wonder at the cineplex by Lisa Johnson Mandell WONDER Review I suppose everyone is in the mood for a feel good movie with an anti-bully message right about now, but this saccharine after-school-special quality film doesn’t do the subject or the genre justice. It’s…
JUSTICE LEAGUE Review — More Flash and Wonder, Please
JUSTICE LEAGUE Review — Dark with flashes of Wonder by Lisa Johnson Mandell DC Comics movies, especially those directed by Zack Snyder, have always been darker than their Marvel counterparts, so I wasn’t expecting the whimsy and humor of Thor or Ant Man. But Justice League starts out on an intriguing right foot, with Superman doing…
THOR RAGNAROK Review — It's Hammer Time
THOR RAGNAROK Review — Is it worth the gazillions it’s sure to make? Yes, YES, OH YES! In Norse mythology, “Ragnarok” is the equivalent of Armageddon for Thor, Loki, Oden and the rest of the inhabitants of Asgard. Basically, they go to war with horrible monsters who prevail, and then the former gods slink off…
Greensbury Market Must-Haves — Don't Read On an Empty Stomach
Greensbury Market meat and fish can elevate your table to superstar status A little something many people don’t know about me is that I used to be a restaurant critic. I wrote reviews for two major metropolitan newspapers, a city magazine, hosted a food and restaurant radio show, and did restaurant features on a local…
TV Swag, Movie Swag — Sharing the Love and Keeping You Up on the Latest
One of the best parts of my job is answering the door every day and carting in an armload of super fun TV swag and movie swag. You see, as a film and TV critic, and as a member of the Broadcast Television Journalists Association and the Broadcast Film Critics Association, networks and studios are…
Hubert Geza Wells' 'Lights, Camera, Lions' — The Truth About Animal Movies
The pleasure, the pain, the love: One of the world’s most esteemed trainers takes you inside the making of beloved animal movies I appreciate so many diverse types of movies these days that I can’t pick a favorite genre, but when I was young (a good dozen years ago…or so) there was only one type…
