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…
Feeling Like a Wonder Woman With Connie Nielsen in My Veronica Beard Dickie Jacket
Knock me over with a swizzle stick! The first time I wear my new Veronica Beard Scuba Jacket with its Mariner Stripe Dickey, Connie Nielsen, one of the glamorous stars of Wonder Woman, notices it and says, “Love your jacket — Veronica Beard?” If that doesn’t prove that the right sartorial splurge is SO worth…
Lady Gaga Five Foot Two: A Look at the New Lady Gaga Documentary
Lady Gaga Five Foot Two: James Mandell’s take on the new Netflix Lady Gaga documentary Born this Way, Bad Romance… I know these tunes by cultural osmosis more than having listened to them in rotation. As a Baby Boomer, I’ve moved from pop to denser electronic and experimental genres, but I listen to all manner…
IT Review — Terrifying Yet Tender
IT Review — Welcome back to the cineplex It’s a rare movie that can satisfy both those who have read the book and those who haven’t, but there’s a little something to scare everyone in IT, one of the best cinematic adaptations of a Stephen King novel to come along in years. I’m among Those…
