BEST OF ENEMIES Review — Best of Docs
There are so many documentaries out these days that seemingly serve no other purpose than to force an agenda down our throats. Few filmmakers dare to present both sides of an issue, and you come away feeling as if you’ve just been beaten over the head with a spiked propaganda stick, no matter how you originally…
Barry Weiss, the Bubble Car and Me at Auctions America
I admit that I’m not really a car girl. When I tour celebrity homes, I’m usually more interested in the decor style of the garages than in the cars they house. But all that changed last weekend, when my hubby and I attended Auctions America’s California Auto Sale at Barker Hanger in Santa Monica. I originally went to see our buddy…
PAPER TOWNS Review — More Like (Wet) Paper Towels
By Lisa Johnson Mandell In the beginning, teen coming of age drama Paper Towns has potential. Childhood friends find a dead body in their neighborhood. Fast forward to the friends’ senior year, and Margo (Cara Delevingne) climbs through Quentin’s (Nat Wolff) window, cajoling him to embark on a revenge mission against a number of classmates…
SOUTHPAW Review: Timing is Everything
Let’s face it: boxing movies are all about the final big match. Everything that happens up to that point is there just to build tension. So ultimately, if that last match delivers suspense, excitement and impact, the film can be considered a success, right? Well, not so much. While Southpaw is punctuated with brutally and effectively…
PIXELS Review — Good for a Giggle
By Lisa Johnson Mandell My critic colleagues will probably drum me out of the “union” for trashing Trainwreck and Paper Towns but touting Pixels. So be it. When you watch a movie through the eyes of its intended audience, you see things a little differently. Pixels is intended as a film for younger kids to watch with…
TRAINWRECK Review — Amy Schumer Blows Hard
By Lisa Johnson Mandell Here’s the thing: You either get Amy Schumer or you don’t. I don’t. I think her humor is snarky and mean spirited and her foul mouth makes me uncomfortable. I say this knowing full well that she’s the hottest thing on TV right now, and soon to be the hottest thing on the…
ANT MAN Review: Whoops There Goes Another Rubber Tree Plant
It’s quite the challenge to stand out in the pantheon of Marvel superheroes–it’s becoming very crowded up there with all those super-sized egos and personas. But low and behold, the humble Ant Man makes a mighty entrance, and manages to crawl almost to the top of my superhero summit. Ant Man, as deftly played by Paul Rudd, is now second…
MINIONS Review — What's Not to Love?
By Lisa Johnson Mandell I admit it, I’ve been captivated by these small, yellow pill-shaped characters since they first appeared in Despicable Me. Yes, I have a Minions ringtone, and I actually kept for myself the stuffed Minion I bought for my nephew for Christmas. So I’m predisposed to like this animated feature that recaps the…
MAGIC MIKE XXL Review — Stripped Down to the Bare Essentials
This “Hunks on Parade” sequel never claims to be any more than exactly what it is: a huge, glossy jar of eye candy for the ladies, and for some gents as well. Music, muscles and musk–absolutely perfect for a bawdy girls’ night out. This time around the stripper pole we find our manly meat puppets mostly…
TED 2 Review — Just Bearable
The original Ted, about a teddy bear coming to life and adopting the more raucous personality traits of his owner, was outrageous and uproariously funny. Seth MacFarlane and Mark Wahlberg teamed up to produce some unforgettable comedic scenes, including a brawl in which Ted actually kicked some bad boy booty. It’s hard to top a scene like that,…
