ATTACK OF THE RETRO SCI-Fi FUTURIST — The MUST SEE Show of the Century
The true story of the birth of James Mandell as the Retro Sci-Fi Futurist, and how you can tickets to this amazing show No other show in the history of entertainment has hit home quite like Attack of the Retro Sci-Fi Futurist, partially because it was born and raised right here in my living room.…
A Series of Unfortunate Events Fashions — Don't Turn Away
A Series of Unfortunate Events Fashions — Eye-popping Gothic Ensembles by Staci Layne Wilson “I would advise all our viewers to turn away immediately and watch something more pleasant instead,” says the eponymous author and narrator (Patrick Warburton) in a delightful deadpan as he recounts A Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix. But if you…
Go Inside the 23rd Annual Critics Choice Awards
23rd Annual Critics Choice Awards — Everyone knows we’re among the best predictors of the Oscars While I didn’t personally pick all the winners, I certainly had a great time schmoozing with them at the 23rd Annual Critics’ Choice Awards, Thursday, January 11, broadcast live on the CW from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. As…
Critics Choice TV Awards — Help Me Vote
Watch the Critics Choice TV Awards (movie awards too!) on Thursday, Jan. 11, at 8 pm on the CW network I admit I’ve got a lot more invested this year in the Critics Choice TV awards than I do in the Critics Choice movie awards. Mostly because I believe more of you, my dear readers,…
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…
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…
THE ORVILLE Review: You Can't Have it Both Ways…Or Can You?
THE ORVILLE Review by James Mandell, arbiter of all things sci-fi Cool CGI, big derivative music scoring, shiny interiors and costumes that look like everyone is about to get in formation and march down the football field playing an arrangement of the latest Taylor Swift tune. What could go wrong? The Orville (Fox, Sundays) made…
AMERICAN GODS — The Best Thing to Hit the Small Screen Since 'Game of Thrones'
In her AMERICAN GODS review, Lisa Johnson Mandell says the stellar adaptation of the bestselling novel is true must see TV Bold, bloody, bodacious and beautiful, American Gods from Starz is the series of the year, if not the decade. Based on stellar author Neil Gaiman‘s international bestseller of the same name, this is big event television…
Will THIS IS US Win Best Drama Series? Will LALA LAND Win Best Film? Watch the CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS Sunday to Find Out
Is anyone else as crazy as I am over This is Us and LaLa Land? We’ll find out whether my critic colleagues are or not on Sunday, at the 22nd Annual Critics’ Choice Awards, which air December 11 at 8PM ET/ 5PM PT. I’ve got my Halston Heritage black and white penguin gown (it’s sexier than it sounds) all set…