4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Michael Anderson Edition

Posted on January 30, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 (or more) Shots From 4 (or more) Films is just what it says it is, 4 (or more) shots from 4 (or more) of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 (or more) Shots From 4 (or more) Films lets the visuals do the talking.

101 years ago today, Michael Anderson was born in London. Anderson may have never become a household name but he directed some memorable movies. Around The World in 80 Days proved that audiences love spectacle and celebrity cameos and it won the Oscar for Best Picture of 1956. (Though Anderson was nominated for best director, the award went to George Stevens for Giant.) However, I think that Anderson’s best-remembered film is probably Logan’s Run. Whenever I shout, “I hate outside!” or I reply to a simple question with, “There is no sanctuary,” people always seem to automatically know which film I’m referencing. Anderson followed up Logan’s Run with Orca, which is one of the better Jaws rip-offs.

Today, we honor the career and legacy of Michael Anderson with….

4 Shots From 4 Michael Anderson Films

Around The World in 80 Days (dir by Michael Anderson, DP: Lionel Lindon)

Logan’s Run (1976, dir by Michael Anderson, DP: Ernest Laszlo)

Orca (1977, dir by Michael Anderson, DP: J. Barry Herron and Ted Moore)

The Martian Chronicles (1980, directed by Michael Anderson, DP: Ted Moore)

12 Good Things I Saw On Television In 2020

Posted on January 30, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

What to say about television in 2020?

It’s hard to come up with much, largely because there really wasn’t a whole lot of television to watch. With the pandemic shutting down several productions and even knocking out stuff like the Olympics, network television was even more of a wasteland than usual. As far as the major networks were concerned, 2020 was a year of rerurns and overproduced celebrity-themed game shows.

I’m sure that some would say that the presidential election livened things up and I have to admit that I did enjoy snarking on Michael Bloomberg, Tom Steyer, and MJ Hegar, all three of whom seem to be competing to see whose campaigns could put out the most cringe-worthy commercials possible. But, with Trump on one side and Biden on the other, there was little about this election that was enjoyable to watch. Indeed, I’ve reached the point where just thinking about hearing someone say, “Fake news” or “Come on, man,” makes me want to throw something across the room.

Even my old reliables failed me this year. Survivor halted production. The Amazing Race and Big Brother both featured the least likable cast imaginable. It’s hard to get excited when bullies are winning your favorite shows.

As usual, the streaming services did a bit better than the networks but, in the end, it feels as if I spent most of 2020 watching the retro channels. Whenever the real world got too stressful, annoying, or stupid, I would go out to my private office and I’d watch a channel like MeTV, AntennaTV, ForwardTV*, or maybe even CoziTV. To be honest, it really didn’t matter what old shows they were showing. All that mattered was that watching those shows of the past provided an escape from all the bad stuff happening in the present. They provided non-threatening background noise and there’s something to be said for that. They’re televised time capsules, perfect for a history nerd like me.

(*To be honest, I’m not sure that there really is a network called ForwardTV. I do know that I frequently watch Ghost Whisperer on one of the retro channels and I’ve never actually caught the name of the channel. Maybe it’s ForwardTV. Who knows?)

So, this year, my list of good things that I saw on TV is going to be shorter than usual. Who knows? It could be for the best. I usually watch too much TV as it is.

A Teacher

This miniseries, about a teacher who has an affair with a student and how it continues to determine the shape of their lives long after the affair ends, was an unusually intelligent and thought-provoking show. As the teacher and the student, Kate Mara and Nick Robinson both gave realistic and empathetic performances.

2. Bad Education

One of the best films of the year premiered on HBO. On the one hand, it’s sad to think that the film would have been eligible the Oscars if it had only been bought by Netflix. On the other hand, though, it’s totally possible that more people saw it on HBO than would have seen it otherwise. Hugh Jackman didn’t win an Emmy and he’s not going to get an Oscar but he still gave one of the best performances of 2020.

3. Michael Bloomberg blowing it during his first Democratic Debate

Considering how obnoxious and ever-present his commercials were (“Mike will get it done!”), there was something deeply satisfying about watching this smug technocrat totally blow it when he actually found himself on live TV and having to deal with actual human beings. There wasn’t much to enjoy as far as politics went in 2020 but seeing Bloomberg get booed after trying to explain away all of the HR complaints against him was a joy.

4. Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult

There were two high-profile NXIVM series last year. HBO had The Vow, which was a lengthy series that was produced by a bunch of former NXIVM members and which tried to make the director of What The Bleep Do We Know into some sort of hero. Seduced, meanwhile, was an honest look at life in the cult, one that pulled no punches and which made The Vow look worse and worse with each episode.

5. Saved By The Bell: The Reboot

The Saved By The Bell reboot turned out to be a 100 times better than it had any right to be.

6. 9-1-1: Lone Star

This show is a guilty pleasure for me, I’ll admit it. On the one hand, it does a fairly good job of capturing the feel and attitude of my homestate. On the other hand, I don’t know that there’s as many volcanoes in Texas as this show seems to think. No matter, though! It’s over-the-top and fun.

7. The Mandalorian

I’m not even into Star Wars and even I had to admit that The Mandalorian was pretty damn cool. I’m among the many people who started watching for Baby Yoda and who stuck around because the show itself turned out to be so unexpectedly entertaining.

8. Better Call Saul

Saul Goodman never lets us down.

9. The Queen

Neither does Queen Elizabeth.

10. Ghost Whisperer Reruns

And neither does Melinda! Eve when she’s appearing in reruns airing on Hulu and whatever ForwardTV actually is.

11. Coronation Sreet

They have a ton of episodes on Hulu! Considering that it often seemed as if I might never get to leave the country again, there was something nice about being able to go on Hulu and watch something as British as this show.

12. I learned to appreciate the Daytime Dramas

When you’re working from home in the middle of a pandemic, there’s something oddly comfortable about turning on the TV and seeing something like the Bold and the Beautiful or General Hospital. Those shows are always there, they’re always dealing with same stuff that it’s been dealing with for decades, and they are also the shows most likely to get interrupted by a breaking news alert. So, as long as I turn on the TV at 12:45 and I see The Bold and the Beautiful instead of Norah O’Donnell looking somber, I know that the day’s probably going to be crisis-free.

TSL Looks Back at 2020:

Lisa Marie’s Top 8 Novels of 2020

Posted on January 29, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

As I said earlier today when I posted my top 8 non-fiction books of the year, I’m disappointed in myself. Considering how much time that I spent at home in 2020, I should have read more books. I should have read every book that I have in the house. That was certainly what I was expecting to happen but, as the lockdown went on and on, a combination of frustration and depressing kicked in and I basically totally lost focus.

So, I didn’t read as much as I should have. But, at least I can say that I did read. To be honest, I imagine that’s more than a lot of other people did. Language is a wonderful thing and it’s dying. Though I may not have read as much as I wanted to, I still read some very good novels over the course of 2020. Listed below are eight of my favorites.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia — This was a wonderfully atmospheric book, one that took all of the traditional gothic elements and imagined them through the prism of Mexican culture and history. This was a wonderful read, both entertaining and thought-provoking. Apparently, it’s being turned into a miniseries for Hulu and I’ll definitely be watching.
The Swap by Robyn Harding — Swapping partners leads to chaos! (Well, yeah.) This is an enjoyable thriller about a drunken night and the drama that follows. The characters are all sharply etched, especially Low, a the manipulative teenager who you’ll kind of sympathize with even when you know you shouldn’t.
The House on Fripp Island by Rebecca Kauffman — Two families share a vacation house on Fripp Island. One family is rich and one family is poor and both families are full of secrets and lies. The House on Fripp Island is the literary equivalent of a good Lifetime film and, if you know how I feel about Lifetime films, then you know that’s a huge compliment. I will also admit that I another reason why I liked this book was because it featured a character named Lisa.
The Sister-in-Law by Sue Watson — Speaking of books that would make a good Lifetime film, The Sister-in-Law is another book about a family at a vacation home. Once again, it’s all about secrets and lies and melodrama and it’s an incredibly fun read.
Regretting You by Colleen Hoover — This book is an examination of the relationship between a overprotective mom and a rebellious daughter. It rang true in all the best ways. I could relate.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig — Nora is given a chance to see how her life would have turned out if she had made a few different choices. This book made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me think. This is a perfect read for anyone struggling with regret.
Wild Child by Audrey Carlan — What happens when you combine a serial killer thriller with a romance? You get this well-written and fast-paced book about how Simone goes from nearly being a victim to falling in love with a handsome FBI agent.
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth — Though this book may be a bit overlong at 640 pages, this epic and sprawling novel about love, history, and yellow jackets still held my interest. It’s a challenging and well-written book by the author of The Miseducation of Cameron Post.

TSL Looks Back at 2020:

Here Are The Winners of 2020 Hollywood Music In Medi Awards

Posted on January 29, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The winners are listed in bold!

ORIGINAL SCORE – FEATURE FILM
DA 5 BLOODS (Netflix) – Terence Blanchard
THE LIFE AHEAD (LA VITA DAVANTI A SE) (Netflix) – Gabriel Yared
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (Netflix) – Branford Marsalis
MANK (Netflix) – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
THE MIDNIGHT SKY (Netflix) – Alexandre Desplat
NEWS OF THE WORLD (Universal Pictures / Netflix) – James Newton Howard
PIECES OF A WOMAN (Netflix) – Howard Shore
THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 (Netflix) – Daniel Pemberton

ORIGINAL SCORE – INDEPENDENT FILM
THE 24TH (Vertical Entertainment) – Alex Heffes
AMMONITE (Neon) – Dustin O’Halloran, Volker Bertelmann
THE GLORIAS (LD Entertainment / Roadside Attractions) – Elliot Goldenthal
MINARI (A24) – Emile Mosseri
SHIRLEY (Neon) – Tamar-kali
WILD MOUNTAIN THYME (Bleecker Street Media) – Amelia Warner

ORIGINAL SCORE – ANIMATED FILM
THE CROODS: A NEW AGE (Universal Pictures) – Mark Mothersbaugh
ONWARD (Walt Disney Studios) – Mychael Danna, Jeff Danna
SHAUN THE SHEEP: FARMAGEDDON (Netflix) – Tom Howe
SOUL (Walt Disney Studios) – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste
WOLFWALKERS (Apple TV+) – Bruno Coulais

ORIGINAL SCORE – SCI-FI/FANTASY
THE NEW MUTANTS (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Disney+) – Mark Snow
THE OLD GUARD (Netflix) – Volker Bertelmann, Dustin O’Halloran
PALM SPRINGS (Neon) – Matthew Compton
TENET (Warner Bros. / HBO Max) – Ludwig Görannson
WONDER WOMAN 1984 (Warner Bros. / HBO Max) – Hans Zimmer

ORIGINAL SCORE – HORROR FILM
ANTEBELLUM (Lionsgate Films) – Nate Wonder, Roman GianArthur
THE DARK AND THE WICKED (RLJE Films / Shudder) – Tom Schraeder
THE EMPTY MAN (Walt Disney Studios) – Christopher Young, Lustmord
THE INVISIBLE MAN (Universal Pictures) – Benjamin Wallfisch
SWALLOW (IFC Films) – Nathan Halpern

ORIGINAL SCORE – DOCUMENTARY
ATHLETE A (Netflix) – Jeff Beal
CRIP CAMP (Netflix) – Bear McCreary
DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: A LIFE ON OUR PLANET (Netflix) – Steven Price
JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE (Magnolia Pictures / Participant) – Tamar-kali
RISING PHOENIX (Netflix) – Daniel Pemberton

ORIGINAL SONG – FEATURE FILM
“Fight for You” from JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH – Written by H.E.R., Dernst Emile II, Tiara Thomas. Performed by H.E.R. (Warner Bros. / HBO Max)
“Hear My Voice” from THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 – Written by Daniel Pemberton, Celeste. Performed by Celeste (Netflix)
“Húsavík (Hometown)” from EUROVISION SONG CONTEST: THE STORY OF FIRE SAGA – Written by Savan Kotecha, Rickard Göransson, Fat Max Gsus. Performed by Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Molly Sandén (Netflix)
“The Plan” from TENET – Written by Jacques Webster II, Ebony Naomi Oshunrinde, Ludwig Göransson. Performed by Travis Scott (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment / HBO Max)
“Poverty Porn” from THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION – Written by Radha Blank, Khrysis. Performed by RadhaMUSPrime (Netflix)
“Seen (lo Sì)” from THE LIFE AHEAD (LA VITA DAVANTI A SE) – Written by Diane Warren, Laura Pausini, Niccolò Agliardi. Performed by Laura Pausini (Netflix)
“Speak Now” from ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI – Written by Leslie Odom Jr., Sam Ashworth. Performed by Leslie Odom Jr. (Amazon Studios)
“Tigress & Tweed” from THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY – Written by Raphael Saadiq, Andra Day. Performed by Andra Day (Hulu)

ORIGINAL SONG – INDEPENDENT FILM
“Everybody Cries” from THE OUTPOST – Written by Rod Lurie, Larry Groupé, Rita Wilson. Performed by Rita Wilson (Screen Media Films)
“I’ll Be Singing” from WILD MOUNTAIN THYME – Written by Amelia Warner, John Patrick Shanley. Performed by Sinéad O’Connor (Bleecker Street Media)
“Rain Song” from MINARI – Written by Emile Mosseri, Stefanie Hong. Performed by Yeri Han (A24)
“Staring At A Mountain” from NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS – Written by Sharon Van Etten. Performed by Sharon Van Etten (Focus Features / HBO Max)

ORIGINAL SONG – ANIMATED FILM
“Carried Me With You” from ONWARD – Written by Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth. Performed by Brandi Carlile (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Disney+)
“Feel the Thunder” from THE CROODS: A NEW AGE – Written by Alana Haim, Danielle Haim, Este Haim and Ariel Rechtshaid. Performed by HAIM (Universal Pictures)
“Free” from THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN – Written by Diane Warren. Performed by Charlie Puth (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Disney+)
“Just Sing” from TROLLS WORLD TOUR – Written by Max Martin, Justin Timberlake, Ludwig Göransson, Sarah Aarons (Universal Studios)
“Rocket to the Moon” from OVER THE MOON – Written by Christopher Curtis, Marjorie Duffield, Helen Park. Performed by Cathy Ang (Netflix)
“Stand for Hope – When I Stand with You” from TWO BY TWO: OVERBOARD! – Written by Eímear Noone. Performed by Sibéal (Entertainment One)

ORIGINAL SONG – DOCUMENTARY
“The Future” from THE WAY I SEE IT – Written by Aloe Blacc. Performed by Aloe Blacc (Focus Features)
“How Can I Tell You?” From NASRIN – Written by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty. Performed by Angelique Kidjo (Virgil Films & Entertainment)
“Never Break” from GIVING VOICE – Written by John Legend, Nasri Atweh, Benjamin Hudson McIldowie, Greg Wells, John Stephens. Performed by John Legend (Netflix)
“Only The Young” from MISS AMERICANA – Written by Taylor Swift, Joel Little. Performed by Taylor Swift (Netflix)
“See What You’ve Done” from BELLY OF THE BEAST – Written by Mary J. Blige, Nova Wav, DJ Camper. Performed by Mary J. Blige (PBS)
“Turntables” from ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY – Written by Janelle Monáe. Performed by Janelle Monáe (Amazon)

ORIGINAL SCORE – INDEPENDENT FILM (FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
ALL AGAINST ALL (Fivia) – Kristian Sensini
BLACK BEACH (eOne Films Spain) – Arturo Cardelus
BLIZZARD OF SOULS (DVĒSEĻU PUTENIS) (Access – A / Pandastorm) – Lolita Ritmanis
SUMMER KNIGHT (China Film Administration) – Min He
ZERØ (Nemesis Media) – Ricardo Curto

OUTSTANDING MUSIC SUPERVISION – FILM
Angela Leus – TROLLS WORLD TOUR (Universal Studios)
Bonnie Greenberg – THE LIFE AHEAD (LA VITA DAVANTI A SE) (Netflix)
Guy C. Routte – THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION (Netflix)
Linda Cohen – THE HIGH NOTE (Focus Features)
Lynn Fainchtein – THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY (Hulu)
Sue Jacobs – PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN (Focus Features)
Tom MacDougall – SOUL (Walt Disney Studios)

SOUNDTRACK ALBUM
ASSASSIN’S CREED VALHALLA (Lakeshore Records)
BILL & TED: FACE THE MUSIC (Lakeshore Records)
JINGLE JANGLE: A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY (Atlantic Records)
ONWARD (Walt Disney Records)
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN (Capitol Records)
SOUL (Walt Disney Records)
THE EDDY (Sony Classical)

Lisa Marie’s 8 Top Non-Fiction Books of 2020

Posted on January 29, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

I have to admit that I’m a little bit disappointed in myself. Considering that I pretty much spent 9 months on lockdown, I didn’t read anywhere near as much as I should have in 2020.

Certainly, when I was first told that I’d be working from home, I thought to myself, “Finally! I can work my way through my library!” I thought I was going to read a book a day and watch 100 movies every week. It didn’t work out that way. To be honest, I got so frustrated with the whole endless lockdown thing that I often couldn’t focus enough to do anything productive with my time. I’m sure I’m not alone in that.

That said, I may not have read as much as I was hoping to read but I still read some very good books. So, without further ado, here are my top eight non-fiction books of 2020!

Made Men: The Story of Goodfellas by Glenn Kenny — Goodfellas is one of the best films of all time and Glenn Kenny’s examination of both the movie and it’s place in pop culture is perhaps one of the best film books of all time. Kenny not only details the true story behind Goodfellas but he also examines the film scene-by-scene. This book is full of unexpected insight and behind-the-scenes trivia. It’s everything you could want from a film book.
Alright, Alright, Alright: The Oral History of Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused by Melissa Maerz — This is a frequently fascinating oral history about one of the greatest Texas films of all time, Dazed and Confused. Maerz was able to interview almost everyone involved with the film and the end result is funny, touching, and thought-provoking look at a classic film. This is worth it just for the chapters on Shawn Andrews.
Dolls! Dolls! Dolls! Deep Inside Valley of the Dolls, the Most Beloved Bad Book and Movie of All Time by Stephen Rebello — This fun book details everything you could possibly want to know about the film version of Valley of the Dolls. Especially interesting are the chapters that deal with the actresses and actors who were considered for the film. There are indeed some surprising names to found.
Taking Shape II: The Lost Halloween Sequel by Dustin McNeill and Travis Mullins — Probably the only thing I like more than a good book about the production of a film is a good book about a film that didn’t go into production. Taking Shape II is an exhaustive look at all of the sequels that have been proposed for Halloween over the years. The book not only details what each film could have been but also why they ultimately weren’t produced. If you’re a horror fan, this is essential reading.
Cinema ’62: The Greatest Year at the Movies by Michael McClellan and Stephen Farber — Was 1962 the greatest year in film? This book makes a good case that it may have been.
The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood by Sam Wasson — This is another fascinating behind-the-scenes look at a classic film. The Big Goodbye not only tells you everything you could want to know about Chinatown but it also places it in its correct cultural and historical context.
The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History by Andy Greene — This oral history of my favorite sitcom is both a funny tribute to a great show and also a rather sad look at how The Office was often screwed over by NBC. The only thing keeping this book from being ranked higher is the lack of fresh interviews with Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and some of the other principles. Indeed, much of the “oral history” is lifted from various DVD commentaries. Still, Greene does a good job of organizing the information and the book will definitely make you want to sit down and rewatch the show.
Gone at Midnight: The Tragic True Story Behind the Unsolved Internet Sensation by Jake Anderson — This is a thought-provoking examination of the mysterious death of Elisa Lam and the internet culture that sprung up around the video of her final hours.

TSL Looks Back at 2020:

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Ernst Lubitsch Edition

Posted on January 29, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

129 years ago today, Ernst Lubitsch was born in Germany. It was in Germany where he first started his directorial career, directing his first silent film in 1918. He came to Hollywood in 1922 and continued to work as a director up until he suffered a sudden and fatal heart attack in 1947. Lubitsch was famed for the “Lubitsch touch,” which could roughly be translated into the fact that he made sophisticated, sexually-charged comedies for adults. During the Depression, he provided audiences with an escape from the drudgery of everyday life. Lubitsch brought the comedy of manners to Hollywood and his influence is still felt to this day.

In honor of Ernst Lubitsch’s career and cinematic legacy, here are….

4 Shots From 4 Ernst Lubitsch Films

Rosita (1923, dir by Ernst Lubitsch, DP: Charles Rosher)

One Hour With You (1931, dir by Ernst Lubitsch, DP: Victor Milner)

Trouble In Paradise (1932, dir by Ernst Lubitsch, DP: Victor Milner)

The Merry Widow (1934, dir by Ernst Lubitsch, DP: Oliver T. Marsh)

Scenes That I Love: Ruth and Sonny in The Last Picture Show (Cloris Leachman, RIP)

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Yesterday, it was announced that the actress Cloris Leachman had passed away at the age of 94.

Leachman had a long career. I know that most people know her from her comedic work. Indeed, when it was announced that she had passed, Twitter was full of people posting clips from Young Frankenstein, Raising Hope, and a host of other comedies. However, Leachman was also just as a capable as a dramatic actress. She began her career in 1947 and, though she worked regularly (and appeared in the noir classic, Kiss Me Deadly), her career really didn’t pick up until she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1972.

She won that Oscar for playing Ruth Popper in The Last Picture Show. Ruth is the lonely wife of a closeted high school coach in a small Texas town. She has an affair with teenager Sonny Crawford (Timothy Bottoms), just for him to abandon her for the beautiful but self-absorbed Jacy Farrow (Cybil Shepherd). At the end of the film, after realizing that Jacy actually has no interest in him, Sonny attempts to return to Ruth. It’s a powerful scene, largely due to Leachman’s performance.

In memory of Cloris Leachman, here’s a scene that I love:

Lisa Marie’s 20 Favorite Songs of 2020

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Every January, I list my favorite songs of the previous year and, every January, I include the same disclaimer. My favorite songs are not necessarily the favorite songs of any of the other writers here at the Shattered Lens. We are a large and diverse group of people and, as such, we all have our own individual tastes.

If you ever visited the TSL Bunker, you would be shocked by the different music coming out of each office. You would hear everything from opera to death metal to the best of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. And then, of course, you would reach my office and you would discover that my taste in music pretty much runs the gamut from EDM to More EDM.

Now, usually, I do try to listen to a variety of music. You can go to my Song of the Day site — Lisa Marie’s Song of the Day — and see that I do occasionally listen to other types of music. But, I have to be honest. 2020 was not a year that inspired me to really leave me comfort zone. If anything, music provided me with some much needed consistency in an otherwise chaotic year. 2020 was a year that made me want to dance until it was all over and, for the most part, my favorite songs of the year reflect that fact.

Before I list my songs, I should make something else very clear. These are my favorite songs of 2020. I’m not saying that they’re necessarily the best songs of 2020. I’ll leave that debate for others. Instead, there are the songs that I found myself listening to over and over again. These are the songs made me dance. These are the songs that made me sing. A few of these songs relaxed me when I needed to be relaxed. These are songs that I liked.

Lisa Marie’s 16 Worst Films of 2020

Posted on January 27, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Well, it’s nearly February so I guess it’s time for me to start listing my picks for the best and the worst of 2020.

It’s pretty much a tradition here at the Shattered Lens that I always end up running behind as far as posting these lists are concerned. I always think that I’m going to have everything ready to go during the first week of January but then I realize that there’s still a host of movies that I need to see before I can, in good conscience, post any sort of list. In fact, as I sit here writing this post, I’m watching some films that could very well make it onto my best of 2020 list.

Of course, the list below is not my best of 2020 list. Instead, below, you’ll find my picks for the 16 worst films of 2020. Why 16 films? Because Lisa doesn’t do odd numbers!

It probably won’t be a surprise you to see some of these films on the list. For instance, I don’t think anyone will be shocked to see The Grudge or After We Collided mentioned. However, I imagine that some people will be surprised to see The Trial of the Chicago 7 on the list. What can I say? The more I thought about it, the more it represented everything that I dislike about mainstream Hollywood filmmaking. The fact that it’s probably going to be a major Oscar contender made it even more important to list it. I’m sure there’s a lot of critics, for instance, who wish they had found room for Green Book when they were compiling their 2018 lists.

In the end, of course, this list is my opinion. You’re free to agree or disagree. That’s the wonderful thing about having an opinion.

(Also be sure to check out my picks for 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010!)

And now, the list:

16. John Henry (dir by Will Forbes) — I actually feel kind of bad for listing this silly B-movie as one of the worst of 2020 but it was just so slowly paced and thematically muddled that I really didn’t have a choice.

15. The Binge (dir by Jeremy Garelick) — Doing The Purge with drugs and alcohol as opposed to murder is actually a pretty cool idea so this movie has no excuse for being so dull. There is one fun dance number that livens things up, which is why The Binge is listed at number 15 as opposed to number 3.

14. Once Upon A Time In London (dir by Simon Rumley) — London has a rich and exciting history when it comes to organized crime but you wouldn’t know that from watching this dull film.

13. Valley Girl (dir by Rachel Lee Goldenberg) — This remake was a boring jukebox musical that featured 30 year-old high school students and unimaginative use of a host of 80s songs. (A girl at the beach says that she just wants to have fun. Can you guess what song the cast started singing?)

12. Ava (dir by Tate Taylor) — Jessica Chastain’s an assassin and …. *yawn.* Tate Taylor was exactly the wrong director to be expected to do anything interesting with this story.

11. Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island (dir by Jeff Wadlow) — My fantasy would be for a better film. Boom! Roasted! (Actually, I bet I’m the thousandth blogger to have said that.)

10. The Grudge (dir by Nicolas Pesce) — Eh. Who cares?

9. Artemis Fowl (dir by Kenneth Branagh) — This was a confusing movie that mixed the least interesting parts of the Harry Potter franchise with the least interesting bits of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

8. The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson (dir by Daniel Farrands) — I actually defended The Haunting of Sharon Tate but this semi-follow up was just too distasteful. What was the deal with Nicole being dragged across the ceiling? Both Mena Suvari and Nick Stahl deserve better. So does director Daniel Farrands, for that matter.

7. The Dalton Gang (dir by Christopher Forbes) — Never has the old west looked so cheap.

6. After We Collided (dir by Roger Kumble) — This was marginally better than the first After but that’s not saying much. The total lack of chemistry between the two romantic leads makes it difficult to care about whether or not they ever end up together. The cloying cameo from writer Anna Todd (“What have you written?” “Oh, this and that,”) almost made me throw a shoe at my TV.

5. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (dir by Aaron Sorkin) — I liked Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s performance and the scene where Bobby Seale gets gagged in court was powerful and disturbing. Otherwise, this movie represented Hollywood at its most vapid.

4. Sergio (dir by Greg Barker) — This was a muddled and poorly acted commercial for the United Nations.

3. A Fall From Grace (dir Tyler Perry) — Tyler Perry’s beard was the best thing about this movie.

2. The Last Thing He Wanted (dir by Dee Rees) — This was the first bad film that I saw in 2020 and it’s remained here, near the bottom of the list, for 12 months. This movie was a muddle mess that thought it had more to say than it did. It did feature a good performance from Willem DaFoe, which saved it from being the worst film of the year. Instead, that honor goes to….

1. Let Them All Talk (dir by Steven Soderbergh) — This mind-numbingly dull film from Steven Soderbergh seems to be determined to troll everyone who has ever said that they’d watch Meryl Streep in anything.

Coming up tomorrow: my favorite songs of 2020!

TSL Looks Back at 2020:

The New York Film Critics Online Honors Minari!

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Along with all the other groups that announced their picks for the best of 2020 this year, the New York Film Critics Online announced that they had selected Minari as the best film of the year!

Here are the NYFCO winners:

Best Picture: “Minari”
Best Director: Chloé Zhao – “Nomadland”
Best Actor: Riz Ahmed – “Sound of Metal”
Best Actress: Carey Mulligan – “Promising Young Woman”
Best Supporting Actor: Leslie Odom Jr. – “One Night in Miami”
Best Supporting Actress: Ellen Burstyn – “Pieces of a Woman” & Yuh-Jung Youn – “Minari” (TIE)
Best Screenplay: “Promising Young Woman” – Emerald Fennell
Best Animated Feature: “Soul”
Best Cinematography: “Nomadland” – Joshua James Richards
Best Use of Music: “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” – Brandon Marsalis
Best Documentary Feature: “The Way I See It”
Best Foreign Language: “Minari”
Best Debut Director: Emerald Fennell – “Promising Young Woman”
Breakthrough Performer: Kingsley Ben-Adir – “One Night in Miami” & Maria Bakalova – “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” (TIE)
Best Ensemble Cast: “The Trial of the Chicago 7”

Top 10 Films (alphabetical)
“The Assistant”
“First Cow”
“I’m Thinking of Ending Things”
“Minari”
“Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
“Nomadland”
“One Night in Miami”
“Promising Young Woman”
“Tommaso”
“The Trial of the Chicago 7”