Category Archives: Editorial

Lisa Marie’s Week In Review: 12/30/24 — 1/5/25

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to 2025!

Well, it’s a new year and we are off to a really strong start here at the Shattered Lens!  Thank you to everyone who has contributed this week and thank you to all of our readers!

As I sit here typing this, the wind is howling outside and the temperature is plunging.  We’ve been getting ready for the first big snow storm of 2025, which is supposed to hit us on Thursday.  So, as I shiver and turn a weary eye towards the Golden Globes, here’s what I watched, read, and listened to last week!

Films I Watched:

  1. The Ambulance (1990)
  2. Bad Actor: A Hollywood Ponzi Scheme (2024)
  3. The Bat Woman (1968)
  4. The Big Chase (1954)
  5. Bonnie and Clyde Justified (2013)
  6. A Chef’s Deadly Revenge (2024)
  7. Dressed to Kill (2025)
  8. 48 Hours (1982)
  9. From Here To Eternity (1953)
  10. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
  11. Hellzapoppin’ (1941)
  12. The Hole In The Wall (1929)
  13. In A Volent Nature (2024)
  14. The Last Innocent Man (1987)
  15. Noriega: God’s Favorite (2000)
  16. The Twilight Zone Movie (1983)
  17. Money Plane (2020)
  18. Shoot To Kill (1988)
  19. Turbulence 3: Heavy Metal (2001)
  20. Vanished in Death Valley (2025)
  21. Vanished Out Of Sight (2025)
  22. Wild 90 (1968)
  23. The Wrong Life Coach (2024)

Television Shows I Watched:

  1. CHiPs
  2. Cobra Kai
  3. Dark
  4. Days of our Lives
  5. Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest
  6. Going Dutch
  7. Hell’s Kitchen
  8. King of the Hill
  9. Miami Vice
  10. Saved By The Bell
  11. The Twilight Zone

Books I Read:

  1. Mazes and Monsters (1981) by Rona Jaffe
  2. Not Even Nominated (2024) by John DiLeo

Music To Which I Listened:

  1. Adi Ulmansky
  2. Blanck Mass
  3. Britney Spears
  4. Carly Simon
  5. The Chemical Brothers
  6. Coldplay
  7. Dooms UK
  8. Enya
  9. Folk Implosion
  10. The Hospital
  11. Jakalope
  12. Labi Siffre
  13. Lady Gaga
  14. Madness
  15. Ramones
  16. Rita Coolidge
  17. Riz Ortolani
  18. Saint Motel
  19. Sick Visor
  20. Shirley Bassey
  21. Skrillex
  22. Steve Wilson
  23. Tears For Fears
  24. X

Live Tweets:

  1. Turbulence 3: Heavy Metal
  2. 48 Hours
  3. Money Plane
  4. The Twilight Zone Movie

Awards Season:

  1. Lisa Marie’s Oscar Predictions For December
  2. Golden Globes
  3. North Carolina Film Critics Association
  4. Set Decorators Society of America
  5. Oklahoma Film Critics Circle
  6. Kansas City Film Critics Circle
  7. Greater Western New York Film Critics Association
  8. National Society of Film Critics
  9. Minnesota Film Critics Association
  10. Music City Film Critics Association
  11. Columbus Film Critics Association
  12. Critics Association of Central Florida
  13. Georgia Film Critics Association
  14. Kansas City Film Critics Circle
  15. North Texas Film Critics Association
  16. Columbus Film Critics Association 

Trailers:

  1. 6 Trailers For Pop Music Day

News From Last Week:

  1. Director Jeff Baena Passes Away At 47
  2. Author David Lodge Passes Away At 89
  3. Actor Niels Arestrup Passed Away At 75
  4. Actor John Capodice Dies At 83

Links From Last Week:

  1. 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2025
  2. What do The Doors & Mötley Crüe have in common?
  3. My 2024 In Books
  4. Goodbye 2024! Welcome 2025 With Grilled Onion Smash Burgers And Good Luck Food!

Links From the Site:

  1. Case shared a story about fighting!
  2. Leonard reviewed Anora and The Substance!  He shared his thoughts on the Golden Globes!
  3. Jeff reviewed Airplane!, Airplane 2, Night Shift, Scalplock, Chip of the Flying U, and Re-Election Campaign!
  4. Jeff shared a great moment in TV history and a great moment in comic book history!
  5. Erin reviewed Stealing Home and shared The Shocking Covers of Crime Detective!  She shared a visual journey through the fog and wished all of you a happy new year!
  6. Erin shared Sin Time/Office Pet, Reckless Virgin, One Hot Winter, Passion Holiday, Hope, Movie Humor, and Zippy!
  7. Brad revealed what Sergio Leone thought of Charles Bronson and wished happy birthdays to Robert Duvall and John Sturges.
  8. Brad reviewed The Children of Huang Shi, Why Not Me?, The Shawshank Redemption, From Noon Till Three, Episode One of Shane, The Mechanic, and The Tall T!
  9. I listed what I’m looking forward to in 2025!
  10. I reviewed The Love Boat, Monsters, Malibu CA, Highway to Heaven, St. Elsewhere, Friday the 13th, Welcome Back Kotter, Check It Out, and Homicide: Life on the Street!
  11. I shared music videos from Lady Gaga, Steven Wilson, Enya, Tears For Fears, Saint Motel, Sick Visor, and Ramones!
  12. I shared songs of the day from Nino Rota, Skrillex, Ennio Morricone, Shirley Bassey, and Carly Simon!
  13. I reviewed Solomon King, The Power of the Dog, Skokie, And The Band Played On, Shoot To Kill, The Last Innocent Man, Noriega: God’s Favorite, The Shoes of the Fisherman, The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper, Escape,  The Life of Emile Zola, Voyage of the Damned, Dressed to Kill, Tucker, The Valiant, Unforgiven, The Wrong Life Coach, Heaven’s Gate, Rockshow, Megalopolis, In Old Chicago, Furiosa,  Save The Tiger, The Don Is Dead, Ghosts Can’t Do It, Chariots of the Gods, Shoot First, Mean Streets, The Deer Hunter, Caligula, The Assassination of Trotsky, Days of Thunder, Enemy Within, Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, Woyzeck, Starcrash, and Beyond The Poseidon Adventure!
  14. I read Not Even Nominated and Mazes and Monsters!
  15. I shared 4 Shots From 4 New Year’s Films and 4 Shots From 4 Science Fiction Films!
  16. I shared scenes from Tomorrow Never Die, Cobra, Once Upon A Time In America, Metropolis, and Strange Days!
  17. I paid tribute to Roger Spottiswoode, George Pan Cosmatos, and Sergio Leone!
  18. I shared an AMV, a blast from the past, and my week in television!

More From Us:

  1. For Horror Critic, I reviewed In A Violent Nature
  2. At my music site, I shared songs from Britney Spears, Dooms UK, The Hospital, Madness and Labi Siffre!
  3. At SyFyDesigns, I said “Happy New Year!’
  4. At my online dream journal, I shared First Dream of 2025, Disco Dream, and a Fragment!
  5. At her photography site, Erin shared A Spider Hard At Work, A Spider Hanging In The Air, The Spider’s Work Is Never Done, The Spider Builds A Trap, and A Spider Does What It Can!

Want to check out last week?  Click here!

Scenes That I Love: The Final Moments of Sergio Leone’s Once Upon A Time In America

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

(SPOILERS BELOW)

The final moments of Sergio Leone’s epic 1984 gangster film, Once Upon A Time in America, are filed with questions and mysteries.

Who did Noodles (played by Robert De Niro) see standing outside of Max’s mansion?  When the garbage truck pulled up, did the mysterious man get in the truck or was he thrown in by some unseen force?

Why, in 1968, did Noodles see a car from the 1920s, one that was full of people who appeared to be celebrating the end of prohibition?  Was the car really there or was it an element of Noodles’s past as a gangster suddenly popping into his mind?

Once Upon A Time In America was Sergio Leone’s final film.  It’s one that he spent decades trying to get made and, once it was finally produced, it was butchered and re-edited by a studio hacks who demanded that the film tell its story in a linear style.  Leone was reportedly heart-broken by how his film was treated.  Some have speculated that his disappointment may have even contributed to the heart attack that eventually killed him.  It was only after Leone passed that his version of Once Upon A Time In America became widely available in the U.S.  This enigmatic epic continues to spark debate.  One thing that can’t be denied is that it’s a brilliant film.

As today is Leone’s birthday, it only seems appropriate to share a scene that I love, the final moments of Once Upon A Time In America.

6 Things That I’m Looking Forward To In January

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

It’s January!

Traditionally, as far as pop culture goes, January doesn’t get much respect.  If a studio has a film that they knew isn’t going to be a hit with critics or audiences, January is where they usually dump it with the full knowledge that, as bad as it is, everyone will have forgotten about it by the time summer rolls around.  The same can often be said of publishers.  With everyone busy getting caught up on what they missed during the last few months of the previous year, chances are that they won’t notice a few bombs dropped on the cultural landscape.  That’s the theory anyways.

But, you know me!  I’m an optimist.  And I remain convinced that, even in January, there are things to which we can look forward,  And here’s six of those things!

(Why six?  Because Lisa Marie doesn’t do odd numbers!)

  1. The Oscars

Yes, it’s that time of year!  The Oscar nominations are going to be announced on January 17th!  That’s two and a half weeks from now!  Obviously, I’ve got quite a bit that I still need to watch.  Wish me luck!

2. Sundance Film Festival

The first big film festival of the year opens on January 23rd.  Which films will emerge as Oscar contenders from this year’s festival?  It’s also possible that this year’s Sundance could be the last to be held in the snowy mountains of Utah.  If Sundance does move to either Boulder or Cincinnati, this year’s festival will indeed be the end of an era.  (Quite frankly, it’s hard for me to imagine a Sundance Film Festival without snow.)

3. Wolf Man

Directed by Leigh Whannell, the latest version of the Wolf Man will be released on January 17th.  Will this Wolf Man be as full of self-pity as Lon Chaney Jr’s version was?  We’ll find out!

4, Presence

As a filmmaker, Steven Soderbergh can be hit-or-miss.  He’s directed some truly brilliant films.  He’s also directed some rather pretentious dreck.  His latest film, Presence, appears to be a horror film but, knowing Soderbergh, there will probably be some twist that will annoy me to no end.  That said, the film stars Lucy Liu and she’s someone who definitely deserves to make a comeback.  The film is due to be released on the 24th and I’m hoping for the best!

5. Screamboat

This is apparently a horror version of Steamboat Willie.  This movie is probably going to suck but I’m just curious to see whether it’s going to be merely forgettable or a full-on disaster.  Screamboat is destined to ruin some childhood memories on January 24th.  Normally, I’d assign Case to check this out for us but I don’t think he’s forgiven me for making him watch Escape From Tomorrow.

6. Back In Action

Cameron Diaz came out of retirement to star in this action comedy.  The script must have been really amazing, right?  Uhmm….right?  We’ll find out when the film is released on January 17th.

What are you looking forward to in January?  Let us know in the comments!

Happy New Year From The Shattered Lens

Posted on by Dazzling Erin

by Erin Nicole

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2024 is over and 2025 has begun.  The slate is clean, the page is blank, and it’s all up to us to decide what type of year this is going to be.

I’ve included two signs in this post.  At the top is what I hope to do whenever I am tempted to give into anger, despair, or bitterness.  At the bottom is what I sincerely hope for all of us in 2025.

By Erin Nicole

Happy New Year!  My resolution is to make 2025 count!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Review: 12/23/24 — 12/29/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

2024 is nearly over and I have a cold so here’s one final abbreviated week in review for 2024!  This time next week, it will be 2025 and hopefully, I’ll be feeling a lot better.  I’ve already got a lot of reviews written and scheduled to drop, starting with January 1st.  2024 was a rough year for me so I’m looking forward to making 2025 count!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season!  Stay safe out there1

Films I Watched:

  1. A Christmas Story (1983)
  2. Cyberjack (1995)
  3. Die Hard (1988)
  4. The Don Is Dead (1973)
  5. Escape (2012)
  6. Galaxy of Terror (1981)
  7. Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)
  8. The Life of Emile Zola (1936)
  9. In Old Chicago (1936)
  10. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
  11. Major League (1989)
  12. Megalopolis (2024)
  13. The Preview Murder Mystery (1936)
  14. The Valiant (1929)

Television Shows I Watched:

  1. Check It Out!
  2. Degrassi High
  3. Degrassi: The Next Generation
  4. Dragnet
  5. Friday the 13th: The Series
  6. Happy New Year, Charlie Brown
  7. Highway to Heaven
  8. Homicide: Life On The Street
  9. King of the Hill
  10. The Love Boat
  11. Monsters
  12. Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town
  13. Saved By The Bell
  14. Seinfeld
  15. St. Elsewhere
  16. TV 2000
  17. Welcome Back, Kotter

Links From Last Week:

  1. Actress Olivia Hussey Dies At 73
  2. Actress Dayle Haddon Dies At 76
  3. Movies With A “Q!” Yes, There Are Ten! Bill Murray’s “Quick Change!” Helen Mirren Is “The Queen” And More!
  4. Obsession and its “Undoing”
  5. My December 2024 in Books So Far

Click here for last week!

It’s A Wonderful Life (1946, dir by Frank Capra, DP: Joseph Walker and Joseph Biroc)

Lisa Marie’s Week In Review: 12/16/24 — 12/22/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Happy holidays everyone!  I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Films I Watched:

  1. Beyond The Poseidon Adventures (1979)
  2. Black Christmas (1974)
  3. Caddyshack (1980)
  4. Chariots of the Gods (1970)
  5. A Christmas Carol (1951)
  6. Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974)
  7. Double Nickels (1977)
  8. Elf (2003)
  9. Godzilla against Mechagodzilla (2002)
  10. Miracle Mile (1988)
  11. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
  12. Rockshow (1980)
  13. Scrooge (1970)
  14. Shoot First: A Cop’s Vengeance (1991)
  15. Starcrash (1978)

Television Shows I Watched:

  1. Abbott Elementary
  2. Accused
  3. Amerika
  4. Dragnet
  5. Malibu CA
  6. The Mary Tyler Moore Show
  7. Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town
  8. That Girl

Music To Which I Listened:

  1. Ballet Zoom
  2. Bing Crosby
  3. Blondie
  4. Bob Dylan
  5. Britney Spears
  6. The Chemical Brothers
  7. Chiara Savasta
  8. Clint Mansell
  9. Coldplay
  10. Commodores
  11. Dasha
  12. David Bowie
  13. Donna Summer
  14. Hues Corporation
  15. Lydia
  16. Madness
  17. Paul McCartney and Wings
  18. Paul Simon
  19. Postmodern Jukebox
  20. The Rabbits
  21. Ramones
  22. Reyin
  23. Richard Hell and the Voidoids 
  24. Saint Motel
  25. Simple Minds
  26. Siouxsie and the Banshees
  27. Taylor Swift
  28. Thelma Houston
  29. The Trammps
  30. Van McCoy
  31. The Wallflowers
  32. Walter Murphy
  33. X
  34. Yvonne Elliman

Live Tweets:

  1. Double Nickels
  2. Dirty Mary Crazy Larry
  3. Miracle Mile
  4. Black Christmas

Awards Season:

  1. Iowa Film Critics Association
  2. Southern Eastern Film Critics Association 
  3. Seattle Film Critics Society
  4. New York Film Critics Online
  5. Indiana Film Journalists Association 
  6. Phoenix Film Critics Society
  7. Satellite Nominations
  8. San Francisco Bay Area Critics Circle
  9. St. Louis Film Critics Association 

News From Last Week:

  1. Lords of Acid’s Ruth McArdle dies
  2. Where is James Bond?  Trapped in an ugly stalemate with Amazon
  3. Actor Art Evans dies at 82

Links From Last Week:

  1. Do You Know The Secrets Of “Die Hard?” Here’s Proof It’s A Christmas Film!
  2. Tater’s Week in Review 12/20/24
  3. Yule Tidings: 2024

Links From The Site:

  1. Necromoonyeti shared his top 35 albums of 2024!
  2. Leonard shared the trailer for Superman!
  3. Brad reviewed Ladyhawke, Christmas List, The Family Man, Ruthless People, Frequency, Showdown at Boot Hill, and My Cousin Vinny!
  4. Erin shared Dime Detective Magazine, Seven Steps East, Speed Detective, The Servant, Popular Detective, The Wide World, and Film Fun!

Click here for last week!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Review: 12/9/24 — 12/15/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Well, this is embarrassing.

Last night, after a long day of shopping, movie watching, and walking in the rain, I fell asleep before I got a chance to do my week in review!  So, here is a quick, late, mini-version of my week in review.

Movies I Watched:

  1. Average Joe (2024)
  2. Caligula: The Ultimate Cut (2024)
  3. The Deer Hunter (1978)
  4. Enemy Within (2016)
  5. Heaven’s Gate (1980)
  6. Jack Frost (1997)
  7. Santa Claus Conquers The Martians (1964)
  8. Saturday Night (2024)
  9. The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968)
  10. Silent Night Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)
  11. Strange Brew (1983)
  12. Woyzeck (1979)

Links From Last Week:

  1. Tater’s Week in Review 12/13/24
  2. Light hearts and warm smiles
  3. Do You Know The Secrets Of “Love Actually?” All My Favorite Holiday Films Are Here!
  4. 200 Balloons (By Prince)

Click here for last week!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Review: 12/2/24 — 12/8/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I’ve got a cold so I’m just going to do an abbreviated week in review.  Thank you for your understanding!

Films I Watched:

  1. After Hours (1985)
  2. The Assassination of Trotsky (1972)
  3. The Baron (1977)
  4. Bull Durham (1988)
  5. The Challenge (1982)
  6. Che! (1969)
  7. Dead For A Dollar (2022)
  8. Death Race 2000 (1975)
  9. The Disappearance of Flight 412 (1974)
  10. The Final Season (2007)
  11. Ghost Can’t Do It (1989)
  12. Night Shift (1982)
  13. Open Grave (2013)
  14. Portrait of a Showgirl (1982)
  15. Red Alert (1977)
  16. Sex and Broadcasting (2014)
  17. Skokie (1981)
  18. Solomon King (1974)
  19. Stealing Home (1988)
  20. Tucker: The Man And His Dream (1988)
  21. Voyage of the Damned (1976)

Television Shows I Watched:

  1. Amerika
  2. A Charlie Brown Christmas
  3. CHiPs
  4. Fantasy Island
  5. Frosty The Snowman
  6. Homicide
  7. How The Grinch Stole Christmas
  8. The Love Boat
  9. Miami Vice
  10. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
  11. St. Elsewhere
  12. Snub
  13. Welcome Back Kotter

Links From Last Week:

  1. Actor Thom Christopher Dies At 84
  2. New York’s Lit Up For The Holidays! The 30 Rock Tree Video! + Bergdorf Goodman’s Magical Holiday Windows!
  3. Today’s Inspiration c/o Prince Ramses XII
  4. Tater’s Week in Review 12/6/24

Click here for last week!

 

Retro Television Reviews Will Return On December 2nd!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Happy Thanksgiving!  Due to the holiday, Retro Television Reviews will be taking a few days off!  This feature will return on Monday, December 2nd, with Miami Vice and CHiPs!

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend everyone!