Tag Archives: Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Rob Reiner Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films is all about letting the visuals do the talking.

A mere 4 shots cannot sum up how shocked and heartbroken we all are today.  Rest in Peace, Rob Reiner.

4 Shots From 4 Rob Reiner Films

Stand By Me (1986, dir by Rob Reiner, DP: Thomas Del Ruth)

The Princess Bride (1987, dir by Rob Reiner, DP: Adrian Biddle)

When Harry Met Sally (1989, dir by Rob Reiner, DP: Barry Sonnenfeld)

A Few Good Men (1992, dir by Rob Reiner, DP: Robert Richardson)

Join #MondayMania For The Bachelor Next Door!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Hi, everyone!  Tonight, on twitter, I will be hosting one of my favorite films for #MondayMania!  Join us for 2017’s The Bachelor Next Door!

You can find the movie on Prime and then you can join us on twitter at 9 pm central time!  (That’s 10 pm for you folks on the East Coast.)  See you then!

Monday Live Tweet Alert: Join Us For The Crater Lake Monster!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in hosting a few weekly live tweets on twitter and occasionally Mastodon.  I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of Mastodon’s #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We snark our way through it.

Tonight, for #MondayActionMovie, the film will be 1977’s The Crater Lake Monster! I picked it so you know it’ll be good.

It should make for a night of fun viewing and I invite all of you to join in.  If you want to join the live tweets, just hop onto Mastodon, find the movie on YouTube, Tubi, or Prime hit play at 8 pm et, and use the #MondayActionMovie hashtag!  The  watch party community is a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.   

See you soon!

One Battle After Another Wins In San Francisco

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Last night, the San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle announced their picks for the best of 2025.  The winners and runner-up are in bold.

Best Picture
Hamnet
One Battle After Another (WINNER)
Sentimental Value
Sinners (RUNNER-UP)
Train Dreams

Best Director
Hamnet – Chloé Zhao
It Was Just An Accident – Jafar Panahi
One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson (WINNER)
Sentimental Value – Joachim Trier
Sinners – Ryan Coogler (RUNNER-UP)

Best Original Screenplay
Sinners – Ryan Coogler (RUNNER-UP)
Sentimental Value – Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier (WINNER)
Sorry, Baby – Eva Victor
It Was Just An Accident – Jafar Panahi
Weapons – Zach Cregger

Best Adapted Screenplay
Bugonia
Hamnet
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another (WINNER)
Train Dreams (RUNNER-UP)

Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another (RUNNER-UP)
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon (WINNER)
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent

Best Actress
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet (RUNNER-UP)
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (WINNER)
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Emma Stone – Bugonia
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby

Best Supporting Actor
Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another (WINNER)
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value (RUNNER-UP)

Best Supporting Actress
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value (RUNNER-UP)
Amy Madigan – Weapons (WINNER)
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

Best Animated Feature
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters (WINNER)
Little Amélie Or The Character Of Rain
Zootopia 2 (RUNNER-UP)

Best International Feature Film
It Was Just An Accident (WINNER)
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value (RUNNER-UP)
Sirat

Best Documentary Feature
The Alabama Solution (RUNNER-UP)
Come See Me In The Good Light
Orwell: 2+2=5 (WINNER)
The Perfect Neighbor
Riefenstahl

Best Cinematography
Frankenstein – Dan Laustsen
Hamnet – Łukasz Żal
One Battle After Another – Michael Bauman
Sinners – Autumn Durald Arkapaw (WINNER)
Train Dreams – Adolpho Veloso (RUNNER-UP)

Best Production Design
Frankenstein – Tamara Deverell (RUNNER-UP)
Hamnet – Fiona Crombie
Marty Supreme – Jack Fisk
One Battle After Another – Florencia Martin
Sinners – Hannah Beachler (WINNER)

Best Film Editing
A House Of Dynamite – Kirk Baxter
F1 – Stephen Mirrione
Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
One Battle After Another – Andy Jurgensen (WINNER)
Sinners – Michael P. Shawver (RUNNER-UP)

Best Original Score
Bugonia – Jerskin Fendrix
Frankenstein – Alexandre Desplat
One Battle After Another – Jonny Greenwood (RUNNER-UP)
Sinners – Ludwig Göransson (WINNER)
Train Dreams – Bryce Dessner

Special Citation for Independent Cinema
Brother Verses Brother (RUNNER-UP)
The Encampments
Happyend
Twinless (WINNER)

The Marlon Riggs Award (Goes to someone from or working in the Bay Area)
Karen Larsen – Publicist and Academy member who tirelessly advocates for independent film and giving local people opportunities that build careers beyond the Bay

Sinners Wins In Boston

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Boston Society of Film Critics have announced their picks for the best of 2025.  And here they are!

Best Picture
Winner: Sinners

Best Director
Winner: Ryan Coogler – Sinners

Best Ensemble
Winner: Marty Supreme

Best Actor
Winner: Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon

Best Actress
Winner: Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Stellan Skarsgard – Sentimental Value

Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Amy Madigan – Weapons

Best Foreign-Language Film
Winner: Sentimental Value

Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another

Best Original Screenplay
Winner: Robert Kaplow – Blue Moon

Best New Filmmaker
Winner: Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby

Best Documentary
Winner: Afternoons of Solitude

Best Animated Feature
Winner: Endless Cookie

Best In Show (Best Animal Performance)
Winner: Indy – Good Boy

Best Cinematography
Winner: Sinners

Best Editing
Winner: F1

Best Score
Winner: Sinners

One Battle After Another Gets Another Win In St. Louis

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The St. Louis Film Critics Association has announced its picks for the best of 2025.  The winners are listed in bold.

BEST FILM
Frankenstein
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Phoenician Scheme
The Secret Agent
Sinners
Superman
Weapons

BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson – “One Battle After Another”
Ryan Coogler – “Sinners”
Jafar Panahi – “It Was Just an Accident”
Josh Safdie – “Marty Supreme”
Chloe Zhao – “Hamnet”

BEST ACTRESS
Jessie Buckley – “Hamnet”
Rose Byrne – “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”
Chase Infiniti – “One Battle After Another”
Amanda Seyfried – “The Testament of Ann Lee”
Emma Stone – “Bugonia”

BEST ACTOR
Timothee Chalamet – “Marty Supreme”
Leonardo DiCaprio – “One Battle After Another”
Ethan Hawke – “Blue Moon”
Michael B. Jordan – “Sinners”
Wagner Moura – “The Secret Agent”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Glenn Close – “Wake Up Dead Man”
Elle Fanning – “Sentimental Value”
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – “Sentimental Value”
Amy Madigan – “Weapons”
Teyana Taylor – “One Battle After Another”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benecio del Toro – “One Battle After Another”
Paul Mescal – “Hamnet”
Sean Penn – “One Battle After Another”
Andrew Scott – “Blue Moon”
Stellan Skarsgard – “Sentimental Value”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams
Wake Up Dead Man

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Blue Moon
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Sorry, Baby
Weapons

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Sinners
The Testament of Ann Lee
Wicked: For Good

BEST EDITING
F1
A House of Dynamite
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Frankenstein
Hamnet
The Phoenician Scheme
Sinners
Wicked: For Good

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners
The Testament of Ann Lee

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Sinners
Superman
Tron: Ares

BEST SOUNDTRACK
KPop Demon Hunters
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Wicked: For Good

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE
Arden Cho – “KPop Demon Hunters”
Ginnifer Goodwin – “Zootopia 2”
Damian Lewis – “Orwell: 2+2=5”
Will Patton – “Train Dreams”
Scarlet Sher – “Weapons”

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Ne Zha II
Zootopia 2

BEST ENSEMBLE

Black Bag
Hamnet
A House of Dynamite
One Battle After Another
Sinners

BEST HORROR FILM
28 Years Later
Companion
Frankenstein
Sinners
Weapons

BEST STUNTS
Ballerina
F1
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
One Battle After Another
Warfare

BEST COMEDY FILM
Eephus
Friendship
Good Fortune
The Naked Gun
The Phoenician Scheme

BEST ACTION FILM
F1
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
One Battle After Another
Superman
Warfare

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
2000 Meters to Andriivka
Afternoons of Solitude
Deaf President Now
Orwell: 2+2=5
The Perfect Neighbor

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirāt

BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM
Emilie Blichfeldt – “The Ugly Stepsister”
Andrew DeYoung – “Friendship”
Drew Hancock – “Companion”
Carson Lund – “Eephus”
Eva Victor – “Sorry, Baby”

BEST SCENE
The Globe theatrical production in “Hamnet”
Finale in “It Was Just an Accident”
Music evolution “I Lied to You” in “Sinners”
Baktan Cross Car Chase Scene in “One Battle After Another”
The fate of Aunt Gladys in “Weapons”

Holidays On The Lens: A Mom For Christmas (dir by George T. Miller)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

In this 1990 made-for-TV movie, a little girl wishes for a mom for Christmas.  So, of course, a mannequin played by Olivia Newton-John comes to life and serves as her mother.  The only catch is that she goes back to being a mannequin on Christmas Eve!  Can Olivia’s new family find a way to make her into a real person or will she go be forced to back to decorating a department store as soon as the holidays end?

Watch to find out!

4 Shots From 4 Holiday Films: Christmas In the 90s

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films is all about letting the visuals do the talking.

4 Shots From 4 Holiday Films

Home Alone (1990, dir by Chris Columbus)

Home Alone (1990, dir by Chris Columbus)

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993, dir by Henry Selick)

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993, dir by Henry Selick)

The Santa Clause (1994, dir by John Pasquin)

The Santa Clause (1994, dir by John Pasquin)

Eyes Wide Shut (1999, dir by Stanley Kubrick)

Eyes Wide Shut (1999, dir by Stanley Kubrick)

Holiday Film Review: Finding Mrs. Claus (dir by Mark Jean)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Mrs. Claus (Mira Sorvino) has left the North Pole and is living it up in Las Vegas!

Now, don’t panic.  The plot of 2012’s Finding Mrs. Claus does not involve the Kringles going to divorce court.  Can you imagine how traumatic that would be?  It would ruin Christmas for everyone and I have a feeling that Santa probably wouldn’t put much effort into his job afterwards.  Or, even worse, the court might award the Workshop to Mrs. Claus and she might let her new boyfriend, Tony the Gigolo, take over the business.  If that ever happens, I hope everyone’s okay with their chimneys smelling like Axe body spray on Christmas morning.

Fortunately, Mrs. Claus and Kris (Will Sasso) are still very much in love.  It’s just that Mrs. Claus gets upset when she sees how exhausted Kris is at the end of the day.  When she comes across a letter from a little girl in Las Vegas who wants her mom to find a new husband for Christmas, Mrs. Claus decides to give her husband a break and take care of it herself.  With the help of Calvin the Elf (Geoff Gustafson), she loses his white wig and her old German clothes and she is transformed into …. well, Mira Sorvino.  Mrs. Claus heads to Las Vegas, intent on spreading Christmas cheer.

Kris, when he wakes up, is not happy to discover that his wife is missing.  Grabbing Calvin, he heads down to Vegas to find her.  (He loses the beard on the way to America.)  If Kris can’t find Mrs. Claus before Christmas, there’s going to be a lot of disappointed children in the world.  While Mrs. Claus tried to find a husband for Noelle (Laura Vandervoort), Kris tries to find his wife.

And yes, as you probably already guessed as soon as I mentioned that this movie takes place in Las Vegas, there is an Elvis impersonator sight gag.  It happens quickly but seriously, it’s a Lifetime Christmas film that’s set in Vegas.  There has to be an Elvis impersonator somewhere!

What’s that?  Do I hear you being cynical out there?  Well, stop it!  It’s a cute movie!  It’s a holiday movie that features Mira Sorvino being glamorous as Mrs. Claus and Will Sasso being cheerfully clueless as Santa.  Both Sorvino and Sasso really throw themselves into their roles and the fact that both of them are so well-intentioned but yet so naive about life outside of the North Pole actually make their story a rather sweet one.  While Mrs. Claus understood the importance of blending in with Las Vegas, Santa never seemed to get why anyone would doubt him when he explained what he did for a living.

In the end, this is the type of silly, sentimental, and earnest film that works nicely during the holidays.  The holiday season is a good time to be reminded that not everything has to be dark and depressing.  Towards the end of the film, a character spots a shooting star and makes a wish and it’s hard not to feel that it’s a moment that the film has earned.

I enjoyed it.  It’s a merry film.