Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'bob mondello'

In A Rough Year, A Raft Of Rather Fine Movies

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:16:00 EST

The economy may have turned sour, but with a total take of $9.5 billion at the box office, and 22 films on Bob Mondello's year-end best-movies list, Hollywood can look back at 2008 without shame.

'Tis The Season For Hollywood Blockbusters

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 16:48:00 EST

Between now and the end of the year, more than 50 movies — many hoping for Oscar consideration — will hit movie screens. Moviegoers can look forward to everything from animated French mice to Nazis to visitors from other galaxies. NPR's Bob Mondello previews the offerings such as "The Day the Earth Stood Still," "Valkyrie" and "Frost/Nixon."

Alphabet-Soup Cinema: A Letter-Perfect Watch List

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:02:00 EDT

In his review of W., critic Bob Mondello suggested that if someone had made a movie about the presidents Adams, it could have been called Q. That got us thinking: Could you make a Netflix queue worth of one-letter movies? As it turns out ...

'Duck Soup': Take One Fiscal Crisis, Boil Merrily

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:26:00 EDT

Depression-era comedy sends the Marx Brothers skating through economic territory their namesake Karl would recognize — and it begins with talk of bailouts, tax breaks and other things that Bob Mondello says you'll find familiar, too.

'Righteous Kill': A Subpar 'Dexter', With De Niro

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Oh, and Pacino too. And 50 Cent. They've all banded together for an action-packed serial-killer cop thriller. No, seriously. And critic Bob Mondello says the result is anything but righteous.

In Election Movies, Playing By A Rule of Three

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:26:00 EDT

Hollywood has always recognized the potential drama inherent in elections — think The Manchurian Candidate. Bob Mondello and Michele Norris talk about the intersection of ballot box and box office.

A Trip On The Pineapple Express

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Movie critic Bob Mondello and Andrea Seabrook chat about the new stoner-comedy, Pineapple Express, from the Judd Apatow consortium.

'Brideshead': A Shorter Visit To A Grand Old Place

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:56:00 EDT

Purists, fear not: The new film of the Evelyn Waugh novel is visually sumptuous and largely stays true to its source. And Bob Mondello says this two-hour take on the classic tale provides new insights on character.

New 3-D 'Journey' Sparks a Trip Back to the '50s

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:55:00 EDT

There's a new Hollywood take on Jules Verne's 1863 novel; seeing it sent Bob Mondello back into the nearer past — to the wide-screen version of the tale he saw when he was a kid. Turns out it's still kinda fun.

Senior Love on the Big Screen: 'Elsa and Fred'

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Love is said to be blind but it may also be ageless. NPR film critic Bob Mondello reviews Elsa and Fred, a Spanish dramedy about a Madrid couple who find love in their 70s.

A Blitz of Summer Blockbusters

Sun, 11 May 2008 17:46:00 EDT

Movie theaters don't seem phased by the fact that there is more than one month to go before the official start of summer — more than 20 new films opened in theaters this weekend. Film critic Bob Mondello talks with host Andrea Seabrook about What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas, Speed Racer, Surfwise, Before the Rains, Poultrygeist, and more.

Bette Davis: In Those Eyes, Always a Certain Fire

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:41:00 EDT

She was the Hollywood star for two decades, then a washout, then an Oscar nominee again -- twice. On the centenary of her birth, NPR's Bob Mondello looks back at a star you think you know.

'U2 3D' -- Better Than the Real Thing...

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:45:00 EST

A new concert film featuring the band U2 was shot in digital 3-D. NPR's Bob Mondello says it's so realistic that he wanted to tell the guy sitting in front of him to stop waving his arms -- then realized that the arms were on the screen.

Holidays Bring Movie Madness for Critic

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:23:00 EST

The week between Christmas and New Year's is always a box office bonanza for Hollywood. But for movie critics, the biggest week comes a bit earlier, says NPR's Bob Mondello.

'I Am Legend' a One-Man American Metaphor

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:02:00 EST

On the surface, the sci-fi blockbuster is about Will Smith battling an army of light-phobic zombies. But NPR movie critic Bob Mondello says that the film has some serious terrorism subtext that could only be a product of post-Sept. 11 America.

'The Savages' Captures Realities of a Family Crisis

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:51:00 EST

The Savages, with its depiction of family members dealing with their ailing father, hit close to home for NPR film critic Bob Mondello. Movies are emotionally effective, Mondello says, because they come so close to the truth.

Sputnik Left its Mark on the Silver Screen

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 18:38:00 EDT

All Things Considered film critic Bob Mondello examines Sputnik's impact on the silver screen.

Werner Herzog's 'Rescue Dawn'

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 16:00:00 EDT

All Things Considered film critic Bob Mondello reviews a Vietnam War film from Werner Herzog. Herzog had told this same story before, in a documentary. This time he cast Christian Bale as captured U.S. fighter pilot Dieter Dengler.

Moore's 'Sicko' Lands Blows on U.S. Health Care

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 15:00:00 EDT

Director Michael Moore's latest documentary, Sicko, is an indictment of the U.S. health care system. Melissa Block sizes up Sicko -- as entertainment and expose -- with film critic Bob Mondello and science correspondent Joanne Silberner.

Laurence Olivier: One of a Kind, Twice Over

Tue, 22 May 2007 16:00:00 EDT

Today marks the centennial of the birth of the 20th century's greatest classical actor. Laurence Olivier was also a 1940s matinee idol who married Scarlett O'Hara. NPR's Bob Mondello offers an appreciation.

The 'Once' and Future Musical

Sun, 13 May 2007 18:09:00 EDT

NPR's Bob Mondello explains how the makers of the new Irish musical Once have updated the classic musical form to make sense to modern audiences.

Zombies and Hot Rods and Spoofs -- Oh, Guys!

Sat, 07 Apr 2007 18:55:00 EDT

Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez bring us Grindhouse, a deliberately cheesy homage to the low-rent double feature -- and believe it or not, critic Bob Mondello says "What's not to love?"

This Summer, Sequel Films Are the Rule

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:00:00 EST

Michele Norris talks with NPR film critic Bob Mondello about the upcoming summer movie releases. A surprisingly high number of them are sequels -- which are safer bets for Hollywood studios to make than original films.

Oscars Promise to Be a Diverse Departure

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 16:49:00 EST

Michele Norris talks with Bob Mondello about the newly announced Oscar nominations. Among the topics: the number of British actresses will be competing in the best actress and best supporting actress categories. This year, there is also a greater racial diversity of nominees across the board. And could this finally be director Martin Scorsese's year?

The Movie Industry in 2006: Money Makers

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 16:25:00 EST

Hollywood's biggest money-makers of 2006 include Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, X-Men: The Last Stand, and a number of high-profile animated films, including Happy Feet. NPR film critic Bob Mondello says that films like Happy Feet will save Hollywood. Michele Norris talks with Mondello.