James Berardinelli

Last updated

James Berardinelli
Born (1967-09-25) September 25, 1967 (age 57)
New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.
OccupationWriter
Education Cherry Hill High School East
Alma mater University of Pennsylvania (BS, MS)
Period1992–present
GenreFantasy
SubjectFilm
Spouse
Sheryl
​
(m. 2004)​
Children2
Website
reelviews.net

James Berardinelli (born September 25, 1967) [1] is an American film critic. His reviews are mainly published on his blog ReelViews. Approved as a critic by the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, he has published two collections of reviews of movies on DVD and video. He is also a fantasy novelist, publishing a trilogy from 2015 through 2016 known as The Last Whisper of the Gods.

Contents

Personal life

Berardinelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and spent his early childhood in Morristown, New Jersey. [2] When he was nine, his family moved to the township of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where he attended Cherry Hill High School East. [2] [3] Later he moved to Piscataway. [4]

He attended the University of Pennsylvania from 1985 to 1990, obtaining both a bachelor's and master's degree in electrical engineering. [2] After graduating he worked for Bellcore Company, now Telcordia Technologies. He worked during the next 15 years "in a variety of fields, including fiber optics, video testing, and software systems." [2]

Berardinelli has categorized himself as an agnostic and a libertarian. [3] He resides in Mount Laurel, New Jersey with his wife, Sheryl, whom he met through his website. [3] [5] [6] [7] They have two children: a son born in May 2010, and a daughter born in November 2019. [8] [9]

Career

Starting in January 1992, Berardinelli began writing movie reviews, his first being a review of the 1991 drama Grand Canyon . [10] His first review published to the Internet was of the 1992 drama Scent of a Woman , which was posted both to Usenet and his Colossus Inc-hosted [11] website, ReelViews. [12]

Roger Ebert referred to Berardinelli as "the best of the Web-based critics" in 2001, [13] and wrote a foreword for the 2003 book, Reelviews, a collection of Berardinelli's reviews. [14] Berardinelli is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. [15] [16]

In January 2004, [17] he began his blog ReelThoughts, by which time his reviews could attract as many as 100,000 readers, [18] up from around 1,400 weekly readers in 1997. [19] In August 2006, [20] the site moved to ReelViews.net, a domain Berardinelli had originally registered by late 2000. [21]

In September 2013, Berardinelli announced that he had been working on a trilogy of fantasy novels entitled The Last Whisper of the Gods. [22] The first book was published in November 2015, the second was released in January 2016, and the third in March 2016. [23]

Berardinelli appears as a guest on the pop-culture radio program Fictional Frontiers every two weeks. [24]

Annual film rankings

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Siskel</span> American film critic (1946–1999)

Eugene Kal Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune who co-hosted a movie review television series alongside colleague Roger Ebert.

<i>Blade</i> (1998 film) Film by Stephen Norrington

Blade is a 1998 American superhero film directed by Stephen Norrington and written by David S. Goyer. Based on the Marvel Comics character Blade, it is the first installment of the Blade franchise. The film stars Wesley Snipes as the titular character with Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson and N'Bushe Wright in supporting roles. Blade is a Dhampir, a human with vampire strengths but not their weaknesses, who fights against vampires.

<i>Mary Shelleys Frankenstein</i> (film) 1994 film directed by Kenneth Branagh

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a 1994 science fiction horror film directed by Kenneth Branagh who also stars as Victor Frankenstein, with Robert De Niro portraying Frankenstein's monster, and co-stars Tom Hulce, Helena Bonham Carter, Ian Holm, John Cleese, Richard Briers and Aidan Quinn. Considered the most faithful film adaptation, in some respects, of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, despite several differences and additions, the film follows a medical student named Victor Frankenstein who creates new life in the form of a monster composed of various corpses' body parts.

<i>The Departed</i> 2006 American crime thriller film by Martin Scorsese

The Departed is a 2006 epic crime thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan. It is both an English-language remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs and also loosely based on the real-life Boston Winter Hill Gang; the character Colin Sullivan is based on the corrupt FBI agent John Connolly, while the character Frank Costello is based on Irish-American gangster and crime boss Whitey Bulger. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Wahlberg, with Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Alec Baldwin, Anthony Anderson and James Badge Dale in supporting roles.

<i>Shadowlands</i> (1993 film) 1993 British film

Shadowlands is a 1993 British biographical drama film about the relationship between academic C. S. Lewis and Jewish American poet Joy Davidman, her death from cancer, and how this challenged his Christianity. It was directed by Richard Attenborough with a screenplay by William Nicholson based on his 1985 television film and 1989 stage play. The 1985 script began life as I Call It Joy written for Thames Television by Brian Sibley and Norman Stone. Sibley later wrote the book, Shadowlands: The True Story of C. S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. The film won the 1993 BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film. The film marked the last film appearance of English actor Michael Denison.

<i>Varsity Blues</i> (film) 1999 film by Brian Robbins

Varsity Blues is a 1999 American coming-of-age sports comedy-drama film directed by Brian Robbins that follows a small-town high school football team through a tumultuous season, in which the players must deal with the pressures of adolescence and their football-obsessed community while having their overbearing coach constantly on their back. In the small fictional town of West Canaan, Texas, football is a way of life and losing is not an option. The film drew a domestic box office gross of $52 million against its estimated $16 million budget despite mixed critical reviews. The film has since gone on to become a cult film.

<i>Munich</i> (2005 film) 2005 historical film directed by Steven Spielberg

Munich is a 2005 epic historical drama film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, co-written by Tony Kushner and Eric Roth. It is based on the 1984 book Vengeance by George Jonas, an account of Mossad assassinations following the Munich massacre.

<i>Memento</i> (film) 2000 film by Christopher Nolan

Memento is a 2000 American neo-noir psychological thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, based on the short story "Memento Mori" by his brother Jonathan Nolan, which was later published in 2001. The film stars Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano. The film follows Leonard Shelby (Pearce), a man who suffers from anterograde amnesia—resulting in short-term memory loss and the inability to form new memories—who uses an elaborate system of photographs, handwritten notes, and tattoos in an attempt to uncover the perpetrator who killed his wife and caused him to sustain the condition.

<i>Undertow</i> (2004 film) 2004 American psychological thriller film

Undertow is a 2004 American psychological thriller film co-written and directed by David Gordon Green and starring Jamie Bell, Devon Alan, Dermot Mulroney and Josh Lucas. Taking place in Georgia, the film tells the story of two boys pursued by a murderous uncle.

<i>How to Eat Fried Worms</i> (film) 2006 American film

How to Eat Fried Worms is a 2006 American children's comedy film written and directed by Bob Dolman. It was produced by Mark Johnson and Philip Steuer, with music by Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh of Devo. The movie is loosely based on Thomas Rockwell's 1973 children's book of the same name. It was co-produced by Walden Media, and distributed by New Line Cinema.

<i>Instinct</i> (1999 film) 1999 American film by Jon Turteltaub

Instinct is a 1999 American psychological thriller film, directed by Jon Turteltaub, and starring Anthony Hopkins, Cuba Gooding Jr., George Dzundza, Donald Sutherland, and Maura Tierney. It was very loosely inspired by Ishmael, a novel by Daniel Quinn. In the United States, the film had the working title Ishmael. In 2000, the film was nominated for and won a Genesis Award in the category of feature film. This was the first film produced by Spyglass Entertainment.

<i>Flirt</i> (1995 film) 1995 film by Hal Hartley

Flirt is a 1995 drama film written and directed by Hal Hartley and produced by Good Machine.

<i>Man of the Year</i> (2006 film) 2006 American film

Man of the Year is a 2006 American political satire film written and directed by Barry Levinson, produced by James G. Robinson, and starring Robin Williams. The film also features Christopher Walken, Laura Linney, Lewis Black and Jeff Goldblum. Williams portrays Tom Dobbs, the host of a humorous political talk show. After an offhand remark, four million people are prompted to e-mail their support, so he decides to campaign for President. The film was theatrically released on October 13, 2006, and was filmed in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, and in parts of Washington, D.C. Man of the Year received mostly negative reviews and earned $41.2 million on a $20 million budget.

<i>Religulous</i> 2008 American film

Religulous is a 2008 American documentary film written by and starring comedian Bill Maher and directed by Larry Charles. The title of the film is a portmanteau derived from the words religious and ridiculous. The documentary examines and challenges religion and religious belief.

<i>20 Dates</i> 1998 film

20 Dates is a 1998 American mockumentary film. Myles Berkowitz directs and stars as himself, a man who decides to combine "the two biggest failures in my life--professional and personal" by setting out on a filmed quest to have 20 dates and come out with both a movie career and a love interest. While most of his dates are disasters of varying stripes, Myles ultimately meets the lovely Elisabeth on his 17th date and they completely hit it off, leaving him with a new dilemma when he wants to finish the movie anyway and puts his new romance at risk.

<i>Three Colours: Red</i> 1994 film by Krzysztof Kieślowski

Three Colours: Red is a 1994 drama film co-written, produced and directed by Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski. It is the final installment of the Three Colours trilogy, which examines the French Revolutionary ideals; it is preceded by Blue and then by White. Kieślowski had announced that this would be his final film, planning to retire claiming to be through with filmmaking; he would die suddenly less than two years later. Red is about fraternity, which it examines by showing characters whose lives gradually become closely interconnected, with bonds forming between two characters who appear to have little in common.

<i>Water for Elephants</i> (film) 2011 film by Francis Lawrence

Water for Elephants is a 2011 American romantic drama film directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Richard LaGravenese, based on the 2006 novel of the same name by Sara Gruen. The film stars Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Christoph Waltz, and Hal Holbrook.

<i>Chernobyl Diaries</i> 2012 American film

Chernobyl Diaries is a 2012 American found footage horror thriller film co-written and produced by Oren Peli and directed by Brad Parker, in his directorial debut. The film stars Jonathan Sadowski, Jesse McCartney, Devin Kelley, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Nathan Phillips, and Dimitri Diatchenko, and was shot on locations in Pripyat, Ukraine, as well as Hungary, and Serbia.

<i>The Walk</i> (2015 film) 2015 American film by Robert Zemeckis

The Walk is a 2015 American biographical drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis, who co-wrote the screenplay with Christopher Browne. It is based on the story of French high-wire artist Philippe Petit's walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Petit, alongside Ben Kingsley, Charlotte Le Bon, James Badge Dale, Ben Schwartz, and Steve Valentine.

<i>The Lazarus Effect</i> (2015 film) 2015 film by David Gelb

The Lazarus Effect is a 2015 American science fantasy horror film directed by David Gelb and written by Luke Dawson and Jeremy Slater. The film stars Mark Duplass, Olivia Wilde, Donald Glover, Evan Peters, and Sarah Bolger. The film was released on February 27, 2015, by Relativity Media. It received negative reviews from critics but was a box office success, grossing $38.4 million worldwide against a budget of $3 million.

References

  1. ↑ Berardinelli, James (August 3, 2009). "1984". Reelviews.net. Archived from the original on June 15, 2015. Retrieved June 15, 2015. ...turning 17. Beginning September 25 [1984], I could drive and see R-rated movies without an accompanying adult.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Frequently Asked Questions". Reelviews.net. Archived from the original on June 15, 2015. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Schneider, Dan. "The Dan Schneider Interview 16: James Berardinelli", Cosmoetica.com, December 12, 2008. Accessed July 14, 2016. "I was born in New Brunswick, lived in Old Bridge for a year, then spent my childhood in Morristown and my teenage years in Cherry Hill. I went to college at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, then returned to New Jersey to live in Bridgewater, Hillsborough, and Mount Laurel, where I currently reside."
  4. ↑ Robert Stevens (June 27, 1997), "Amateur film reviewers take opinions to the Internet", Kansas City Star/ Los Angeles Times: 17, James Berardinelli is not a professional movie reviewer, but he plays one on the Net. Log onto his Web site ReelViews, and you'll find 1,200 film reviews that the Piscataway, N.J., electrical engineer has written since he started posting messages on Internet newsgroups in 1992.
  5. ↑ Boatman, Gail T. "When the lights go down, his work begins", Burlington County Times , February 18, 2015. Accessed July 14, 2016. "MOUNT LAUREL — Like movie fans everywhere, James Berardinelli will be in front of his television set, Sunday, watching the Oscars."
  6. ↑ Berardinelli, James (January 26, 2007). "11 Years". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  7. ↑ "James Berardinelli on Twitter". Twitter. August 21, 2016.
  8. ↑ Berardinelli, James (June 11, 2010). "Welcome, Michael". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  9. ↑ Berardinelli, James (December 31, 2019). "Rewinding 2019: The Year in Review". Reelviews. Retrieved January 3, 2020. I missed a good part of November due to the birth of my daughter
  10. ↑ "ReelViews FAQ". movie-reviews.colossus.net. Archived from the original on December 21, 1997. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Colossus -- World Wide Web Provider". www.colossus.net. Archived from the original on November 1, 1996. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  12. ↑ "ReelViews FAQ". movie-reviews.colossus.net. Archived from the original on December 21, 1997. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  13. ↑ Ebert, Roger (February 9, 2001). "Saving Silverman". Chicago Sun-Times . Rogerebert.com.
  14. ↑ "The Ebert Foreword". Reelviews. April 13, 2010. Archived from the original on June 24, 2013.
  15. ↑ "JAMES BERARDINELLI". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  16. ↑ "James Berardinelli". Critics' Choice Awards. Archived from the original on May 4, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Archived copy". movie-reviews.colossus.net. Archived from the original on May 26, 2005. Retrieved January 11, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. ↑ Jason Silverman (February 28, 2004), "Invasion of the Web Film Critics", Wired , retrieved October 3, 2014
  19. ↑ "In Online World, Everyone Can Be A Critic", South Florida Sun-Sentinel / Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1997, archived from the original on July 24, 2011, retrieved December 16, 2009
  20. ↑ "ReelViews: Movie Reviews and Criticism by James Berardinelli". www.movie-reviews.colossus.net:80. Archived from the original on August 20, 2006. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  21. ↑ "ReelViews: James Berardinelli's Movie Reviews". www.movie-reviews.colossus.net:80. Archived from the original on December 4, 2000. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  22. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "The Last Whisper of the Gods". ReelViews Movie Reviews. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  23. ↑ "James Berardinelli on Twitter". Twitter. June 5, 2015. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Fictional Frontiers". November 3, 2019. Retrieved June 12, 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  25. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "Schindler's List". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  26. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "Pulp Fiction". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  27. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "Cry, the Beloved Country". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  28. ↑ "1996 Top 10". preview.reelviews.net. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  29. ↑ "January 5, 1998 Commentary: Rewinding 1997 -- The Year in Film". preview.reelviews.net. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  30. ↑ "1998 Top 10". preview.reelviews.net. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  31. ↑ "1999 Top 10". preview.reelviews.net. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  32. ↑ "The Best Films of the 1990s". preview.reelviews.net. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  33. ↑ "2000 Top 10". preview.reelviews.net. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  34. ↑ "2001 Top 10". preview.reelviews.net. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  35. ↑ "December 31, 2002 Commentary: Rewinding 2002 -- The Year in Film". preview.reelviews.net. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  36. ↑ "December 28, 2003 Commentary: Rewinding 2003 - The Year in Film". preview.reelviews.net. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  37. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "2004 Top 10 - #1". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  38. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "2005: The Top 10". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  39. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "Rewinding 2006: The Top 10". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  40. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "Rewinding 2007: The Top 10". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  41. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "Rewinding 2008: The Top 10". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  42. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "The Top 10 of 2009". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  43. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "Closing out the Decade with Another Top 10". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  44. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "The 2010 Round-Up: The Top 10". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  45. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "Rewinding 2011: The Top 10". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  46. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "Rewinding 2012 - The Top 10". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  47. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "The 2013 Top 10". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  48. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "The 2014 Top 10". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  49. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "2015 in Review: The Top 10". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  50. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "The 2016 Top 10". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  51. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "Rewinding 2017 - The Top 10". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  52. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "Rewinding 2018 (Part Four): The Top 10". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  53. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "Rewinding 2019: The Year in Review". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  54. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "A Look Back at the 2010s". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  55. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "Rewinding 2020: The Year in Movies (The Top 10)". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  56. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "Rewinding 2021: The Year in Film (Including the Top 10)". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  57. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "Rewinding 2022 - The Year in Review (Including the Top 10 List)". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  58. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "Rewinding 2023 - The Year in Film". Reelviews Movie Reviews. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.