Karen Benardello

Karen Benardello
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As a life-long fan of films and television shows, and an endless passion for writing, Karen Benardello decided to combine the two for a career. She graduated from New York's LIU Post with a B.F.A in Journalism, Print and Electronic in 2008. Karen has since been working in the press in New York City, including interviewing film and television casts and crews, writing movie and television news articles and reviewing films and televisions series. Some of her highlights include attending such local events as the Tribeca Film Festival, the New York Film Festival and New York Comic-Con, as well as traveling across North America to attend such festivals as the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW and the Toronto International Film Festival. She has been a member of the Women Film Critics Circle since 2012, and the New York Film Critics Online since 2019.
As a life-long fan of films and television shows, and an endless passion for writing, Karen Benardello decided to combine the two for a career. She graduated from New York's LIU Post with a B.F.A in Journalism, Print and Electronic in 2008. Karen has since been working in the press in New York City, including interviewing film and television casts and crews, writing movie and television news articles and reviewing films and televisions series. Some of her highlights include attending such local events as the Tribeca Film Festival, the New York Film Festival and New York Comic-Con, as well as traveling across North America to attend such festivals as the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW and the Toronto International Film Festival. She has been a member of the Women Film Critics Circle since 2012, and the New York Film Critics Online since 2019.

Rhode Island International Film Festival Review: Silent Life: The Story of the Lady in Black is an Expressive Dramatization of Rudolph Valentino’s Legacy

Many legendary Hollywood icons often become and remain famous because they willingly fight any obstacle that challenges their dream, and embrace the decadence and excess that accompanies it. Celebrated Italian-American actor Rudolph Valentino not only did just that as he pursued his film career in the mid-1910s-mid-1920s. Valentino’s most loyal female fan remained committed to…

Strays: Exclusive Interview with Director Josh Greenbaum

The profound, deep friendships featured in canine cinema have long made the genre a beloved classic among families – until the dogs decide to revolt against their owners and instead pledge their loyalty to other pets who also no longer feel appreciated by humans. The titular dogs in the upcoming adventure comedy, Strays, are subverting…

Sixto Rodriguez, Singer and Subject of ‘Searching for Sugar Man’ Documentary, Dies at 81

Acclaimed folk rock singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez died on Tuesday in Detroit at the age of 81. The death of the musician, who was most remembered in recent years for being the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man, was first announced on the Sugarman.org website. The following statement, which did not indicate a cause…

Fantasia International Film Festival Review: Mio Imada and Ren Meguro Forge a Passionate Relationship in ‘As Long As We Both Shall Live’

©2023 映画「わたしの幸せな結婚」製作委員会 Actress Mio Imada and actor Ren Meguro’s protagonists may be living in a fantasy world in their new action film, As Long As We Both Shall Live, but that doesn’t mean they have to give up on their real-world dreams. The characters are fighting both human and supernatural enemies in the romantic drama…

Movie Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’s Dated Jokes Cause Havoc on Visually Stunning Series Reboot

Parodying, and putting a unique new spin on, a beloved pop-cultural phenenom is one of the most endearing and humorous ways in which people can pay tribute to the trend. The filmmakers of the latest entry in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, Mutant Mayhem, have done just that by creating an overall visually stellar…

Lisa Takeuchi Cullen To Be Next President Of WGA East

Current WGA East President, Michael Winship has decided not to seek re-election in the guild’s upcoming election. He will be succeeded by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen. The latter is running unopposed for the position in the guild, which is currently on strike against companies that are members of the AMPTP, Deadline is reporting. Takeuchi Cullen will…

NYAFF Review: A Hundred Flowers is an Emotionally Intimate Reminder of the Importance of Maintaining Familial Relationships

When people maintain animosity over their parent’s willingness to put their own needs ahead of fulfilling their parental obligations, their unwillingness to forgive and forget can lead to lasting regrets for both. The seemingly unforgettable bitterness that drives the strained mother-son relationship in the new Japanese drama, A Hundred Flowers, are put to the test…

NYAFF Review: Pop Singer Yûto Nakajima Breaks Into Mainstream Acting in Suspenseful J-Horror Thriller #Manhole

©2023 Gaga Corporation/J Storm Inc. People who effortlessly fall into a seemingly perfect life usually have the most challenging time saving themselves when they descend into a sinister situation that can potentially ruin their existences. That’s certainly the case for the sole character of the single-location survival suspense thriller, #Manhole. The movie offers an intimate…

Director Hayao Miyazaki’s Animated Fantasy Epic ‘The Boy and the Heron’ to Open Toronto Film Festival

Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s animated fantasy epic, The Boy and the Heron, has been chosen to open this year’s 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The drama is set to screen on September 7 at Roy Thomson Hall concert hall in downtown Toronto, Variety is reporting. After being absent from making features…

‘Dirty Dancing’ Sequel’s Theatrical Release Date Delayed Due to WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strikes

The theatrical releases of Dirty Dancing 2 has been delayed by a year-and-a-half, due to the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Deadline is reporting. The movie’s distributor, Lionsgate, is pushing the follow-up’s distribution date from February 9, 2024 to the summer of 2025. The direct sequel to the Oscar-winning 1987 romantic dancing drama Dirty Dancing…