Open Road

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.

Die Hard Prequel McClane is No Longer in Development

The planned sixth entry in the hit Die Hard franchise is no longer moving forward, after it spent more than five years in development. One of the series’ producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura, confirmed the news to Polygon that the franchise’s intended next installment, which was set to be both a prequel and sequel, will not…

Exclusive Interview: Sabrina Doyle Talks About Writing and Directing the Unconventional Family Drama Lorelei

America’s working class must often contend with its difficult struggle to find its sense of place while living on the margins of society. That all-too-familiar physical and emotional battle is highlighted in the new relatable family drama, Lorelei. The powerful movie explores how unexpectedly starting and maintaining a family, especially in communities where economic growth…

Exclusive Interview: Filmmakers David Charbonier and Justin Powell on the Empowering Horror Thriller The Boy Behind the Door

The most frightening genre movies are not only framed in physical horror, but are also driven by themes of survival that empower both children and adults to love themselves, despite their perceived shortcomings. The two adolescent protagonists of the new horror thriller, The Boy Behind the Door, rely on their personal and combined strengths to…

Netflix Will Require COVID-19 Vaccinations For Actors and Top Crew Personnel On All U.S. Productions

Netflix has become the first major Hollywood studio to issue a widespread policy that mandates COVID-19 vaccinations for the casts of all of its U.S. productions, Deadline is reporting. The mandate also states that all essential crew members who have contact with the actors on set will also need to be vaccinated. Production teams and…

Blumhouse and David Gordon Green’s The Exorcist and Halloween Sequel Trilogies are Revamping Universal Picture’s Horror Slate

Universal Pictures’ recent and upcoming slate of horror movies is being brought back from the dead with the help of the noteworthy collaboration between Blumhouse Productions and filmmaker David Gordon Green. With the success of their slasher follow-up, Halloween (2018), as well the recent announcement that the production company and writer-director reunite for an Exorcist…

Abuse Survivor Mena Suvari Recounts Unusual Encounter with Kevin Spacey on the American Beauty Set

Actress Mena Suvari has revealed that she struggled with substance use and sexual abuse while she was first garnering fame in Hollywood by starring in several revolutionary teen movies that helped define the late 1990s and early 2000s. The SAG Award-winning performer admitted during an interview with People that “Between the ages of 12 and…

Film Review – Stillwater Features Matt Damon in a Transformative Performance as a Father Fighting to Free His Daughter

Matt Damon has made a name for himself as one of Hollywood’s leading A-list actors for his portrayal of globe-trotting characters that bend the law to fit their purposes, most notably the title protagonist in the Jason Bourne series, as well as Linus Caldwell in the Ocean‘s trilogy. The Academy Award-winning filmmaker’s latest character who…

Michael B. Jordan Developing Black Superman Limited Series for HBO Max

Michael B. Jordan is in development on a Black Superman project with his production company, Outlier Society, for HBO Max, Collider is reporting. The project will focus on the Val-Zod incarnation of the character Outlier Society has reportedly hired a writer who’s currently working on the script, but the company hasn’t revealed who the scribe…

Blumhouse’s Upcoming The Exorcist Film Will be a Legacy Sequel to the Original

The upcoming next installment in the popular The Exorcist franchise is set to be a direct sequel to, and not a reboot of the original 1973 Academy Award-winning horror movie. Filmmaker David Gordon Green, who first garnered widespread success in the genre when he wrote, directed and produced the 2018 Halloween, shared the news about…

Box Office Analysis of Summer Blockbuster

Heading to the movie theater to watch an anticipated blockbuster sequel during the summer is one of America’s favorite pastimes, as evident with the record-breaking success of the sports family movie, Space Jam: A New Legacy. The comedy garnered $31.65 million this weekend. The number represents the highest grossing box office return for Warner Bros….