Bob Mondello
Encyclopedia
Bob Mondello is an American film critic
. He has worked for National Public Radio since 1984 — where he is the arts critic / film and theater commentator for All Things Considered
. He has also been theater critic for Washington City Paper
since 1987. Each year, Mondello sees well in excess of 200 films and 100 plays, commenting on them on radio, in print, and in speaking engagements at film clubs and public radio presentations around the country. He has also written for such publications as The Washington Post
, USA Today
, and Preservation Magazine
.
Before becoming a professional critic, Mondello spent more than a decade in entertainment advertising, as public relations director for Roth Theaters, a mid-Atlantic chain of movie theaters, where he learned the ins and outs of the film industry, and also for an independent repertory theater in D.C., where he got a working background in film history.
In addition to his weekly reviews, Mondello produces frequent commentaries and reported pieces on the arts, among them "American Stages" (2005) an eight-part NPR series exploring the history, reach and accomplishments of the regional theater movement, numerous pieces on silent films – a bit of a trick on radio – and cultural features he has produced from Argentina.
Mondello also originated the "Mondello Rule for Quickly Judging Films." The rule states that the fewer words you need to summarize a film, the worse it is. The example that he gave in an NPR review was "Schwarzenegger
and DeVito
are twins: five words."
Film criticism
Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films, individually and collectively. In general, this can be divided into journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, and other popular, mass-media outlets and academic criticism by film scholars that is informed by film theory and...
. He has worked for National Public Radio since 1984 — where he is the arts critic / film and theater commentator for All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
. He has also been theater critic for Washington City Paper
Washington City Paper
The Washington City Paper is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.Founded in 1981, and published for its first year under the masthead 1981, taking the City Paper name in volume 2, by Russ Smith, it shared ownership with the Chicago Reader from 1982...
since 1987. Each year, Mondello sees well in excess of 200 films and 100 plays, commenting on them on radio, in print, and in speaking engagements at film clubs and public radio presentations around the country. He has also written for such publications as The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, and Preservation Magazine
Preservation Magazine
Preservation, the magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, launched in 1952 as Historic Preservation. By 1998, the magazine won a National Magazine Award for General Excellence under Robert S. Wilson, editor in chief...
.
Before becoming a professional critic, Mondello spent more than a decade in entertainment advertising, as public relations director for Roth Theaters, a mid-Atlantic chain of movie theaters, where he learned the ins and outs of the film industry, and also for an independent repertory theater in D.C., where he got a working background in film history.
In addition to his weekly reviews, Mondello produces frequent commentaries and reported pieces on the arts, among them "American Stages" (2005) an eight-part NPR series exploring the history, reach and accomplishments of the regional theater movement, numerous pieces on silent films – a bit of a trick on radio – and cultural features he has produced from Argentina.
Mondello also originated the "Mondello Rule for Quickly Judging Films." The rule states that the fewer words you need to summarize a film, the worse it is. The example that he gave in an NPR review was "Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
and DeVito
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
are twins: five words."