Bob Mondello
NPR
Washington, DC, United States
Contact Bob
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Bob:
What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend listening, viewing and reading
Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Midwest Modern Twitter account, Unclear and Present Danger podcast, Gemini Rights and more. → Read More
A rare recording of a musical by an 18-year-old Stephen Sondheim surfaces
Broadway-legend-in-training Stephen Sondheim was a college sophomore in 1948 when his musical Phinney's Rainbow was produced — and recorded — at Williams College in Massachusetts. → Read More
'The Fabelmans' is Steven Spielberg's love letter to his family, and the movies
The Fabelmans is Steven Spielberg's semi-autobiographical and deeply personal film about a Jewish American boy who dreams of making movies. Growing up he learns to tell stories through his 8mm camera while life-altering events within his family's household significantly affect how he views the world. The cast includes Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and Judd Hirsch. → Read More
5 films we can't wait to see: Here's Hollywood's holiday bounty
Avatar returns, Will Smith stars in a Civil War epic and Bill Nighy is Living. Also, a compelling novel adaptation and three hours of Jazz-era decadence. Find out what else the studios have in store. → Read More
A loving salute to NASA's Mars rover program in 'Good Night Oppy'
The Mars Rovers Opportunity and Spirit were expected to remain operational for 90 days. Fifteen years later, Oppy was still roving, as the new documentary Good Night Oppy chronicles. → Read More
Billy Eichner says straight people 'just didn't show up for Bros' at the box office
The film is the first gay romantic comedy with a mostly LGBTQ cast to be given a wide release by a major studio. It took in a disappointing $4.8 million in its first weekend. → Read More
What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend reading, listening and viewing
Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Lizzo playing James Madison's flute, Usher's thirst traps, and more. → Read More
In a bio-engineered dystopia, 'Vesper' finds seeds of hope
In the sci-fi drama Vesper, the title character is a 13 year old bio-hacker who lives in a future where humankind has wiped out all edible plants. → Read More
Billy Eichner's 'Bros' is a gay rom-com aimed at the masses
In the grand tradition of the modern rom-com, stories about queer couples are still few and far between. Which is part of what makes the new movie Bros so special: Billy Eichner stars as a lanky intellectual who boasts a proud aversion to romance until he has a meet-cute with his polar opposite, a hyper-masculine gym rat played by Luke Macfarlane. Eichner co-wrote the movie, and Judd Apatow is a… → Read More
American theater is changing — here's why
In the first of our six-part series, NPR's Bob Mondello explains how the theater that most Americans see is being transformed. → Read More
These are the new movies and TV shows we can't wait to watch this fall
Our critics' guide lets you search by genre and where to watch — whether on your couch or in the theater. Here's what NPR critics are looking forward to after a busy blockbuster summer. → Read More
Film director Jean-Luc Godard of the French New Wave has died at 91
Godard, the "enfant terrible" of the French New Wave who revolutionized popular cinema in 1960 with his debut feature Breathless, stood for years as one of the most vital and provocative directors. → Read More
'My Body No Choice' — Arena Stage advocates for reproductive rights
On the eve of the 2022 election, Arena Stage presents monologues on the theme of choice by eight female playwrights. The show runs for 18 performances and tickets are $18, a nod to the US voting age. → Read More
You'll want these five films on your list for fall
After a two-year dry spell, Hollywood's summer blockbusters finally busted some blocks this year. Now, the question is how to keep that momentum going. → Read More
'The Territory' and 'Three Minutes: A Lengthening' find cinematic hope in tragedy
Two documentaries — one involving a pre-WWII home movie, the other dispatches from the Amazon rainforest — have much in common. → Read More
Like a mob hit – the passing of a generation of movie gangsters
Funerals for Ray Liotta, Paul Sorvino, James Caan, Paul Herman, and Tony Sirico — all in a few weeks. It's the passing of a generation of Hollywood's most celebrated "mobsters." → Read More
Seeing double: Near-identical films that came out at the same time
What happens when two studios are making the same movie and neither studio blinks? → Read More
Dreaming of Dior, a charwoman follows her bliss in 'Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris'
A widowed cleaning lady in 1950s London sets her heart on a designer dress in this charm-filled adaptation of Paul Gallico's 1958 novel. → Read More
Influential theater director Peter Brook dies at 97
Brook's work ranged from classical star-studded productions to radical experiments in theater. He reinvented King Lear and explored the fragility of civilization in the film Lord of the Flies. → Read More
What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend reading, listening and viewing
Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: The Valet on Hulu, watching wrestling, and a playlist crafted for the perfect summer vibe. → Read More