Michele Manelis

Metro Los Angeles (L.A. County)

Journalist at Freelance

Australian journalist in Los Angeles and HFPA member

Articles

'Apple Cider Vinegar' Creator Samantha Strauss on Wellness Scams and Telling Stories That Matter

1 month ago | mindfood.com | Michele Manelis

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 03: Sam Strauss attends the "Apple Cider Vinegar" World Premiere at Hoyts Entertainment Quarter on February 03, 2025 in Sydney, Australia.
Aussies Shine at Sundance Film Festival

2 months ago | mindfood.com | Michele Manelis

Rose Byrne, Aussie star of 'If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You' While most events in L.A. were postponed or cancelled due to the devastating fires that spread from Pacific Palisades to Altadena, the Sundance Film Festival opened as planned in Park City, Utah, providing a welcome relief for Hollywood to escape the trauma and smoke pollution and breathe in that fresh Utah mountain air while celebrating the independent spirit of film. Besides Jennifer Lopez, who attended the festival premiere of her...
Book Review: ‘Casket Girls’ Is a Must-Read for Historical Fiction Lovers

2 months ago | mindfood.com | Michele Manelis

Elisabeth Sereda’s Casket Girls is a mesmerising novel of female empowerment set in an era when women could only dream of equality. More than just historical fiction, it is a tale of opposites—Catholicism and Voodoo, nuns and prostitutes, pirates and smugglers, tragedy and redemption, and, above all, survival.
Golden Globes Reflect Changes for Blacks in the Film Industry

Jan 19, 2025 | goldenglobes.com | Michele Manelis |Tim Gray

MLK Day Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of equality and representation resonates with the strides Black Hollywood has made in recent decades. So it’s fitting, on Martin Luther King weekend, to salute the progress made by Black artists in the industry. The Golden Globes this year saw Viola Davis accept the Cecil B.
Non-English Speaking Filmmakers Making a Splash During Awards Season

Dec 5, 2024 | goldenglobes.com | Michele Manelis |Tim Gray

Not long ago, it was a rarity to find a non-English speaking filmmaker vying for major trophies and giving their counterparts from the U.K. or the United States a run for their money during awards season. While legendary directors like Ingmar Bergman (“The Seventh Seal,” Sweden) or Akira Kurosawa (“Seven Samurai,” Japan) earned critical acclaim, they rarely competed head-to-head with English-language productions for top prizes. A very few from across the Pond did score at the Oscars, though.
Kirsten Bell and Adam Brody navigate love and differences in 'Nobody Wants This'

Sep 30, 2024 | mindfood.com | Michele Manelis

The 10-episode series follows Joanne (Kristen Bell), an agnostic/atheist free spirit who hosts a sex and relationship podcast for forward-thinking single gals, and Noah (Adam Brody), a newly single, progressive rabbi (aka ‘hot rabbi’) poised to take over the position as Head Rabbi in his congregation. Their meet-cute at a dinner party ignites their obvious attraction and undeniable chemistry, but at the same time, it highlights their differences.
Colin Farrell undergoes astounding transformation to become The Penguin

Sep 22, 2024 | mindfood.com | Michele Manelis

He made his debut appearance as the character in the 2022 film, The Batman, and now returns in the eponymously named spinoff series. In doing so, he dons 50 pounds of latex and wears layers of prosthetics that render him completely unrecognisable. The gangster saga with The Penguin at the helm, whose motivation, other than creating havoc and chaos in the world, is to become King Pin and run the local drug business, is every bit as menacing as any villain from The Sopranos or Goodfellas.
Baby Reindeer: How the Netflix series has shined a light on mental health

Sep 17, 2024 | mindfood.com | Michele Manelis

This survivor-focused organisation, which aims to create and facilitate safe spaces for male, trans and non-binary survivors of sexual abuse, rape and sexual exploitation across Greater Manchester in the UK, provides a range of support services, including counselling, advocacy and community outreach. Richard Gadd, a survivor of sexual abuse, as evidenced by the Netflix series, is the ambassador for the charity.
'His Three Daughters' unpacks family bonds and life’s final chapter

Sep 17, 2024 | mindfood.com | Michele Manelis

His Three Daughters is a bittersweet, poignant, and at times humorous film about three estranged sisters who come together to watch over their ailing father in his final days. Set in his cramped apartment in New York City, this family saga is perfectly cast with Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, and Natasha Lyonne, and written and directed by Azazel Jacobs (French Exit). The women embody three distinct archetypes.
'The Rings of Power' stars Charlie Vickers and Morfydd Clark on season two’s epic twists and challenges

Aug 29, 2024 | mindfood.com | Michele Manelis

Melbourne-born actor Charlie Vickers, 31 (Palm Beach, Masters of Florence), played the enigmatic Halbrand in the first season of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, though it was discovered during the finale that he is, in fact, the evil shape-shifting Sauron. Now in Season Two he returns as the self-proclaimed Dark Lord, who is on a mission to reign over Middle Earth. Vickers said of last season’s big reveal, “I watched the finale with friends, which was really fun.