AboutNell Minow Expertise Movies, especially classic movies, current movies, family movies, and movies for families.
Experience I am the movie critic for Beliefnet and radio stations across the country. I have written about movies for USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun Times, Parents, Family Fun, Child, Slate, and Daughters. I am the weekly movie critic for radio stations across the US and in Canada and write weekly parental advisories for the Chicago Sun-Times and the Kansas City Star. I have appeared on Fox Morning News, the ABC Evening News, CBS This Morning, and NPR, and been profiled in the NY Times, Washingtonian, Chicago Magazine, and the Chicago Tribune. My book, The Movie Mom's Guide to Family Movies, was published by Avon in April 1999 and is now in its second edition. I can answer questions about movies for special interests, especially family concerns, handling questions from kids like "What do I do when he says everyone else has seen it?" to "My daughter got nightmares from a movie --how can I help her?" or "Why does my child want to see the DVD over and over?" to "What's the deal with Pokemon?" I am pretty good with trivia questions about movies, too, not as good with made-for-TV movies or miniseries. And I don't know much about horror/slasher films, sorry.
Organizations Broadcast, Online, and Washington DC film critics associations
Publications The Movie Mom's Guide to Family Movies, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, USA Today, The Practical Guide to Practically Everything
Awards and Honors Roger Ebert's "Thumbs Up" award, presenter at Ebertfest and the Tallgrass Film Festival
Question I am 19 now and I saw these movies about 11 years ago so I can't remember much, the first has columbo in it. Its a group of people and they are in this house on vacation or something, then things start going bad and it turns into a who-done-it. It was I guess you could say dark comedy. I don't really remember much else. Sorry. The second is vague as well, it was a British movie if I remember correctly and in the beginning a lady and a child get on the same train with the same bag. One had the girl's favorite doll in it and the other contained jewels (earrings, necklaces, a crown, etc.) Well anyway the bags somehow get swiched and the rest of the movie is about the lady finding the girl with the jewels. Can you help?
Answer The first might be either "Murder by Death" or "The Cheap Detective," both mystery parodies starring Peter Falk (of "Columbo"). Do you remember any more details about the second one? I can't figure it out from what you have told me.
