Leslie Sisman writes about the things you want to know before you choose a movie. She spent many years working in advertising, where she regularly had to turn techno-garble into understandable prose. But her early love of theater and film never died. She has always been a great source for movie recommendations among friends. Ten years ago, she started putting her thoughts into writing and emailing them to friends who regularly asked for recommendations… and regularly asked her to add their friends to her email list.

Since 2009, Leslie has published movie “PREviews” on Popcorn Diary (www.popcorndiary.com). Unlike movie reviews, Popcorn Previews are less about opinion and more about giving readers a feel for whether or not the film is likely to match their movie preferences. She offers a totally fresh take on making a movie selection.

Blog Entries by Leslie Sisman

Popcorn Preview: Zero Dark Thirty

(0) Comments | Posted December 20, 2012 | 12/20/12 05:14 PM ET

Film: Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Cast includes: Jessica Chastain (The Help), Jason Clarke (Public Enemies), Reda Kateb (A Prophet), Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights), Jennifer Ehle (The Ides of March), Mark Strong (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), James Gandolfini (The Sopranos), Joel Edgerton (Warrior)
Director: Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt...

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Popcorn Preview: Rust and Bone

(0) Comments | Posted December 19, 2012 | 12/19/12 10:22 AM ET

Film: Rust and Bone (2012)
Cast includes: Marion Cotillard (La vie en rose), Matthias Schoenaerts (Bullhead)
Writer/Director: Jacques Audiard (A Prophet, The Beat That My Heart Skipped)
Genre: Drama (120 minutes) French with subtitles

Sometimes tragedy happens suddenly, but sometimes, it's more gradual. It's obvious that life...

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Popcorn Preview: Barbara

(0) Comments | Posted December 19, 2012 | 12/19/12 10:18 AM ET

Film: Barbara (2012)
Cast includes: Nina Hoss (A Woman in Berlin), Ronald Zehrfeld (The Red Cockatoo)
Director: Christian Petzold (Yella)
Genre: Drama | Suspense (105 minutes) German with subtitles

"Is that her?" It's odd that she sits outside at the bus stop so she won't arrive a...

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Popcorn Preview: The Sessions

(0) Comments | Posted October 30, 2012 | 10/30/12 06:38 PM ET

Film: The Sessions (2012)
Cast includes: John Hawkes (The Perfect Storm, Winter's Bone), Helen Hunt (What Women Want), William H. Macy (Fargo), Moon Bloodgood (Pathfinder), Annika Marks (Mona Lisa Smile), Adam Arkin (Hitch)
Writer/Director: Ben Lewin (The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish)
Genre: Drama...

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Popcorn Preview: 'The Paperboy'

(0) Comments | Posted October 10, 2012 | 10/10/12 10:34 AM ET

Film: The Paperboy (2012)
Cast includes: Macy Gray (Spider-Man), Zac Efron (17 Again), Matthew McConaughey (The Lincoln Lawyer), Nicole Kidman (The Others), John Cusack (High Fidelity), David Oyelowo (The Last King of Scotland), Scott Glen (The Hunt for Red October)
Writer/Director: Lee Daniels (Precious, Monster's Ball)
Genre:...

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Popcorn Preview: Arbitrage

(0) Comments | Posted September 25, 2012 | 09/25/12 11:29 AM ET

Film: Arbitrage (2012)
Cast includes: Richard Gere (Pretty Woman), Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise), Tim Roth (Pulp Fiction), Brit Marling (Another Earth), Laetitia Casta (Gainsborough: A Heroic Life), Nate Parker (Red Tails)
Writer/Director: Nicholas Jarecki (The Informers)
Genre: Thriller | Drama (100 minutes)

An interview on CNBC...

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Popcorn Preview: 'The Master'

(0) Comments | Posted September 21, 2012 | 09/21/12 05:55 PM ET

Film: The Master (2012)
Cast includes: Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator, Walk the Line), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Moneyball), Amy Adams (The Fighter), Jesse Plemons (Friday Night Lights), Ambyr Childers (Playback), Laura Dern (Jurassic Park)
Writer/Director: Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood)
Genre: Drama (137 minutes)

It's surreal as...

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Popcorn Preview: Searching for Sugar Man

(0) Comments | Posted August 20, 2012 | 08/20/12 10:57 AM ET

Film: Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
Cast includes: Sixto Rodriguez, Stephen Segerman, Dennis Coffee, Mike Theodore
Writer/Director: Milik Bendjelloul (first feature film)
Genre: Documentary | Mystery | Music (86 minutes)

"Sugar Man, won't ya hurry. Cos I'm tired of these scenes. For a blue coin, won't...

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Popcorn Preview: ParaNorman

(0) Comments | Posted August 17, 2012 | 08/17/12 09:17 AM ET

Film: ParaNorman (2012)
Cast includes: Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road), Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air), Leslie Mann (Knocked Up), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad), John Goodman (The Artist), Casey Affleck (Gone Baby Gone), Tucker Albrizzi (Spooky Buddies), Elaine Stritch (Mother-in-Law)
Writer/Director: Chris Butler (Coraline), Director: Sam Fell (The Tale of...

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Popcorn Preview: Ruby Sparks

(0) Comments | Posted August 8, 2012 | 08/08/12 05:07 PM ET

Film: Ruby Sparks (2012)
Cast includes: Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine), Zoe Kazan (Revolutionary Road), Chris Messina (Julie & Julia), Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right), Antonio Banderas (Desperado), Steve Coogan (The Parole Officer), Asiv Manvi (The Dictator), Elliot Gould (Oceans Eleven)
Director: Jonathan Dayton (Little Miss...

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Popcorn Preview: Killer Joe

(0) Comments | Posted August 8, 2012 | 08/08/12 05:02 PM ET

Film: Killer Joe (2011)
Cast includes: Matthew McConaughey (The Lincoln Lawyer), Emile Hirsch (Milk), Juno Temple (The Dark Knight Rises), Thomas Haden Church (Sideways), Gina Gershon (The Insider)
Director: William Friedkin (The Exorcist, Bug), Writer: Tracy Letts (Bug)
Genre: Dark Comedy | Thriller | Crime | Film...

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Popcorn Preview: Easy Money

(0) Comments | Posted July 26, 2012 | 07/26/12 10:14 AM ET

Film: Easy Money (Snabba Cash) (2010)
Cast includes: Joel Kinnaman (The Killing, Safe House), Matias Varela (Storm), Dragomir Mrsic (Wallander), Lisa Hinni (A Place in the Sun)
Director: Daniel Espinosa (Safe House)
Genre: Crime | Drama | Thriller (124 Minutes) Based on a novel by Jens Lapidus...

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Popcorn Preview: The Well Digger's Daughter

(0) Comments | Posted July 20, 2012 | 07/20/12 03:54 PM ET

Film: The Well Digger's Daughter (La fille du puisatier) (2011)
Cast includes: Daniel Auteuil (Jean de Florette, Caché), Astrid Bergès-Frisbey (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), Kad Merad (The Chorus), Nicholas Duvauchelle (White Material), Sabine Azéma (Private Fears in Public Places), Jean-Pierre Darroussin (A Very Long Engagement)
...

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Popcorn Preview: Trishna

(0) Comments | Posted July 17, 2012 | 07/17/12 06:51 PM ET

Film: Trishna (2011)
Cast includes: Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) Riz Ahmed (Four Lions)
Director: Michael Winterbottom (A Mighty Heart, The Trip)
Genre: Drama based on Thomas Hardy's novel, Tess of the d'Urberville (117 minutes)

The guys are tossing around ideas for their holiday in India. What a...

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Popcorn Preview: Take This Waltz

(0) Comments | Posted July 10, 2012 | 07/10/12 11:43 AM ET

Film: Take This Waltz (2011)
Cast includes: Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn), Seth Rogen (Knocked Up), Luke Kirby (Mambo Italiano), Sarah Silverman (School for Scoundrels)
Writer/Director: Sarah Polley (Away from Her)
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Romance (116 minutes)

Margot is in Nova Scotia on a...

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Popcorn Preview: Unforgivable

(0) Comments | Posted July 6, 2012 | 07/06/12 04:27 PM ET

Film: Unforgivable (Impardonnables) (2011)
Cast includes: André Dussollier (Tell No One), Carole Bouquet (That Obscure Object of Desire), Mélanie Thierry (The Princess of Montpensier), Adriana Asti (Before the Revolution), Muro Conte
Writer/Director: André Téchiné (Thieves)
Genre: Drama | Mystery (111 minutes) French with subtitles

Francis wants his...

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Popcorn Preview: Magic Mike

(1) Comments | Posted July 1, 2012 | 07/01/12 10:23 PM ET

Film: Magic Mike (2012)
Cast includes: Matthew McConaughey (The Lincoln Lawyer), Channing Tatum (21 Jump Street), Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four), Cody Horn (Occupant), Olivia Munn (The Daily Show)
Director: Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Eleven)
Genre: Comedy | Drama (110 minutes)

Dallas starts the show by reminding...

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Popcorn Preview: To Rome With Love

(0) Comments | Posted June 28, 2012 | 06/28/12 07:03 PM ET

Film: To Rome With Love (2012)
Cast includes: Alison Pill (Midnight in Paris), Judy Davis (Page Eight), Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Woody Allen (Annie Hall), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), Greta Gerwig (Greenberg), Penélope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Ellen Page (Juno)
Writer/Director: Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris)
...

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Popcorn Preview: 'The Woman in the Fifth'

(0) Comments | Posted June 19, 2012 | 06/19/12 06:41 PM ET

Film: The Woman in the Fifth (2011)
Cast includes: Ethan Hawke (Training Day), Kristin Scott Thomas (Gosford Park), Joanna Kulig (Elles), Samir Guesmi (Tell No One)
Director: Pawel Pawlikowski (My Summer of Love)
Genre: Drama | Thriller, based on a novel by Douglas Kennedy (85 minutes) Partially...

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Popcorn Preview: 'Your Sister's Sister'

(0) Comments | Posted June 18, 2012 | 06/18/12 09:22 AM ET

Film: Your Sister's Sister (2011)
Cast includes: Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada), Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married), Mark Duplass (Humpday)
Writer/Director: Lynn Shelton (Humpday)
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Romance (90 minutes)
Opens: June 15

"It's been a year and I thought it was important...

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