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Mike McGranaghan

Tomatometer-approved critic
Biography:

I started doing movie reviews in 1986, when I joined the staff of my high school newspaper and won several Keystone awards (the Keystone award is the highest honor given to high school journalists in Pennsylvania). That was all the encouragement I needed to continue. While still in college, I became the film critic for two central Pennsylvania newspapers: The Selinsgrove Times-Tribune and The Middleburg Post. I stayed with those papers for five years. In 1995, I became film critic of Gamut! - an online magazine devoted to entertainment. My website (www.aisleseat.com) is an off-shoot of that magazine. Additionally, I am the on-air film critic for Sunbury Broadcasting Corporation, which operates three central PA radio stations. My reviews run weekly.

Publications:
Favorites:

Favorite Films - The Brothers McMullen, JFK, Fletch, Do the Right Thing, Chasing Amy, Fargo, The Blair Witch Project
Favorite Directors - Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Edward Burns, Kevin Smith, Steven Soderbergh, the Farrelly Brothers, the Coen Brothers, John Waters, Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Best of All Time: Schindler's List
Worst of All Time: Caligula

Critics' Group:
Location:

Central Pennsylvania

Official Website:

http://www.aisleseat.com/

Reviews

Movies TV Shows
Crime 101 (2026) 86% 4/4 EDIT “Stands alongside Michael Mann’s 'Heat' and William Friedkin’s 'To Live and Die in L.A.' as one of the great cinematic crime dramas. ” – Aisle Seat Feb 16, 2026 Full Review My Father's Shadow (2025) 98% 3.5/4 EDIT “Great truths come from a simple story, making My Father’s Shadow a picture you won’t be able to stop thinking about.” – Aisle Seat Feb 15, 2026 Full Review Wuthering Heights (2026) 60% 3/4 EDIT “This movie is so sexed-up that if you watched it from a D-Box seat, you’d probably need a cigarette afterward.” – Aisle Seat Feb 13, 2026 Full Review Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience (2026) 3.5/4 EDIT “Watching it probably counts as exercise. I’m pretty sure I burned off quite a few calories from tapping my foot the entire time.” – Aisle Seat Feb 13, 2026 Full Review Cold Storage (2026) 77% 3/4 EDIT “Cold Storage is the kind of movie where you walk away thinking, "What did I just watch?" In a good way, though.” – Aisle Seat Feb 12, 2026 Full Review Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die (2025) 83% 3/4 EDIT “The untamed, anything-can-happen vibe provides constant entertainment.” – Aisle Seat Feb 12, 2026 Full Review Scarlet (2025) 73% 3.5/4 EDIT “An animated feature that stimulates the eyes and the mind.” – Aisle Seat Feb 11, 2026 Full Review Diabolic (2025) 64% 1.5/4 EDIT “Daniel J. Phillips’ film has an interesting take on religious horror that it regrettably doesn’t follow through on.” – Aisle Seat Feb 10, 2026 Full Review Iron Lung (2026) 61% 3/4 EDIT “A nerve-rattling descent into hell.” – Aisle Seat Feb 7, 2026 Full Review Dracula (2025) 52% 3/4 EDIT “Dracula is not the best screen iteration of Stoker’s book. It’s nevertheless entertaining, both as a visual work and as a Gothic love story.” – Aisle Seat Feb 5, 2026 Full Review Whistle (2025) 60% 3/4 EDIT “A fast-paced fright flick full of macabre fun.” – Aisle Seat Feb 4, 2026 Full Review The President's Cake (2025) 100% 3.5/4 EDIT “Brimming with both emotion and political relevance.” – Aisle Seat Feb 3, 2026 Full Review Teacher's Pet (2025) 3/4 EDIT “A chilling film that makes a battle of the brains just as exciting as a battle of the brawn.” – Aisle Seat Feb 2, 2026 Full Review Solo Mio (2026) 80% 3/4 EDIT “A sweet and swoon-worthy romance that lifts your spirits.” – Aisle Seat Feb 1, 2026 Full Review Send Help (2026) 93% 3.5/4 EDIT “Theaters should install seatbelts because this movie is a wild ride.” – Aisle Seat Jan 30, 2026 Full Review Arco (2025) 92% 3/4 EDIT “If you possess an appreciation for animation that isn’t afraid to experiment, strap in for a joyous adventure.” – Aisle Seat Jan 30, 2026 Full Review Moses the Black (2026) 23% 0.5/4 EDIT “If nothing else, the film does succeed in facilitating prayer. That is to say, you’ll be thanking God when it’s finally over.” – Aisle Seat Jan 28, 2026 Full Review Shelter (2026) 63% 3/4 EDIT “This is one of Statham’s most satisfying action movies because it’s got soul to match the violent mayhem.” – Aisle Seat Jan 28, 2026 Full Review Worldbreaker (2025) 47% 3/4 EDIT “A creature feature with something to say about parents, children, and the value of hope. ” – Aisle Seat Jan 27, 2026 Full Review Mercy (2026) 24% 1.5/4 EDIT “You can feel this thriller growing more and more stupid by the minute.” – Aisle Seat Jan 24, 2026 Full Review H Is for Hawk (2025) 80% 3/4 EDIT “The overall theme may be familiar – animals can help us heal – but the uniqueness of the creature gives the film a level of curiosity that’s easy to become invested in.” – Aisle Seat Jan 22, 2026 Full Review The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (2025) 80% 3/4 EDIT “It’s all very unpredictable and random, just as fans have come to expect.” – Aisle Seat Jan 22, 2026 Full Review In Cold Light (2025) 50% 3/4 EDIT “Gritty and suspenseful.” – Aisle Seat Jan 22, 2026 Full Review The Testament of Ann Lee (2025) 87% 3.5/4 EDIT “Director Mona Fastvold turns the story, which is based on true events, into a captivating cinematic experience.” – Aisle Seat Jan 21, 2026 Full Review A Private Life (2025) 81% 3/4 EDIT “Foster perfectly captures a woman caught in the web of transference and repression.” – Aisle Seat Jan 17, 2026 Full Review
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