GUEST EDITORIAL: Strange Celebrity Addictions

by Daniel Korolija

We are all addicted to something, and usually, we’re not even aware of it. Some of us enjoy watching the same TV show every day, while others compulsively coil locks of hair around their fingers. Celebrities have the same obsessions and compulsions as the rest of us. They’re people too. The phrase “celebrity addictions” brings drugs and alcohol to mind, but the truth is that famous people face a full spectrum of obsessions and fixations. From celebrity gamblers to shopping addicts, here’s what the rich like to fixate on.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, SPECIAL, Social MediaDon ShanahanJuly 21, 2020Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Truth

To pull off holding court without reducing matters to the preening or showy variety, the performer must have screen presence. Deneuve, the ageless ingenue, “frigid femme fatale,” and “grandes dame” of French cinema, has wattage for a thousand cameras, even now in her mid-70s. With that stature, compelling shockwaves come at will. The acting awe within The Truth is that Deneuve’s prestige is matched moment-to-moment by Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche, a contemporary, if you will, every bit as powerful as the senior. Their pairing as an estranged mother and daughter in the celebrity world writes cinematic scripture.

2020, 2019, 4 STARS, Chicago Film Festival, Film Festival, Independent Film, Foreign Film, MOVIE REVIEW, Streaming, Home MediaDon ShanahanJuly 20, 2020Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Dirt Music

For anyone over the age of five-years-old who doesn’t have “The Gravel Foot” anymore, we know not all natural surfaces are easy and lush. The sensation of each pace toughens and prepares the heels and toes for the next one. Such is life as well. The literal and figurative barefoot steps of the characters from Tim Winton’s celebrated novel have tread over the hard grounds of loss and regret. The developed calluses mix with the ever-present dirt for messy lifestyles. Any songs present croon to that lamentation. Alas, the titular melodies advertised to break down the melodrama blow away weakly with the wind.

2020, Independent Film, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, Streaming, Video on DemandDon ShanahanJuly 17, 2020Comment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Kicking the Seat" podcast talking "The Old Guard"

For the first time since Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) and for the first time since the COVID-19 quarantine, Ian Simmons was able to assemble the fabled “Earth’s Mightiest Critics” on his Kicking the Seat podcast for a brand new comic book film. No, it’s not Black Widow from the MCU or Wonder Woman 1984 for the DCEU. Those ports are delayed and closed. We shine a light on the Netflix hitter The OId Guard based on Greg Rucka’s graphic novel that ran on the Image Comics imprint. Ian led myself, David Fowlie of Keeping It Reel, and Emmanuel Noisette of E-Man’s Movie Reviews for a lively dais! For those keeping score, this was my 40th appearance on Ian’s program!

Media Appearance, Podcast, Social Media, SPECIAL, 2020Don ShanahanJuly 14, 2020AMC River East 21Kicking the SeatComment

SHORT FILM REVIEW: Farewell Waltz

When no flowery language is flowing to fill our ears, another ambiance is necessary. The sweep of Felipe Tellez’s musical score is astounding. His arrangements were performed by the Budapest Air Orchestra and their lovely strings keep Farewell Waltz soaring with the remembrance and regret of the narrative. One would not readily imagine a 10-minute short film could reach heartstrings so assuredly and effectively, yet this throwback from Levy does so with lingering beauty above films ten times its length.

2020, 4 STARS, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, SHORT FILMS, Streaming, Film FestivalDon ShanahanJuly 12, 2020Comment

COLUMN: The Portrayal of Health Professionals in Movies

by Adrian Johansen

Movies that show hospitals or features doctors and nurses are not uncommon. They are often used to add a sense of realism to a movie, especially drama and action films. But, like any other area of movie-making, it’s important to remember that films (and television shows!) are created for entertainment value. So, what you see on the screen might not always be an accurate portrayal of what would happen in a real-world situation. With that in mind, let’s talk about some of the realistic and unrealistic depictions of healthcare workers and the industry itself as showcased in movies and television shows. The more you understand about some of the “good” and the “bad” portrayals, the more you’ll be able to appreciate these projects for what they’re trying to do.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, SPECIAL, Social MediaDon ShanahanJuly 10, 2020Comment

COLUMN: 6 Tips to Write Great Movie Characters

by Dorian Martin

Writing a screenplay is one thing and creating the characters to carry it is another. We can all close our eyes and think of our favorite movies, but we’ll actually be thinking about our favorite movie characters. And this is exactly why writing a great movie character description can be crucial for a screenplay. But, what happens if you’re not good at writing movie character descriptions? Or you simply don’t know how to do it? Luckily, we’ve got you covered. Here's what you need to know about writing a character description that is effective, attention-grabbing, and memorable.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, SPECIALDon ShanahanJuly 10, 2020Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Old Guard

Charlize would be the one to tell Queen to take their romantic sweetness and shove it with harshness. That tone and timbre works just fine for the Academy Award winner who has been cementing this attitudinal career niche for the better part of a decade. Based on Greg Rucka’s 2017 Image Comics graphic novel featuring the art of Leandro Fernandez, The Old Guard combines its own brew of created legends intersecting modern settings and compulsions. Like its lead, The Old Guard has a toughness completely devoid of anything trite. The narrative screws might not be the tightest, but its aim is deadly enough to draw you in.

2020, 3 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, Streaming, Video on DemandDon ShanahanJuly 8, 2020Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Greyhound

There’s something to be said for a film that can constantly exude tautness. Some films will have stress and pressure, but not convey those traits with true tension. An element or two will have general solidity, but not have legitimate, durable steadiness. Like every battened down hatch on a warship cutting through its rough seas, the thrilling course of the new Apple+ Tom Hanks vehicle Greyhound throbs with tightness. Stutter, stumble or hesitate and a punctuating torpedo detonates your lack of focus.

2020, 4 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, Streaming, Video on Demand, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanJuly 6, 2020Comment

COLUMN: Top 10 Fascinating Netflix Movies and Documentaries about Business and Entrepreneurship

Many educationists have come to find increasingly innovative methods to deploy teaching methodologies. It is essential to know that education is basically defined as the process of facilitating the acquisition of viable knowledge and information which professionals and students can deploy and implement in their real situations. This opens a whole new avenue where popular forms of entertainment, such as educational movies and films, can be used to deliver a way of experiential learning that can help people to learn valuable lessons.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, LIST, SPECIAL, StreamingDon ShanahanJuly 2, 2020Comment

DOCUMENTARY REVIEW: No Small Matter

Documentaries often carry a sharp specificity by design. The backers and filmmakers have zeroed in on a pointed topic or singular issue they feel needs a spotlight or, even stronger, a public wake up call. Sometimes, they downright demand it. The challenge of an exemplary documentary is to convince next to its natural aim to inform. Their demands need worth, especially if the subject is too narrow to the point that it is inconsequential. That’s where the documentary No Small Matter lives up to its title. The demand matches the worth.

2020, 4 STARS, DOCUMENTARY REVIEW, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, Video on Demand, StreamingDon ShanahanJune 30, 2020No Small MatterComment

EDITORIAL: Lessons on the New Future of Movie Theaters

With several regions of America starting to re-open (including my own state of Illinois and city of Chicago), it was time to get on the stump and arm the cannons. I put some of what follows into spoken word recently on an episode of Mike Crowley’s “You’’ll Probably Agree” podcast, but the issue has grown since then. Click into the multitude of links in the lessons for the deeper referenced stories. They are well worth their reads and your attention. The theme of this all can be summarized as cautiously optimistic.

2020, Column, Editorial, SPECIAL, Streaming, Video on DemandDon ShanahanJune 27, 2020Comment