MEDIA APPEARANCE: Participant in "World of Reel" Critics Poll for best films so far in 2023

As I have grown in press credentials and professional affiliations nationally, I have found myself landing in circles with other film critics of various levels. Recently, I was included in a poll for voting critics for Jordan Ruimy of World of Reel, a fellow Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. His survey was to collect the best films from the first half of 2023 from over 100 critics and other industry folk. I was honored to chime in with my top five selections to be included with some very high professional company. Enjoy the article and list. Check out your boy!

Media Appearance, Social Media, SPECIAL, LIST, 2023, Best FilmsDon ShanahanJuly 27, 2023World of Reel, Jordan RuimyComment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest contributor on Natural Transplants talking bald movie characters

Every now and then, I get tabbed as the published film critic to contribute ideas on a movie-related question or topic for other websites. Recently, I feel like I was profiled for a second signature trait of mine. The publishers for NaturalTransplants.com must have seen my social media profile picture featuring a shorn head because they pitched me to name my Top 5 iconic bald movie characters. I’m not kidding when I say that I’ve had that exact list in mind for a while, so I couldn’t resist the assignment.

COLUMN: My 10 Best Movies of 2022

Closing a year, as usual, means getting out the scorecard and making a “10 Best” list. This one didn’t take much agony and neither will my second year of voting for the Critics Choice Awards and Hollywood Film Critic Awards and seventh year with my own Chicago Indie Critics group with many of these movies in mind. I’ve had this list up on Letterboxd and presented them on TikTok, but the homebase deserves its annual post.

Best Films, Column, Editorial, LIST, SPECIAL, 2022Don ShanahanDecember 26, 20222022, Best of 2022, 10 Best, 10 Best Films of 2002, ListComment

20 YEAR RETROSPECTIVE: The 10 Best Films of 2002

In an annual series, Every Movie Has a Lesson is going to look back twenty years to revisit, relearn, and reexamine a year of cinema history to share favorites, lists, and experiences from the films of that year. When measuring back as far as twenty years or more, I feel like “favorites” that have stood the test of time have aged to become some level of “best.” I feel like a bunch of those populate my reflective look back at the best of 2002.

Best Films, Column, Editorial, LIST, Retrospective, SPECIAL, 2022Don ShanahanDecember 25, 2022Saint Joseph's College2002, 10 Best, 10 Best Films of 2002Comment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Participant in "World of Reel" Critics Poll for Best Films of the 1970s

As I have grown in press credentials and professional affiliations nationally, I have found myself landing in circles with other film critics of various levels. Recently, I was included in my fourth call for voting critics for Jordan Ruimy of World of Reel. He is a fellow Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic who also has contributed to The Young Folks, The Playlist, We Got This Covered, and The Film Stage. His poll was to collect the Top Films of the 1970s from over 150 critics and other industry folk. I was honored to chime in with my 15 unranked selections to be included with some very high professional company.

Media Appearance, Social Media, SPECIAL, 2022, LISTDon ShanahanApril 22, 2022Comment

SPECIAL: Winners for the sixth annual Chicago Indie Critics Awards

After leading the field with nine nominations, The Power of the Dog emerged as the top winner with three CIC awards. The Netflix western drama won for Best Studio film and earned three trophies for Jane Campion, one as a producer of the film and the other two for her direction and adaptation of Thomas Savage’s novel. In the other top tier, the heartwarming AppleTV+ film CODA won for Best Independent Film.

CIC, Column, EVENT, LIST, SPECIAL, Social Media, 2021Don ShanahanJanuary 10, 2022CIC Awards, 2021 CIC Awards, Chicago Indie CriticsComment

SPECIAL: Nominations for the sixth annual Chicago Indie Critics Awards

Leading all films with nine formidable nominations is Netflix’s The Power of the Dog, directed by Best Director nominee Jane Campion. The dramatic western also received nominations for Best Studio Film, Best Actor for Benedict Cumberbatch, Best Supporting Actor for Kodi Smit-McPhee, Best Supporting Actress for Kirsten Dunst, Best Ensemble Cast, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Musical Score. Following next was the Warner Bros. epic Dune with eight nominations and CODA’s six nominations representing AppleTV+.

CIC, Column, EVENT, LIST, SPECIAL, Social Media, 2021Don ShanahanJanuary 3, 2022Comment

COLUMN: My 10 Best Movies of 2021

Nevertheless, the day job work was harder, family life was harder, the balance between them both was harder. It was all wonderful, but harder. Compared to 94 published reviews on Every Movie Has a Lesson in 2020, I only published 67 this past year (with a good two dozen still in the draft folder), including my 1000th on this site in its 11th year of service. Even with a lower written output, the personal growth of it all hasn’t stopped.

Best Films, Column, Editorial, LIST, SPECIAL, 2021, 2022Don ShanahanJanuary 2, 2022Comment

20 YEAR RETROSPECTIVE: The 10 Best Films of 2001

In an annual series, Every Movie Has a Lesson is going to look back twenty years to revisit, relearn, and reexamine a year of cinema history to share favorites, lists, and experiences from the films of that year. When measuring back as far as twenty years or more, I feel like “favorites” that have stood the test of time have aged to become some level of “best.” I feel like a bunch of those populate my reflective look back at the best of 2001.

Best Films, Column, Editorial, LIST, Retrospective, SPECIAL, 2020Don ShanahanDecember 30, 2021Saint Joseph's College2001Comment

EDITORIAL: Movies and the 9/11 effect

10TH AND FINAL EDITION: UPDATED SEPTEMBER 11, 2021-- With the 20-year anniversary, I’m closing this column after ten years of annual updates. It’s been an fascinating pleasure and respectful honor to update and maintain this compendium for a decade. NEVER FORGET!

Column, Editorial, LIST, Retrospective, SPECIAL, 2019Don ShanahanSeptember 11, 20219/11 anniversary, 9/11 films, 9/11, 9/11 movies, Movie based on 9/11Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: 5 Emotional Sports Films to Watch This Friday Night

by Lewis Robinson

If your family is the type that eats, sleeps, and breathes sports, you're probably always on the go. From practice to practice, game to game, sometimes it's easy to forget to slow down and enjoy a night in. Of course, just because you're sitting down with some popcorn and the TV doesn't mean you need to stop living your love of sports for the night. There are dozens of emotional films about sports that show what it is to have good sportsmanship and beat the odds. Check out some of these fun options for your next family movie night.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, LIST, Social Media, Home MediaDon ShanahanAugust 10, 2021Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: Four of the Scariest Films of the Decade

by Kevin Gardner

Horror films have their roots in the silent era, but the movies didn’t gain acceptance with moviegoers until the 1930s. Whether the plots involve haunted houses, crazed killers, aliens or monsters, the world enjoys watching films that make them scared. In the last thirty years, horror has become increasingly popular, and filmmakers continue to discover new ways to make the audience jump in their seats. From 2010 to 2200, a few scary movies stand out as being exceptionally frightening and entertaining. In the following sections, you can examine four of the scariest pictures of the last decade.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, LISTDon ShanahanApril 30, 2021Comment