GUEST COLUMN: 7 Best Movies About Advertising and Marketing That You Must Watch

by Marie Barnes

Do you watch movies just for fun? Well, we are sure that movies may have a more significant influence than only amusement. What’s more, some of them may even reflect on our careers and teach us valuable lessons. Here is a list of 8 best movies for those who are into advertising and marketing. The movies mentioned below can teach us many valuable marketing lessons. They are just a few examples that can trigger all sorts of marketing insights and motivation. What movies have been useful in your career as a marketer or have inspired your inner marketer?

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanJanuary 31, 2020Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: Go See a Movie

by Kevin Gardner

Going to the movies used to be a special event. Getting there early enough to get the best seats was a plus. Buying a big tub of popcorn drenched in salt and "butter" and of course a giant-sized soft drink to wash it down was a must. However, something has changed in the last several years. Streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu are offering more and more stay-at-home fare for one low monthly price. Now it seems staying home with family or a group of friends seems to be the way to go for many people.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanJanuary 28, 2020Comment

COLUMN: Feel-Good Movies for the Science Fiction Fan

Science fiction is a genre that's inherently pessimistic. It was invented as a tool for authors to point out the flaws of the current society by enlarging it and placing it in a far-off land, perhaps at another time. This is maybe the reason why the vast majority of science fiction books - and movies - are pretty bleak. While most of them have happy endings - the readers and the viewers love those - they are almost always pervaded by a sense of doom, fear, perhaps disgust. And this is perhaps the reason why there are almost no works of science fiction among the best feel-good movies you can watch.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanJanuary 27, 2020Comment

GUEST COLUMN: The Best Inspirational Hollywood Athletes

by Kevin Gardner

What makes an athlete great? Is it their determination or sportsmanship? Perhaps it is some indescribable quality that makes them stand out in the crowd. If Hollywood has anything to say about it, it is all of these qualities wrapped into a lovable underdog story. These players all faced challenges, both personal and professional, and learned to overcome them to become the best. Enjoy this list of some of the best underdog athlete stories in Hollywood.

Editorial, Column, Home Media, GUEST EDITORIALDon ShanahanJanuary 22, 2020Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Why Old Movies Are More Useful Than Modern Ones?

by Susan Laurel

A lot of movies are released every year and some of them manage to enter the competition for Oscars or Golden Globes. Some are better than others, have a more interesting plot twist or story and flabbergasting special effects. The last decades and all the technological advancements have changed the way movies are produced nowadays. Directors have changed their way of making movies and this is obvious if you compare modern movies with older ones.

2020, Column, Editorial, Essay, GUEST EDITORIAL, SPECIAL, Social MediaDon ShanahanJanuary 22, 2020Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Troop Zero

To rightly thumb its nose at the historically warped expectations of young ladies, Troop Zero may not be high-minded cinema. What it is, however, is high-hearted entertainment. That calls for trite covered in treat. Put this movie in front of any girl, hell, any kid period, that’s been demeaned about their differences or forced to conform to supposed societal standards. Let them watch this movie, smile, and stitch their own sash or freak flag to be proud of.

2020, 4 STARS, MOVIE REVIEW, Independent Film, StreamingDon ShanahanJanuary 22, 2020Comment

APPEARANCE EVENT: Co-hosting a "Field of Dreams" seminar at SoxFest 2020

As part of SoxFest 2020, the Chicago White Sox will be promoting this August’s "Field of Dreams" game against the New York Yankees, presented by GEICO, in Dyersville, Iowa at the site of the famous and beloved 1989 movie. On Friday, January 24th at SoxFest, fans can join Chicago Indie Critics members Leo Brady of AMovieGuy.com and myself for a seminar discussing Field of Dreams and its significance to the White Sox organization. Come out and support the White Sox, the excellent movie, and the Chicago Indie Critics!

2020, CIC, EVENT, Media Appearance, RetrospectiveDon ShanahanJanuary 22, 2020SoxFest 2020Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Top 6 Movies That Will Make You Love Life

by Frank Hamilton

The critical and turning points of our lives very often force us to look at things from a different angle. And if at this moment it seems to you that everything has lost its meaning and you no longer see reasons to go on a certain path, then you definitely need support. The films that we have collected in this article will help you look at your life with different eyes, once again realize its value, and perhaps even find a way out of a difficult situation.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, LIST, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanJanuary 21, 2020Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Types of Fictional Time Travel Seen in Films

By Bharat “Barry” Krishna

There are a variety of fictional representations of Time Travel in films over the decades. Each one also sports a mechanism to physically travel through time - hitting 88 mph in a Delorean, transported in an energy bubble, a hot tub, a time capsule, and more. In this article, I'd like to look at the consequences of traveling through time and its impact on the fabric of fiction reality. Anyone who's read science books that address time-travel will be quite familiar with a couple of infamous paradoxes. Let's take a look at each and match them with their time-travel constructs with film examples.

2020, Column, Editorial, Essay, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanJanuary 17, 2020Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Warm Comedies for a Winter Evening

by Justin Osborne

When the temperatures start going down outside, the only fun thing left to do is snuggling up on your couch with some of the best winter comedies. It will be extremely cold out there. But so long as you have a blanket, snacks, candles and some holiday comedies, you’ll not only feel warm but also laugh all night long. There will always be something for everyone here. It doesn’t matter whether you are alone, with your family or your better half. You’ll have a variety of options to choose from to ensure you don’t leave your house until things get better outside. When it’s too cold to go outside, here are some of the best winter movies for you. Keep reading!

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, Streaming, SPECIALDon ShanahanJanuary 16, 2020Comment

EDITORIAL: Five surprises and snubs from the 92nd Academy Award nominations

Leave it to the annual early morning Oscar nominations to always find a way to rock our worlds. Earlier this morning in an excellent show of diversity, Searching actor John Cho and Insecure TV star Issa Rae presented the names and films looking for validation and immortality come the night of February 9th in front of a (thankfully) host-less crowd for the second year in a row. I know I chase this race every year on my Awards Tracker page, but there are always swerves. Here are five knee-jerk snubs and five surprises from the nominees:

2019, Column, Social Media, SPECIAL, 2020, Editorial, Independent FilmDon ShanahanJanuary 13, 2020Dolby TheatreComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Clemency

All the while, here is Alfre Woodard staring holes through the most leaden armor. If the Oscars were to come calling, and they should if they had any sense, it would be Alfre’s first nomination in 37 years (Cross Creek) and her first leading one. Her hefty performance steps deeper into the accumulating difficulties that have come to beset the unflappable leader she portrays. Her character has to show collapse, but the performer never falters her requirements. Alfre is beyond compelling in taking on all of the destructive darkness this character envelopes around us all.