The toothpaste is out of the tube, so to speak, for this current “Star Trek” franchise stewarded by J.J. Abrams. Seven years into a reboot of erasure, there’s no going back. This new cast and new timeline is here to stay. If the die-hards haven’t dealt with it by now, they likely never will. Those who arrived in 2009 with wide eyes and a fresh heart have not been disappointed. “Star Trek Beyond” pushes a stellar and steady progression of shiny and modern blockbuster filmmaking with the right salutes to beloved nostalgia that warm from within.

MOVIE REVIEW: 10 Cloverfield Lane

It sure is nice to see a surprise stay a surprise. In today's day and age of instant and nearly universal access to information, news, and buzz, it's very hard to keep anything the size of a movie a secret. The filmmakers of "10 Cloverfield Lane" and its studio have pulled off a marketing stunt that has now paid off as a entertainment coup. "10 Cloverfield Lane" is capricious blast of horror, drama, and science fiction all rolled into one twisty enigma.

COLUMN: New Year's Resolutions for the Movie Industry in 2016

As I say every year, plenty of regular everyday people make New Year's Resolutions, but I think bigger entities, namely movie makers and movie moguls, need to make them too. Over the life of this website, this is my absolute favorite editorial to write every year. I have fun taking the movie industry to task for things they need to change. I'm sarcastic, but I'm not the guy to take it to the false internet courage level of some Twitter troll. This will be as forward as I get all year.

2016, Column, Editorial, SPECIALDon ShanahanJanuary 1, 2016New Year's Resolutions, New Year's Resolutions for the Movie Industry, Movie trends, Movie problems, 2016, Column, Editorial, 2015 films, strong female protagonists, female protagonists, female leads, LGBT, LGBTQ+, Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road, Carol, The Danish Girl, Stonewall, Grandma, racism, xenophobia, jingoism, Chi-Raq, documentary, Netflix, Beasts of No Nation, J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Lucasfilm, Walt Disney Pictures, Han Solo, Boba Fett, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Golden Goose, Kevin Feige, Marvel Films, Joss Whedon, Ava DuVernay, Black Panther, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Warner Bros. Pictures, Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Spider-Man, Sony Pictures, Adam Sandler, Pixels, The Ridiculous 6, VOD, Video On Demand, Seth McFarlane, Ted 2, Terminator, Terminator: Genisys, Minions, Honest Trailers, Jennifer Lawrence, Alicia Vikander, Brie Larson, Room, Ex Machina, Joy, The Good Dinosaur, Fifty Shades of GreyComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

No matter where today's "Star Wars" fans come from, all of them want the same thing out of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Everyone wants an inspired, entertaining, and compelling fantasy adventure. They want a return of the emotions, wonder, and heartstrings that stirred and inspired their souls when they first encountered these science fiction fantasies. With great pleasure and a nearly pitch perfect blend of innovation and reminiscence, J.J. Abrams promised, and now has delivered, all that anyone could hope for with "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

2015, 5 STARS, Best Films, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanDecember 18, 2015Marcus Addison CinemaStar Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars, Star Wars trilogy, Star Wars: Episode VII- The Force Awakens, J.J. Abrams, Star Trek, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleason, Adam Driver, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Leia, R2-D2, C-3PO, Darth Vader, Finn, Snoke, Poe Dameron, Chewbacca, BB-8, Bill Hader, Rey, John Williams, Lawrence Kasdan, Michael Arndt, George Lucas, Gwendoline Christie, Captain Phasma, Kylo Ren, General Hux, The First Order, Movie trilogies, Simon Pegg, Lupita Nyong'o, Warwick Davis, Daniel Mindel, Rick Carter, Michael Kaplan, The Force, The Force Awakens, 2015, 2015 Holiday Movies, 2015 Holiday Movie Preview, Rogue One, Disney, Lucasfilm, Industrial Light and Magic, ILM, movie review, movie commentary, film review, film commentary, Science fiction, Fantasy films, life lessons, life lessons from film, life lessons from films, life lessons from movies, Every Movie Has a Lesson, Don Shanahan, Donald ShanahanComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation

There are certain things Tom Cruise does absolutely right and playing Ethan Hunt is one of them. Like him or not as a person outside of the multiplex, Cruise remains the undisputed and penultimate action star in the world today, if not in all of the history of cinema. He pushes the envelope like no one else and, as a producer in this series, he puts his money where his safety harness is. What he dares to do on-screen pays off in superior results.

2015, 4 STARS, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanJuly 31, 2015Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, Mission: Impossible 5, Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation, Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Jeremy Renner, Christopher McQuarrie, Ethan Hunt, J.J. Abrams, Mission: Impossible IIIComment

EDITORIAL: My 15 most anticipated films of 2015

During the shift from December to January, I enjoy retracing what I reviewed and enjoyed from the previous year, but the trailers and previews for next year's films are starting to make an impact. I can't help but look ahead. Every year, I wrote an "Most Anticipated List." 2015 looks wildly loaded with must-see films. Let's make a new list for a new year. Here are my 15 most anticipated films of this new year. Enjoy!

EVERY MOVIE HAS A LESSON

by Don Shanahan

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