MEDIA APPEARANCE: David Ehrlich's IndieWire Critics Survey on January 21, 2019

Notable and notorious IndieWire film critic David Ehrlich recently put out a social media call for film critic peers to join a weekly survey to discuss movie topics, answer questions, and highlight their work. Representing Every Movie Has a Lesson, I, along with over 50 other emerging and established film critics including some of my fellow Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle members, accepted the invitation to participate. I'm honored by the opportunity, and I hope my responses are chosen each week.

Independent Film, Media Appearance, Social Media, SPECIAL, 2019Don ShanahanJanuary 24, 2019David EhrlichComment

EDITORIAL: Five surprises and snubs from the 91st Academy Award nominations

Leave it to the annual early morning Oscar nominations to always find a way to rock our worlds. Earlier this morning, Kumail Nanjiani and Traci Ellis Ross read off the names and films looking to win some hardware on the host-less 91st Academy Awards airing on February 24th. Let’s take a look at the trends, swerves, and surprises.

2019, Column, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanJanuary 22, 2019 Comment

COLUMN: The 10 Best Films of 2018

If this teacher/critic learned anything himself this year it’s to more consistently define the difference between “favorite” and “best.” Often they are different measures, yet it is a special distinction when some films can be both. That’s a whole bunch of those of this definitive 2018 list. All ten and a few extra were no-doubt five-star films for me. True to this website’s specialty, each film will be paired with its best life lesson. Enjoy!

MOVIE REVIEW: Glass

Injections of high interest and good graces were attempted by attaching the hope of the present to an old hit of the past. The big Unbreakable reveal that elevated the otherwise uneven Split is wasted in miscalculations to the point where Glass can be weaken a portion of that first film’s favor. The monotony replacing ambition pushes viewers to be ready for washed-out despondency.

2019, 2 STARS, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanJanuary 16, 2019Comment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: David Ehrlich's IndieWire Critics Survey on January 14, 2019

Notable and notorious IndieWire film critic David Ehrlich recently put out a social media call for film critic peers to join a weekly survey to discuss movie topics, answer questions, and highlight their work. Representing Every Movie Has a Lesson, I, along with over 50 other emerging and established film critics including some of my fellow Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle members, accepted the invitation to participate. I'm honored by the opportunity, and I hope my responses are chosen each week.

Independent Film, Media Appearance, Social Media, SPECIAL, 2019Don ShanahanJanuary 15, 2019David EhrlichComment

SPECIAL: See “Roma” in 70mm this week at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre

Chicago’s 90-year-old premiere arthouse venue will be exclusively presenting Alfonso Cuaron’s highly regarded Oscar contender Roma in widescreen 70mm. The Spanish-language film from Mexico will play on their main screen over the course of five days and fifteen showings between Wednesday, January 9th and Sunday the 13th. Tickets for Roma are $15 ($12 for Music Box members) and available now at their box office or online.

2019, Chicago Film Festival, Column, Independent Film, Foreign Film, SPECIALDon ShanahanJanuary 5, 2019Music Box TheatreComment

COLUMN: Who should win/will win the 2019 Golden Globe film awards?

The 76th annual Golden Globe Awards are this Sunday. This film critic has shuffled the cards and read the tea leaves to lay down some confident (or maybe sure-to-go-wrong) picks of who should win the movie award categories and who will actually be hearing their name and walking to the stage as the true winners. Enjoy and come back Sunday to keep score!

2018, 2019, Column, Editorial, SPECIALDon ShanahanJanuary 4, 2019Comment

COLUMN: New Year's Resolutions for the Movie Industry for 2019

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. Annually, including this eighth edition, have fun taking the movie industry to task for things they need to change. As always, some resolutions come true while others get mentioned and reiterated every year. Enjoy this year’s hopes and dreams.

2018, 2019, Column, Editorial, LIST, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 31, 2018Comment

EDITORIAL: Lessons and reactions to the 2019 Golden Globe film nominations

Originally published a special edition of “What We Learned This Week” on the Feelin’ Film podcast website, here are my lessons, reactions, and trends from the film selections and nominees of the 2019 Golden Globe Awards as chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Enjoy my editorial rantings and ravings!

2018, 2019, SPECIAL, Editorial, ColumnDon ShanahanDecember 6, 2018Comment