GUEST COLUMN: The Top 10 Most Successful Action Franchises of All Time

by Daniel T. Anderson

What would you guess to be the most profitable action movie franchise of all time? If you had to choose one, which would it be? Mission Impossible? The Pirates of the Caribbean? The Matrix films? Reporting on these sorts of box office results is typically pretty simplistic. We're told the amount of money a film made domestically (and sometimes internationally) and how much the film cost to make. The difference is supposed to be the profitability. However, determining real-life profitability is much more complex.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, LISTDon ShanahanDecember 27, 2020Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Top 10 Movies Based on TV Shows

by David Hoang

Adapting TV shows to movies hasn't always been popular. Hollywood initially looked at TV as competition fearing it would keep people at home and away from the theater, so studios weren't eager to suggest that there were small screen shows worthy of big screen attention. But TV didn't bring the demise of movies and studios eventually came to realize that TV audiences were worth tapping into. So here are the best of the films based on TV shows.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanDecember 27, 2020Comment

GUEST COLUMN: 7 Iconic Early Movie Monsters

by Gloria A. Adams

The action may move slowly, the special effects may be crude - yet there's reason to watch the early classic movie monsters. They established enduring legends with great black-and-white camera work. Instead of sophisticated special effects, many had terrific performances by actors under layers of makeup. Some can still cause a chill, and some can make you laugh out loud. Either way, these are the big, bad boys who provided the DNA for all the great movie monsters who followed.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanDecember 27, 2020Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Top Films About eSport

by Joshua Sherman

With multi-million dollar grand prizes on the line, eSports is a huge industry where the stakes have never been higher. Here are the best eSports films that put you in the action and show the highs and lows for the players. Sport has always made for compelling filmmaking, and eSports films are no different. The mixture of nerve-shredding tension and conflict keeps us on the edge of our seats until the final whistle has blown. While traditionally audiences and directors have gravitated to athletic sports, we’re seeing a golden age for eSports films emerging as the value of the competitive video game market continues to blossom.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanDecember 27, 2020Comment

COLUMN: The Best TV Shows about Students and University Life

As first-year students are about to join the universities and colleges in their enormous numbers, it is highly the time to step back and look at some of the television shows that channel their focus on students. Some of these shows can be used for both entertainment and as a material to do my thesis in the future. Here are some of the shows that detail the life of a student in university.

2020, Column, Editorial, LISTDon ShanahanDecember 27, 2020Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Lessons We Can Learn from Disaster Movies

by Adrian Johansen

Movies are more than mere entertainment. They’re a release. An escape. A two-hour reprieve from the worries of your ordinary life. But movies do more than entertain. They also instruct. They can show audiences what to do in times of crisis — as well as what not to do. And there’s maybe no better genre for this than the disaster movie. Aside from the cheap thrills, emotional melodrama, and spectacular special effects, you may well just take away some valuable lessons that you’ll find yourself using in your own life!

2020, Column, Editorial, Home MediaDon ShanahanDecember 27, 2020Comment

20 YEAR RETROSPECTIVE: The best of the rest of 2000

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 the rest of 2000.

Best Films, Column, Editorial, Retrospective, SPECIAL, 2020Don ShanahanDecember 25, 20202000, 2000 moviesComment

20 YEAR RETROSPECTIVE: The 10 Best Films of 2000

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 2000.

Best Films, Column, Editorial, LIST, Retrospective, SPECIAL, 2020Don ShanahanDecember 25, 2020Saint Joseph's College2000 Comments

INFOGRAPHIC: The True Cost of Iconic Holiday Movie Moments

The creative folks at CreditRepair.com designed this visual on iconic holiday movie moments and what they'd cost in real life + financial lessons anyone can learn from! They analyzed scenes from classic holiday movies (think Home Alone, Elf, and The Grinch) and found out how much they'd cost if they actually took place! Aside from satisfying curiosity, they tied the results back to important financial lessons we can take from these lovable characters and serve as important reminders of what really matters during the holiday season.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, Infographic, LIST, SPECIAL, Social MediaDon ShanahanDecember 18, 2020Comment

EDITORIAL: Did Kevin Really Protect the House in "Home Alone?"

Home Alone has definitely become one of the most beloved Christmas movies out there. As 2020 celebrates the movie’s 30th anniversary, you might want to go back to it and watch it once again. The main plot revolves around a young boy, Kevin, protecting his home from robbers Harry and Marv. To do this, he creates all sorts of ridiculous booby traps, causing these robbers to be unable to rob the house effectively. Did Kevin actually protect the home? Here’s some insight into what might have happened to the McCallister household without his antics.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanDecember 18, 2020Comment

GUEST COLUMN: 7 Best Movies to Watch While Being on Winter Break

by Donna James

Winter breaks are an excellent time. They give you some time off to spend with your family and friends. Some people love to spend that time out and about, going to their favorite holiday destinations, while others prefer to stay indoors and kick it with family and friends watching a few movies and drinking wine. If you’re the latter type, you’ll enjoy this article! Here are 7 of the best movies to watch as you enjoy your well-deserved winter break.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, LIST, Home MediaDon ShanahanDecember 18, 2020Comment

5 Stoner Movies You Need to Watch

When you’re high up in the sky of your couch, any film could practically be a stoner movie. Spongebob marathon? “Eh, look at the yellow submarine. It has legs!” Nothing could be less amusing. Even a 20-hour BBC earth documentary could be worth your while. But the greatest stoner movies give you more than that. It makes you crack up till dawn even when you see it a hundred times. Here are some of the greatest stoner movies you would not want to miss.

2020, Column, Editorial, Home Media, LISTDon ShanahanDecember 15, 2020Comment