Every annual summer box office season tends to be front-loaded in the months of May and June with films looking to rake in the dough early. Disney releases led the way. The Mouse House clearly isn’t hurting and neither is the competition. But there’s still two months of the summer schedule to go. A few solid contenders remain to clean up the remaining monetary potential of the 2018 summer box office. Let’s take a quick look at the remaining field.
Read MoreLong, dramatic falls are a frequently used device in cinema to provide a suitably theatrical demise for a character. Whether it’s from a skyscraper, an aircraft or even a mountain chasm, there are few more visually arresting ways to provide a cinematic send-off. To give the frequently used set-piece some well-needed recognition, Roof Stores put together a movie "Fall of Fame" acknowledging the best examples of falling in film history. Enjoy!
Read MoreThe expression "lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!" merely scratches the surface of the wildly imaginative creations that grace the annual Fantasia International Film Festival. The Montreal-based gathering celebrates its 22nd year from July 12 through August 2. Long acclaimed as one the largest and best exhibitions of genre films in North America, this year's festival lineup has as much promise as it does fantasy and Every Movie Has a Lesson will be offering its reviews and coverage.
Read MoreUsually for this website, half of a year equals half of a future “10 Best” in December, meaning normally only five films make this “best of” list. However, I have seen six 5-star feature films as well as one 5-star documentary and one 5-star short film. I’m giving all of them the spotlight. As always for this “so-far” list and the year-end final and true to my website’s hook, I present each film with its best life lesson from my review. Enjoy!
Read MoreNotable 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 60 other emerging and established film critics including four 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.
Read MoreOnce upon a time, it took a little while for Hollywood to take on modern stories. There was a sort of unofficial understood waiting period before a major, real life event could be turned into a film. These days, however, that period has evaporated, as evidenced by numerous recent examples like Patriots Day, Zero Dark Thirty, and Charlize Theron is set to play Megyn Kelly in a film about the Roger Ailes scandal. Basically, films about current events are coming out a lot closer to the actual events. That got me wondering about what current stories might make for good films.
Read MoreIn light of Mark Zuckerberg's testimonies before Congress this past week, Mike Crowley, the excellent YouTube video creator of his You'll Probably Agree channel, hit me up with the idea of looking back at David Fincher's The Social Network. Fincher's film has evolved from a tell-all biopic of sorts to a cautionary tale with an impact that is still growing. Mike and I think the film holds up and we went the social media route to record a video chat of our conversation.
Read MoreI may not be a full-on gearhead, but I do love a great car in a film! Car leasing company OSV has created an interesting and engaging infographic detailing the 10 most memorable cars to have graced the silver screen in the last 50 years. From Steve McQueen’s Mustang GT390 in Bullitt to Vin Diesel’s Dodge Charger from The Fast and The Furious, these are mean machines that really stand out from the crowd.
Read MoreDo you want to kill at parties or learn to talk like a pro gambler at CasinoSites? Hollywood might help there! This little infographic below gives you 99 insane facts about some of the most popular gambling movies of all time. Like, the box office take for Casino Royale looked like the GDP of a small, developing country at around $599 million. Or that over 250 movies have been filmed in Las Vegas over the last seven decades.
Read MoreEvery Movie Has a Lesson has gradually become more and more of an advocate and proponent of the buried treasure that is the short film scene. I'm excited to share this report of a promising new hub named Softy.tv for audiences to experience and enjoy more from this branch of the film medium. Enjoy and learn up on this great viewing opportunity!
Read MoreEverything nowadays gets scored and ranked against everything. As an educator with accountability to assessment and achievement, I can respect that and gladly drink that Kool-Aid. With the annual NCAA March Madness tournament going on in full swing, a pair of movie-themed brackets have been surfing the Facebook waves and I couldn't help but be intrigued. One challenge is for the youthful casual fan and one is for the somewhat more serious cinephile.
Read MoreWith Black Panther showing no signs of slowing down, what films coming in 2018 can make similar dents in our wallets? What blockbusters could put up big time numbers? Can anything catch Black Panther? I know the oddsmakers and informative websites like Sports Betting Dime can be a great resource for answering those questions and examining the field. In a quick list and editorial, let’s handicap and predict 10 contenders that could rule the 2018 box office.
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