GUEST COLUMN: The Top 10 Female Action Heroes

by Nicholas H. Parker

Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the best action films ever made, and it's being recognized not only for its incredible vehicular mayhem, but for its introduction of one of the strongest female action heroes seen in the cinema: Imperator Furiosa played by the excellent Charlize Theron. The film is named after Mad Max (Tom Hardy), but the film could arguably actually be led by Theron's redemption seeking desert-badass, a war rig General to an evil dictator that has finally had enough and decides to steal his most precious possession: His model wives that serve as his breeding stock. Theron not only fights Max to a draw (with one arm, no less!) but also reveals herself to be fearless, as she rams her monster rig through pursuing war parties, and dangles on the outside of speeding vehicles. In honor of Imperator Furiosa, here are the top ten female action heroes of all time.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, LISTDon ShanahanDecember 6, 2020 Comment

GUEST COLUMN: The Worst of Navy SEAL War Movies

by John M. Caviness

Everyone knows what a Navy SEAL is. These secretive commandos are so uniquely popular in our American culture that they've become like celebrities. Whether it's jumping into an NFL football game, or having characters based on them in the latest video games, SEALs are assumed by Americans the country over to be the best of the Special Forces community. And because they are so very popular, they've popped up in many films, especially within the last two decades. Not all of these films though obtain the quality of character that is required of SEALs themselves. Here are the worst.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Independent Film, Home MediaDon ShanahanDecember 6, 2020Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Top Most Influential Action Films

by Diane H. Wong

There are thousands of inconsequential action films: Uninspired, rote, and derivative of everything that has come before. Who remembers 1992's Freejack starring Emilio Estevez and Mick Jagger? Or Costner in 2014's 3 Days to a Kill? These are films that are forgotten almost as quickly as they're released for the simple reason that they are just photocopy templates of much better action films. And then there are the tentpole pictures, the influential action films, the ones that decades later, everyone still remembers, the films that have earned a place in our cultural collective. These are the films that inspire all the many other thousands of copycat films.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanDecember 6, 2020Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Top Time Travel Movies

by Hannah Butler

The ability to move back and forth in time has long fascinated writers and filmmakers. H. G. Wells popularized the idea in 1895 with his novel The Time Machine, which has had multiple film and TV adaptations. Since then the notion of traveling through time – whether through deliberate choice or bizarre accident – has been a popular theme in movies. Here are the ones that will likely survive the test of time.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanDecember 6, 2020Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Best and Worst Criminal Investigation War Movies

by William S. Andrews

Criminal investigations in the military are a bit different than in the civilian world. There are consequences to speaking as a witness when half the community's population outranks you. Plus, it's a community filled with people who kill for a living. Consequently, criminal investigations that take place in the military can be very thrilling and vastly entertaining to watch on film. Or, depending on the filmmaker, they can also be really painful. Here are the best and the worst criminal investigation war movies.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanDecember 6, 2020Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: The Top 5 Plot Holes in "Teminator Genisys"

by Richard L. Woodard

What was once great love I felt for the Terminator franchise has turned into hate, most especially after seeing Terminator Genisys. Prior to seeing the film, I wrote an article attempting to explain the increasingly convoluted chronology, as well as an article detailing the plot holes in the franchise thus far. Then after watching the film, which was horrible, I realize both that the chronology is completely destroyed and I have to write this article just to focus on the plot holes in this one film! Arnold Schwarzenegger, if you ever make another Terminator film, a pox on your house!

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanDecember 6, 2020Comment

GUEST COLUMN: The Greatest Holiday Films to Watch Together with Someone Special

by Rebecca Shinn

There is nothing like enjoying a cozy night of holiday movies with someone you cherish. During the lockdown, it is a very welcome choice indeed. Staying in and having a safe but entertaining time is all the more important nowadays. We will give you a list of the most loved holiday movies so you won't run out of great options to watch.

2020, Column, Editorial, Home Media, GUEST EDITORIAL, LIST, Social MediaDon ShanahanDecember 6, 2020Comment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "You'll Probably Agree" YouTube channel talking the future for movie theaters

Back in May, I joined Mike Crowley’s You’ll Probably Agree podcast with Ian Simmons of Kicking the Seat and Pat McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com in discussing the state of movie theaters knee deep during this pandemic. Things looked brighter then. Now, six months later, with a spiking virus, streaming business moves, and conpanies closing or circling bankrupcies? Not so much. The four of us took to Mike’s YouTube channel recently to ponder the uncertain future. Enjoy this spirited conversation! I’m sure we’ll be doing it again soon.

Social Media, SPECIAL, Podcast, Media Appearance, 2020, Editorial, Home MediaDon ShanahanDecember 6, 2020Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: Cinema Experience in the Time of COVID

by Lewis Robinson

As the pandemic has absolutely ravaged the movie industry, leaving it in tatters. It is now up to us, the consumers and movie-goers, to create a similarly satisfying experience in our homes. Even if the theaters were still open, it would arguably be grossly irresponsible to ignore the dangers of the pandemic and potentially spreading it around; alas, we are left to our own devices. With theater chains like Regal Cinemas and AMC closing down their theaters across the country, and in some cases for good, it seems to be the end of an era. No longer will we be able to enjoy a delicious batch of fresh movie popcorn. No longer can watch plots unfold with unexpected twists and turns on enormous screens providing a crystal clear picture quality with audio so clear and so loud that it would shake the very foundation of the seats in which we sat

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 3, 2020Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Top 5 Director's Cut Versions of Movies Everyone Should Watch

by Jennifer Holland

When it comes to deciding the final cut of the movie, directors are rarely the ones to make the call: it’s generally the producers that get this privilege. The reason behind this is that the ones who support the production financially usually have a better understanding of what the audience might like or dislike to see. Still, a professional who directs a movie often gets to make their own version of the film—the famous “director’s cut”—a version often longer than the one released to the general audience. Step inside your movie cave and get ready for a few surprises: here are the 5 movies which directors’ cuts you shouldn’t miss.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, LIST, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 3, 2020Comment

COLUMN: 7 Money-Related Shows to Binge on Netflix

The fear of a recession has urged many people to delve into the world of finance to learn how money is properly handled and what happened back during the 2008 recession. Fortunately, Netflix contains many shows and movies dealing with that exact subject plus a few other financial topics. Some of these shows, however, are restricted to US-only, meaning that people in other countries can’t watch them. Don’t worry, though, because a VPN for Netflix will help you navigate around that pesky geo-block. Now, without further ado, let’s talk about the seven best financial shows on Netflix.

2020, Column, Editorial, Home Media, Streaming, Video on DemandDon ShanahanNovember 24, 2020Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: Who's the Toughest Action Star of All Time?

by Alissa Zucker

A while back, I got to wondering who the toughest action hero of all time is. Not the actor playing the action hero, but the action hero themselves. In other words, I wanted to know what John McClane from the Die Hard series would do if he ended up in a fight with Dirty Harry. I wanted to know how Mad Max would fare in a fight against Han Solo. And so, I decided to create some fictional battles, and try and figure out the answer to this burning question!