MOVIE REVIEW: End of Sentence

Gosh, that is such a smooth and stirring way to express something profound. Rarely veering to hardest of hard or the ugliest of ugly, there is much more of that homely wisdom to be had in Elfar Adalsteins’ debut feature film. Identifying the “rebels” from the “kind-hearted” is relatively easy. The challenges become to what degree agitation within the malcontent can be healed and where strength can develop next to grace in the kindly. End of Sentence is available on VOD from Gravitas Ventures and it is a worthy dramatic experience.

2020, 4 STARS, Home Media, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, Streaming, Video on DemandDon ShanahanMay 30, 2020End of SentenceComment

MOVIE REVIEW: The High Note

Each time Maggie’s employers, the fictional world-renowned recording artist Grace Davis played by Blackish’s Tracee Ellis Ross and her manager Jack Robertson played by Ice Cube, summarily dismiss her to stay in her lane or fetch some inconsequential thing, The High Note gets better because the real talent is allowed to emerge. To love underdog moxie, or any moxie for that matter, you have to have it. The flimsy Dakota Johnson doesn’t. She, and the movie, would be better served by her getting out of the way just like her shunned Maggie.

COLUMN: 10 Best Movies for Career Inspiration

Pursuing career goals may be a daunting experience, especially when you get repeated disappointments in the process. During such times, one may need intriguing successful stories about careers for encouragement. In most cases, when people face challenges in their career paths, they usually turn to TED talks and motivational writings. However, you cannot overlook the power of films in inspiring career objectives; there are various storylines on career success in film form. A good fascinating success story may be what you need to churn ideas and push you to reach your career goals. Here are some movies to inspire you career-wise.

2020, Column, Editorial, Home Media, LIST, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanMay 23, 2020Comment

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

Back in March, I joined Mike Crowley’s You’ll Probably Agree podcast with Ian Simmons of Kicking the Seat and Pat McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com in listing and recommending movies to cope with the COVID-19 quarantine. Now, two months later, society is starting to loosen. Ian, and I return to YPA to look at the damage done to the movie theater business with a prognosticating curiosity towards their possible future. Enjoy this heady and rich conversation of our fears, wonders, and predictions for what could be the new normal or the broad future. Give Mike’s YouTube channel a new subscriber, his Facebook page a like, and his Twitter a follow!

Social Media, SPECIAL, Podcast, Media Appearance, 2020, Home Media, DOCUMENTARY REVIEW, Independent FilmDon ShanahanMay 23, 2020Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Lovebirds

Here’s the rub though. For “hi-jinks ensue” to work and live up to its promise, you need strong and effective events to come before and after when that phrase is planted. Have a weak setup and the absurdity of hi-jinks after can feel like a jolting improvement or tail-spinning crash. Have a great setup and the hi-jinks that follow can either evolve or devolve the auspicious start. This “one wild night” romp of The Lovebirds has about half of each measure in that balance.

2020, 3 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, Streaming, Video on DemandDon ShanahanMay 21, 2020The LovebirdsComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Scoob!

One of the classic catchphrases of the old Scooby Doo franchise is the vocalized signal, often from the eager mouth of their de facto leader Fred, of “looks like we’ve got another mystery on our hands.” The new CGI reboot Scoob! now on VOD platforms answers that rhetorical realization with both possible extremes. The movie doesn’t have one and the canyon-sized narrative hole because of it leaves us more perplexed than satisfied with a shoulder shrug and a chin rub of our own.

2 STARS, 2020, Animated Film, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, Streaming, Video on DemandDon ShanahanMay 17, 2020Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Capone

That name brings forth a gusher of overplayed stereotypes and caricatures. If you think you’re going to see the decadence of the historical figure’s prime, you’ve come to the wrong movie. If you think you’re going to see another Ben Gazzara or Bob De Niro galavanting as the king of his own court, you’ve come to the wrong movie. If anything, Josh Trank intentionally and subversively pushes back against the romanticized urban legend of “Scarface,” “Big Al,” “Big Boy,” “Snorky,” and “Public Enemy No. 1.”

2020, 3 STARS, Home Media, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, Streaming, Video on DemandDon ShanahanMay 13, 2020Capone, Tom Hardy, Josh TrankComment

GUEST COLUMN: Resources for Watching Hindi Movies Online Through Kodi

by Maria Jones

Kodi is a wonderful application through which you can not only view Hollywood movies and TV series but for the Bollywood movies enthusiasts, it is also possible to watch Hindi movies online now through Kodi. New, old, and all-time classic are available here. It is a fact that Bollywood movies have fans all across the globe as these movies feature a wide range of vibrant characters, action, melodic songs, colorful sceneries, and romance at best.

2020, Column, Editorial, Foreign Film, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, Independent Film, Streaming, Video on DemandDon ShanahanMay 12, 2020Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Arkansas

Let’s just say it. The subgenre of redneck crime films is a messy place. The “black hat” is almost always a crazy SOB engaged with a less crazy SOV “white hat.” Slickness is replaced by stains. Dazzle is replaced by dinge. Calling any of them “sagas” is too much credit and heft. Unless you’re the Coen brothers (and even if you’re them too), spicing up this slow-and-low movie barbecue takes some of that absent slickness and dazzle injected into either the filmmaking or storytelling departments, or both.

2020, 3 STARS, Film Festival, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanMay 10, 2020Arkansas, Clark Duke, Vince VaughnComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Working Man

Movies becoming timely is almost always an accident. They’re made months in advance and can never reliably predict the future they will enter when released. The right match of content and happenstance can elevate a film’s mystique, even that of a tiny little indie that normally wouldn’t carry much of one at all. The award-winning Working Man, filmed in and around Chicago last year, debuts on VOD services today to a sheltered public facing jobless claims that topped 30 million in two short quarantined months. The distinctive part about this movie is that it displays a sense of workplace fulfillment that would still work if that bellwether statistic was zero. Timeliness only makes it better.

2020, 4 STARS, Home Media, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, Streaming, Video on DemandDon ShanahanMay 5, 2020Working ManComment

GUEST COLUMN: 7 Best Romantic Comedies on Netflix

by Lillian O’Brien

Well, a romantic comedy is not a favorite genre for many people especially men, however, you can't deny that they are sweet and remind you how beautiful love is. I love watching romantic comedies because they always remind me how easy and wonderful life can be if we don't take things too seriously. The storylines of rom-coms are pretty similar still there are so many rom-coms come out every year and they do cuddle you when you watch them. Why I love watching them is because they create a cozy atmosphere and make you believe in a miracle...even if you are 30

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, LIST, SPECIAL, StreamingDon ShanahanApril 30, 2020Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Prop or Not? 7 Continuity Mistakes in Films & TV

by Tom Simpkins

The minds behind television and film often have to juggle hundreds of decisions, both creative and technical, and so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the odd mistake slips through the cracks here and there. These are often labelled continuity mistakes, cases where even if dozens of people give a scene the final thumbs up, any number of factors can cause even seemingly obvious errors to crop up.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanApril 30, 2020Comment