The sliding scale severity of the answers to those questions creates the embarrassing memory and the “have I got a story for you” yarn we tell your friends and family later of the past predicament. This simple premise can have any number of interesting connective circumstances, from nightmarish to adventurous. With a sunny glow of lifted spirits and healed flaws, the batch of life’s little inconveniences dealt to Brian Tyree Henry’s Charles Young enchant a bevy of wry smiles in The Outside Story.

2021, 3 STARS, Independent Film, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanMay 1, 2021Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: Four of the Scariest Films of the Decade

by Kevin Gardner

Horror films have their roots in the silent era, but the movies didn’t gain acceptance with moviegoers until the 1930s. Whether the plots involve haunted houses, crazed killers, aliens or monsters, the world enjoys watching films that make them scared. In the last thirty years, horror has become increasingly popular, and filmmakers continue to discover new ways to make the audience jump in their seats. From 2010 to 2200, a few scary movies stand out as being exceptionally frightening and entertaining. In the following sections, you can examine four of the scariest pictures of the last decade.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, LISTDon ShanahanApril 30, 2021Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: Why "Carbon Nation" is the Most Effective Climate Change Film So Far

by Kevin Gardner

Many films have been produced that deal with the climate change crisis over the past couple of decades. These are important films that deal with a subject that has affected millions around the world, and if left unchecked, will eventually affect everyone. All of these films offer important insights, but the movie Carbon Nation may have a more widespread appeal than the others. Here are a couple of reasons why.

2021, Column, Editorial, Documentary, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanApril 30, 2021Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: 7 Movies Every Business Owner Must Watch

by Kevin Gardner

This article's collection of creative, cinematic masterpieces and documentaries would be fascinating and useful for both new and seasoned business sharks, as well as those pursuing self-development and actively scaling the corporate ladder. These incredible, unpredictable, and inspirational films will pique your interest. They express the details of the trading and advertising industry, reveal the secrets of profitable sales, and reveal the mysteries of famous entrepreneurs in an emotional and precise manner. They chronicle the lives and fortunes of billionaires.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanApril 30, 2021Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: A Take on "Cake"

by Kevin Gardner

Daniel Barnz’s Cake is a 2014 comedy-drama that centers around Claire, played by Jennifer Aniston, and her inability to accept her son’s death. By mixing humor with the seriousness of drug use, alcohol use, grief and suicide, Barnz encourages viewers to take a deeper look at Claire. Outwardly she is angry and sarcastic, and she continually pushes people away who care about her. However, her physical scars are symbolic of the cracks in this outer facade; she tries to hide it, but her compassion and loneliness shine through. Cake does a phenomenal job portraying a woman who has lost herself after losing her child. At the beginning, Claire is barely getting through each day. By the end, she comes to the realization that she was a good mother and finds the strength to live. This is a story of hope after an unthinkable tragedy.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, GUEST CRITIC, Home Media, StreamingDon ShanahanApril 30, 2021Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: 6 of the Most Powerful Superheroes

by Kevin Gardner

Superheroes have always held a place of honor in popular culture. Their superpowers distinguish them and make them favorites when it comes to how they use their abilities to combat evil. They are looked up to for their overall moral rightness and are used as role models for kids of all ages. The bigger the hero, though, the better at their job they are. Here are the top ten strongest superheroes in no particular order from both the DC and the Marvel universes, with a few others thrown in for fun.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanApril 30, 2021Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: 4 Central Plot Elements in "The Great Gatsby"

by Kevin Gardner

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an American classic. While there are multiple adaptations of the book, one that particularly stands out is the film directed by Baz Luhrmann. This movie has a modern feel and a lot of stylization. If you'd like to learn more about it, here are four central plot elements from The Great Gatsby.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanApril 30, 2021Comment

COLUMN: Must Watch Movies On Netflix Right Now

Netflix has been on the market since 2012, and ever since it’s release, it has been the powerhouse in the online streaming industry and continues to dominate due to it constantly updating its library with the freshest content on the market, in comparison to its competitors. Due to this, we thought we’d investigate some of the freshest content on the application right now and which are the must watch Netflix films in 2021.

2021, Column, Editorial, Home Media, StreamingDon ShanahanApril 30, 2021Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: How Does Technology Play a Role in Popular Media Today?

by Adrien Johansen

There’s no denying that technology has made movie production more accessible. But what about the role of tech as part of the stories being told on screen? It’d be reasonable to think that as the digital landscape is such an integral part of the way we live our lives that it’d be more of a feature in our media. But this isn’t always the case.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanApril 28, 2021Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: How a College Student Can Plan an Epic Movie Night

by Devin Caldwell

The college years are often touted as the best ones in life, but that's usually said by someone who left college behind years ago. The truth is, being a college student can be challenging on many levels — intellectually, physically, and emotionally. One of the best ways to handle the stress is by getting together with friends for some quality social time. Everyone loves a good film, so why not put together an epic movie night?

2021, Column, Editorial, Home MediaDon ShanahanApril 28, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Mitchells vs. The Machines

At first glance, be it the poster of car-riding mayhem or a closer look at the textured exaggerations of the animation style amid the slick futuristic adversaries, a title like The Mitchells vs. The Machines from Netflix likely evokes shades of Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World stirred with a scoop of Clark Griswold-like shenanigans. That’s a fair read, yet there’s, of course, more to it than that. Believe it or not, there’s some finger-wagging and heart-affirming family truthfulness within the zany scribbles.

2021, 4 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanApril 27, 2021Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: How to Choose a Language Learning App to Watch the Film in the Original Language

by Ryan Pell

Have you ever watched Lois de Funès timeless comedies? They are great in English translation, but they are absolutely divine when you watch them in French. The incomparable humor in Fantomas and La Grande Vandrouille only comes to its fullest glory when watched in the original language. Watching original movies is also a common technique in learning foreign languages. But before you can do that, you need to get your knowledge of the language to a solid level, which you can achieve with a language learning app.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanApril 26, 2021Comment