MOVIE REVIEW: The Water Man

That’s a sample of the welcome, sympathetic depth of The Water Man. So few fantasy films nowadays handle difficult questions like that one. Escapism for this demographic sells, no doubt, but internal odysseys will always have their place and merit. The Water Man, while destroying far fewer warehouses of Kleenex to reach its pinnacle, joins A Monster Calls and I Kill Giants as a trilogy of valuable discourses for bridging teens and adults together to engage with current and impending despair they may feel in their lives.

2021, Independent Film, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, Streaming, 4 STARSDon ShanahanMay 8, 2021Comment

COLUMN: Take Movie Night to the Next Level: Home Theater Pro Tips

Whether or not this is the case, there has been a massive spike in home theater investments as people spend less time and money going out and more time watching TV at home. If you’re ready to invest in an entirely new visual or sound system, that’s great, but most of us would probably like to upgrade our home theater setup without spending hundreds or thousands of dollars. The home theatre experts at Selby in Australia shared with us their professional insights on how to optimize your experience. And most of us are in luck -- there are many ways to boost your home theater quality without investing in loads of new equipment:

2021, Column, Editorial, Home Media, StreamingDon ShanahanMay 7, 2021Comment

ESSAY: Using Color Theory To Develop Your Composition and Style With Examples From Wes Anderson

by Andrew Adams

Visual art, which is composed of shapes and colors, is used to share ideas. Colors, which we see every day but often ignore, evoke emotion. Although you may not notice it at first, film directors and other visual storytellers use color theory to enhance stories. Color can heighten the emotions and characterizations for the audience, setting the story’s mood. Color signifies periods; it can be used in foreshadowing and symbolism and may remind the audience of events or experiences in their own lives. Therefore, colors and compositions affect how you may perceive or feel about a film.

2021, Column, Editorial, Essay, Home MediaDon ShanahanMay 7, 2021Comment

GUEST COLUMN: 10 Classic Movies With Fun Behind-the-Scenes Facts

by Lewis Robinson

Classic films are often enjoyable to watch. However, discovering what happened behind the camera can be even more fun! So, here are ten classic movies with fun behind-the-scenes facts. The film industry has a rich and interesting history. After learning about it, it's clear how far movies have come.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanMay 7, 2021Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Five Movies That Will Make You Rethink Your Habits Behind the Wheel

by Susan Melony

What kind of bad habits do you have behind the wheel? We all have at least one habit that we would probably be better off leaving behind. For example, road rage in the Bronx contributes to plenty of accidents. In the first half of 2021, 227 accidents occurred because someone was following too closely, which is a type of accident that is easy to avoid!

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanMay 6, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Outside Story

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