MOVIE REVIEW: Stargirl

When you take a gander at Grace VanderWaal’s title character in Stargirl, you probably don’t think “unassuming.” The loud outfit seems goudy. The ukulele on her back reeks of ostentatiousness. And, by golly, that rat on her shoulder screams straight-up weird. Miraculously and sweetly, director Julia Hart makes all of this boldness as unassuming as possible, free of arrogance or pretension. The modesty of Jerry Spinelli’s hit source novel is intact and invigorating on this Disney+ original.

MOVIE REVIEW: Run This Town

Behind every political monster has a staff of underlings who have stories to tell and permanent stains on their resumes. More often than not, unless they are a featured mouthpiece or the eventual public whistle-blower, we don’t really see these people, even when we know they are there. Across the guarded podiums, pushy microphones, and invasive cameras are also the faceless by-lines of cub reporters trying to break stories and make a name for themselves. They too are dependent on the grinding political machine. Run This Town gives faces and voices to unfortunate minions and nobodies tied to the late and former mayor of Toronto mayor Rob Ford.

2020, 3 STARS, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, Video on DemandDon ShanahanMarch 8, 2020Run This TownComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Onward

In what has become a signature term and evolving metric for this writer, the “Pixar Punch” remains more undefeated than any boxer. It is the animation studio’s “uncanny ability to absolutely destroy our hearts with raw and simple emotionality in perfectly calculated amounts and moments.” On the surface, Onward is a silly quest movie for the tabletop gamer demo that has been cast into a March abyss instead of gleaming in Pixar’s annual mid-June tentpole throne. In actuality, this funnybone-slaying riot gives way to the kind of heart-rending climax that proves the Pixar Punch keeps manifesting itself in more and more unexpected places.

MOVIE REVIEW: Burden

It is very relevant and very opportune how the true-to-life main character’s last name fittingly became a perfect title for this kind of movie. Call it telling. Call it fate even. One could also call it a warning. Burden is as dramatic and uncomfortable as the many layers of the namesake word itself. The winner of the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival finally makes its theatrical bow nearly two years after its praised debut.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Night Clerk

Like it or not, there’s something carnal and entirely compelling about voyeurism. From trainwrecks to Peeping Toms, gazes can be easily fixated by the energy of those moments. There is an addictive draw that can be interest, mystery, surprise, titillation, or all of the above. The invasive level of wrongness in watching something you are likely not meant to see is measured by what one is doing or getting out of these observations. That’s a bit of the hook of The Night Clerk which allows a little gray hue on that potential wrongness.

2020, 3 STARS, Home Media, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanFebruary 21, 2020 Comment

SHORT FILM REVIEW: A Missed Connection

For a moment, think on the last bad day you experienced when the things you juggle in your life continued to collapse. What sort of “wit’s end” did you find yourself arriving at? Jog the memory of how you reacted to that ugly day. Did you lash out harmfully or did a figurative life preserver pull you out of the doldrums or stresses? Chicago filmmaker Matthew Weinstein’s newest short film A Missed Connection thrusts a character to such a breaking point and exquisitely presents a chance scenario likely dreamt of by many, yet afforded by few. This film plays on February 21st and 22nd as a selection of the Beloit International Film Festival.

2020, 5 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, Film Festival, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, SHORT FILMSDon ShanahanFebruary 19, 2020Bagels and MoreComment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Call of the Wild

Those who have read Jack London’s 117-year-old short novel The Call of the Wild know the truth of its content. Continuously mushing through a gauntlet of abuse and arduous conditions, the story of Buck is not a cuddly one fit for a bedtime story or fireside chat. Any uplifting spirit present does not swell like your typical dog story. The spectre of a truly violent world is inescapable. Each film adaptation over the many decades, from Clark Gable and Charlton Heston to Snoopy and anime, has made their attempt to soften what cannot entirely be softened. This year’s Disney-acquired 20th Century Studios take from animation veteran Chris Sanders, producer James Mangold, and star Harrison Ford adds to that repetitive history of unremarkable failures.

2 STARS, 2020, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanFebruary 18, 2020AMC River East 21Comment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "The Cinescope Podcast" reflecting on "John Carter"

This past week, I was invited and welcomed back to The Cinescope Podcast, hosted by Chad Hopkins. With appreciation for its zest and its history, Chad and I shared our love for Andrew Stanton’s 2012 Disney adventure John Carter. It was an excellent chat. This was my third time on Cinescope after previous episodes on E.T the Extra Terrestrial and The Karate Kid. I look forward to the next chance to join Chad. Enjoy the podcast! Listen or download below!

Media Appearance, MOVIE REVIEW, Podcast, Retrospective, Social Media, SPECIAL, Vintage Review, 2020, Home MediaDon ShanahanFebruary 14, 2020John CarterComment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Photograph

This is going to sound like a spoiler, but no pining suitor or their smitten match says “I love you” in The Photograph. Canadian filmmaker Stella Meghie weaves two passionate romances connected yet separated across a generation within her film and those magic words don’t come out. Know immediately and imploringly how this is far from a dealbreaker. If anything, the restraint away from such a plain statement becomes more stimulating and resounding than ever thought possible.

2020, 5 STARS, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanFebruary 13, 2020AMC River East 21Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

Yowzers, that’s one long subtitle. What an interesting choice of terms too. There’s emancipation signaling “the act of being freed.” And then you have fantabulous as its adjective slinging its slang of “remarkably good.” That extra announcement goes from silly to proper in consecutive words. When it comes to the movie being sold, ahem, excuse me, presented, proper is nowhere to be found when the silly is everywhere. There is certainly fun to be had, but to shoot to fantabulous is going to count as overselling and the liberation most desired will be to escape this fever dream.

2020, 2 STARS, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanFebruary 7, 2020AMC Navy Pier IMAXComment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Feelin' Film" FF+ podcast for "Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero"

Aaron White and Patrick Hicks of the Feelin' Film Podcast were offered the chance to review Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero from animator and voice actor Jordan Beck. With its educational aims, the two brought me in to be the third man and the teacher voice in their interview with Mr. Beck. The three of us loved the film, its values, and its themes. It was a please to speak with Jordan, who couldn’t have been more gracious and accomodating! Take a listen to the episode here or below:

MOVIE REVIEW: Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero

The filmmakers and artists at Fun Academy Motion Pictures answered that line of questioning the best way it ever can be: with a true story. Even better, they do so with a dog, in a humdinger of a tale far beyond a click-bait or “stop me if you heard this one” trivia that needs to be seen to be believed. Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that authenticity always earns appreciation. It’s even better when it resonates. This movie earns both. Discover something astonishing and adorable at the same time.

2018, 2020, 4 STARS, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, PodcastDon ShanahanFebruary 4, 2020Comment