MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Kicking the Seat" YouTube channel talking "Coffee & Kareem"

When Netflix is the one studio with an open and busy storefront, movies like Coffee & Kareem are what we get. Stuff like that is going to have to suffice, both for general audience as us film critics who haven’t seen a new theatrical film in a month. Ian Simmons of Kicking the Seat invited me to the streaming sidelines to ride along with the buddy copy comedy from the director of Stuber and Take Me Home Tonight and starring the dolt of Ed Helms and the potty-mouth of Terrence Little Gardenhigh. I chose to crush a beer over enjoying this cinematic coffee. Enjoy this new video podcast episode on his YouTube channel!

Media Appearance, Podcast, Social Media, SPECIAL, 2020Don ShanahanApril 6, 2020AMC River East 21Kicking the SeatComment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "You'll Probably Agree" podcast talking feel-good movies in the time quarantine

During this COVID-19 quarantine, a portion of our easy-going lifestyle of going to communal theaters to catch a big screen spectacle has been dealt a body blow. For many, this isolation is not a very fun time. Turning to our favorite movies at home or discovering some motivating and engaging new ones can be great medicine for happiness against the cabin fever blues. I joined Mike Crowley’s You’ll Probably Agree podcast this week to talk comforting cinema in a group conversation with Ian Simmons of Kicking the Seat and the esteemed Pat McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com. 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, Independent Film, StreamingDon ShanahanMarch 28, 2020Comment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Kicking the Seat" YouTube channel talking 1998's "Mulan"

The present social distancing and near complete shutdown of the mainstream cinema calendar has led to many postponed spring tentpoles. One of those was Disney’s hotly anticipated and latest re-imagining project of Mulan from director Niki Caro. All of us, critic and public alike, will get to see that movie someday. For now, it’s a great time to revisit the 1998 animated original. On the week we would have watched the new one, Ian Simmons of Kicking the Seat and I did that very thing. I’ve been a long-time fan of animated one and Ian was a first-timer! Enjoy this new video podcast episode on his YouTube channel!

Media Appearance, Podcast, Social Media, SPECIAL, 2020Don ShanahanMarch 28, 2020AMC River East 21Kicking the SeatComment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on "PopCulture25YL" Podcast talking March 1995

Since last summer, I’ve been very proud to be a staff writer for 25 Years Later, a rapidly growing entertainment site. One of their specialties (their namesake as you can likely tell) is looking back and examining cultural moments across all mediums that occurred 25 years ago. The site has been dipping its toes into audio content, including a full-fledged podcast. When the call came across the inter-office communication looking for a movie contributor to talk about the 1995 Academy Awards, I was quick to throw my hat in the ring. Thank you to host Conor O’Donnell for having me on and cutting the whole thing together to make us sound great. Here us talk about Forrest Gump, The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, and more. Give this new podcast a listen!

25YL, SPECIAL, Social Media, Podcast, Media Appearance, 2020Don ShanahanMarch 26, 2020Comment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Kicking the Seat" YouTube channel talking movies in the time of quarantine

With all the multiplexes shut down and mainstream releases postponed for the foreseeable future, the #firstworldproblems life of your rank-and-file movie critic has become pretty rough in the time of the COVID-19 quarantine. A question was posed among us of what are we up to stuck in our pajamas with movies to dig through at home. Well, I was unshy about my beautifying bedtime ritual to get on camera in my bedroom attire with Emmanuel Noisette of E-Man’s Movie Reviews for Ian Simmons and his Kicking the Seat YouTube channel to talk movies being consumed during our social distancing time! Enjoy!

Media Appearance, Podcast, Social Media, SPECIAL, 2020Don ShanahanMarch 23, 2020AMC River East 21Kicking the SeatComment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Kicking the Seat" podcast talking "Onward"

Boy, I tell you. You get right three men together with the right movie and hearts overflow. That was Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast, David Fowlie of Keeping It Reel, and myself sharing our experiences with Pixar’s Onward. All three of us are dads. All three of us are brothers in our families. The movie’s hearty feels won each of us over and it was a blast, as always, to talk about it on Ian’s recorded airwaves. Enjoy a good film-loving session!

Media Appearance, Podcast, Social Media, SPECIAL, 2020Don ShanahanMarch 8, 2020AMC River East 21Kicking the SeatComment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Feelin' Film" podcast for "If Beale Street Could Talk"

As a special for Black History Month, I was honored to join Aaron White and Patrick Hicks of the Feelin' Film Podcast for an opportunity to love all over my #1 film of 2018, If Beale Street Could Talk from Moonlight Oscar winner Barry Jenkins. Joining me as another guest and bringing the dais to four was Kolby Mac, the new host of FF’s “Black Label” podcast. This was such a wonderful episode! Listeners are in for a treat! Take a listen to the episode here or below:

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

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Kicking the Seat" podcast and YouTube talking "Birds of Prey"

One thing that doesn’t need a title change is Ian Simmons’ Kicking the Seat podcast. The same cannot be said of Birds of Prey (and the Emancipation of One Harley Quinn. That movie was the discussion subject of the recent 499th episode of Ian’s program. He, David Fowlie of Keeping It Reel, Emmanuel Noisette of E-Man’s Movie Reviews, and I passed around the hair tie to talk about the colorful and not-to-soft Suicide Squid sequel and spin off. Enjoy us comic fans putting forth some insight and regret!

Media Appearance, Podcast, Social Media, SPECIAL, 2020Don ShanahanFebruary 14, 2020AMC River East 21Kicking the SeatComment

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

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Kicking the Seat" podcast and talking "All the President's Men" for the "ReelPolitk" series

If the two of us were paid for doing this stuff, Ian Simmons of Kicking the Seat and I would be following the money for All the President’s Men. For a little something different than our usual big roundtables for new movies, Ian and I put the recorders on to mix politics and movies together. The dark parking garage was optional. For nearly an hour, we build bridges between old brilliance and analog journalism to our 24-hour news cycle and current times with this masterpiece being the mold. Enjoy this very topical and jovial shared conversation!