Won’t You Be My Neighbor? presents the core of that incomparable man with an impenetrable reputation of tolerance, even against criticism and cynical parody of his message. Fred Rogers’ lasting achievement wasn’t years of fame or fortune. It was the mission to mold others that could share the same. Morgan Neville’s film nails that without fail. What that man did to love cannot quantified, but this film can sure try with shattering emotional sentiment.
Read MoreIn the third and final part of a busy May collaboration, Mike Crowley of "You'll Probably Agree" leads a full-bodied recap of what he and I covered from the prestigious and successful 6th Chicago Critics Film Festival. We rundown a collection of 10 reviews that included The Guilty, First Reformed, On Chesil Beach, Eighth Grade, Bodied, Support The Girls, Revenge, We The Animals, and Abducted in Plain Sight. Enjoy this uncut back-and-forth shared discussion!
Read MoreYouTube video critic Mike Crowley invited me on his "You'll Probably Agree" channel to review Deadpool 2 after a recent press screening. We pile the humor on this R-rated blockbuster which is bigger, loud, and more of the same from Ryan Reynolds and company. Grace this video your thumbs up and feedback. While you're at it, do give Mike and his channel a subscribe and a follow on YouTube and Facebook.
Read MoreOn behalf of the Wilmette Theatre, I have to give a big thank you to the media coverage from Alexa Burnell of The Wilmette Beacon for giving some love to our "Kids Klassics" series. It was a pleasure to talk with her after our opening showing of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I'll always be that small-town kid who always takes it as a big deal when you get your picture in the paper. Much appreciated!
Read MoreIn a special edition of my ongoing "Guest Critic" series, meet my own mother, Kathy Shanahan. She was my recent Mother's Day +1 to see an advanced screening of the new summer comedy Book Club. I had my take on the film and she, as a member of the target demographic, certainly had hers. Come hear about our Mother’s Day trip together and for a second take on Book Club.
Read MoreSucceeding frequently with several exciting and well-conceived action sequences and a bevy of rich supporting characters to enjoy, Solo: A Star Wars Story still has an inescapable ceiling. Directed by a respected safe veteran in Ron Howard, rescuing this film from loudly reported production woes, this prequel seeks to chronicle a background of how our favorite smuggler, thief, and scoundrel came to be. On this writer’s ledger, the first two of those three traits register emphatically from the movie.
Read MoreEvery Movie Has a Lesson gives a hearty welcome back to The Cinescope Podcast, hosted by Chad Hopkins, after a brief winter sabbatical. After seeing me recently come out of hosting a screening of E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial through the "Kids Klassics" series at The Wilmette Theatre, Chad invited me to record a nostalgic retrospective on Spielberg's film as the return episode of The Cinescope Podcast. E.T. is a cherished favorite film for both of us and it made for lovely discussion.
Read MoreUPDATED: Found within are my capsule reviews of the feature films and documentaries covered by Every Movie Has a Lesson from this year’s 6th Chicago Critics Film Festival. This post will be updated as new films are reviewed are completed, so be sure to bookmark this and come back each day as new offerings arrive. Build your 2018 hidden gem list and see you at the Music Box Theatre in Lakeview!
Read MoreThis week, I was cordially invited to re-team with the mainstays of the Kicking the Seat Podcast hosted by Ian Simmons. David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel, Emmanuel Noisette of Eman's Movie Reviews, Ian, and I consider ourselves Earth's Mightiest Critics to discuss Marvel's summer-movie megalith, Avengers: Infinity War! We decompressed and ranted after an early screening at the MacGuffins bar and lounge of the AMC River East location. Presented here is an evenly divided round table of opinions.
Read MoreFor this departing month of April, Aaron White of the Feelin' Film podcast are pleased to present you a conversation about 1953’s Shane, just in time for its 65th anniversary. Newer or younger audiences may recognize this film as the allegorical pairing made in James Mangold’s Logan, but this classic western sits at #46 on the AFI Top 100 10th Anniversary list and #3 on the westerns list for good reasons.
Read MoreAtypical to the big-talking hot heads and inflated anti-hero personalities common of the genre, Alan Ladd’s cowboy and director George Stevens’ Shane operates with a code and a compass that is idyllic and pure. Ranked the #3 western of all-time by the American Film Institute and their #45 overall American film, Shane is an anointed classic and masterpiece. Why? It’s because Shane carries itself with equal parts heroic grandeur and hardscrabble ethics that can still resonate and draw audience appreciation today, 65 years later.
Read MoreFrees’s voiceover goal is to change Donald’s mind about math, to ruffle his feathers of antiquated ideas, false concepts, superstitions, confusion, and general bungling (all revealed in pseudo-analog-Inside Out fashion). Whether the knowledge of these “boundless treasures of science” stick in his bird brain remains to be seen. Spirited and pristinely stylish animation, dancing shapes, and moveable manipulatives fill the screen backed by music from Buddy Baker, a veteran of 26 Disney films of the era.
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