CAPSULE REVIEWS: Playing catch-up on December awards contenders

Though the day job work was no longer in the way, good times with family and friends was the better thing to do than lock myself in a room on a laptop and write. Three of these films are cracking my Top 20 of 2017 and possibly even my final “10 Best” list. A year-end bang like that deserves to be talked about, and I couldn’t keep sitting on them without getting something out to you. To get the good word out there, here are some quick hot take capsules of the films with full reviews in the works.

SPECIAL: Fan ballot for the second annual CIFCC Awards

The ballot nominations have been tallied and here are the finalists in every category. Our 25 critics will be voting on these awards between December 24-30. If you were in our shoes, who would you pick? The Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle has opened up a FAN BALLOT on Google Forms found here in this post.

2017, LIST, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 24, 2017Comment

SPECIAL: Second annual CIFCC Awards nominations

Capping off their second year as a recognized awards-voting body, the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle, a group which I helped found and participate as a proud member, has announced their nominees for the second annual CIFCC Awards. The 26 voting members completed ballots with the goal of three final nominees in 21 categories. They will commence a final round of voting ending on December 29, 2017 with winners announced on December 30, 2017.

2017, LIST, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 23, 2017Comment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on "E-Man's Movie Reviews" podcast for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"

Minutes after stepping out of an advance press screening of the most-anticipated movie of the year, Emmanuel Noisette of E-Man's Movie Reviews summoned his recording equipment and a brake-pumping exhale session for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The SPOILER ALERT neon light is on for the two of us breaking down our impressions, reservations, likes, dislikes, hopes, and dreams for this middle chapter of a new trilogy.

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the 100th "Kicking the Seat" podcast of 2017 talking "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"

For the second time in a month, the hard-working host of the "Kicking the Seat" podcast, Ian Simmons, invited Every Movie Has a Lesson to join the barstool daius for his 100th show of 2017. Fitting for the milestone century number is the central film of the discussion: Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Ian was joined by his regular partner-in-crime David J. Fowlie of Keeping it Reel and Emmanuel Noisette of E-Man's Movie Reviews. The four us go deeply into SPOILERS, so buyer beware.

INFOGRAPHIC: Updated cinematic rights to Marvel Comic characters

The brand new Disney/Fox merger looms large in the business of Hollywood. There's a great deal of big ugly implications, but there are some nice developments that come out of it as well. One of those is more Marvel Comics characters coming under the Marvel Studios umbrella at Disney. Suitably, they belong together and the new possibilities of team-ups and crossovers are mouth-watering and eye-popping.

2017, Infographic, LIST, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 17, 2017Comment

INFOGRAPHIC: Best Films About Finance

From Oliver Stone’s epic Wall Street to the hilarious Trading Places and the Scorcese hit The Wolf of Wall Street, the topic of finance has inspired many a classic film. Courtesy of ABCFinance, find a handy infographic of 10 Best Films about Finance below. We’ve also analyzed the books to discover how well each film did at the box office, compared to their monetary budget. In the film world of finance, alongside tales of highs, lows, and even humor, there’s definitely some money to be made!

2017, Infographic, LIST, SPECIAL, Social MediaDon ShanahanDecember 12, 2017Comment

INFOGRAPHIC: Movie Nightmares

Do you remember those nights when you were younger, utterly terrified by what’s on screen but unable to turn away? And then afterward, having to get into bed, alone and wary of whatever might be lurking in the gloom. Courtesy of Mattress Online, here are an infographic list of top movie nightmares, films that still creep into our consciousness years later, and more than any others, have stopped us from falling asleep.

Infographic, LIST, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 12, 2017Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Mercury in Retrograde

Michael Glover Smith’s words of mounting depth and weight turn idle chatter into soapboxes that eventually become proverbial fortifications built around questioned principles and shattered wills. The ensemble of performers delivers on the required heavy lifting from the director to make the multitude of human flaws believable yet still approachable. Mercury in Retrograde is a hidden gem.

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on "E-Man's Movie Reviews" podcast for "Justice League"

Emmanuel Noisette of the newly updated E-Man's Movie Reviews called for a wingman on a team-up movie. He was kind enough to invite me to represent Every Movie Has a Lesson on a recorded SPOILER-FILLED podcast of our immediate reactions after watching the Zack Snyder/Joss Whedon concoction of Justice League. We sit down and discuss what we saw, what we liked, and didn't like.

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on "Kicking the Seat" podcast talking "Justice League"

This past week, I was cordially invited and honored to join a panel on the "Kicking the Seat" podcast hosted by Ian Simmons. As always, Ian is joined by his regular wingman David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel. We left a seat warm for mutual friend Emmanuel Noisette of E-Man's Movie Reviews, but he couldn't make it. Ian, David, and I have talked comic book movies before, so it was only proper to get together for Justice League.

GUEST CRITIC #26: Murder on the Orient Express

Fellow Chicago critic Jeff York is a delight to talk to on any and all topics, but our movie chats have become truly special. Jeff was able to view and review Kenneth Branagh's remake of Murder on the Orient Express. He's a self-professed fan and cover-to-cover expert on the Agatha Christie source novel and the previously celebrated 1974 film adaptation. His review will do better informative service than mine ever would.

EVERY MOVIE HAS A LESSON

by Don Shanahan

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