GUEST ESSAY: California Dreaming in Concrete Forests of Hong Kong in "The Chungking Express"

by Ruohao Yan

Chungking Express, a 1994 movie about romantic and urban life in Hong Kong, depicts the glamour of the metropolitan life and social issues in Hong Kong. The film director, Wong Kar-Wai, describes two love stories between ordinary citizens. In the first romantic story, a police officer, went by the number “223” broke up with his girlfriend on April fool's day, but he was trying to salvage his relationship with her. A month later, he found that his girlfriend had a new love, so chose to give up and went to a bar to forget. He met a female drug dealer in the bar who was betrayed by her boyfriend. The two spent the night together. However, their relationship did not work out. In the second story, a police officer, went by the number “663”, had been in a depression for a long time due to his breakup with his girlfriend. The film not only highlights the beauty of Hong Kong, but also touches upon the dark side of society

Editorial, Essay, Column, 2019, Foreign Film, Independent Film, GUEST EDITORIAL, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 10, 2019Comment

GUEST ESSAY: The Beginning of ("Her")

By Patrick Marcel Donte Winston

An in-depth analysis of Spike Jonze's 2013 film Her, and its relation to progressing artificial intelligence and architecture. Specifically, I question the need of tech in our society and whether it is a benefit or danger to our societal norms. We see technology quickly becoming more advanced in the past 10 years, but will it become God-like? We see advanced technology as our main source of communication, transportation, living, and more. While being so connected to this tech-driven lifestyle, what if we lost control of technology and can't communicate with it?

Editorial, Essay, Column, Independent Film, Home Media, GUEST EDITORIAL, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 10, 2019Comment

GUEST ESSAY: A Fantastic City of Chocolate

By Asucena Alvarado

In the world, people are producing many films that make our lives more enjoyable, and with each film, we can learn, dream, see the impossible, and believe that anything is possible in life. Even though we know there are some things that are just fantasy, but movies help us to think that everything could happen. A good example of a fantasy story is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, where we can see that be humble and kind can give you a reward, but in the real world, we know this is not always true. Here, I want to make a deep research about the film and how the capitalization, the utopian vs dystopian and the past vs present are reflected in this movie, and how it is related to architecture.

2019, Column, Editorial, Essay, SPECIAL, Social MediaDon ShanahanDecember 7, 2019Comment

GUEST ESSAY: Is Architecture Evolving?

By Hojun Wiitanen

What is architecture? The conceptual misinterpretation of architecture is an “object”. Architecture is not an object and not only a building because buildings are mainly stuff. In my opinion, Architecture is an active connection and a system that initiates a relationship between material spaces and people. Also, it structures that relationship, and it structures what we call the relation between space and organized society. The architecture cannot evolve when people use spaces for the sole use of shelter rather than connecting material spaces and people; therefore, to evolve the architectural value of connecting material space and people, basic human needs should be satisfied. 

2019, Column, Essay, Editorial, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 6, 2019 Comment

EDITORIAL: This is How Movies Can Act As an Effective Educational Tool

It seems as if just a few decades ago, students could only dream about using technology in the classroom. Now, dreams have become a reality. By drifting away from the orthodox and traditional teaching methods, educators are actually to improve the learning experience for the students. One of the best and easily accessible ways of implementing technology in education is by using movies. As time goes on, more and more professionals actually start to support the idea of educating by using movies. Of course, there are some benefits and disadvantages to using technology in a learning process, but let’s go over the basics for now. How is it possible for movies to be educational?

2019, Column, Editorial, SPECIAL, Social Media, GUEST EDITORIALDon ShanahanDecember 5, 2019Comment

COLUMN: 7 DIY Steps in Setting Up a Perfect Home Theater System In Your Condo

Living in condo units has notable limitations such as smaller space and sharing walls with your neighbors. However, it does not necessarily keep you from building your very own home theater. Everybody wants to have the best movie or TV shows binging experience. With having to know the right things to do, you can set up a perfect home theater system in small living spaces. You can transform your condo living room to be the home theater that you always dreamed of.

2019, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 5, 2019Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: 5 Great Family Movies for the Holidays

Holiday movies are an integral part of the holiday experience for many families. Consider adding these five holiday movies to your holiday tradition. There are many holiday movies to choose from. These five classics entertain and reinforce the holiday spirit in ways that are sure to make them part of your holiday tradition.

2019, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 4, 2019Comment

EDITORIAL: 5 Best Movies to Motivate You to Write More

It has always been a true mystery what books professional writers read. I mean, how they choose the bedside book for the evening, if they fall in love with characters, whether or not they get inspired for own plots... Perhaps, that’ll remain a mystery. What movies they watch for inspiration is no longer a secret. You might be surprised, but most of the preferable movies aren’t about writers. They are about complicated characters whose nature is exposed by means of words and actions. After a good movie, one can write a few decent pages or maybe a whole chapter!

2019, Column, Editorial, LIST, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 4, 2019 Comment

GUEST ESSAY: The Red and Blue Pill within Capitalism: Exploring Control and Consumerism in “The Matrix”

By Yousreng He

The future that The Matrix predicts is dystopian because the people in the film generally pretend to ignore their thoughts and desire, indeed their humanity, because they believe what they do not know cannot hurt them. The influence that makes people choose ignorance has come from the power of capitalism, which is very capable of controlling people physically and mentally. The power of capitalism is enormous in the film, kind of like a big engine that genetically engineers slave labor. It is very telling that most people go to work not because they like what they do, but because they want to put food on their tables and money in their pockets. That dependence on the capital goods that people have come to expect is how capitalism controls people in the Matrix.

2019, Column, Editorial, Essay, SPECIAL, Social MediaDon ShanahanDecember 2, 2019 Comments

INFOGRAPHIC: Battle Of The Credits: Video Games v Movies

Casino Kings counted thousands of video game and movie titles to see if it now requires more people to create a triple-A video game than a blockbuster movie, and the role microtransactions have potentially played in the growth of the gaming industry. The video game industry now attracts A-list talent to star in its games, such as Norman Reedus in Death Stranding and Keanu Reeves in the soon to be released futuristic RPG Cyberpunk 2077. Along with these famous names, a triple-A game now requires a team of thousands of developers, designers and programmers all working together over many months to make sure their latest iteration is on shelves in time for release day.

2019, Column, Editorial, Infographic, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 2, 2019Comment

INFOGRAPHIC: Pricing Up Pop Culture’s Most Beloved Cars

Ever wanted to get behind the wheel of your favorite pop culture car? Maybe you think you could handle the Batmobile or take on a high-speed chase, Fast and Furious style. The Moneyshake blog looked at auction listings and sales to see how much movie memorabilia motors really sell for. Check out the huge prices of eight popular film and TV cars below and compare them with what you could’ve bought instead.

2019, Column, Editorial, Infographic, LIST, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 2, 2019Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: Pros and Cons of Using Movies in Education

The use of movies in the education program is to engage learners. However, there are many more reasons why movies are important in the classroom. “Instructors must acknowledge that effective learning is based on a proper plan to enhance the student experience at any level”, says Jennifer Broflowski, a teacher and writer at CraftResumes. Among the plans is to review the policies of using films according to the school requirements. For instance, there are different ratings of films, thus teachers must establish which types are necessary for use in the classroom setup. Nonetheless, the use of film has both pros and cons in education.

2019, Editorial, Column, GUEST EDITORIAL, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 1, 2019 Comment