by Lafronda Stumn

As busy I get from time to time, I find that I can't see every movie under the sun, leaving my friends and colleagues to fill in the blanks for me. As poetically as I think I wax about movies on this website as a wannabe critic, there are other experts out there. Sometimes, it inspires me to see the movie too and get back to being my circle's go-to movie guy. Sometimes, they save me $9 and you 800+ words of blathering. In a new review series, I'm opening my site to friend submissions for guest movie reviews.

2020, GUEST CRITIC, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, Social MediaDon ShanahanSeptember 19, 2020Comment

GUEST CRITIC #32: Blue Valentine

by Lafronda Stumn

As busy I get from time to time, I find that I can't see every movie under the sun, leaving my friends and colleagues to fill in the blanks for me. As poetically as I think I wax about movies on this website as a wannabe critic, there are other experts out there. Sometimes, it inspires me to see the movie too and get back to being my circle's go-to movie guy. Sometimes, they save me $9 and you 800+ words of blathering. In a new review series, I'm opening my site to friend submissions for guest movie reviews.

2019, 2020, 3 STARS, GUEST CRITIC, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, Social MediaDon ShanahanSeptember 12, 2020ClemencyComment

When Female Protagonists Take Over: The New Black Panther & More

Recently, rumours and murmurs throughout Hollywood have made the rounds, discussing certain roles that should be taken over by a female actor, yet this is nothing new. From the possibility of a female Bond to a questionable decision to recast all of Ghostbusters as women, the thought of playing with gender roles is nothing new, yet films like Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel and shows like Fleabag and Stranger Things have showcased just how well the choice to have female leads as showstoppers can be.

2020, Column, Editorial, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanSeptember 6, 2020Comment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Kicking the Seat" YouTube channel talking the new "Mulan"

Way back in March, Ian Simmons and I put some Skype video time on his “Kicking the Seat” channel to talk about the 1998 Disney animated film Mulan. The two of us thought we’d be seeing the new live-action re-imagining on the big screen in a matter of weeks. Well, then came the COVID pandemic. Niki Caro’s Mulan stood to be delayed indefinitely only to magically get tabbed as an extended PVOD option for this September. Ian and I jumped at the chance to finish the circle and we brought David Fowlie of “Keeping it Reel” to chime in as a third. Enjoy this YouTube presentation!

Media Appearance, Podcast, Social Media, SPECIAL, 2020Don ShanahanSeptember 5, 2020AMC River East 21Kicking the SeatComment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on "Feelin Film'" FF+ podcast for "Mulan"

Friend of the page Aaron White, co-host of the Feelin’ Film podcast and member of the Seattle Film Critics Society, has reignited his FF+ brand of smaller plate podcast episodes. His goal is to collect spoiler-free discussions of several current movies combined into one show. Rather than fly solo, he’s using his FF+ platform to invite other critics to share in the chat. For this episode, Aaron invited me with his usual co-host Patrick Hicks to fawn over Disney+’s Mulan. He sure didn’t have to twist my arm.

GUEST CRITIC #31: Clemency

by Lafronda Stumn

As busy I get from time to time, I find that I can't see every movie under the sun, leaving my friends and colleagues to fill in the blanks for me. As poetically as I think I wax about movies on this website as a wannabe critic, there are other experts out there. Sometimes, it inspires me to see the movie too and get back to being my circle's go-to movie guy. Sometimes, they save me $9 and you 800+ words of blathering. In a new review series, I'm opening my site to friend submissions for guest movie reviews.

2019, 2020, 3 STARS, GUEST CRITIC, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, Social MediaDon ShanahanSeptember 5, 2020ClemencyComment

GUEST COLUMN: 17 Inspirational Quotes from Oscar-Winning Movies

by Ashley Simmons

Movies are a beautiful way of getting out of your daily routine and enjoy some time for yourself. They could also be your personal marketing method of escaping reality for some time and becoming absorbed in a different Universe. A study conducted at the University of Maryland looked at the causal effect of laughing on people’s long-term well-being. The results suggested that watching comedies can release stress and lower blood pressure.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, Social MediaDon ShanahanAugust 27, 2020Comment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Feelin' Film" FF+ podcast for "The One and Only Ivan" and "Desert One"

Friend of the page Aaron White, co-host of the Feelin’ Film podcast and member of the Seattle Film Critics Society, has reignited his FF+ brand of smaller plate podcast episodes. His goal is to collect spoiler-free discussions of several current movies combined into one show. Rather than fly solo, he’s using his FF+ platform to invite other critics to share in the chat. For this episode, Aaron invited me to help cover the stunning documentary Desert One and the new Disney+ entry The One and Only Ivan. Enjoy!

INFOGRAPHIC: Disney Originals vs. Live-Action Remakes

by Chantel Buchi

What’s the first Disney original and remake that comes to your mind? Would you agree the classic version is the best? No one can deny our love for the talking candlestick, portly Gus-Gus, and the Hundred Acre Wood. (If you can’t name the movies, are you even a Disney fan?) We have to say we love the animated, magical movies that take you to another world. The wonderful, nostalgic movies take us back to simpler times. One reason Disney keeps doing remakes? They make enough money to pay for a lot more than “The Bare Necessities.”

2020, Column, Editorial, Home Media, Infographic, GUEST EDITORIAL, LIST, Social Media, SPECIAL, StreamingDon ShanahanAugust 19, 2020Comment

INFOGRAPHIC: Basement Management Tips to Take From Movies and TV Shows

If you’re looking for tips and tricks to make your basement a little more manageable, chances are you’re not going to think about movies and TV shows immediately. They’re not exactly known for their realism — that’s one of the reasons people love movies and TV shows so much. However, there are actually some interesting tips you can take from certain iconic moments in film. Here are some of the more interesting issues with famous basements.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, Social Media, SPECIAL, InfographicDon ShanahanAugust 19, 2020Comment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Kicking the Seat" podcast talking "Project Power"

Twice now in the same month since a multi-month hiatus of scheduling, Ian Simmons was able to assemble the fabled “Earth’s Mightiest Critics” on his Kicking the Seat podcast for a brand new superhero film: Netflix’s Project Power. Myself, David Fowlie of Keeping It Reel, and Emmanuel Noisette of E-Man’s Movie Reviews popped our pills with Ian to put our buzz into the exploits of Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Dominique Fishback. Enjoy our thorough podcast chat linked below via Stitcher!

Media Appearance, Podcast, Social Media, SPECIAL, 2020Don ShanahanAugust 15, 2020AMC River East 21Kicking the SeatComment

COLUMN: Using Followers on Instagram to Promote Your Short Film Online

by Andrew Thompson

It’s 2020 and promotions have acquired a new way, including movies. Gone are the days when actors, directors, writers, and the film crew attended only a press conference to share the necessary details. Your audience today has become more critical than ever! For every movie maker and artist, their audience is their social currency, which they should earn and maintain well. Are you planning to promote your short film? If yes, you need to think of an intelligent social media marketing campaign and add Instagram as an integral social media platform for promotions.

2020, Column, Editorial, Social MediaDon ShanahanAugust 8, 2020 Comment