GUEST CRITIC #39: Mudbound

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 ShanahanOctober 11, 2020Clemency Comment

GUEST CRITIC #38: Green Book

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 ShanahanOctober 11, 2020ClemencyComment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: "Feelin' Film" FF+ 1999 Fantasy Movie Draft

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.

FESTIVAL COVERAGE: Drive-In features come to the 56th Chicago International Film Festival

The 2020 edition of the Chicago International Film Festival will bring several of their Gala and World Premiere presentations to socially distant audiences from the comfort of their automobiles. The Chi-Town Movies Drive-In location in the trendy Pilsen neighborhood hosts the Opening Night documentary Belushi, the Closing Night Nomadland, and six more films in-between. Tickets are available only through online advance sales. The full festival runs from October 14-25.

GUEST CRITIC #37: It Chapter Two

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 ShanahanOctober 3, 2020ClemencyComment

GUEST CRITIC #36: Just Mercy

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 ShanahanOctober 3, 2020ClemencyComment

GUEST CRITIC #35: Waking Ned Devine

by Juergen Strenger

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 ShanahanOctober 3, 2020ClemencyComment

GUEST CRITIC #34: Me Before You

by Adrian Johansen

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 28, 2020ClemencyComment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Kicking the Seat" podcast and YouTube channel talking "A Face in the Crowd" for the ReelPolitik series

Throughout 2020, I’ve had the pleasure of being invited on Ian Simmons’ website “Kicking the Seat” to contribute to his year-long “Reelpolitik” series. Leading up to the hotly anticipated national election this November, Ian has been pulling aside classic films that exemplify politics with possible parallels to our present state today. This school teacher loves to talk on that kind of level. For my fourth appearance, Ian and I dive deep into Elia Kazan’s A Face in the Crowd from 1957, a punchy political satire starring a then-little known Andy Griffith in a shocking role far different than his future career peaks. Enjoy our discussion in podcast and video forms below!

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

GUEST COLUMN: Unbelievable Movies Based On True Stories That Deserve Documentary Status

by Kurt Waller

There are times when you search for great documentaries, but in the end, what you find are movies based on true stories that have enough in them to be called a documentary or be recorded as one but aren’t. These movies re-live those things that happened in real life over someone’s life. It could also be a global catastrophe or some other event, and they are amazing to watch.

2020, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, LIST, Social Media, SPECIAL, Video on DemandDon ShanahanSeptember 23, 2020 Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Top 10 Best College Movies

by Lewis Robinson

Whether you're in college, thinking about going to college soon, or just enjoy a good college flic, you may enjoy watching some of the movies on this list. Below are some of the top ten best college movies made in the last fifty years. Watch one tonight!

Column, Editorial, Essay, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, Streaming, SPECIAL, Social MediaDon ShanahanSeptember 23, 2020Comment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Quoted on Quality Comix discussing superhero diversity through "Black Panther"

I was approached recently for my second collaboration opportunity with Quality Comix, a successful comic sales website which puts out their own editorial content alongside their marketplace. They were working on a long-form article on the challenging history of superhero diversity. The people at Quality Comix enjoyed my perspective last time on Joker and wanted a contribution on Black Panther in respond to the passing of star Chadwick Boseman for their collected piece. I was happy to oblige speaking about that movie’s vast importance. Check out your boy!