SHORT FILM REVIEW: Batman: Dying is Easy

The medium of movies fits the swelling urge to be big and loud. They are sensory explosions we love, but that only goes so far in that endless style vs. substance debate. No matter the noise or spectacle, in this critic’s opinion, story and character are what secure success the most. The crowdfunded Batman: Dying is Easy is precisely that example. The short film from Sean and Aaron Schoenke of Bat in the Sun Productions nails its characters without overplaying spectacle. That’s likely a lecture that we may very well revisit this very week with a certain hotly anticipated director’s cut fanning all the fanboy flames in sight.

2021, 4 STARS, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, SHORT FILMS, Social Media, StreamingDon ShanahanMarch 12, 2021Batman: Dying is EasyComment

GUEST COLUMN: 5 Must-See Weed Documentaries On Netflix

by Crystal M. Wilson

Netflix documentaries are much in the limelight in today's time. They are informative and entertaining that can provide you with a lot of consummation as a viewer. From non-readers to non-movie, bugs are getting a lot to learn from it. Due to the various benefits of vaping cbd, people remain curious to know more about it and hence there are multiple documentaries. This piece will focus on the top five documentaries to enjoy on Netflix. Enjoy the information-loaded Netflix documentaries, and feel free to look up for top cannabis seeds in the USA online for medical purposes or a recreational break. Take a quick look.

2021, Column, Documentary, Editorial, Home Media, StreamingDon ShanahanMarch 9, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Coming 2 America

The edge of the comedic machete harvesting all the low-hanging fruit planted by the six writers sharing story and screenwriter credit on this sequel is regrettably dulled from the R-rated coarseness of 1988 and its different time and temperament. But zingers still zing, thanks to the likable performers and characters. When they’re having fun, we’re having fun. To call back again to Jackie Wilson, the silly glee of this movie evokes the refrained lyric of “Oh what a feeling to be loved!” That’s all this movie is trying to do and that’s just fine.

2021, 3 STARS, MOVIE REVIEW, Streaming, Home MediaDon ShanahanMarch 6, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Raya and the Last Dragon

But the “lies” work because memorable stories dazzle and impress eyes and hearts at the same time. Nestled in a completely foreign realm of magic and myth, the real-life parallels woven into the high fantasy of Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon couldn’t ring louder or truer if it stole every bell in the record-holding Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin. The movie hits the premium tier of Disney+ on March 5th.

INFOGRAPHIC: The Top Clichés of 100 Rom Coms Revealed

These days, there’s plenty of time for a movie marathon – and who doesn’t love a rom com? Whether you’re looking forward to the upcoming Cinderella or the final instalment of To All the Boys, 2021 is packed with perfect binge-worthy love stories that are just a little bit too cheesy – and we’re here for it! Mattress Online compared 2,000 plot points across 100 romantic comedies to reveal the top clichés from the 1950s until now.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, SPECIAL, StreamingDon ShanahanFebruary 27, 2021Comment

EDITORIAL: How Watching TV and Movies Has Evolved In Past Couple Decades

Watching TV across the globe has been a pastime for many of us now for nearly a century now and has become hugely popular as the main form of entertainment within the household. However, the way that we watch television and movies at home has dramatically changed over this period, as many of us won’t ever remember VCR’s, antennas or even TV’s that weighted a tonne and so today we thought we’d look at how this industry has changed over the past couple of decades.

2021, Column, Editorial, Home Media, StreamingDon ShanahanFebruary 24, 2021Comment

COLUMN: 4 Binge-Worthy Cannabis Documentaries To Watch This Weekend

by Crystal M. Wilson

Cannabis is exploding in popularity and is experiencing legalization around the world. This massive new trend is also a media sensation, with articles, videos, and blogs available in print and online. Documentaries are also popping up as the newest trend in film making, and cannabis is fast becoming the darling of this booming industry. With so many people of all ages yearning to learn more about this natural, history-rich plant, it makes sense that inspired directors are offering documentaries.

Column, Editorial, Documentary, Home Media, StreamingDon ShanahanFebruary 23, 2021Comment

EDITORIAL: Enjoy the ultimate binging experience with the best Netflix Tips for 2021

With more than 200 million active subscribers, Netflix has so much in store for the next coming months. Here are some of the best shows you can expect on Netflix in the next few weeks, ranging from reimagined fairy tales to raucous comedies.

2021, Column, Editorial, StreamingDon ShanahanFebruary 21, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Silk Road

When you read the source material coming from David Kushner’s 2014 long-form piece from Rolling Stone and then watch the movie, the character traits and tonal choices just don’t fit. Silk Road has an astounding and blistering story to tell that seems mishandled by those two filmmaker tools for dramatic effect. We too easily see the chopped scars from a machete and the lift of a weakly deflated Thanksgiving Day parade balloon from something that could have been as sharp and heady as The Social Network.

2021, 2 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanFebruary 20, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Flora & Ulysses

To borrow a term from the great Stan Lee, there are casual comic book fans and then there are “true believers.” The latter never miss an issue of their favorites and, even greater, walk through life inspired by the heroic pillars written in and drawn through those page-turning panels. In the new Disney+ film Flora & Ulysses, we are graced by one of those true believers in a film that has its cape hung up out of sight, tights put away in drawers, and heart smack dab in the right place. The film opens on Disney+ on February 19th.

2021, 3 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, CIC, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanFebruary 18, 2021Comment

COLUMN: Top Movies on Amazon Prime for 2021

A person holding an Amazon Prime subscription should really be using it for more than just shipping discounts and looking through sales on whole foods. Amazon’s team has amassed a very impressive library of cinema’s best offerings. These can be accessed together with your Prime account, and in some ways, it’s adequate to and arguably even superior to other primary streaming services’ libraries. But how does one know where to begin? So let us present to you the updated guide to top movies which you may view, if you’ve not already, some of the best titles that Amazon Prime has to offer.

2021, Column, Editorial, Home Media, StreamingDon ShanahanFebruary 16, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Map of Tiny Perfect Things

For the impressionable young woman and clearly smitten guy, played by Freaky’s outstanding Kathryn Newton and future West Side Story cast member Kyle Allen, all hope is far from lost after this first unified encounter. They get to do this all over again. Playing in the self-aware Groundhog Day and Palm Springs pond, their Mark and Margaret are stuck in a temporal loop, repeating the same sunny Alabama spring day that ends with the hints of a cleansing thunderstorm at midnight that never comes before the alarm clock awakens the restarted day.