by Kevin Gardner

Daniel Barnz’s Cake is a 2014 comedy-drama that centers around Claire, played by Jennifer Aniston, and her inability to accept her son’s death. By mixing humor with the seriousness of drug use, alcohol use, grief and suicide, Barnz encourages viewers to take a deeper look at Claire. Outwardly she is angry and sarcastic, and she continually pushes people away who care about her. However, her physical scars are symbolic of the cracks in this outer facade; she tries to hide it, but her compassion and loneliness shine through. Cake does a phenomenal job portraying a woman who has lost herself after losing her child. At the beginning, Claire is barely getting through each day. By the end, she comes to the realization that she was a good mother and finds the strength to live. This is a story of hope after an unthinkable tragedy.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, GUEST CRITIC, Home Media, StreamingDon ShanahanApril 30, 2021Comment

COLUMN: Must Watch Movies On Netflix Right Now

Netflix has been on the market since 2012, and ever since it’s release, it has been the powerhouse in the online streaming industry and continues to dominate due to it constantly updating its library with the freshest content on the market, in comparison to its competitors. Due to this, we thought we’d investigate some of the freshest content on the application right now and which are the must watch Netflix films in 2021.

2021, Column, Editorial, Home Media, StreamingDon ShanahanApril 30, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Mitchells vs. The Machines

At first glance, be it the poster of car-riding mayhem or a closer look at the textured exaggerations of the animation style amid the slick futuristic adversaries, a title like The Mitchells vs. The Machines from Netflix likely evokes shades of Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World stirred with a scoop of Clark Griswold-like shenanigans. That’s a fair read, yet there’s, of course, more to it than that. Believe it or not, there’s some finger-wagging and heart-affirming family truthfulness within the zany scribbles.

2021, 4 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanApril 27, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Mortal Kombat

2021’s new Mortal Kombat, debuting simultaneously in reemerging theaters and on HBO Max April 23rd, is a catechism of created clout. It passes tonal tests and achieves feats of action strength to renew and amplify the original zest powered by that inescapable theme song that evaporated from a bad sequel nearly 25 years ago. Bolstered by a commitment to build a mythology beyond the button-smashing combos, Mortal Kombat should ensnare new and old fans alike.

2021, 4 STARS, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanApril 23, 2021Mortal KombatComment

6 Important Secrets That Every Netflix User Must Know

With almost 200 million subscribers worldwide, Netflix is the most popular subscription service for people to watch their favorite movies and TV shows. The service provides American and international content, as well as many Netflix Originals, made exclusively for the platform. Netflix is available on computers, tablets, and smart TVs so there are plenty of ways you can watch it. In order to get the most out of the service, however, there are a few clever tips which everyone should consider.

Column, Editorial, StreamingDon ShanahanApril 16, 2021Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Best Business Movies of the Decade

by Kevin Gardner

The past decade has been an excellent one for movie lovers. Many films have been released that are sure to become classics that will be watched over and over for years to come. There have been movies in all genres that people have loved, from science fiction to superheroes. One category that has seen a number of great movies is business movies. In addition to being fun to watch, these movies can be instructive for business owners and students. Viewers can learn things to do (and not to do) and can come away with ideas to improve their businesses, like marketing strategy small business ideas.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, StreamingDon ShanahanApril 12, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Voyagers

This is going to get confusing, but critiquing Voyagers calls upon several illustrative conflicts. First off, science fiction is the realm of high-minded concepts of fantasy, and yet organic humanity creates and drives each and every great idea in the genre. In the same regard, you have homage versus originality in applying prototypical themes to the luster of new settings. Lasty, you have an audience’s subjective aim to project any number of thoughts out of a movie while the work was created with certain objectives in mind that may not be seen or readily interpreted. All three of those dichotomies clash in Neil Burger’s new film with mixed results.

2 STARS, 2021, Home Media, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanApril 9, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Thunder Force

This is the fifth husband-and-wife/director-and-star collaboration between Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy. Sure, the Frank Sonnnenberg saying of “If work isn’t fun, you’re not playing on the right team” applies to this ensemble. Everyone’s clearly having fun but the “because I’m fun” lines aren’t enough this time. Once again, we’ve seen these “think before you act” and “don’t get carried away” manchild pleadings too much outside of superhero costumes to be duped into enjoying them just because they’re now clad in muscular leather and special effects.

1 STAR, 2021, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanApril 9, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Tunnel

The genre of disaster movies loves to take the well-worn “Murphy’s Law” of “anything that can go wrong will go wrong" as pseudo-logical permission to get excessively creative with their hazards and menaces. There’s most certainly spectacle to be generated but also overindulgence. Just ask Roland Emmerich. The new Norwegian dramatic thriller The Tunnel from director Pål Øie is somewhere wisely in between.

2021, 3 STARS, Foreign Film, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanApril 8, 2021Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Top 4 Sports Films of All-Time

by Kevin Gardner

A good movie can evoke a variety of emotions. Comedies produce tears of laughter, action movies promote suspense, and horror flicks can scare even the bravest of audiences. Sports films win the hearts of their viewers by generating feelings of affection, dedication, and camaraderie. While countless sports movies have graced the big screen over the years, a select few remain forever in the hearts of their viewers. Read on to learn more about the best sports films of all-time.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, StreamingDon ShanahanMarch 30, 2021Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: How to Safely Stream Movies Online

by Kevin Gardner

It has become incredibly easy to access a plethora of movies and television shows online, with almost endless options for where to watch them. But some streaming sites are less safe than others, and some are downright dangerous. Here are a few tips for identifying which sites are legitimate, and staying safe along the way.

Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, StreamingDon ShanahanMarch 30, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Godzilla vs. Kong

Punch up the peril. Amplify the spectacle. Turn the big boys loose. That’s it. Should it really be that hard, especially when you pair the two most popular monster properties in cinema history? They’re billed as ancient enemies of a never-ending rivalry. Would it really be that difficult to stand back in Godzilla vs. Kong and “let them fight?” Evidently, it still is. Apparently, monsters are still dragged down by convolution and pesky people.