MOVIE REVIEW: Joe Bell

Much of Joe Bell has the pungent trace of an unglamourous “glamour project” for Mark Wahlberg and likely a few of the film’s manly executive producer backers including Jake Gyllenhaal, NFL Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks, and former NBA All-Star Michael Finley to name a few. Projecting for sure, this movie feels like a place where the A-lister is trying to put forth marketed atonement for his own past bigotry. When all of this movie adds up to be about him, the genuineness aligns to the wrong place.

2021, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, Streaming, 2 STARSDon ShanahanJuly 21, 2021Joe Bell, Mark WahlbergComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Long Story Short

Rafe Spall’s Teddy shares a lovely line to his best girl Leanne, played by Zahra Newman, towards the beginning of Long Story Short. He says “I love you more than I did yesterday and not as much as I will tomorrow.” I adore that line. It speaks with such intentional optimism. If only we all lived our lives as honestly and as purposefully as that little mantra. If you see sweetness in that gracious sentiment, there’s much more where that came from in the romance at the center of this little Aussie VOD gem written and directed by actor Josh Lawson.

2021, 4 STARS, Home Media, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanJuly 20, 2021Long Story ShortComment

What Comes Next for Movie Streaming?

It came as a bit of a surprise to some at the end of 2020 when Warner Bros announced their partnership with HBO Max to deliver the latest big box office releases directly to their online streaming platform as well as seeing cinema release and the first of the big studios to really make the change, but as all facets of entertainment move away from traditional physical locations and more toward online options like casinos here at casinogenie.org or even lately for music festivals as some were forced to offer virtual options this past year.

2021, Column, Editorial, Home Media, StreamingDon ShanahanJuly 9, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Black Widow

Slotted with a self-important story to tell that takes place after the events of 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, this prequel arrives with a better-late-than-never party invitation of hype. Boasting some of the best melee work in a Marvel film, Black Widow belongs on the big screen and displays gratifying action sequences that rightfully highlight powerful females worthy of the spotlight. It also belonged in front of our eyes five years ago and not now. There is an unshakable magnitude of foregone conclusions that curtail the upper tier of potential excitement.

2021, 3 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanJuly 2, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Edge of the World

Edge of the World chronicles the story of James Brooke’s emergence as the first White Rajah of Sarawak on the Malaysian island of Borneo during the middle of the 19th century. The adoptive leader became the inspiration template for authors Rudyard Kipling and Joseph Conrad and their respective far-off adventure stories of The Man Who Would Be King and Lord Jim.

2021, 3 STARS, Independent Film, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanJune 17, 2021Comment

Has The Online Box Office Shift Been a Success?

It did come as a surprise to many at the end of 2020 when Warner Bros had announced their partnership with streaming platform HBO Max to deliver some of the biggest titles of the year directly to online streaming, however, and although many of our favourite forms of entertainment through the likes of gaming options in new slots right through to sporting now being represented with the likes of esports, it was something almost inevitable, but has it been a success?

2021, Column, Editorial, Home Media, StreamingDon ShanahanJune 4, 2021Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Cruella

Cruella tosses that “psycho” term and label around flippantly, even with its successful motivation to be interesting and darker than the usual live-action works from the Mouse House. It offers a villainess to believe in, but what does that say to audiences? Swinging for sympathy towards the amoral could have amounted to the same mistake as Maleficent seven years ago. Luckily, the conniptions and confrontations of “Emma vs. Emma” are damn fun. There’s a welcome place to relish in their wickedness.

2021, 3 STARS, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanMay 27, 2021Cruella, Emma Thompson, Emma StoneComment

GUEST EDITORIAL: Little Women: The Veracity of Description

by Jessica Chapman

Many readers would admit that they have either not read or aren't fond of Little Women's novel. However, it is hard to believe that this is the opinion of most readers. It is even less believable given the number of women writers such as Patti Smith, JK Rowling, and Simone de Beauvoir, publicly claiming that this 19th century novel by Louisa May Alcott has inspired them. One character from the most inspiring story is Jo because of her strong will and how much of a heroine she is.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST CRITIC, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, StreamingDon ShanahanMay 27, 2021Comment

COLUMN: 7 Apocalypse Movies to Stream on Amazon Prime

The world as we know it is always changing, not always for the better. The rise of censorship, loss of freedoms, diminishing food supplies, etc.: the world is always facing a crisis. And many are beginning to feel like they should start preparing for an emergency—a potentially apocalyptic scenario. Fortunately, Amazon Prime has tons of movies that focus on apocalyptic scenarios and how they might play out. Today, let’s go over seven of them. And don’t worry: if some of these movies are restricted based on the region you are located in, you can easily use a Firestick VPN to bypass any geo-restriction a certain movie has.

2021, Column, Editorial, Home Media, StreamingDon ShanahanMay 25, 2021Comment

Top Gambling Movies to Watch on Netflix

Numerous visits to the casino have repeatedly shown us that the gamble is often worth the reward, while other times it is not. Although it may not always be possible for us to travel to places like Las Vegas, Monte Carlo or Macau to play to our hearts' content and encounter all of that, movies on gambling related themes are always available to watch on Netflix. So, if your bankroll is a little tight right now, you can always stream some of the top gambling movies on Netflix from our list.

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

MOVIE REVIEW: In the Heights

As if there was any doubt, it doesn’t take any wider eyes than those capturing the plebian pageantry on display to recognize the meaningful platforms symbolized by In the Heights. Characters that assert their dignity in small ways amplify messages with larger substance. The settings and themes of Chu’s film are made all the more important and prescient by our country’s current socio-political times. A 14-year-old musical has not lost an ounce of power in telling the world of an undoubtedly eminent cross-section of American culture that is here and not invisible any longer.

2021, ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW, 5 STARS, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, StreamingDon ShanahanMay 21, 2021AMC River EastIn the HeightsComment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Water Man

That’s a sample of the welcome, sympathetic depth of The Water Man. So few fantasy films nowadays handle difficult questions like that one. Escapism for this demographic sells, no doubt, but internal odysseys will always have their place and merit. The Water Man, while destroying far fewer warehouses of Kleenex to reach its pinnacle, joins A Monster Calls and I Kill Giants as a trilogy of valuable discourses for bridging teens and adults together to engage with current and impending despair they may feel in their lives.

2021, Independent Film, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, Streaming, 4 STARSDon ShanahanMay 8, 2021Comment