EDITORIAL: The 10 best Irish-themed films

I felt obligated to update an editorial list I made five years ago in 2012 of the best Irish-themed movies in time for celebrating St. Patrick's Day. It was due for a dusting with two new additions. For this list, I opened the field to either movies set in Ireland or those that feature notable Irish characters or stories outside of the Emerald Isle. That possibilities spanned movies both foreign and domestic. Pour the Guinness, heat the corned beef, and enjoy my list of the 10 best Irish-themed movies!

2017, Column, Editorial, SPECIAL, LISTDon ShanahanMarch 16, 20172017, Irish films, Irish American films, Ireland, Northern Ireland, films set in Ireland, Irish, Irish-themed films, Ireland films, St. Patrick's Day, Gangs of New York, Good Will Hunting, Ryan's Daughter, David Lean, Martin Scorsese, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cork, Palme d'Or, The Wind That Shakes the Barley, The Commitments, Dublin, Best Irish Film of All-Time, Jameson Whiskey, British Academy Award, Unbroken, Jack O'Connell, '71, In the Name of the Father, Yann Demange, Jim Sheridan, Oscar nominee, Michael Collins, Liam Neeson, P.S., P.S. I Love You, Gerard Butler, The Departed, The Boondock Saints, Sean Patrick Flannery, Norman Reedus, Billy Connolly, Brooklyn, Saoirse Ronan, The Quiet Man, John Wayne, John Ford, Editorial, Column, UPDATE, film commentary, movie commentary, List, 10 Best, Top 10 list, Donald Shanahan, Don Shanahan, The IrishmanComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Beauty and the Beast

Bill Condon’s “Beauty and the Beast” stands firmly on its own merit. True to Disney’s recent trajectory, its goal is to “reimagine” a previous animated classic into the live-action medium for a new era and audience. Unlike the recent treatments of "Cinderella" and "Malificent," this "Beauty and the Beast" stays a full-blown musical. Imitation, emulation, and homage are all part of that process, but so is reappraisal and reinterpretation. Those later two actions are what drive this new fantasy film to soaring and successful heights.

2017, 4 STARS, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanMarch 15, 2017AMC Navy Pier IMAX2017, 2017 Spring Movies, Beauty and the Beast, La Belle et la Bete, Christophe Gans, Bill Condon, Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellan, Guga Mbatha-Raw, Emma Thompson, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Kevin Kline, Oscar nominee, Best Picture, Disney classics, Disney, animated films, live-action, remakes, Reimagining, Jeanne-Marie Leprine de Beaumont, Hattie Morahan, Kevin Kline Moustache Principle, Audra McDonald, Sarah Underwood, Katie Spencer, Atonement, Sherlock Holmes, Jacqueline Durran, Tobia A. Schliessler, Peter Berg, IMAX, IMAX 3D, Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Evan Spiliotopoulos, Hercules, Tim Rice, Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Evermore, Josh Groban, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Beast, Hugh Jackman, Controversy, La La Land, Screen Junkies, Honest Trailers, YouTube, Gaston, life lessons from film, life lessons, life lessons from films, life lessons from movies, Life lessons, movie review, film review, movie commentary, film commentary, review, Donald Shanahan, Don Shanahan, Every Movie Has a LessonComment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Minisode #16 on "Feelin' Film"

This week, I joined host Aaron White on the "Feelin' Film" podcast channel for a Minisode on "Kong: Skull Island." Mr. White was just pimped with full press credentials this past week in the Seattle market and we were both lucky to see "Kong: Skull Island" early. Listen for a lively and free discussion about the return of Kong to the big screen.

MOVIE REVIEW: Kong: Skull Island

“Kong: Skull Island” taps into the same definition of “spectacle” that applies to “Jurassic World” nearly two years ago. This ain’t your old “King Kong.” This is “go big or go home.” If you’re looking for the version steeped in awe and wonder, go watch the 1933 original. To expand the original’s wonderment with the best of today’s special effects, go watch Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake. If you want a rip-roaring roller coaster with no strings, rules, or heavy gravitas attached, you’ve come to the right place in 2017.

MOVIE REVIEW: Get Out

To come right to the point, “Get Out” is an 104-minute living embodiment of a slow-burning WTF moment that just keeps growing with every new detail. And it’s glorious for being that very thing. More psychological thriller than the spattered horror it’s being billed to be, Jordan Peele’s directorial debut is subversively edgy and devilishly clever.

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "CinemaJaw" podcast #315

This past week, I was honored to be a guest on the CinemaJaw podcast, hosted by Matt K. and "Ry the Movie Guy" and ran by the "Best in the Biz." Since 2009, the Chicago-based trio of Matt Kubinski, Ryan Jagiello, and engineer Eliaz Gonzalez have put together one of the best and entertaining movie podcasts in this or any city. I'm a big fan of their work and you should be too.

SHORT FILM REVIEW: Incoming Call

2017 Chicago Irish Film Festival: Shorts Program

“Incoming Call” has a dynamite premise that would make for a fascinating nugget of science fiction. The possible latitude one could take with the idea of warning the past about the future is endless. This film keenly distills and scales that down to microcosm level of a single person and the matter of picking up the phone.

SHORT FILM REVIEW: The Apparel

2017 Chicago Irish Film Festival: Shorts Program

Director Peter Delaney and writer Daniel Mooney flesh out miniature character study with decent results. Andrew Bennett gives a very solid performance to construct numerous shades of character within Joe. He is a man that is losing touch with his comfort zone. We never fully know his issues and we shouldn’t have to.

SHORT FILM REVIEW: First Kiss

2017 Chicago Irish Film Festival: Shorts Program

As it plays out its thirteen minutes, “First Kiss” is hilarious and charming in its tidy simplicity. Written by Fitzpatrick himself and directed by Patrick O’Shea, the short film generates the right amplitude of sparks cooled by the right temperament of sweetness.

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Feelin' Film" post-Oscars podcast

One of the perks of becoming a regular blogging contributor on a podcast site is getting the occasional chance to appear on the actual podcast. Aaron White, one of the hosts of "Feelin' Film," connected time zones to bring myself and Popcorn Confessional critic Steve Clifton together for an extended post-Oscar wrap-up show. Listen to our reactions, rants, loves, and heartbreaks to both the 89th Academy Awards and the website's first annual "Feeler's Choice Awards."

2017, Media Appearance, Podcast, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanFebruary 28, 20172017, 2017 Oscars, 2017 Oscar Predictions, Academy Award nominations, Academy Award, Academy Awards, Academy Award winner, Academy Award nominees, Academy Award nominee, 2017 Academy Awards, 89th Academy Awards, 89th Oscars, 90th Academy Awards, 90th Oscars, Oscar hopefuls, Oscar surprises, Oscar bait, Oscar Checklist, Oscar nominee, Oscar nominations, Oscar race, Oscar snubs, Oscar contenders, Oscar, Oscar Predictions, Oscars, #OscarsSoWhite, Oscar talks, Oscar winners, Awards bait, Awards, Awards Talk, Feeler Awards, Feelin' Film, Aaron White, Steve Clifton, Popcorn Confessional, Twitter, Feeler, fan-voting, Awards seasons, Awards Tracker, Award Prediction, Awards Predictions, SAG Award, BAFTA, Best Sound, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Motion Picture, Best Film Editing, Best Actor, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress, Best Animated Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Animated Short Film, Best Animated Short, Best Animated Feature, La La Land, Moonlight, Manchester by the Sea, Best Art Direction, Best Production Design, Best Screenplay, Best Sound Editing, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Musical Score, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Live Action Short Film, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Costume Design, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Documentary Short Subject, Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, Best Short Film, Best Live Action Short, Best Foreign Film, Donald Shanahan, Don Shanahan, Every Movie Has a LessonComment

EDITORIAL: 18 films to watch for the 2018 Oscars

When one Oscar ceremony ends (and then is stopped and ends again), the race for next year's trophies have already begun. Next year will be the historic 90th Academy Awards and I expect Hollywood to spare no expense (especially in the accounting department) to ensure a banner event. For my fifth year in a row now, I have made it a tradition the day after the Oscars to gaze into the crystal ball and lay out some deep prognostication.

EDITORIAL: Final 2017 Awards Tracker and Oscar Reactions

Between the prestigious Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday and the Academy Awards on Sunday, here are the final tallies for the 2017 Awards Tracker and my overall Oscar reactions in each category. Enjoy and see you this November when we fire all of this up again for the 90th Academy Awards!