GUEST ESSAY: A Fantastic City of Chocolate

By Asucena Alvarado

In the world, people are producing many films that make our lives more enjoyable, and with each film, we can learn, dream, see the impossible, and believe that anything is possible in life. Even though we know there are some things that are just fantasy, but movies help us to think that everything could happen. A good example of a fantasy story is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, where we can see that be humble and kind can give you a reward, but in the real world, we know this is not always true. Here, I want to make a deep research about the film and how the capitalization, the utopian vs dystopian and the past vs present are reflected in this movie, and how it is related to architecture.

2019, Column, Editorial, Essay, SPECIAL, Social MediaDon ShanahanDecember 7, 2019Comment

GUEST ESSAY: The Architecture of Hope and Desolation in "Children of Men"

By Jessica Ishizaka

Children of Men poses a future where infertility threatens the human race with extinction. With the death of the youngest person in the world, many extreme groups have risen in order to gain control and take matters into their own hands. Laws are put in place to detain and deport immigrants and to control the citizens of London. The director of the film, Alfonso Cuarón, creates a political atmosphere that is particularly ruthless as he paints the world in a shade of dread and grime. The world and everything in it have been worn down and abused for 20 years, and no one has the ambition to replace or renovate anything since the extinction of the human race is near.

2019, Column, Editorial, Essay, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 7, 2019Comment

GUEST ESSAY: The impact of modern society and the urban environment on anxiety

by Sheng Chen

In the industrial society of the late 20th century, there was consumerism, nihilism, and end-of-life sentiment in the capital world. By analyzing David Fincher's Fight Club, this article will explore the impact of modern society and the urban environment on people's anxiety.

Column, Editorial, Essay, GUEST EDITORIAL, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 6, 2019 Comments

GUEST ESSAY: The Banal and the Sublime

By Cheuk Yiu Chan

The meaning of the sublime according to Edward Hirsch refers to use of language and description that excites thoughts and emotions beyond ordinary experience. Though often associated with scale and grandeur, the sublime may also refer to the grotesque or other extraordinary experiences that take us beyond ourselves. The qualities of the sublime are captured visually and viscerally in the awe inspiring renditions seen in the romantic style of painting and poetry in the 19th century. Romanticism speaks of nature and revels in its uncontrollable, incalculable forces, and at the root of this mode of expression is a deep interest in the human emotional state, and the state of being. There is a case however, such with the film Still Walking, where ideas of the sublime are not expressed through scale and ferocity, but rather paradoxically, through the banal and dormant aspects of everyday life. This paper will attempt to explore the ways in which elements of the banal and the ordinary were used to express the sublime qualities of the non-physical; death, memory, and time.

2019, Column, Editorial, Essay, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 6, 2019Comment

GUEST ESSAY: Is Architecture Evolving?

By Hojun Wiitanen

What is architecture? The conceptual misinterpretation of architecture is an “object”. Architecture is not an object and not only a building because buildings are mainly stuff. In my opinion, Architecture is an active connection and a system that initiates a relationship between material spaces and people. Also, it structures that relationship, and it structures what we call the relation between space and organized society. The architecture cannot evolve when people use spaces for the sole use of shelter rather than connecting material spaces and people; therefore, to evolve the architectural value of connecting material space and people, basic human needs should be satisfied. 

2019, Column, Essay, Editorial, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 6, 2019 Comment

GUEST ESSAY: Architecture is Only Temporary

By Nick Tarver

Produced by Pixar Animation Studios, the movie Up highlights the life of Carl Fredricksen, an elderly, recently widowed man. Along the way, Fredricksen meets two unlikely companions that would accompany him during his journey to fulfill his promise that he made to his late wife, Ellie. Aside from the feel-good storyline, the film offers an architectural aspect that explores the human connection to the built environment. Fredricksen has a hard time coming to terms with the death of his wife and it seems like everything he is surrounded by reminds him of her. Fredricksen, with the help of his two new friends, Russell and Dug, decides the only way he would fulfill his and his wife’s dream of seeing the ins-and-outs of South America would be to take his house, which ultimately symbolizes Ellie, with him. UP demonstrates the idea of place and how the built environment has the ability to emotionally and spiritually resonate with an individual, ultimately resulting in equally positive and negative impacts on both a personal and societal level.

2019, Column, Essay, Editorial, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 6, 2019Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: Hidden secrets in your favorite movies

There are many details in our favorite films that you can only notice when you watch them carefully. For example, in The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf wears together the 2 most significant items in his life - the staff and the pipe. In this article you will find 15 more of the same interesting facts about cult films. The fine folks at King Billy simply love movies and share this love with you.

2019, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIALDon ShanahanDecember 5, 2019Comment

EDITORIAL: This is How Movies Can Act As an Effective Educational Tool

It seems as if just a few decades ago, students could only dream about using technology in the classroom. Now, dreams have become a reality. By drifting away from the orthodox and traditional teaching methods, educators are actually to improve the learning experience for the students. One of the best and easily accessible ways of implementing technology in education is by using movies. As time goes on, more and more professionals actually start to support the idea of educating by using movies. Of course, there are some benefits and disadvantages to using technology in a learning process, but let’s go over the basics for now. How is it possible for movies to be educational?

2019, Column, Editorial, SPECIAL, Social Media, GUEST EDITORIALDon ShanahanDecember 5, 2019Comment

COLUMN: 7 DIY Steps in Setting Up a Perfect Home Theater System In Your Condo

Living in condo units has notable limitations such as smaller space and sharing walls with your neighbors. However, it does not necessarily keep you from building your very own home theater. Everybody wants to have the best movie or TV shows binging experience. With having to know the right things to do, you can set up a perfect home theater system in small living spaces. You can transform your condo living room to be the home theater that you always dreamed of.

2019, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 5, 2019Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: 5 Great Family Movies for the Holidays

Holiday movies are an integral part of the holiday experience for many families. Consider adding these five holiday movies to your holiday tradition. There are many holiday movies to choose from. These five classics entertain and reinforce the holiday spirit in ways that are sure to make them part of your holiday tradition.

2019, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 4, 2019Comment

EDITORIAL: 5 Best Movies to Motivate You to Write More

It has always been a true mystery what books professional writers read. I mean, how they choose the bedside book for the evening, if they fall in love with characters, whether or not they get inspired for own plots... Perhaps, that’ll remain a mystery. What movies they watch for inspiration is no longer a secret. You might be surprised, but most of the preferable movies aren’t about writers. They are about complicated characters whose nature is exposed by means of words and actions. After a good movie, one can write a few decent pages or maybe a whole chapter!

2019, Column, Editorial, LIST, Social Media, SPECIALDon ShanahanDecember 4, 2019 Comment

GUEST ESSAY: The Red and Blue Pill within Capitalism: Exploring Control and Consumerism in “The Matrix”

By Yousreng He

The future that The Matrix predicts is dystopian because the people in the film generally pretend to ignore their thoughts and desire, indeed their humanity, because they believe what they do not know cannot hurt them. The influence that makes people choose ignorance has come from the power of capitalism, which is very capable of controlling people physically and mentally. The power of capitalism is enormous in the film, kind of like a big engine that genetically engineers slave labor. It is very telling that most people go to work not because they like what they do, but because they want to put food on their tables and money in their pockets. That dependence on the capital goods that people have come to expect is how capitalism controls people in the Matrix.

2019, Column, Editorial, Essay, SPECIAL, Social MediaDon ShanahanDecember 2, 2019 Comments