GUEST EDITORIAL: How Actors Change Their Bodies in a Short Period

by Lewis Robinson

Before shooting begins on a film, some actors work for several weeks or months to transform their bodies into a more accurate representation of their character. Although viewers are often impressed by how quickly the transformation occurs, actors have significant resources and a team of experts to guide them through the process. The workout and diet requirements for changing your body shape in a brief period are intense. Although trainers use the same exercises and techniques with average students, they do not follow the same reduced timeline. Here are some of the ways actors drastically change their bodies in a short time.

Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIALDon ShanahanSeptember 2, 2021Comment

GUEST COLUMN: 4 of the Best Films and Series About Walt Disney

by Lewis Robinson

Walt Disney is a prolific figure in popular culture. His influence has spanned a multitude of decades, and it's doubtful that this will stop anytime soon. Because of this, it's important to learn about the man behind the mouse. Who was he really? How did he become such an icon? If this is something you're interested in pursuing, here are four of the best films and series about Walt Disney.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanSeptember 2, 2021Comment

GUEST EDITORIAL: The Digital World Has Changed Everything Including Movies

by Kevin Gardner

If you have attended a motion picture in an actual movie theater recently, chances are you smelled hot buttered popcorn the instant you came through the front door. That aroma is about the only thing that has not changed about the movies in the last few years. Most of these major changes are the result of streaming services that are snatching up major Hollywood and independent movies as soon as they are released by studios. Some might say it was the pandemic that caused these developments.

2021, Editorial, ColumnDon ShanahanSeptember 1, 2021Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Scary Movies You Probably Haven't Seen Before

by Lewis Robinson

Since the silent era, Hollywood has been producing horror films, and moviegoers love seeing pictures that make them jump out of their seats. Although early horror movies did not appeal to the general public as much as other genres, successful movies like Psycho convinced producers to focus more attention and resources on disturbing scripts once considered “pulp” stories. Soon, scary films became more lucrative and accessible to a growing audience. With dozens of horror films produced every year, it’s challenging to find the exceptional ones that are less well-known. Here is a list of horror movies you’ve never heard of.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Independent Film, Home MediaDon ShanahanAugust 31, 2021Comment

GUEST COLUMN: 5 Movies That Address Court Cases

by Lewis Robinson

If you are someone who enjoys hearing about people facing criminal trials for heinous crimes, you are not alone. A lot of people enjoy watching the news to see what scary and shocking things have taken place near them. You may know about people breaking the law, but there is something about learning more about the accused and why they are the way that they are.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanAugust 31, 2021Comment

GUEST COLUMN: 10 Mind-Blowing Movies

by Jean Hartley

You will have to follow the action very carefully. If you miss an important point, you may not understand how the film steered towards the intended ending.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanAugust 31, 2021Comment

GUEST COLUMN: 5 Movies To Spice Up Your Date Night

by Kathy D

We can all relate excitement builds throughout the week as you anticipate your weekend date night. You're going to nestle in, settle down and get all cozy together and watch a movie. But, Friday night comes around, and the pair of you can't pick a genre, you're not sure what to watch, you don't know if the chosen one will be good, and all of a sudden date-night excitement seems a little flat. But fear not, we are here to take the effort out of picking a movie for date night so that you don't have to. Whether you're a sucker for a romance movie, love a rom-com, or perhaps you prefer the chills of good old horrors. Stick around because we have something for everyone.

2021, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home Media, StreamingDon ShanahanAugust 31, 2021Comment

How Movie Promoters Can Win Fans for Their Movies

Many movie promoters are struggling to win fans for their movies. This can be especially true when the movie is a low-budget or indie film. Promoting your film doesn't have to be complex, though! There are many ways you can upgrade your movie with little effort and make an impact on people who might not know about it otherwise. This blog post will provide helpful tips that should help you get more fans for your next movie!

2021, Editorial, Column, Social MediaDon ShanahanAugust 31, 2021Comment

PODCAST: Episode 22 of "The Cinephile Hissy Fit" Podcast

For our 22nd episode, the hosts kick off the start of a special series: "CHF on the Road." 25YL film critics, dad-bod dads, and OnlyFans-hiding school teachers Will Johnson and Don Shanahan have bridged their virtual distance from Phoenix to Chicago to share a room and microphone for the very time! If you thought they tussled a bunch from afar, imagine them sharing the same space. For the occasion, the format loosens for Will and Don to openly talk about their love/hate picks of Chicago-set movies. From Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Backdraft to High Fidelity and Love Jones, our guys paint the "Second City" in popcorn and profanity.

Cinephile Hissy Fit, Podcast, 25YL, Media AppearanceDon ShanahanAugust 28, 2021Comment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Kicking the Seat" YouTube roundtable for "What If..." Episode 3

The swerves are on! On this week’s What If…? the narrative was dominated by an unseen assassing knocking off Avengers candidates before they could become a team. You know who isn’t knocking off people? Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast! His YouTube channel gathers “Earth’s Mightiest Critics” for his weekly roundtable of “What If… We Talked about What If…?” The group of Ian, myself, David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel, Annie Banks of Chuck Load of Comics, and Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions put our thoughts together on this intriguing episode as this show starts to settle into its zone.

Media Appearance, Podcast, Social Media, SPECIAL, 2020Don ShanahanAugust 28, 2021AMC River East 21Kicking the Seat, What If...?, What If, Disney+, MarvelComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Candyman

Call this a crude cinematic question as well as a question of evolved sensibilities, but how do you make shiny things and places scary? Horror stories typically thrive on the dirty, dingy, and grotesque as instinctual triggers. It’s harder to get that same effect in a setting of clean poshness. The long-distance sequel Candyman has an answer to that and it parallels putting truth to the societal cleansing castigated by the movie itself.

2021, 4 STARS, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanAugust 26, 2021CandymanComment

GUEST COLUMN: Movie Stars Need Matchmakers

By Lewis Robinson

It may be the funniest line in a very funny movie: in the animated film Shrek, a donkey, voiced by Eddie Murphy, watches as a dragon gobbles up Lord Farquaad just after he marries Princess Fiona. Donkey brays, “Celebrity marriages. They never last, do they?” It might have been a little ironic of Murphy to be asking that question. Even though he has only been married once, he has had children with five different women. If it seems to you that movie stars’ marriages do not endure, you are absolutely correct.

2021, Editorial, Column, GUEST EDITORIAL, Home MediaDon ShanahanAugust 25, 2021Comment