MOVIE REVIEW: The Woman King

Of all the subjective or objective metrics that get bandied about when rating a film, one of the more powerful traits that can make up for shortcomings is a movie’s inspirational effect. An impassioned audience with stirred emotions is very forgiving. Many large and small aspects about Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King could be debated or exposed as flaws. In the end, they will not matter. The story being told and the dedication collected to tell it carry weight greater than the art or craft.

2022, MOVIE REVIEW, 4 STARSDon ShanahanSeptember 17, 2022The Woman King, Viola Davis, Lashana LynchComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Confess, Fletch

So much of Confess, Fletch feels like a wiser-than the norm throwback against the hefty audience quadrant that will always prefer the louder, action-ified punch of the James Bonds and Jason Bournes of the world over a journalist gumshoe. If that crowd can slow down for a smaller and smoother ride, they will find mental thrills equally clever to the pop of blockbuster stunts that fade as quickly as they explode.

2022, Home Media, MOVIE REVIEW, Streaming, 4 STARSDon ShanahanSeptember 13, 2022Fletch, Confess Fletch, Greg Mottola, Jon HammComment

EVENT: Preview of the 8th Irish American Movie Hooley

If you believe it, the city of Chicago has more citizens of Irish ancestry than Boston, myself among them. That means we know our whiskey and we know how to party. As the Irish say, when a party gets rowdy, they call it a “hooley.” The Windy City has two upcoming opportunities to have that kind of cinematic party with the 8th annual Irish American Movie Hooley.

2022, EVENT, Foreign Film, Chicago Film FestivalDon ShanahanSeptember 10, 2022Irish American Movie HooleyComment

Reelgood Top 10: Week of September 1-7, 2022

Reelgood published its Top 10 Titles in Streaming for this week (09/01/22 to 09/07/22). The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power makes top of the list, taking House of the Dragon down to #3. Elvis (HBO Max) comes in at #2, and The Patient makes our streaming chart for a second consecutive week. New are Devil in Ohio, I Came By and Rick and Morty (S6).

2022, Column, Television, StreamingDon ShanahanSeptember 9, 2022ReelgoodComment

GUEST COLUMN: Learn About the 1950s With These Eight Films

by Kevin Faber

How much does the average person know about the 1950s? History books remind us that the horrors of the Korean War, the inception of NASA, and the bravery of Rosa Parks were part of this decade, but countless films also depict this time period. If you're interested in learning about the news, culture, and people of the 1950s, look no further than these eight movies.

2022, Column, GUEST EDITORIALDon ShanahanSeptember 8, 2022Comment

How Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” is much more than just a western classic?

by John Adams

"Django Unchained" by Quentin Tarantino appears to be no more than a violent historical Western. However, as is customary with Tarantino, there is a whole lot more going on underneath the surface. Many may need more background information to go through another another thick essay from the maestro of cinematic universe, although some viewers may wish to walk into this one cold.

2022, Column, EditorialDon ShanahanSeptember 8, 2022Comment

5 Reasons to Become an Actor

Many people have been drawn to the profession of an actor, but many will never know why. Life as an entertainer can be fulfilling and exciting with lots going on behind-the-scenes work just like any other job where there's always something new happening every day - provided that person has what it takes inside themselves. Let’s find out the main reasons why acting attracts us from the point of view of the best resume writing services!

2022, Column, EditorialDon ShanahanSeptember 8, 2022Comment

MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the Kicking the Seat's 800th episode talking "RRR"

Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel recently celebrated his 800th show and I was lucky enough to be invited to join the party. Also flanked by Ian’s longtime top wingman David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel and Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions, Ian picked a special movie for the occasion, a film he calls straightaway his favorite of 2022 so far: Netflix’s international smash hit action film RRR. The appreciation for both the movie and all things Kicking the Seat was shared across the roundtable and by, what turned out to be, thousands of streaming views.

Media Appearance, Podcast, Social Media, SPECIAL, 2020Don ShanahanSeptember 7, 2022AMC River East 21Kicking the Seat, RRR, Netflix, Ian SimmonsComment

Short Break Ideas to Try

During the course of the working day, there is only so much time that can be spent concentrating. It certainly gets to the stage where it is all too easy for productivity to start to lag. Not only this, but stress levels can also start to rise, and burnout can then follow not too far behind it. A potential way that you have of combating all of this is to take some short breaks during the course of the working day. This trend for ‘micro breaks’ has certainly expanded in a big way.

2022, Column, EditorialDon ShanahanSeptember 6, 2022Comment

Reelgood Top 10: Week of August 25-31, 2022

Reelgood published its Top 10 Titles in Streaming for this week (08/25/22 to 08/31/22). Sylvester Stallone’s superhero movie, Samaritan, breaks our streaming chart a week after its premiere. Hulu has three titles on the list this week, including the new series Welcome to Wrexham and The Patient.

2022, Column, Television, StreamingDon ShanahanSeptember 4, 2022ReelgoodComment

GUEST COLUMN: Exploring the Most Mind-bending Movies Featuring Future Technology

by Kevin Faber

Hollywood wants people to fall into escapism by showing future scenarios that are full of unheard-of gadgets and contrivances. Check out these mind-bending movies that cast their cinematic crystal balls on the future of technology.

2022, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIALDon ShanahanSeptember 3, 2022Comment

GUEST COLUMN: Movies That Talk About Family History

by Kevin Faber

Family history is the source of many great tales, struggles, and triumphs found in every culture from continent to continent. The world of cinema is one that loves to expose these family stories and shape them in a way that draws in viewers from all backgrounds and cultures. In this article, you will discover some of the most notable movies that talk about family history.

2022, Column, Editorial, GUEST EDITORIALDon ShanahanSeptember 3, 2022Comment