What We Learned This Week: April 20-26

Posted on by everymoviehasalesson.

LESSON #1: IMPATIENT PEOPLE HAVE TERRIBLE PRIORITIES SOMETIMES— Hey, I get it. I miss going to the movies too, but you’re not going to die without them. Therefore, don’t die for one either. They are a luxury and not a necessity. Not watching one at a public theater right now is a first world problem. If someone can tell that state of Georgia that, please do so. Besides, there isn’t a damn thing released to watch. Stay home, folks. Stay safe and unplug a little. 

LESSON #2: WHEN THE TIME COMES, SUPPORT WILL BE THERE— I promise you “absence away makes the heart grow fonder.” Yes, the theater chains are reeling, but when it’s safe, people are going to return in force. While it may be a little on the “too soon” side to match Lesson #1, I commend the initiative of IFC Films’ Indie Theater Revival Project to offer their library of stellar titles to surviving and re-opening indie locations. Other than eager and loyal audiences, the industry itself wants this comeback. Help will come.

LESSON #3: GO AHEAD AND WATCH A LITTLE FICTIONAL PARANOIA— Since this whole pandemic began, there has been a “guilty pleasure” spike in attention and viewership for virus-themed movies like Contagion and Outbreak. However, some on-edge viewers want nothing to do with those kinds of movies thinking they’re going to be gasoline on the anxiety fire they have burning between their ears and under their sternums. I got a kick out of a recent notion from Dr. Pamela Rutledge on Insider that watching those movies can be a good thing. The psychologist cited that movies like that have identifiable characters that make us feel not so alone. More importantly, many of those movies has resolutions of closure that we need to target and keep in mind in our real situations. I dig that logic. Let’s queue up some Soderbergh.

LESSON #4: THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PEOPLE MAKING MOVIES— During this time when there’s nothing new to see, I believe the keepers of physical media have it the best right now in this lockdown. Not only do they have libraries of favorites, they also have some extra time dive into special features. If you feel like putting a steady favorite on your screen, try doing it with the director’s commentary on. If you’re reading a few more books, maybe dive into a behind-the-scenes one on film or a biography of a Hollywood titan. E-books are mere clicks away with library cards and subscription services. Deepen your appreciation and widen your knowledge. 

LESSON #5: THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A PERFECT FILM— Alright, I’ll be the asshole against #FilmTwitter and boredom-breaking trending threads. Don’t bother making a #FivePerfectMovies list because there are no perfect films. I mean every single one of them, even my beloved Casablanca. It’s an impossibility and, guess what, that’s OK. It really is. Imperfection doesn’t make them bad, “trash,” or any other negativity-triggering adjective. They are made by people. All people are flawed and so are their creations. Stop giving fake halos out, Twitter.

DON SHANAHAN is a Chicago-based and Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic writing on his website Every Movie Has a Lesson. His movie review work is also published on 25YL (25 Years Later) and also on Medium.com for the MovieTime Guru publication.  As an educator by day, Don writes his movie reviews with life lessons in mind, from the serious to the farcical. He is a proud director and one of the founders of the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle and a member of the nationally-recognized Online Film Critics Society.  As a contributor here on Feelin’ Film now for over two years, he’s going to expand those lessons to current movie news and trends while chipping in with guest spots and co-hosting duties, including the previous “Connecting with Classics” podcasts.  Find “Every Movie Has a Lesson” on Facebook, Twitter, and Medium to follow his work.  (#130)

What We Learned This Week: March 1-15

Posted on by everymoviehasalesson.

LESSON #1: HEALTHY AUDIENCES BUY TICKETS— What started as film festivals and a very surprising move last week when Sony bumped their big spring tent pole No Time to Die from its so-close-you-can-taste-it first week of April release date seven full months to their fallback spot of November, the mainline movie industry has been frozen by the Corona virus pandemic. Here’s a frequently updated list of the delays and cancellations.  Shocking or not and carrying all the #firstworldproblems level of disappointment, you can’t blame them one bit. If it’s not a good time to maximize reception, wait and hold until when it is. That’s smart business instead of obstinacy and impatience. For the movies, the buzz will only grow.  What won’t grow is Lesson #2.

LESSON #2: THIS HURTS THE LITTLE PEOPLE THE MOST— Big studios have other revenue streams and deep cofers to survive a pause period like this. The people that don’t are the small businesses down the industry ladder. With the lists of closures, lockdowns, and avoidances growing by the day and minute, it’s the day-to-day service workers that depend this steady entertainment industry the most. Disney CEO Bob Iger isn’t losing his paycheck, but every concession worker, usher, ticket taker, and 9-to-5er is. Read an excellent Yahoo article on the implications here. If some businesses lose too much, they’re not going to re-open. This pandemic will pass, but it is going to scar like a forest fire on the tree rings of time.

LESSON #3: IT’S TIME TO DISCOVER THE NEXT LAYERS OF CINEMA— With the A-list and blockbuster parades derailed for at least a month (and likely more), casual fans are going to lament not having any new film content to digest. Sure, you could hit the couch and play a zillion old favorites from physical media collections or streaming services you’ve seen dozens of times. I get that craving for comfort food, but why not dig a little deeper to find something truly new. If there is a tier of cinema that benefits from big studio theater closures, it’s the VOD market. Let this film critic tell you, there is a wealth buried treasure to be had at the B-level of cinema (after you’re done watching Outbreak and Contagion of course). It’s not just the washed-up actor-led straight-to-DVD landscape anymore. Much is worthy indie film looking for an audience. Use the JustWatch website and give a little movie some love. If you’re really crazy and want to dive even deeper, YouTube has legitimate award-worthy short films for days and an obscure cinema aficionado buddy of mine sent me this shared “Cabin Fever” spreadsheet filled with links to free experimental films of all colors and sizes.  The multiplexes might be closed, but we’re never going to run out of content.

LESSON #4: IT’S TIME TO FILL IN THOSE BLIND SPOTS— If swinging into the indie and experimental world isn’t your bag and you’re stuck working from home for the better part of the next month, then it’s time to check off the wish list of movies you’ve always wanted to see. Complete those Letterboxd challenges. Comb your streaming services, borrow discs from the library, or, again, use the JustWatch search engine app to find those egregious blind spots and plot out some rich movie nights at home. For many, this is an unprecedented amount of time off longer than any Winter/Christmas break we had as school kids. Take advantage of it. Get buried in couch pillows, blankets, and whatever preventative measures you fancy, even if it’s just more popcorn.

DON SHANAHAN is a Chicago-based and Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic writing on his website Every Movie Has a Lesson. His movie review work is also published on 25YL (25 Years Later) and also on Medium.com for the MovieTime Guru publication.  As an educator by day, Don writes his movie reviews with life lessons in mind, from the serious to the farcical. He is a proud director and one of the founders of the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle and a member of the nationally-recognized Online Film Critics Society.  As a contributor here on Feelin’ Film now for over two years, he’s going to expand those lessons to current movie news and trends while chipping in with guest spots and co-hosting duties, including the previous “Connecting with Classics” podcasts.  Find “Every Movie Has a Lesson” on Facebook, Twitter, and Medium to follow his work.  (#125)

Episode 1: Disease

Posted on by Aaron White.

In this episode of Tabletop Flix, the crew discusses movies and games with the theme of disease.

Games: Pandemic, Pandemic Legacy, Plague Inc., Organ Attack
Movies: Contagion, Planet of the Apes, Outbreak

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Intro/Outro Music – “Do the Pump” by Mr. Juan

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