GUEST COLUMN: 7 Best Movies About Advertising and Marketing That You Must Watch

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7 Best Movies About Advertising and Marketing That You Must Watch

by Marie Barnes

Do you watch movies just for fun? Well, we are sure that movies may have a more significant influence than only amusement. What’s more, some of them may even reflect on our careers and teach us valuable lessons. Here is a list of 8 best movies for those who are into advertising and marketing.   

The Social Network

The Social Network tells the story of Facebook’s rise from a simple site designed for college students to the most popular “social networking” website. For many people, this is the movie that defined its decade. It represents the business that is conflated with one persona – Mark Zuckerberg. Scott Brown wrote in his “The Social Network for Wired,” "Like Facebook itself, the unreadable public Zuck is a fascinatingly content-free platform, a cipher that avid minds can't help but fill with their own interests and obsessions." 

The movie provides a marketer with insight into how to build a business based on a brand persona and what steps to take on the way to tech stardom. Additionally, it teaches some marketing lessons like how to reach out to and use influencers to spread your idea. Do you remember one of the guiding principles of today’s marketing? There is a common answer: building connections. And it exactly what Facebook does.

Steve Jobs

We can compare Sorkin’s portrayal of Jobs in Steve Jobs to his portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network. True, both of these movies feature the men who revolutionized the way people connect and gave rise to new ways of conducting marketing. This biographical movie is about the man behind Apple, who had a huge impact on technology and the world as we know it today. It’s fascinating to get an inside look at how Steve Jobs identified what people wanted by thinking as his persona. 

Marketers can learn a lot from the movie. In Steve Jobs’ opinion, if you want to create a successful marketing message and build a powerful brand, you should communicate values in your marketing, not just features. Marketers should show people that they cannot live without your product. Remember, things don’t sell themselves. 

What Women Want 

What Women Want is a golden oldie featuring a male marketer who one day experiences electroshock and starts hearing everything women are thinking. The movie provides the marketer with a reminder that customers’ buying behavior depends on emotions.

IMHO, the movie is a must-see marketing training showing how to address to your target market. As a marketer, you should know the intended audience inside out, right? The movie shows how you can market in a way that means not just to know your audience but to understand it as well.

The Founder

The Founder is a movie about Ray Kroc, the “founder” of McDonald's. The story of a traveling salesman who seeks full control of a fast-growing empire and the two McDonald’s brothers who watch McDonald’s as their restaurant. In the movie, you can find many marketing tricks based on franchisee success. For marketers, it shows the importance of understanding the market, being flexible and open to changes. The movie turns to the idea of maintaining a consistent look and feel. This consistency of the brand delivers the same customer experience each time, which leads to success.

Syrup 

Syrup is a drama film featuring two marketing executives who try to sell their energy drinks by creating the right image. The movie delivers a marketing message announced by Brett Forbes, an executive producer for the marketing satire Syrup. Image and perception are important in every aspect of marketing, but certainly not everything in life.” As a marketer, you can learn how to grab your buyer’s attention by creating a brand image. Besides, the movie is a reflection of a society where consumers are sometimes image-conscious and cynical.

Crazy People 

Crazy People is a comedy about Emory, an ad executive, who composes honest and funny ads. After he presents them, the boss sends Emory to the asylum. Here is just one example of his ads, “United — most of our passengers get there alive.” The movie features a person who reaches his breaking point that results in opening up a new career path.

For a marketer, the story is a great example of truth-based marketing that can be incredibly effective. It teaches us to be honest. For example, if you make a mistake, admit it, and fix it. The movie shows how to do it right: “Buy Volvos. They’re boxy. But they’re good… Be safe instead of sexy.”  The movie provides us with a good way to show the real benefits and stay honest with the process.

Moneyball

Moneyball is a true story about a baseball manager from Oakland A’s in Major League Baseball. He couldn’t afford to buy the “big players.” So he decided to take a different route and hired a “data-nerd.” When they started using the player’s statistics as their main strategy, the team started winning. For a marketer, the movie shows that you don’t need a big budget to be successful. Besides, it shows the importance of data, numbers, analytics, and statistics, rather than opinions or intuitions. 

Do you want your business to stand out? So you should choose the right tools for managing your SEO campaign. That said, LinksManagement is the way to go. Its tools can help get more organic traffic to a website, boost sales, and increase earnings.

The Joneses

The Joneses is a movie featuring the perfect family. In reality, it’s all fake. They’re a group of marketers and actors who leverage their influence to promote products to their community. The movie is a “must-see” for all marketers. It provides a fascinating insight into “self-marketing” or “hidden marketing”, and influencer marketing. The “family” sells lifestyle by becoming attractive and taking a more personal approach. 

The movies mentioned above can teach us many valuable marketing lessons. They are just a few examples that can trigger all sorts of marketing insights and motivation. What movies have been useful in your career as a marketer or have inspired your inner marketer?  

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marie Barnes is a writer for Bestforacar and an enthusiastic blogger interested in writing about technology, social media, work, travel, lifestyle, and current affairs. She shares her insights through blogging. Follow her on Medium.

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GUEST EDITORIAL: Go See a Movie

Go See a Movie . . . Or Stay In!

by Kevin Gardner

Going to the movies used to be a special event. Getting there early enough to get the best seats was a plus. Buying a big tub of popcorn drenched in salt and "butter" and of course a giant-sized soft drink to wash it down was a must. However, something has changed in the last several years. Streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu are offering more and more stay-at-home fare for one low monthly price. Now it seems staying home with family or a group of friends seems to be the way to go for many people.

Let's Go See a Movie!

There's no denying it. Movie theater chains are struggling these days. I see it every time I visit my local theater - no lines waiting to buy a ticket and short lines in the lobby to buy snacks. For sure, all of them are trying to come up with plans on how to attract more customers. Regal Cinemas, for example, have realized that not everyone enjoys paying ten dollars or more each time they go to the movies. Recently they started offering a package where one can purchase an unlimited pass starting at $18.00 a month (plus tax). This eighteen bucks lets the buyer see as many movies as they want with no black out dates, plus get 10% off concessions. Speaking of concessions, Regal card members also can accumulate points which can eventually be redeemed for free sodas or popcorn or other items. In addition, you can book your ticket AND reserve your seat using the handy Regal app. Other chains are offering similar promotional packages as well. For only a slightly higher cost, AMC theater chain offers a three month package for seventy dollars, but there are more limitations. The customer can "only" watch up to three movies a week. But let's be serious, who can watch more than three movies in a week?

What's the Catch?

I'm not certain how movie theaters are planning to make a whole lot of money with promotions such as these. I suppose the philosophy may be that the more often theater goers come to the theater, the more high-priced snacks they'll buy, which is where theaters make a majority of their revenue anyway. But movie studios are hoping for larger audiences and blockbuster hits to get their money. I'm not certain how they still make their millions if too many viewers are buying these huge discount packages. But, saying all that, I have had a membership to my local theater chain for a few months now. I generally go out once a week with a friend, so I'm way ahead financially than I would be without the membership. Sometimes, however, I feel like I HAVE to go see a flick every week or I'm wasting my money. I do stay away from the expensive snacks, though!

It's Cold Outside. Let's Stay In.

More and more people are subscribing to one or more of the streaming services being offered: Netflix, Hulu, CBS All Access, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and more. Plus there are more on the way! "Cutting the cord" seems to be the way to go for a growing number of people, meaning doing away with what's becoming more and more expensive cable television. Instead, paying eight or nine dollars a month for a streaming service and being able to pick and choose the content they want to watch seems to be the growing trend. I myself have Netflix, which seems to dominate the Golden Globes, Oscars, and Emmy awards each year. Netflix has a huge amount of original movies and television shows, theatrical favorites and even beloved TV programs such as "Friends" (okay, bad example - - they've just recently removed that particular show from their line-up). But, needless to say, this service plus all the others out there have a huge variety from which to choose.

The Best Choice

So, which is better: movie theater or streaming service? I say both. With the movie theaters trying different promotions to get you into their seats, $18-20 bucks a month is not a bad deal at all. But a few dollars for a favorite streaming service is an excellent deal as well . . . as long as you don't go crazy subscribing to too many. Happy viewing!!        

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COLUMN: Feel-Good Movies for the Science Fiction Fan

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Feel-Good Movies For the Science Fiction Fan

Science fiction is a genre that's inherently pessimistic. It was invented as a tool for authors to point out the flaws of the current society by enlarging it and placing it in a far-off land, perhaps at another time. This is maybe the reason why the vast majority of science fiction books - and movies - are pretty bleak. While most of them have happy endings - the readers and the viewers love those - they are almost always pervaded by a sense of doom, fear, perhaps disgust. And this is perhaps the reason why there are almost no works of science fiction among the best feel-good movies you can watch.

But if you look closely, you can stumble upon a few of them that will not only feel good while you watch it but will leave you with a lasting positive mood.

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The Fifth Element

Something wicked this way comes - and it can't be stopped by anyone but the tough (but surprisingly fragile) hero from another world. This pretty much sums up the plot of The Fifth Element, Luc Besson's 1997 blockbuster. The story of the film is not very substantial - but its visuals, its overall atmosphere, its humour, and its optimistic tone make up for it, turning it into a warm, entertaining and wild sci-fi extravaganza.

The Fifth Element is one of the most divisive movies of its kind - people either love it or hate it, there's no in-between. And while it does have a few dystopian moments, its overall tone is positive enough for it to qualify as a feel-good movie. Especially because in the end, it's love that saves the world.

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Bicentennial Man

It is hard to turn a classic "hard" sci-fi story into a movie. It's even harder when it's a story written by two giants of the genre: Robert Silverberg and Isaac Asimov. As always, the story is an allegory for our modern society: it tackles discrimination, slavery, intellectual freedom, and the nature of humanity itself.

Chris Columbus' Bicentennial Man fails in many areas - its storytelling is inconsistent at times, and Robin Williams' expressive face is enclosed in a robot mask for most of the movie, with no expressions coming through at all. Still, the movie has enough fans not because of its visuals and action sequences but because of its optimistic tone.

Set in an alternative 2005 in Asimov's Foundation universe, the movie tells the story of Andrew (NDR), a domestic robot bought by the Martin family to help out with various duties around the house. The Martins' younger daughter Amanda develops a friendship with the robot, and Andrew - surprisingly - reciprocates. Soon after, Andrew gains creativity and begins to carve wood, ultimately becoming a master clock-maker and amassing a small fortune. In time, Andrew becomes increasingly human-like, even getting an upgrade to have facial expressions. Later, it tries to buy his freedom - its owner, Richard Martin, refuses the money but grants it independence but banishes it from the house. He later feels remorse for this gesture, and apologizes to Andrew on his deathbed.

Aside from emotions and creativity, Andrew also has curiosity. He leaves on a quest to find out if any other robots from its series have developed similar capabilities. It stumbles upon Rupert Burns, the son of the engineer that created the NDR series who specializes in various upgrades for them. The two decide to work together on a variety of upgrades - Andrew becomes increasingly human, gaining the ability to eat, and soon looking like a human. Ultimately, he finds the one trait that makes humans human: they can pass away.

The movie may not be a masterpiece - it is flawed in many ways - but its overall tone is very optimistic, with the hero - a robot who turned into a real human - obtains the ultimate recognition, becoming the oldest man who has ever lived. And it does this in the most emotional and lovable way possible.

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The Martian

Being stranded on a distant planet, even if it's Earth's closest neighbour Mars, doesn't come with too much optimism attached. Still, the movie adaptation of Andy Weir's hard sci-fi novel The Martian is a movie about determination, hard work, and optimism prevailing against all odds.

The movie tells the story of Mark Watney, a botanist member of the Ares III Mars mission, who is left behind when the rest of the crew has to flee the surface of the Red Planet. Wounded and alone, Watney is in a seemingly hopeless situation - but he doesn't give up, instead deciding to make the most of the situation he's in: he does his best to survive in an inhospitable environment, with limited resources at hand. The film follows his triumphs and failures, as he manages to communicate with Earth, then produce food in Martian soil, and finally - as a result of a daring plan on NASA's part and at great personal risk - manages to board a spacecraft and go home.

The movie manages to sprinkle even its most desperate moments with hits of humor that will make you smile, and its happy ending will make you proud to be a human.

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GUEST COLUMN: The Best Inspirational Hollywood Athletes

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The Best Inspirational Hollywood Athletes 

by Kevin Gardner

What makes an athlete great? Is it their determination or sportsmanship? Perhaps it is some indescribable quality that makes them stand out in the crowd. If Hollywood has anything to say about it, it is all of these qualities wrapped into a lovable underdog story. These players all faced challenges, both personal and professional, and learned to overcome them to become the best. Enjoy this list of some of the best underdog athlete stories in Hollywood.   

Rocky  

What better way to start off the list than with the Italian Stallion himself? Mr. Rocky Balboa. The classic underdog tale, Rocky starts as a working-class boxer suddenly thrust into the spotlight to fight the famous Apollo Creed. No one expected him to succeed, but with his determination, he trains to become the best. In a training montage that has become a blueprint for all montages to follow, Rocky goes from small time fighter to a champion. His rapid growth in muscles left audiences asking, what is hypertrophy? His strength, progress, and determination would inspire generations to come, including spawning a multitude of sequels and spin-offs. Rocky’s strength in determination is what puts him at the top of this list.  

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Bend it Like Beckham 

Going against cultural norms and gender biases were just some of the challenges faced by the protagonist, Jess, in Bend it Like Beckham. After hiding that she has joined a women's team, the audience follows Jess as she struggles with balancing what she wants against the demands of her family. Playing in secret, Jess becomes an underdog as she struggles with her own identity while trying to play soccer. This feel-good film leaves audiences happy, as they watch Jess learn to pursue her dreams and overcome her self-image as she plays soccer. 

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Remember the Titans 

Based on the true story of the Titans, the story tells of a small-town football team during the time of desegregation. As the students are forced to confront their racist ideologies when playing on a desegregated team for the first time, they initially struggle with this and learning to play as a unified team. Under the leadership and hard work of their coach, Herman Boone, they are inspired as a team to come together, work as one, and win the championship. This film taught the values of teamwork and overcoming adversity, reminding the audience of the unifying power of sports.  

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A League of Their Own 

Girls can’t throw, or so they said, but just one viewing of A League of Their Own will teach you that they play just as well and just as competitively as anyone else. Set in the WWII era, when a majority of the male players were off at war, this is the fictionalized version of the true story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). The film showed us their challenges both on and off the baseball field, as they sought to prove themselves at the game. Their strength came from teamwork, courage and the fighting spirit to persevere against all the odds. This inspirational film has touched film viewers of all ages.  

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Cool Runnings 

No list would be complete without talking about Cool Runnings. When a bobsledding team from Jamaica came to compete at the 1988 Winter Olympics, they were met with mockery and contempt. While ultimately unsuccessful, these four players embodied the Olympic spirit as they carried their sled across the finish line, bringing audiences everywhere to their feet. While the film, in the end, did take a lot of creative licenses with the story, the lesson of never giving up despite of the odds still rings true for audiences of all ages.  

While you don’t necessarily need to overcome adversity or personal challenges to be a strong athlete, these films proved that this strength of character helps. Teamwork, determination, and an overall unwillingness to give up are all the qualities that made these athletes great.  

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GUEST COLUMN: Why Old Movies Are More Useful Than Modern Ones?

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Why Old Movies Are More Useful Than Modern Ones?

by Susan Laurel

A lot of movies are released every year and some of them manage to enter the competition for Oscars or Golden Globes. Some are better than others, have a more interesting plot twist or story and flabbergasting special effects. The last decades and all the technological advancements have changed the way movies are produced nowadays. Directors have changed their way of making movies and this is obvious if you compare modern movies with older ones. 

New technology, bigger budgets and a cast of iconic actors can make a modern movie great, besides special and sound effects. The movie subjects are similar and not that much, but opinions are divided. Some people struggle to watch an old movie, while others think that the older the movie, the more they will enjoy it. Some people think that old movies are outdated and old-fashioned and do not compare visually with the newer ones. Which is true.

But, they have some lessons that you hardly find in modern ones, but which are still topical. And all these lessons give older movies a special aura and make you think that they are more useful than modern ones. Let’s delve deeper into the subject. Why are old movies often more useful than modern ones? 

There Is Nothing Rushed

One characteristic of old movies is that the action is not rushed. It is true, some scenes can prove to be more boring than the others. The conversation between characters lasts three minutes and the scene is filmed from a single take from the same angle. This can bore a lot of people, especially youngsters.

In modern movies, everything that happens seems rushed and you hardly understand the main topic from the beginning. There is often no more time for deep conversations, only for action and special effects that please your eyes and brain. 

Older movies emphasize the conversation, on the characters and also on the action. But they were filmed differently, assuming that people have enough time and desire to spend 3 hours watching a black and white movie. 

However, there are modern ones which also emphasize the conversation between characters, only the action is adapted to our everyday life. We have to admit that times have changed and so did the way movies are made nowadays. Film editing techniques have developed and jump-cut techniques are overused. 

The pacing in modern movies is pretty alert and this is because of the way society has evolved. There are a lot of things that catch our attention and people demand shorter scenes that ease the process of focusing the attention. They demand action scenes that are easier to hold attention on. 

The perception that you do not have time is common nowadays because there are things that affect the quality of our lives and we must take action now to prevent bigger disasters. This perception translated into the way modern movies present the action, thus being more fast-paced. 

Older movies present you a topic slowly and with a lot of additional details, but this does not make an old movie boring. Indeed, they are different in many aspects from the more modern ones, but they are everything but boring. Of course, this is not valid for all old movies, nor do the assertions about modern movies apply to all. 

Different Subjects 

The difference between the topics that old movies were presenting is obvious. People nowadays want fast-paced movies that are entertaining and have that stress-relief side. 

For sure you can find some old movies that have these characteristics too, but most topics were about war or love and they were always presenting an introspective perspective of the main characters. You could empathize and identify yourself with their story. They present different cultural norms and habits, some of those are long-gone nowadays. And this is one of the reasons old movies are more useful than modern ones. 

They introduce us to a different world that existed a few years ago, where social norms and society were different, even though some scenes or replies were censored (a downside of older movies). 

Also, the plot story was original and more interesting than modern ones. Modern movies are mostly remaking of old ones with minor or big changes due to technological advancements. 

Old movies present and develop a topic that inspires and motivates you to follow your dreams. The truth is, thanks to the internet, today it is easy to know the latest news and discoveries around the world. It is easy to identify the opportunities you have and follow them. 

But a few decades ago, old movies opened the eyes of a lot of teenagers. They showed them what you can do with art and also presented taboo topics like sexuality, beauty, and excess. 

There are pioneering movies like La dolce vita or It’s a Wonderful Life that cannot be exceeded in magnitude. But people nowadays are more drawn to superhero movies, with lots of action and special effects. 

Different Effects

We could say that the one goal of old movies was to create a believable story you could identify yourself with. A story that inspires you to become better or fight for your dreams and country. All effects aimed to create the perfect scenes, along with a great screen-play. They took the time to place the characters and underline some of their characteristics with special effects, that were not so developed as they are now. 

For example, horror movies presented real people, of course with make-up and all that to appear horror. The difference is that nowadays the effects are so special that a horror movie kind of becomes an SF one. Ghosts and vampires have unreal features, and so does the storyline. And because the movie industry is constantly producing a lot of movies every day, it is difficult to find a good one. 

Even though the technology was not as developed as it is today, old movies have something special. All the special effects, like huge dinosaurs or war scenes, seem much more realistic than the ones in modern movies today. 

It is important to note that there are modern movies which are better than the old ones when judging the special effects. But having so many possibilities of improving the visuals of a movie, it is hard to know when to stop using them. 

Different Acting Style 

Indeed, acting in old movies was pretty different from the one in modern movies. It was part of an Acting System developed by Constantin Stanislavski. His system was based on the idea that humans cannot control their emotions, so he proposed a system to summon emotional inspiration. 

He proposed, based on the concept of Affective Memory, the concept of Emotional Memory. This means that actors were encouraged to use emotional memories from the past to recreate the emotions of the character. They were also more natural because fewer special effects were used. 

There is a famous story with Laurence Oliver, who played more than fifty emblematic cinema roles in movies like Wuthering Heights, Hamlet, or Rebecca. He got a role in one of Dustin Hoffman’s movies who was having a more modern approach to movie making. The character of Laurence was depicted looking as if he had not slept for three nights in a row, so Laurence went on and lived the story of his character. The reply of Dustin Hoffman is a good sum-up of how modern movies have evolved. When he saw that Laurence had not slept for three nights to make his character look more credible, he said: “Try acting... It is much easier”. 

The acting in old movies is more genuine and natural because of the cultural and social norms that were that time. Of course, every period has its actors and we cannot say that there are actors that do not have good acting because there are a lot. Only that the acting style cultural and movie-making norms were different, and they pushed actors to exceed their physical and emotional limits. 

Paving the Way to Success

Maybe the most important reason why old movies are more useful than modern ones is that they paved the way to the state of cinematography, as we know it today. Indeed, special effects and music soundtracks are more entertaining and impressive nowadays. And so, do the acting and directing. 

But old movies are classic because they stand the test of time. Of course, not all of them are considered masterpieces, but some are iconic and representative for the period they were created. 

Directors recreated the culture and society from a few years ago and opened the door to a new way of making art. They have addressed topics that inspired the population to follow their dreams and expand the art of making movies. 

Even though they are a little longer than usual and some might think that they are boring, they opened a new perspective. Some people think that the nudes and sex scenes were more interesting and appealing in old movies, so they still remain a landmark for modern ones. 

Conclusion

There is a common misconception that old movies are boring, too long and the playing is awful. But it is your perspective that changes the way you perceive a movie. A few decades ago, there were different acting techniques, as well as other technological options. There are quite a few old movies that stood the test of time and remain a classical watch. 

They are useful in a lot of ways. They describe a forgotten society and its cultural norms we would completely forget if there were not masterpieces like How to Kill a Mockingbird or Casablanca. They point to the beginnings of cinematography and acting. The present SF subjects in a more natural way. And also, the dialogue and placing of the characters were done carefully, although it made the movie longer. 

Movies nowadays want to satisfy the viewers’ needs for relieving stress while being entertaining. And while there are some majestic and impressive movies done nowadays, most of them lack a meaningful dialogue or story and they do not have characters you can identify with. 

The way movies are made has changed along with the evolution of society and cultural norms.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan Laurel is a full-time digital marketer with a great passion for cinematography. Susan lives in Houston, Texas, but she spends most of her spare time traveling around the globe and meeting new people and cultures. As a passionate marketer, Susan is eager to share the professional experience with her readers at Dissertation Today. She has gained a lot of knowledge from her cultural trips.  

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MOVIE REVIEW: Troop Zero

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TROOP ZERO-- 4 STARS

You can look up to the stars.  Their heavenly bodies present undiscovered infinity all around us.  You can also look up to people. If the gaze is met by a caring person, you will find a different kind of infinity.  Go ahead and look to both. Such is the infectious moxie and bountiful courage zipping through the filthy accouterments and unkempt hair of the motley mess of girls that comprise Troop Zero.  

To rightly thumb its nose at the historically warped expectations of young ladies, Troop Zero may not be high-minded cinema.  What it is, however, is high-hearted entertainment.  That calls for trite covered in treat. Put this movie in front of any girl, hell, any kid period, that’s been demeaned about their differences or forced to conform to supposed societal standards.  Let them watch this movie, smile, and stitch their own sash or freak flag to be proud of.

Continuously emerging small screen and big screen starlet Mckenna Grace is Christmas Flint, a redneck rascal of a girl from her unkempt platinum locks to her sloshing rubber boats of choice.  She is the sprightly star-gazing daughter of her widower father Ramsey (comedian Jim Gaffigan). He is an unlucky and toothbrush-gnashing lawyer with one employee, his tough secretary and long-pining law student Miss Rayleen (Oscar winner and producer Viola Davis), and one regular ne'er-do-well buddy and client Dwayne (Mike Epps).  The lot of them live in the dingy decadence of a trailer park in the rural speck of Wiggly, Georgia in the summer of 1977.  

LESSON #1: YOUR CLASS OF YOUR UPBRINGING DOES NOT REFLECT YOUR POTENTIAL-- Someone who does not grow up in mainstream finery or sparkling sophistication is not doomed to mediocrity.  Their uniqueness forges their own path and personality. Christmas can be anyone she wants, not because of crystalline cultivation, but from the loving support of her surrounding family and friends.  The caring values of one’s upbringing exceeds the socioeconomic class of it.

With crafty creations and library-fed ideas, Christmas has a loving home complete with a rooftop deck for watching meteorites, signaling aliens, and reflecting on memories of her dear mother.  Her monologue voiceovers express a mindfulness to match her bravery. Unfortunately, Christmas is seen by her peers as excluded weirdo trash who likes dirt and science instead of dolls and shoes.   

LESSON #2: WEATHERING VERBAL BULLYING-- The teasing Christmas receives is unrelenting at times, proof that there was too much in that era just as their is now as well.  The lead attackers are the local troupe of hoity-toity Birdie Scouts overseen by the local school principal Miss Massey (Oscar winner Allison Janney).  Christmas absorbs that dissonance with pluck, but words hurt. The more wrong ones cut deeper than others can see until a breaking point.  

Christmas’s draw towards astronomy peaks when it is announced that local youths will have the chance to record their voice on NASA’s famed “Golden Record” that will be going into space with Voyager 1 and 2.  All they have to do is win a state-level Birdie Scout “Jamboree” talent show, the vacuous culmination of prescribed lady-like expectations. To compete against Miss Massey’s faction of fakery, Christmas seeks out fellow outcasts in the form her sensitive BFF Joseph (Charlie Shotwell of Captain Fantastic), the barbarically bossy Hell No (Milan Ray), the gassy glutton Smash (Johanna Colon), and the pious pushover Anne-Claire (Bella Higginbottom) to form a squad.  Miss Rayleen, with one-upmanship and cigarette drags targeted towards Miss Massey, is coaxed to lead this rumpled rabble.

LESSON #3: LET KIDS BE KIDS-- Take that uniqueness from Lesson #1 and promote it.  Don’t stifle it solely because it’s different. Don’t shame it because it’s not what others expect.  Let them strut their stuff and be themselves, no matter their gender, caste, or interests. If they want to crank up David Bowie and gyrate through imagined galaxies instead of step to safe showtunes, let them.  If they “funna” want to kick ass in their own endeavors, let them kick ass. If they make friends while doing so, even better. If they are happy and creative, let kids be kids.

The wellspring of the fun in Troop Zero comes from watching this mob bond and carry on.  Viola Davis and Allison Janney are automatic impressive presences.  For a tidy indie here, they soften nicely from their recent dramatic trajectories to become young again themselves while acting as the “I don’t play” adults.  Jim Gaffigan is always good for affable laughs, scruff or no scruff (the former in this one). 

The adults are game and wonderful, but the tweens are the magnets. As the lead, this is Mckenna Grace’s largest work to date and it adds to her future capability. Grace is a carrot of enticing endearment in nearly every role she’s had and the youthful ensemble around her, complete with three newcomers (Ray, Colon, and Higginbottom), multiply that power.

It is from all this wondrous spirit that Troop Zero exudes its strength and worthy purposes pointed towards courage, identity, and resilience. Beasts of the Southern Wild writer Lucy Alibar trades isolation vitality for group dynamics and hearty humor.  What cliches exist are spun with pleasing gumption. Directed by Katie Ellwood and Amber Templemore-Finlayson (known as the team of Bert & Bertie), this isn’t a girly Goonies of contagious uncouth behavior. Rather, unity is the prize over riches.  Confidence is the invaluable magic, a power still sorely needed in the parallel present. The film and Rob Lord’s score shines that brightness into its settings and morals in hopes that some of that luminosity can carry across the screen to the viewer.  Catch the shimmer of these stars and enjoy yourself.

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APPEARANCE EVENT: Co-hosting a "Field of Dreams" seminar at SoxFest 2020

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As part of SoxFest 2020, the Chicago White Sox will be promoting this August’s "Field of Dreams" game against the New York Yankees, presented by GEICO, in Dyersville, Iowa at the site of the famous and beloved 1989 movie.  On Friday, January 24th at SoxFest, fans can join Chicago Indie Critics members Leo Brady of AMovieGuy.com and myself for a seminar discussing Field of Dreams and its significance to the White Sox organization.  Come out and support the White Sox, the excellent movie, and the Chicago Indie Critics!

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GUEST COLUMN: Top 6 Movies That Will Make You Love Life

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Top 6 Movies That Will Make You Learn to Love Life

by Frank Hamilton

The critical and turning points of our lives very often force us to look at things from a different angle. And if at this moment it seems to you that everything has lost its meaning and you no longer see reasons to go on a certain path, then you definitely need support. The films that we have collected in this article will help you look at your life with different eyes, once again realize its value, and perhaps even find a way out of a difficult situation. 

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Life is Beautiful (La vita è Bella)

What value did one life of one person have during World War II? Especially, the life of a person whose nationality did not leave him a chance in those days. The value of this life was equal to any figure below zero, but exactly up to the moment when this person chooses death voluntarily in return for a chance of salvation for his wife and son.

This is a touching story that takes us back more than 70 years ago and makes us mourn an entire nation that was destroyed by the will of people who declared themselves rulers of the world. And if it seems to you that your life is empty and does not make sense, just think about those people and about that time - each of them had a meaning but did not have a chance. And look at our relatively peaceful and free time from a different angle.

Hint! To understand the full depth of the tragedy, read any book by Erich Maria Remarque. And get ready for the fact that your understanding of life will no longer be the same.

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The Fault in Our Stars

This is the story of two teenagers who fight cancer. This story is commonplace, but the way it is told in this film is completely exceptional. They do not ask for leniency, do not ask for a chance for recovery, and do not expect sympathy. They simply accept their lives today and now, right at that moment in time, and understand that even if fate gave them the role of a victim of the incurable stage of oncology, this is not a reason to refuse life today. They do not wait for their death, but they know for sure that their life will be shorter than the lives of their friends and parents. They love, travel, laugh and retain all the optimism that the situation allows them to maintain. Augustus' only letter to Hazel at the end of the film will turn your soul inside out. And rest assured, you will never again say that your life is not worth living.

Hint! If the writing skills of the protagonist level are not your forte, then you can always choose the freelance academic writer at Online Writers Rating and impress your professor with your paper.

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Knockin 'on Heaven’s Door

Yes, unfortunately, this story is again about two oncological patients, but it would be unreasonable to compare it with any other stories. What would you do if you knew that you only have a week? And later - there will be only heaven. Heroes decide to flee the hospital for the hopeless and do the last and most important thing in their life - to see the sea. A sea of adventure, including a bank robbery, gunfights with gangsters, and a violation of a dozen laws are provided, but remember this is the first and the last time. Later - there will be only heaven. 

Therefore, if today you are convinced that you cannot change anything in your life, that it is too complicated, too expensive, too unreasonable, too defiant, remember - only heaven is next. This is just a matter of time, and nothing more.

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The Intouchables

This is an exceptional combination of comedy and tragedy when the two main characters were the perfect complement to each other. Moreover, this film (and the book that formed its basis) are based on real events. A rich man wheelchair-bound and an illegal ex-pat who has other problems with the law as well - what could be common between them? Nothing, but exactly until the moment they met. One of them helps the other to understand that a wheelchair is not a sentence, and all the simple joys of life still remain accessible while we are alive. The second helps the other to understand that life is still a little more complicated than it seems, however it is still beautiful, and all the obstacles can be overcome anyway.

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Click

If you have long been used to living in autopilot mode, then this movie is for you. If you have long been accustomed to putting a career in the first place, then this film is suitable for you too. The main character of the film cannot understand why his family wants to spend more time with him. But at one point, he gets a magic remote that allows him to control his life differently. This is a film about family, priorities and time management. Spend a little of your time watching this film if it seems to you that your life is going on the thumb, and you will understand - firstly, it is true, secondly - it's time to change something. And in your head, first of all.

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Eat Pray Love

The main character of this film has everything you can only dream of - a stable marriage, a well-paid and beloved job, a huge house in a beautiful area of New York, but ... This is not what she really wants, perhaps, except for work. This is what society wants from her, but her personal, her true desires are completely different. This film is about self-awareness in this world and about the acceptance of the value of your personal desires, which may differ from the stereotypes imposed by society. This is a film that once again proves that all the obstacles that supposedly interfere with the realization of our desires are completely artificial. This film helps to accept the fact of our life in this world and awareness of its value. The short motto is to listen to your heart and make yourself happy.

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Conclusion

Of course, this list can be supplemented by dozens of worthy and impressive films. However, we tried to choose films with a simple plot, but with a very clear meaning - life is the most valuable gift that is given to us by the right of birth. Even with all its difficulties.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Frank Hamilton is a blogger and translator from Manchester. He is a professional writing expert in such topics as blogging, digital marketing and self-education. He also loves traveling and speaks Spanish, French, German and English.

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GUEST COLUMN: Types of Fictional Time Travel Seen in Films

Types of Fictional Time Travel Seen In Films

By Bharat “Barry” Krishna

There are a variety of fictional representations of Time Travel in films over the decades. Each one also sports a mechanism to physically travel through time - hitting 88 mph in a Delorean, transported in an energy bubble, a hot tub, a time capsule, and more. In this article, I'd like to look at the consequences of traveling through time and its impact on the fabric of fiction reality. Anyone who's read science books that address time-travel will be quite familiar with a couple of infamous paradoxes. Let's take a look at each and match them with their time-travel constructs with film examples.

Grandfather Paradox – Single Timeline

This happens when a character travels back in time and ends up in the same timeline that they started from. Any change to the past would have a cascading effect on the future. The Grandfather Paradox gets its name because a person could go back in time, when their grandpa was a little boy, and kill him. This would mean that (s)he would never be born. It becomes a paradox because if (s)he doesn't exist, then who killed the Grandfather?

One of the most popular films that sported time-travel this way was Back To The Future. While the film created a multitude of paradoxes, they more than made up for it with the wit, the characters, and the plot. In recent times we had Looper that implemented time travel this way. The conversation on paradoxes was brushed away, stating, "if we start talking about it, we're gonna be here all day making diagrams with straws".

Predestination Paradox – Single Timeline

A predestination paradox occurs when a time traveler is caught in a loop of events that "predestines" or "predates" them to traveling back in time. To simplify, this means that the person does land in the same timeline that they started off from, but anything that (s)he does will only create history as (s)he knows it. Let's assume John is someone who lost his wife to a car accident. Years later, John finds a way to travel back in time and decides to save his family. Once he goes to the past, he enters a car and rushes to the location where his wife met with the accident... only to crash into her car and kill her. An event of the future predestined an event in the past. The timeline is immutable. This type of a time-loop also gives birth to another sub-paradox...

The Bootstrap Paradox

The above time-loop can give birth to something present neither before nor after the loop. Let's assume Jess and Jane are good friends. One day Jane gives Jess a pen and says, "keep this safe and give it to me after one year". Jess does so and hands the pen over to Jane after a year. Jane then stumbles upon a time machine and travels back to the past by one year. She carefully avoids her younger self and meets Jess. Jane gives Jess a pen and says, "keep this safe and give it to me in one year". In this loopy nature of things, the pen was bootstrapped into existence for that 1 year, seemingly from nowhere.

The most prominent example of a film that operates in a singular time-loop has got to be Predestination. The film can really put your mind in a knot. Other famous ones are 12 Monkeys, Interstellar, and, more recently, Arrival. Even the first two parts of The Terminator are constructed in this manner. I could tell you what gets bootstrapped in these films, but that would give away the plot.

Non-Paradoxical - Alternate Timelines

This variant to going back in time creates no paradoxes. This happens when the time-traveler goes back and arrives in an alternate timeline. This means that any changes here will leave the original timeline unaffected. Let's test this with a couple of the above scenarios. A person going back to kill her Grandfather would create a new timeline in which she will never be born. However, the events in the original timeline remain intact. In the example of Jane's pen, it would move from one timeline to another after a year, but it would have a distinct starting point.

Examples of movies that followed this pattern are The Butterfly Effect (although not a time-travel based film), X-Men: Days of Future Past, Primer, and the very popular anime Kimi No Na Wa. Sequels after Terminator 2 switched to alternate timelines that went all over the place. There is one caveat in these movies, however. The birth of the new timeline potentially makes it impossible for the time traveler to go back to the original timeline.

A blockbuster from 2019 leveraged the ability to navigate between the alternate timelines to enable a fantastic storytelling, and that was Avengers: Endgame. This implementation of fictional time travel ensured that the Marvel Cinematic Universe through the years was untouched, and yet, we saw the original timeline move forward in terms of plot.

Non-Paradoxical - Time-Loops

Some films set up a circumstance where characters get trapped in a time-loop. They end up going through the same period repeatedly. The situation is as though only the consciousness is sent back in time, and the character remembers everything from the previous loops. Here too, each loop creates a new timeline, and the person can no longer access the previous timelines (they are erased). As a result, there is no room for the classic paradoxes.

One of the most popular films that follows this construct is Groundhog Day. Source Code, ARQ, Edge of Tomorrow, and Triangle are other great examples. The movies focus on what the lead learns from each loop to turn it into an advantage. 

And there you have it, every pattern of time travel in movies. Is there a scenario that you think didn't get covered in the article? If so, please drop a comment below.

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GUEST COLUMN: Warm Comedies for a Winter Evening

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Warm Comedies for a Winter Evening

by Justin Osborne

When the temperatures start going down outside, the only fun thing left to do is snuggling up on your couch with some of the best winter comedies. It will be extremely cold out there. But so long as you have a blanket, snacks, candles and some holiday comedies, you’ll not only feel warm but also laugh all night long. There will always be something for everyone here. It doesn’t matter whether you are alone, with your family or your better half. You’ll have a variety of options to choose from to ensure you don’t leave your house until things get better outside. When it’s too cold to go outside, here are some of the best winter movies for you. Keep reading!

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When Harry Met Sally

We’d be surprised if this movie didn’t appear on the list. As essay writing service suggests, this is one of the best rom-com of the 80s. The film is centered on the different views of Harry and Sally on relationships. 

We won’t give the ending away but it’s a great movie to watch during the festive season. If you have a crush on someone, watch this film with him or her. You might get what you want in the end.

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Cool Runnings

This is a movie that is based on true life events. It’s about a Jamaican sprinter who finds himself disqualified from the Olympics. 

Together with this coach, they work together to form the first Jamaican Olympic Team. It is both warm and cold therefore, you should sit in front of a fire while having a cold drink or drink hot coffee as you lie on the couch.

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The Apartment

According to Dissertation Today, The Apartment was one of the best movies of all time back in the 60s. You can confirm this with your parents. It is a romantic movie that stars Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. The movie is set in late December and ends on New Years’ Eve. 

Jack plays Baxter, an insurance agent with an apartment that he leases out to his bosses to have extramarital affairs hoping to gain a favor that will lead to his promotion. He ends up pursuing a relationship with MacLaine who plays Fran. What he doesn’t know is Fran is having a relationship with one of his bosses in the apartment that he leases out. It’s a wonderful classic film that you just can’t ignore during winter.

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The Nightmare Before Christmas

This is a classical music film that features Jack Skellington who is the king of Halloween Town. He discovers Christmas town and does all he can to bring Christmas to Halloween Town. But no one is ready to have it. According to best essay writing service, we all have friends who love the nightmare before Christmas. Watching this movie with them will make you feel happy and relaxed.

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Trading Places

Trading Places is an amazing film that you should watch with your friends on a Friday night. You won’t stop laughing even when this movie ends. Starring Jamie Curtis, Eddie Murphy, and Dan Aykroyd, this film is a modernized version of The Prince of Pauper by Mark Twain. Murphy and Dan play a street hustler and an upper-class broker who have been pitting against each other unknowingly in a bet. You’ll laugh hysterically when Dan shoves a salmon in his pants.

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Groundhog Day

As the essay writer reports, Groundhog Day has one of the best film concepts. It’s about living the same day over and over again. You will get to see what it’s real-life application is like. You won’t probably enjoy the repetition but Bill Murray is at his best when it comes to making you laugh. This is a remarkable movie that you should enjoy with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

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While You Were Sleeping

Movies set in Chicago are always bound to take advantage of how cold it is outside. And this movie is a perfect example of this. After unlucky trials in love, a hopeless romantic who works for the Chicago Transit Authority, Lucy saves her crush Peter from being crushed by an oncoming train. 

Peter is taken to the hospital and the doctors say he is in a coma. When Peter’s family arrive, they assume that Lucy is his fiance even though she has never spoken to Peter. They welcome her into the family with open arms. As time goes by, she starts developing feelings for Peter’s brother. Start watching this romantic comedy today and see how things unfold interestingly.

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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

What if you could have the power to erase the memories of someone who caused you pain? Would you use it? This movie is based on this concept. When their relationship starts failing, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to erase the memories they have of each other. This is one of the best movies to be watched on a Saturday night alone or with your significant other.

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Fargo

Fargo is one of the coldest movies in terms of the vibe it gives and the temperature in general. The show stares at William Macy who plays Jerry.  He bungles a crime he should have never been involved in and things start falling apart because of the persistence of Marge and western niceties. If you love watching cold scenery on screen, this is the movie for you.

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Love Actually

Love Actually is one of the best Christmas movies that you should watch during the festive season. It covers the lives and ordeals that couples go through during the festive season. We’ve seen the ratings on the internet and we think it deserves much more than what it got. The movie runs for two hours and a few minutes. After watching this film, you’ll end up believing that love is around you all the time.

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The Family Stone

One of the things that goes perfectly with winter is some family dysfunction. A serious businesswoman goes with her boyfriend to his family’s Christmas celebration and ends up realizing that she’s nothing like them. It’s a comedy that you are going to enjoy watching with your family.

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Just Friends

A young man, Chris confesses his love to his best friend in high school only for her to get cold and tell him that she wants to be just friends. Most of us can recall such a situation even if it happened twenty years ago.  If you have never been in this scenario, you are very lucky. Later, Chris becomes an attractive and successful record producer who still goes after his high school friend to win her heart. It’s a funny movie that will remind you of your past or what you are about to get into.

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The Mountain Between Us

Kate Winslet and Idris Elba get stranded in the cold wilderness of Utah. To survive the deadly storm, they have to put their differences aside. If you are a fan of cold movies, you’re going to enjoy this one.

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Conclusion

There are unlimited options for you out there. All you have to do is discover what you want and look for the movie that best suits you, your family or your special one. These are some of the best movies that we’d recommend you to watch during winter. Enjoy yourself!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Justin Osborne is a teacher from Leicester, England, UK. When not teaching his little students and rooting for Leicester FC, he loves to share his thoughts and opinions about education, writing and blogging with other people on different blogs and forums. Currently, he is working as an editor at nursing assignment help.

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EDITORIAL: Five surprises and snubs from the 92nd Academy Award nominations

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Leave it to the annual early morning Oscar nominations to always find a way to rock our worlds. Earlier this morning in an excellent show of upfront diversity, Searching actor John Cho and Insecure TV star Issa Rae presented the names and films looking for validation and immortality come the night of February 9th in front of a (thankfully) host-less crowd for the second year in a row. I know I chase this race every year on my Awards Tracker page, but there are always swerves. Here are five knee-jerk snubs and surprises from the nominees:

#1: The Academy still too often overlooks independent film and diversity.

This is the second year in a row this exact sentence makes this column space. For all of the so-called efforts of weening out inactive members and adding diversity, the results aren’t showing it between Green Book winning last year and this list of extremely plain nominations. Go ahead and get the #OscarSoWhite swag out again. The Academy deserves to be called out for this kind of thing.

The only person of color nominated in the acting categories was a mild surprise, that being Cynthia Erivo for Harriet, and not the overwhelming awards season Best Actress front-runner Lupita N’yongo for Us. Black wasn’t the only color stiffed. Zero total nominations for The Farewell and zero acting nominations for Parasite left out supporting actress Zhao Shuzhen, lead actress Awkwafina, writer/director Lulu Wang, supporting actor Song Kang-ho, and any of three women from Parasite in supporting actress from adding deserved diversity.

Speaking of women, one bright spot is Hildur Guðnadóttir’s nominated score for Joker, a rare spot for a woman. However, matching the Golden Globes and the Directors Guild of America, we have a Best Director field without a female. The flag-bearer there should have been Greta Gerwig for Little Women. When you give that film screenplay and Best Picture nominations, the solid is to honor the director for combining that work. But Greta is just one of many between Lulu Wang for The Farewell, Olivia Wilde for Booksmart, Kasi Lemmons for Harriet, and Melina Matsoukas for Queen & Slim. Where those women made films is also a point of contention.

If you look at what was nominated and from what studio they came from, you will see money and favoritism talking. The movies backed by the distributors with the deepest pockets and most lavish “For Your Consideration” campaigns (especially Netflix and their quartet of The Irishman, Marriage Story, The Two Popes, and I Love My Body) scored the spots. If you were little and independent, like A24’s Uncut Gems, The Farewell, and Booksmart, you were ignored. Those losses are consistent top to bottom and not just in the major categories. Take a snub like Wild Rose’s original song “Glasgow” being skipped as one of many spots where superior independent films were trounced by bigger entities.

It’s a minor miracle little shingle NEON squeezed what it could out of Parasite (6 nominations) and Lionsgate got anything at all for Knives Out and Bombshell. If this were politics, we would be talking about the equivalent of “campaign finance reform” from studios buying unfair favor and nominations. Maybe it’s time to open the ledgers and put some rules and limits on that.

#2: The perceived Netflix bias doesn’t exist.

This is also a verbatim repeat from this column last year. Last year, Roma and its Oscar success challenged and then broke the glass ceiling of debate for the streaming giant’s seat at the grown-up’s table. Now, it’s sitting nearly at the head of it. Once the worshiped Martin Scorsese brought his “cinema” to Netflix, any nose-holding after Roma went away in a hurry. Just look at The Irishman’s blanket treatment getting 10 nominations. The true power is demonstrated in the cache for Netflix to get even more. Five nominations for Marriage Story and three surprises for The Two Popes showed the glow, an effect that could have grown even more had Dolemite is My Name nabbed spots in Best Actor, Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup and Hair-Styling. Once they win a Best Picture Oscar, and they have a real chance this year much like last year, you know they’re never going to let the industry forget about it.

#3: The Academy needs to clarify or clean out their documentary department.

Granted, I get that the documentary market is a bathtub of obscurity to 90% of casual filmgoers, but every year there are one or two docs with high quality that earn mainstream success. They deserve recognition for that engagement and success. For the second year in a row, the Academy egregiously snubbed the film that has dominated the category the entire awards season. Last year it was Won’t You Be My Neighbor. This year it’s Apollo 11, which is arguably the best big screen experience of the year, regardless of film classification. No documentary film has won even half as many awards in this category than Apollo 11. It deserved to have a chance at the big one. Instead, head-scratchers and obscurity win.

#4: The juggernaut that is Joker is something to marvel.

Enjoy that comic book company dig! For Joker to lead the field with 11 nominations is one heck of an impressive victory. Because of its artistic and technical quality, I knew it was going to score big, but to hit 11 sure stirs the pot. The most polarizing film of the year that has been called “trash” by some and a “masterpiece” by others gets to swing its clout hard. How will it do? Gosh, I don’t know at this point. I could see it pulling a American Hustle where that film to got 10 nominations and won zero. The Irishman has that same collapsing look about it where it’s a front-runner nowhere out of its 10 nominations. Joker could easily end up like that or, like it keeps on doing, it could surprise us all. Never count Joaquin Phoenix out and laying in the weeds with their own 10 nominations each are Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood and 1917. The Sam Mendes war epic in particular is peaking at the right time.

#5: Parasite has a better chance than Roma did last year to elevate foreign film.

It may not have the gaudy totals of Joker, 1917, Tarantino, or Scorsese, but Bong-Joon-ho’s South Korean thriller Parasite is in a perfect position to become the biggest winner of the night. It’s tracking just like Roma did last year by cleaning up the vast majority of critics awards and topping “year-end” (and even “decade-end”) lists. The respect is there, unlike Marriage Story and Little Women, where Parasite is nominated in all three top leadership spots (picture, director, screenplay) to be a worthy winner for Best Picture. If the polarity of Joker burns itself, if 1917 doesn’t have enough fresh favor, and the push-back against out-of-touch white men keeps fading for The Irishman and Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood, there sits the universally loved Parasite with all the polish in the world. It would take a great deal of push-back support and screening room politics, but it could legitimately and deservedly win the last award of the evening. This will be fun to watch!

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