Mike Shutt
School
The University Of Texas
Expertise
Musicals, Classic Hollywood, Mission: Impossible Franchise
- Mike began studying film at the age of 13 under the mentorship of seasoned film and television director Kat Candler.
- For three years, he co-hosted the podcast No Excuses, where he and Austin Chronicle contributor Jenny Nulf would show each other films they love that the other had not seen.
- Mike has an extensive Blu-ray and DVD collection of over 2,000 titles and counting, which he is both proud of and extremely embarrassed by.
Experience
Mike began writing about film online in 2014 for the sadly defunct site RopeOfSilicon while he was attending The University of Texas in Austin. Since then, his writing can be seen on Collider, GotchaMovies, and his own site ReelProjection. His writing has run the gamut across these sites, including film news, reviews, and film festival coverage from Sundance, South by Southwest, and Fantastic Fest. Aside from writing, he also co-hosted with Austin Chronicle contributor Jenny Nulf the film podcast No Excuses. Along with film, Mike has a deep love and great knowledge of musicals and theme parks.
Education
Mike has a bachelor's degree from The University of Texas in radio-television-film, frequently considered one of the best film schools in the country.
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Stories By Mike Shutt
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What does the ending of Atonement, directed by Joe Wright and starring James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan, mean?
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Samuel L. Jackson's route to playing Jules in Pulp Fiction was far from ordinary and based on who you hear the story from, how he got that role varies wildly.
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Ted Danson may appear to be a natural fit for his signature character of Sam Malone on Cheers, but actually it took him a lot of effort to get into the part.
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Shortly before Michael Douglas starred in Basic Instinct, Ridley Scott considered casting the actor as Christopher Columbus in 1492: Conquest of Paradise.
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Emma Stone is magnificent in Yorgos Lanthimos' weird, wonderful Poor Things, which might just be the best movie of the year. Here's our review.
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Three times the Academy has come close to awarding a film in all four acting categories, but something stopped them short. Here, we investigate why.
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Miramax was able to secure a massive deal for the international distribution rights to Pulp Fiction based almost entirely on Bruce Willis' name alone.
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Past Lives is a beautifully restrained new drama that hinges on its complicated ending. We explain everything you need to know before that climactic moment.
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The Bikeriders, starring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, and Tom Hardy, may not be the most elegantly told story, but there's power and pathos to be found here.
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Director Andrew Haigh created an environment in which Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Claire Foy, and Jamie Bell delivered solid work. But the film feels lacking.
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Over 50 years later, many members of the Godfather cast are sadly no longer with us. However, those who are remain professionally active to this day.
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Jeffrey Wright delivers a career-best performance in Cord Jefferson's sterling feature directorial debut American Fiction. Read our review right here.
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Matthew Perry was very public about struggles with substance abuse and addiction, especially while making Friends, but some feathered co-stars provided levity.
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Matthew Perry saved us from another gay panic-based B-plot for Chandler in Friends season 7, by asking the writers to cut it entirely.
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On SNL, Sarah Sherman plays Screen Actors Guild president Fran Drescher, who advises people on how to dress up in conjunction with SAG-AFTRA strike rules.
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One of the most important U.S. filmmakers of the last 35 years, Steven Soderbergh once beat himself for the Best Director Oscar. He hasn't been nominated since.
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Eva Green's Vesper Lynd provided something the Bond franchise had been looking for since On Her Majesty's Secret Service: a real love for James Bond.
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For a train scene in Oppenheimer, director Christopher Nolan hopped on board one of George R.R. Martin's dragon trains at Sky Railway in New Mexico.
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Indiana Jones' whip is a key part of his ensemble. However, due to an injury from his days as a carpenter, Harrison Ford had a difficult time wielding it.
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Doug Liman's time-looping sci-fi action movie Edge of Tomorrow rarely pauses to take a breath, but these deleted scenes show where it could have.
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Actress Suzanne Somers, best known for playing Chrissy Snow in Three's Company, has died at the age of 76 following a battle with cancer.
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William Wyler made countless indelible Hollywood films, from Mrs. Miniver to Ben-Hur. But does he deserve to be the most nominated director in Academy history?
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Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour movie has already smashed box office records, but is it a worthwhile cinematic experience? We dig deep into the production.
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There's no 'right' way to interpret Twin Peak's ending. However, we can gain a better understanding of the show by examining its ending's psychological fallout.
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Deserved or not, Harrison Ford's reputation for hijinks during the production of American Graffiti made members of the Star Wars crew wary of his involvement.
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Wes Anderson is on a hot streak, knocking it out of the park again with these four short films, each based on short stories by Roald Dahl.
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Baz Luhrmann is an auteur like no other, full of maximalist charm and style, directing his actors toward extraordinary performances. But which film is best?