​Twenty-five years ago, a special animated movie based on a children’s book by William Steig premiered in theaters—one that wasn’t like any other pre-existing movie. Shrek introduced the world to a smelly, ugly, fat ogre of the same name who enjoys his filthy life alone in the swamp; he even learned not to care that everybody hates him and wants him dead. He’s continually the stand-in for anyone who received online death threats and was told by bullies, “No one likes you.” One of those who identifies with Shrek includes me. My previous negative social experiences, particularly during high school, made me want to imitate Shrek and put up a wall around my home so nobody could ever come in—friendship and family were just not worth the trouble. Even today as an autistic adult, I’ve become a victim of the modern loneliness epidemic and often genuinely believe I’m better off alone. Thus, Shrek, in this monumental anniversary year ought to be recognized as more relevant than ever.

By Trevor Pacelli
​What’s Christmas all about? Since I grew up in the Christian church, I was taught that the holiday is about celebrating Jesus’ birth, even though history doesn’t always agree. For starters, Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th and many traditions, like tree decorating and mistletoe, originated from a pagan festival called Yule. Even for some who aren’t Christians, thinking of Christmas as a religious celebration is a humbling reminder not to get caught up in the commercialism, and that message is why so many people love A Charlie Brown Christmas. However, other widely loved Christmas specials assign different meanings to the holiday. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! implies that it’s about singing together, whereas Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer says it’s just about the toys. Figuring out the purpose of life is a massive reason certain stories, including these three Christmas classics, leave an impression on so many of us. Here are six Christmas-themed feature films I think do the best job in presenting a strong reason for the season:

By Trevor Pacelli
​Wow. Thirty years of Toy Story. To this day, it’s one of those movies that nobody seems to dislike, while the second installment is perhaps more loved than the first with its deeper narrative that expands further on the premise of toys coming to life. The series eventually received a third and fourth part, gave Buzz Lightyear a (rather phoned-in) spinoff, and next year, in 2026, Toy Story 5 will come out. To commemorate the legacy of this iconic series, I think now is a good time to look back on what made Toy Story so appealing to all ages.

​By Trevor Pacelli
​Happiness is what we all want, right? Any good parent wants their kid to be joyful in whatever their circumstance, which is a wonderful mentality my parents sustained as they raised me to be a responsible adult. However, parents of past generations often communicated that their children’s emotions were invalid whenever they felt anything besides happy, sometimes being told to, “Stop crying!” We are learning now that children can’t stop crying on cue just because someone tells them to stop. I have noticed a cultural shift in how my generation of parents (millennials) is teaching their kids to process their emotions. Whenever my three-and-a-half-year-old niece cries, even about something as silly as getting startled by a loud noise, her parents just let her cry until she feels better, while comforting her with hugs. Their living room likewise reflects their parenting style with a sign on a wall that says, “All feelings are OK.”

By Trevor Pacelli
​Photography has been a hobby of mine since high school, and that combined with my special interest in movies drew me to visually striking movies. Being on the autism spectrum, I don’t follow verbal or written words as well as seeing a story or set of instructions visualized, so I connect well with movies made by directors who understand the meaning of “show don’t tell.” Therefore, here are fifteen movies that I believe best utilize the art of cinematography:

​By Trevor Pacelli
​What do you want to put your mind to? What do you want to accomplish? Those deep questions can be answered by analyzing Back to the Future, which repeatedly says, “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.” These words were originally told to Marty McFly by Doc Brown, and used again when Marty goes back in time to 1955 when his parents were supposed to meet, sharing the phrase with his father, George. Gaining something to put his mind to—a girl to protect, helps George accomplish the impossible, like taking down the guy who would bully him for the rest of his life. Because of George’s crucial decision from Marty’s interference, George is rewarded for his courage by growing up into a better version of himself rather than the pathetic loser he was in the original 1985. You too can learn quite a bit from this famous movie that’s now celebrating its 40th anniversary.

By Trevor Pacelli
​​She was green. She was bullied. She was used. She was ostracized. Sound familiar? Elphaba, along with her wheelchair-bound sister Nessarose, are modern representations of what it’s like having a disability. Yet sadly, Elphaba is taken the extra mile by being rejected, even by her own father, for being green. Perhaps she can find a place of belonging in the miraculous Emerald City? Turns out the answer is no, as that’s where the man she hoped would help wants to use her and gets her framed for crimes she never committed. Without its second act, this adaptation of the famous Broadway musical comes off more as a cautionary tale of what happens to someone with a disability who’s treated as less-than.

​When I was in college back in 2014, I created my movie review blog, TrevorsViewOnHollywood.com, because I found during that time how much I enjoyed talking about movies. So whenever I went to see a new movie, I wrote a review on it and posted it on my blog. At that time, it all seemed to be going fine as a hobby, as there was some generally good feedback about it from friends and relatives. Then when I left college, I started working for my parents’ company, Consetta Group, where they worked with me to develop my own personal businesses, which included my movie reviews. I started to get more serious about it and tried monetizing it further, posting a new review every Friday, which likewise meant seeing a new movie in theaters every week.