Review: Chicago TARDIS Featured Double the Heart in 2021
We live in weird times. For a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the global pandemic that is very much still a thing. But it’s also a weird time, […]
Gift Ideas for Art Lovers: Ten Great Art Books Published in 2021
Looking for gift ideas for art lovers in your life? Or perhaps you want to treat yourself by buying a book that will not only inspire and educate you about a particular […]
Review: Airborne Kingdom Is a Serene but Boring City Builder
The concept of flying cities is a silly one, but one that really invokes the imagination. I couldn’t help but simultaneously be in awe and incredulous at Bioshock Infinite’s floating metropolis. But […]
Preview: Picosa to Offer Wide Variety in Sunday Concert
Chicago-based sextet Picosa will be performing a wide-ranging program this Sunday at the Epiphany Center of the Arts. Headed by flutist Jennie Oh Brown, Picosa’s unusual lineup of flute, clarinetist Andrea R. […]
Review: Paul Verhoeven’s Benedetta Balances a Profound Spirit with an Entertaining Campiness
Is it possible for a film to be both deeply profound and startlingly campy at the same time? Paul Verhoeven appears to be on a quest to find out, as Benedetta, a […]
Review: As Christmas Movies Go, Apocalyptic Silent Night Is Both Unexpected and Uninspiring
File this under: Unexpected Christmas Movies. Writer /director Camille Grifin’s first feature, Silent Night, begins as many holiday movies do—a group of old friends gathering at someone’s home to celebrate Christmas. The […]
Review: Riz Ahmed Is an Unstable Father in Encounter, a Tense and Tough Family Drama
Taking a break from playing musicians with health issues, in Encounter actor Riz Ahmed plays Malik Khan, a decorated Marine who embarks on a road trip with his two young sons (Aditya […]
Review: Wolf Defies Categorization, But Delivers Impressive Performances
This is a tough one to classify and an even tougher one to analyze, but ultimately a fulfilling one to view. The latest from Nocturnal director Nathalie Biancheri, Wolf tells the story […]
Finish Off the Year with One More Bandcamp Friday!
This is it folks. It’s the last Bandcamp Friday of the year! That means no Bandcamp fees, so all the cash goes directly to the bands! As of now, this edition of […]
GALLERY: Lightscape at the Chicago Botanic Garden Sparkles in 2021
If you haven’t spent a lot of time hanging around any botanic gardens, conservatories or arboretums in the area, you might think the season is long past over once the first freeze […]
Review: In Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol, Aunt Trudy and the Puppets Bring a Message of Hope for the Holidays
If you like Dickens’ A Christmas Carol performed by shadow puppets with special effects from an overhead projector, Manual Cinema has an adaptation of the holiday classic for you. Its 2020 virtual production […]
Review: Archvale Is a Bright, Tight, Twin Stick Shooter Meets Role-Playing Game
I love a good genre mash-up, and Archvale is a great one: role-playing game with some soulslike influence meets twin-stick shooter. Throw on top a bit of bullet hell, and you have […]
