Review: A Variety of Styles, Emotions in Animated Short Film Oscar Nominees
As good or bad as you may believe the state of movies and the movie-going experience may be, I thank my lucky stars every year around this time that someone […]
Steve Prokopy is chief film critic for the Chicago-based arts outlet Third Coast Review. For nearly 20 years, he was the Chicago editor for Ain’t It Cool News, where he contributed film reviews and filmmaker/actor interviews under the name “Capone.” Currently, he’s a frequent contributor at /Film (SlashFilm.com) and Backstory Magazine. He is also the public relations director for Chicago's independently owned Music Box Theatre, and holds the position of Vice President for the Chicago Film Critics Association. In addition, he is a programmer for the Chicago Critics Film Festival, which has been one of the city's most anticipated festivals since 2013.
Review: Diverse Slate of Live-Action Short Films Vie for Oscar
Sometimes, the makers of live-action short films use the strength of their storytelling skills in abbreviated form to land a job on their first feature length films—as either a director […]
Review: A Cautionary Tale in Soderbergh’s Propulsive, Kinetic High Flying Bird
One of the week’s most unexpected treats can be found via Netflix—it’s the second film directed by Steven Soderbergh using only an iPhone as his camera (as he did with […]
Review: A Bigger Cast, A Bit Less Heart in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
One of the most enjoyable aspects of 2014’s The Lego Movie was the big mystery behind what it was that was creating and manipulating the characters and situations. The reveal […]
Review: Taraji P. Henson Deserves Better Than Tone-Deaf What Men Want
There’s a fundamental flaw in What Men Want, the gender-reversed remake of the 2000 hit What Women Want. That film starred Mel Gibson as a chauvinistic advertising exec who, after some […]
Catch Classic Jackie Chan in Police Story and Police Story 2 at Music Box Theatre
Although he began in films as an actor and action star studios wanted to model after the late Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan built his popularity on a foundation of traits […]
Dispatch: Sundance Film Festival Day One—An Anticipated Adaptation and Gibney’s Latest Documentary
Hello, everyone. As is tradition in my life, I’m attending the Sundance Film Festival once again, and I’m on deck to see close to 30 movies in the week that […]
Review: Being Frank Gives a Misunderstood, Under-Appreciated Genius His Due
Although the feature film Frank was only loosely based on a damaged musician who still managed to function with his band enough to make freaky, trippy music, the real life Frank […]
Review: Compassion for Companionship in Silicone Soul
To make a film that examines people who have turned silicone companionship into an actual loving relationship seems almost too easy as a way to mock and belittle those who […]
Review: Fun for Everyone in Spirited, Adventurous The Kid Who Would Be King
It’s almost impossible to believe that it’s been eight years since writer/director Joe Cornish gave us the thrilling sci-fi action work Attack the Block, which was as much about alien dogs […]
Review: Serenity Serves Up Too Much Style and Not Enough Substance
This one might literally be too difficult to dissect even a bit without running the risk is confusing you or unintentionally ruining something. The truth is, I can hear the […]
Review: Sweet, Intimate The Joneses A Vital Chronicle of Trans Life
Filmed over five years by director Moby Longinotto, The Joneses is a very different but no less vital take on transgender men and women living in America. While many of the recent […]