This Halloween, Treat Yourself to the Tricks in 1932’s The Old Dark House
If the words “Have a potato” send a chill down your spine, then you’ve likely seen the classic 1932 haunted castle treat The Old Dark House, directed by James Whale. […]
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.
Film Review: Revolutions of the Night: The Enigma of Henry Darger
In director Jessica Yu’s wonderfully in-depth 2004 documentary In the Realms of the Unreal, the life and uncovered writings and art works of hermit-like artist Henry Darger were put on display […]
Film Review: Jane Proves a Stirring, Impressive Portrait of a Dedicated Scientist
For most of the 2000s, documentary filmmaker Brett Morgan has found new and unique ways to tell stories that easily could have been just another biography, simply piecing together of […]
Film Review: Daring Filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos Again Captivates with The Killing of a Sacred Deer
One thing very few people would ever accuse the works of Greek-born filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth, The Lobster) of being is accessible. Not that his films are difficult to understand […]
Film Review: Social Commentary Is Lost in Subpar Suburbicon
Somewhere in Suburbicon is an interesting commentary on planned communities, race relations, and the quiet corruption of middle-class morals circa the late 1950s. And perhaps in the original screenplay that […]
Film Review: Thank You For Your Service Takes the VA to Task in Moving Vet Story
Editor’s Note: In addition to Steve’s film review, check out his interview with star Miles Teller, filmmaker Jason Hall and film subject Adam Schumann here. Although the film is sometimes […]
Interview: Simon Curtis Brings A.A. Milne, Childhood and Class to the Big Screen in Goodbye Christopher Robin
The films of director Simon Curtis often skirt the line between reality and the myth of a famous person’s life. Rather than attempt to tell the story of Marilyn Monroe, […]
Interview: Miles Teller, Jason Hall and Adam Schumann Talk Thank You For Your Service, Bruce Springsteen and Drinking Games
This week, the film Thank You For Your Service is released in theaters. Starring Miles Teller (The Spectacular Now; War Dogs), it’s written and directed by Jason Hall, who is […]
Film Review: Take Every Wave Is an Impressive Doc Whether You Surf or Not
After tackling such subjects as prisoner abuse involving U.S. soldiers and detainees in Ghosts of Abu Ghraib; the life of grandmother Ethel Kennedy in Ethel; and the last weeks of America’s involvement […]
Film Review: Three Blues Legends Get Their Moment in Sidemen: Long Road to Glory
I have an affection and weakness for music documentaries, especially films about musicians or musical movements that I know little about. In a way, the film’s job becomes to convince […]
Film Review: Skill, Courage and a Solid Ensemble on Display in Only The Brave
A better and more compelling movie than you might think, Only the Brave tells the story of the real-life Granite Mountain Hotshots, a specially trained team of Arizona firefighters who […]
Film Review: Boring and Predictable, The Snowman Melts on Contact
Not in the least bit shocking, the internet has completely oversold just how strange and/or awful the latest work from director Tomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Let the Right […]