Review: Time Warp, Vol. 1 Digs Into Great Cult Films, and That’s Just the Beginning
The first of a three-part documentary series on the history of some of the most famous cult films in history (calling something a “famous” cult film may be a bit […]
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: Why Don’t You Just Die! Brings Violence and Blood by the Bucketful
A staple at quite a few genre festival in 2019, Why Don’t You Just Die! is the explosive feature debut from Russian writer/director Kirill Sokolov. The film tells the story […]
Review: Endings, Beginnings Wraps Predictable, Frustrating Drama in Poor Decisions
Perspective is everything, sometimes. When I read a description of the beginning of the new film Endings, Beginnings, from director/co-writer Drake Doremus (Like Crazy), it said something about the L.A.-based […]
Review: The Quarry Works Best with Two Strong Central Performances
The new film from director Scott Teems (That Evening Sun) is about suspicion. No one in this small Texas town really trusts anybody else, and usually its for good reason. […]
Review: Bibliophiles Will Get Lost In the Nostalgia, Promise of The Booksellers
As author Fran Lebowitz reminds us in the terrific new documentary The Booksellers, there was a time not so long ago when, if you had an hour to kill in […]
Review: Tension on the Water as Infection Spreads in Sea Fever
To be honest, some of you might not be able to handle the messages and plot line of this eerily atmospheric contagion thriller from Ireland, Sea Fever, from writer/director Neasa […]
Review: Neon-Soaked The Wild Goose Lake is a Modern Noir Thriller
This Chinese film set in, of all places, the labyrinthian city of Wuhan, is a modern noir thriller and a terrific mystery, told partially in flashback. It begins when a […]
Review: We Summon the Darkness Flips Genre Expectations, Mostly Entertains While Doing So
The latest entry in the horror-comedy genre is the slightly lightweight but still enjoyable We Summon the Darkness, from director Marc Meyers (My Friend Dahmer, Human Capital) and writer Alan […]
Review: Catchy Songs and Eye-Popping Animation Return for Trolls World Tour
It’s difficult to believe that it has been four years since the original Trolls movie was released and turned into a legitimate hit. That was due in large part to […]
Review: Slay the Dragon Channels the Political Drama, Intrigue Around Gerrymandering
Quite often, documentaries built around political themes have a long list of grievances but not a lot when it comes to solutions to the multitude problems being presented. The compelling […]
Review: Almost Love is a Clunky, Shallow Exploration of All Kinds of Relationships
Almost Love, the feature directorial debut from actor-turned-filmmaker Mike Doyle is an often playful but sometimes overly serious look at the shelf life of even the best of relationships. We […]
Review: A Dystopian Trip to Adulthood in Weirdly Unnerving Vivarium
While I’ve never been a fan of weird for weirdness’s sake, I do tend to enjoy it when there’s a touch of mischief—or even a dark streak—running through it. In […]