Review: The Beach House Is an Atmospheric, Skin-Crawling Feature Debut
The writer/director of the new horror film The Beach House, Jeffrey A. Brown (making his feature debut), is the first example I’ve seen of someone who made a name in […]
Review: Tom Hanks Brings Authenticity to World War II Drama Greyhound
Sometimes a film is just so laser-focused on its subject matter that we don’t need to know the full backstories of the characters occupying the space in which it takes […]
Review: A Thriller About Cybercrime and Impersonation, Browse Lacks a Sense of Identity
With so much free-floating fear and understandable paranoia about identity theft in the world, it’s not surprising that the practice has been a part of or at the core of […]
Review: A Lifetime of Civil Rights Activism Explored in John Lewis: Good Trouble
As the country engages in an urgent and necessary conversation on racism and inequity, it’s tempting to think of much of the history of this particular issue as just that, […]
Review: Filmed Hamilton Brings Larger-Than-Life Broadway Phenomenon to Your Living Room
In March of 2015, I moved back to Chicago from New York. That was right about the time a new musical production about an (until then) obscure founding father was […]
Review: Suzi Q Is the Little Known, Fascinating Story of ’70s Rocker Suzi Quatro
I’ve said this before, but I love music documentaries. Before it was unceremoniously canceled this year, I used to go to the SXSW Film Festival and relish in the abundance […]
Review: In The Outpost, War is Hell, a Brutal Devil in the Vivid Details
I’ve never had a particular affinity for war movies, but the ones I tend to appreciate the most are those that feel honest and authentic about the way people behave […]
Book Review: Springsteen as Soundtrack Reveals the Singer/Songwriter as Auteur
Springsteen as Soundtrack By Caroline Madden McFarland Books, 2020 242 pp Caroline Madden is a film reviewer and fellow Bruce Springsteen fan. She has written a critical analysis of how […]
Review: House Music and Friendship at the Center of Pulsating Beats
If you check out Beats this weekend, the latest from Scottish filmmaker Brian Welsh (from a play by Kieran Hurley, who co-wrote the script), it will help greatly if you’re […]
Review: A Girl Discovers Her Voice in Moving, Thoughtful House of Hummingbird
The American film landscape isn’t lacking for coming of age films, particularly those of the female teenage experience. Bora Kim’s lyrical debut feature film House of Hummingbird explores similar themes […]
Review: Irresistible…Isn’t
Considering our place in the world currently, many of the themes and topics on display in Irresistible, the latest film from writer/director Jon Stewart, seem alarmingly dated and not nearly […]
Review: Ella Fitzgerald’s Perfect Voice in the Spotlight in Just One of Those Things
Over her long and storied career, singer Ella Fitzgerald was given many titles, including the “First Lady of Song,” “First Lady of Scat,” and the list goes on. But what […]