Review: Halloween Ends Sends a Classic Horror Franchise Out with a Whimper
Sometimes a film franchise goes out with a bang; other times, a whimper seems more appropriate. In the case of what is reported to be the final entry in the […]
Review: Horror Maestro Dario Argento is Disappointingly Off-Base with Messy Dark Glasses
There was a time—entire decades, if we’re being honest—that the name Dario Argento meant horror films that would be suspenseful, terrifying, bloody and inventive. Works like Suspiria, Opera, Deep Red, […]
Review: Tension and Unease Abound in TÁR, as Power and Gender Dynamics Clash with Classical Music
When fictional classical conductor Lydia Tár (an electric Cate Blanchett) spouts the statement “Don’t be so eager to be offended” to a mixed-race student, I began to worry that this […]
Interview: Mimi Plauché on How the Pandemic Changed the Film Festival and Her Picks for Not-to-Miss Films
With a two-year-plus pandemic in our collective rearview mirrors, the 58th Chicago International Film Festival is poised to take up residency in several venues around the city October 12-23, including […]
Preview: Chicago International Film Festival Opens With a Block Party and Film Screening at the Music Box
The Chicago International Film Festival—the 58th edition of North America’s longest-running competitive international film festival—opens tomorrow night with The Compassionate Spy, a new documentary by renowned local filmmaker Steve James […]
Interview: Filmmaker and Star of Till on Telling a True Story, the Film’s Most Powerful Scene, and Mamie Till’s Legacy
Living most of my adult life in Chicago, the story and legacy of the 1955 murder of 14-year-old Chicago-native Emmett Till in Mississippi never really fades away. With so many […]
Review: Who Ya Gonna Call? Ghostbusters with the Chicago Philharmonic!
Ah the eighties. Shoulder pads, big hair, crossover music, and it seemed that every big movie was set in New York. Ghostbusters (1984) had 1980s New York written all over […]
Interview: Elsie Fisher on Being a Teenaged Horror Star in Horror-Comedy My Best Friend’s Exorcism
Before breaking out in 2018’s Eighth Grade, 19-year-old Elsie Fisher was probably best known for voicing one of Gru’s daughters in the Despicable Me movies. Although she’s acted in quite […]
Review: Smile Is a Debut Horror Film with Familiar Elements and Compelling Potential
Most recent horror movies that are actually veiled metaphors for the lasting impact trauma can have on a person’s psyche don’t actually use the word “trauma” as much as Smile, […]
Review: My Best Friend’s Exorcism Is an ’80s-Set Teen Comedy With a Dark Twist
Directed by Damon Thomas and taking full audio/visual advantage of its 1988 period setting, My Best Friend’s Exorcism brings us into the world of high school sophomores and best friends […]
Review: Zac Efron’s Goofy Energy Is a Bright Spot in an Otherwise Misguided The Greatest Beer Run Ever
Based on truly inspiring real events (which is not to say the film is inspiring; stay tuned…), The Greatest Beer Run Ever tells the story of dopey-but-loyal New Yorker Chickie […]
Review: A Strong Ensemble Cast Help Elevate Dead for a Dollar an Otherwise Washed-Out Western
Casting no aspersions on the great filmmaker Walter Hill, his new western, Dead for a Dollar, isn’t particularly memorable or special. In fact, the whole piece looks like it was […]