Review Necrobarista Brews a Beautiful, Complex Story With a Rich Blend of Humor and Heart

Transitions are inherently compelling. No matter how many people say they’re okay with change, there’s a tension inherent in it. It’s why people-watching is so much more interesting at an […]

Marielle Bokor /

Review: Button City Is Incredibly Cute With a Wholesome Story, Painful Mechanics

I’m extremely partial to wholesome games—games that you can wrap yourself in like a blanket of good feelings. Animal Crossing is one that immediately comes to mind, and perhaps its […]

Antal Bokor /

Preview: Blending Modern and Retro Dread Templar Is a Killer First Person Shooter

There has been an ongoing resurgence of retro style first person shooters—and as someone who has played first person shooters since Wolfenstein 3D and the original Doom I know a […]

Antal Bokor /

Review: Ohmme & Ganser Treat Thalia Hall with a Stunning Show

Lineups don’t get much more in sync as Ganser and Ohmme taking over Thalia Hall. CHIRP really did a number on this as the bands have so much in common. […]

Julian Ramirez /

Review: Clid The Snail Is a Fun Concept Hampered by Muddy Graphics, Lackluster Gameplay

I love it when video games get weird or otherwise defy convention, and that’s exactly what this freshman effort from developer Weird Beluga does. I don’t think I’ve ever played […]

Antal Bokor /

Review: A Sparrow in a Dirt Bath, Martita, I Remember You, by Sandra Cisneros

Note: Sandra Cisneros will appear Tuesday, September 7, at 7 p.m., in a virtual event sponsored by Barbara’s Bookstore in Chicago and the suburbs. For information, visit this site.   […]

Patrick T. Reardon /

Review: Rustler Is a Funny but Flawed Homage to Classic Grand Theft Auto

I feel like a fogey sometimes when I think about games I played when I was a kid. Back when fully 3D open world games were just a dream, I […]

Antal Bokor /

During Covid, Public Media Institute Helps Artists Build Resilience, Explore Overlooked Queer, BIPOC Histories

By Colleen Morrissey When the lockdowns began, artist Abraham Avnisan didn’t think it was possible to continue performing. Avnisan and his collaborators, Mark Jeffery and Judd Morrissey, had just debuted […]

Guest Author /
Swan Song

Review: Udo Kier Channels the Heart and Nostalgia at the Center of Affecting Swan Song

Written and directed by Todd Stephens, Swan Song is the third of three films the Sandusky, OH native has made set in his hometown; the first two, Edge of Seventeen and […]

Lisa Trifone /
Together

Review: A “Pandemic” Movie, Together Puts a More Than a Year of Lockdown in Perspective

There are a select few actors whose work I will seek out simply because they are in it, and one of them is James McAvoy. Long before his days with […]

Lisa Trifone /
Lost Leonardo

Review: The Lost Leonardo Charts the Meteoric Rise (in Price) of a Potential Masterpiece

I have no idea what I was occupied with at the time, but I somehow entirely missed (or have since entirely forgotten) the news of a painting suspected to be […]

Lisa Trifone /
Vacation Friends

Review: Humorless and Ingratiating, Vacation Friends is a Comedic Dud

In the same way I’ll ding a horror film for not being scary, I’ll eagerly discuss the existence of comedies that rarely make me laugh. Welcome to the feature film […]

Steve Prokopy /