Review: A Reinvigorated Gang of Four Gives a Rollicking Performance at Bottom Lounge
When Gang of Four announced their reunion, I was over the moon. Purveyors of dancey post punk new wave jams, Gang of Four feels like a band that should always […]
Review: Get a Taste for Modern Dating in Fun, Clever and Slick Thriller Fresh
It’s entirely possible you don’t know who Sebastian Stan is (yet). If you’re not enmeshed in the world of all things Marvel; if you missed the recent “Pam & Tommy” […]
Interview: Dystopia in Utopia: Brian Pinkerton, Author of The Nirvana Effect
Author Brian Pinkerton is a lifelong resident of the Chicago area, growing up on, as he puts it, “Bozo’s Circus and Ray Rayner…Creature Features and Cubs baseball.” With 12 […]
Review: Hell in a Handbag’s The Drag Seed Fails to Bloom
Hell in a Handbag’s New York-bound revival of its 2019 production The Drag Seed has lots to say about LGBTQ culture and the advances that have been made in the last 40 […]
Review: Hadestown Celebrates Human Love and Tragedy Against a Joyous Jazzy Musical Backdrop
Hadestown is a tragedy of human love and suffering and it will make you happy with its joyous, percussive music and slick dance performances. The musical production, based on the […]
Preview: Siskel Film Center’s Chicago European Union Film Festival Returns in Person; France Opens Two Weeks of Foreign Films
Now in its 25th year, the Gene Siskel Film Center’s Chicago European Union Film Festival returns to in-person screenings March 4-17, this year with France claiming the opening night slot […]
Review: River City Girls Zero Is Exactly What It Says on the Tin
River City Girls is becoming a popular franchise, with its initial first release being a critical success and a sequel on the way, but the characters of Misako and Kyoko […]
It’s Time for Another Bandcamp Friday
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way: earlier this week Bandcamp announced that it would be joining Epic Games. A big emphasis was placed on the […]
Review: Intimate and Endlessly Moving, After Yang Navigates the Intersection of Humanity and Technology
Editor’s Note: this review was originally published during the 2022 Sundance Film Festival After his quiet 2017 masterpiece Columbus, filmmaker Kogonada moves tangentially into the world of heartfelt science fiction with After […]
Review: Directed by Amy Poehler, Lucy and Desi Explores the Personal and Working Relationship of the Famous Couple
From director Amy Poehler comes the meticulously researched Lucy and Desi, which explores not only the work of the well-known married comedy team of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, but […]
Review: Hints of Thriller, Sci-Fi Permeate The Long Walk, an Artfully Crafted Examination on Grief and Loss
Grief, missed opportunities and the lingering love of those we’ve lost all combine in Mattie Do’s The Long Walk, a surreal, time-warping fable about the choices we make and their ripple […]
Review: 15 Oscar-Nominated Short Films Present Variety of Styles, Emotions and Artistry
It’s probably impossible to know how many short films are made in a single year. From student films to viral TikToks, the format is often a filmmaker’s way in to […]