Review: Ship of Fools Is a Chaotic Co-Op Roguelike
While some co-op video games test the boundaries of friendship, playing on the couch with a buddy or significant other is one of my favorite types of video game playing. […]
Review: The Garden’s Giant Jester Helps Local Youth Forget their Frostbite
In my research of The Garden, I found a ton of information regarding their long history and deeply personal inspirations. The more I’ve come to know, the more I appreciate […]
Dialogs: Patti Smith, a Woman of Depth, Artistry, and Love for Humanity, Lights up the Music Box
When I hear the name Patti Smith, so many images are conjured in my mind. The 1970s at Club 950, No Exit, and Neo were teeming with people sporting mohawks […]
Review: Love, Charlie Chronicles the Life, Work and Obsessions of Chicago’s Charlie Trotter
The opening scene of this Charlie Trotter documentary is a bit of a giveaway about the man whose food we loved (if we could afford it). During the sound check […]
Review: King Roger Makes a Spellbinding Premiere at Harris Theater
I was put under a spell on Friday. King Roger by the Chicago Opera Theater (COT) was the spellbinding work that eased my anxiety from sitting in a traffic snarl […]
Review: Protomartyr with Kelley Deal Delivers a Raucous Set for an Enraptured Thalia Hall
Protomartyr have been kicking around the indie-rock and punk scenes for over a decade now and their story is defined by more of a slog than a meteoric rise-and-fall. They’re […]
Review: She Said Recounts How Two Journalists Reported on the Truth—and Changed an Industry
In case there’s any question as to where I stand on this, let me start by saying plainly: Harvey Weinstein is a serial rapist and abuser and he should rot […]
Review: Like the Restaurant Culture it Aims to Skewer, The Menu Is More Style than Substance
I haven’t been lucky enough to manage a seat at Alinea, Chicago’s only three-star Michelin restaurant, but friends who’ve been still talk about the experience years later. They remember the […]
Review: Conversations Become Compelling in iPhone-made There There
Writer/director Andrew Bujalski seems to go out of his way not to repeat himself, both in terms of subject matter and the way in which he shoots his unique movies […]
Review: An Oversimplified View of an Iconic Carmaker’s Life and Work in Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend
For those who didn’t get their fill of Americans doing Italian accents watching House of Gucci, allow me to present Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend, a relatively short film […]
Review: Le Comte Ory Is a Beautifully Staged and Magnificently Sung Romp by Lyric Opera
Rossini’s Le Comte Ory is my second French-language opera within a week. Verdi’s Don Carlos is also at the Lyric. Le Comte Ory is considerably more lighthearted and is in […]
Review: Russell Crowe Directs His Way Into a Bit of a Bad Hand in Poker Face
As much as I’m a fan of films that mix tones and genres to create something new, I confess that the biggest issue I have with the Russell Crowe-directed Australian […]