Review: Dark, Rough, Brutal, and Real: Bessie Smith by Jackie Kay
Bessie Smith: A Poet’s Biography of a Blues Legend By Jackie Kay Vintage Books Bessie Smith, Empress of the Blues, liked to spend money on herself and on her friends, […]
Review: UnMetal Pays Homage to the Classics, and Is the Funniest Game I’ve Played All Year
I don’t really play many games that are pure satire or parody anymore, and that’s a shame. I’m sure they still exist, but they’re smaller project that don’t come to […]
Review: Hot Wheels Unleashed Mixes Collecting, Racing, and Track Building
As a little kid who grew up playing with Hot Wheels cars, there’s no doubt to me that Hot Wheels Unleashed is little kids’ dream manifest. After all, what collector […]
Review: In Sound Mind Gets Mired in Genre Tropes
Fall is here, and the weather is finally (sort of) cooling down. That means lots of pumpkin spice, and scary movies and video games. There’s no shortage of horror-themed video […]
Review: Beautifully Hand Drawn Astria Ascending Sets Itself Apart
I haven’t played many Japanese style role-playing games lately (JRPGs), but it’s a genre I dabbled in extensively when I was much younger. That’s not to say I haven’t played […]
Review: Ben Whishaw Makes a Brutal, Intense Surge a Thrilling, Captivating Whirlwind
British actor Ben Whishaw has amassed an impressive filmography over his 20 years or so as a regularly working actor. From independent period dramas like Jane Campion’s sultry, romantic Bright […]
Interview: Director Michael Showalter on His Background in Comedy, Watching Jessica Chastain Work, and Creating the Colorful World of The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Without making much of a fuss about it, Michael Showalter has transitioned from being one of the most successful comedic talents (as a writer, director and performer during his time […]
Feature: We Visit the Artist at Work, Retyping a Chicago Literary Masterpiece
I could hear the clickety-clack of his typewriter a block away. It was quiet around the Union Stock Yards Gate with only an occasional car or truck passing. And as […]
Review: Song of Farca Is a Cyber Thriller We Couldn’t Put Down
When I was a kid, I was a bookworm. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on, and sometimes, if a book was particularly interesting, I’d ferret […]
Review: Multiplayer Friendship Tester Struggling Flops Onto Consoles
When Struggling released last year I never got around to playing it—but I really wanted to. I’m glad, then, that it has recently made its way to consoles and I’ve […]
Interview: The Eyes of Tammy Faye Co-Star Vincent D’Onofrio on the Importance of a Good Script, Working with an Actor’s Director and Reprising His Marvel Role
I remember first interviewing Vincent D’Onofrio almost 10 years ago to the day from when we spoke via Zoom recently. He was here in Chicago promoting his directorial debut, a […]
Interview: Actor Cherry Jones on First Meeting Jessica Chastain, Playing People of Faith and Getting the Tone Right in The Eyes of Tammy Faye
I don’t think I’m overstating the facts to say that Cherry Jones can do it all, as far as acting goes. The five-time Tony nominee (winning twice—the first time in […]