Review: Black Planet, Black World, Cold Cave Descends Upon Chicago
On a cold Wednesday night in Chicago darkness crept into the Metro. In one of the city’s most storied venues one of the most prolific songwriters of our time, Wes […]
Review: Timely Immigration Drama Saint Judy is Worth Seeking Out
This timely and unexpectedly good-hearted biopic tells the story of Judy Wood (the always reliable Michelle Monaghan), an attorney who moved to California with her young son Alex (Gabriel Bateman), […]
Review: A Provocative, Prolific Photographer’s Life Is Focus of Mapplethorpe
Documentary filmmaker Ondi Timoner has long been one of my favorite observers of life, in that she doesn’t just point a camera at her subjects—like comedian/activist Russell Brand (Brand: A […]
Review: As Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Directorial Debut, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind is an Inspiration
In a time when science is considered opinion and a token in political games, it’s heartwarming to get a film that celebrates ingenuity inspired by a love of science and […]
Review: Restored Footage and Intimacy Bring Apollo 11 Mission To Life
One of the unquestionable documentary highlights of this year’s Sundance Film Festival was director Todd Douglas Miller’s (Dinosaur 13) latest, Apollo 11, a narration-free account of the NASA mission that […]
Review: Metro Exodus is Inches from Being a Masterpiece
I’ve always had a soft spot for post-apocalyptic games, no matter what form they take. There’s just something about Earth after civilization that makes a really interesting video game setting […]
Review: Toejam and Earl: Back in the Groove is Funkin’ Great
Toejam and Earl are video game icons. Everyone I know that played games in the 90’s knows who they are, even if they never played one of their titles. After […]
Preview: Love in October Play a Rare Show at Chop Shop Tonight!
Love In October continues the trend of Sweden kicking out sparkling and infectious music. The two brothers at the core of the group, Erik and Kent Widman, relocated to the […]
Review: Drury Lane’s Mamma Mia Knocks It Out of the Park
What can I say about Mamma Mia that hasn’t already been said? It’s an international phenomenon, with a Broadway run that spanned 14 years, has been adapted into two movies, with all […]
The Whole World a Bauhaus Celebrates 100th Anniversary of Iconic German and Chicago Design School
Furniture. Textiles. Toys. Home goods. Buildings. Photography. Theater design. Typography and graphic design. It’s hard to exaggerate how much the visual design that surrounds us is influenced by the work of […]
Review: The Kooks bring Britpop to The Riv
I remember listening to The Kooks in high school. I was going through a big Brit indie rock phase, and I discovered their music on a free CD that came […]
Tuesday’s Election Results Highlight Big Push for More Progressive Chicago
Chicago voters made history Tuesday evening, electing two African American women as their top choices for mayor. Former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle were […]