Bugsnax was an obvious standout during the PlayStation 5 reveal event. I don’t think I’ve ever been so simultaneously horrified and intrigued about a video game. I don’t know if it was […]
Review:Bugsnax Is a Heartfelt, Fun, and Tasty Treat
Review: Terrifying, Disturbing The Dark and the Wicked Is a Sharp, Impressive Distillation of the Genre
It’s a curious decision to release the scariest movie of the year a week after Halloween, but here we are. Writer/director Bryan Bertino’s The Dark and the Wicked is the kind of […]
Review: Predictable Kindred Works Better as Family Drama than Genuine Thriller
Feel free to add director Joe Marcantonio’s debut feature Kindred to the list of recent genre works that are actually family dramas couched in the effective framework of horror and/or thriller. Kindred […]
Interview: Organizing the Organization: How Chicago Inspired SomaSim to Create City of Gangsters
1920s Chicago is an era that invokes a lot of immediate images and has inspired even more movies, books and games. It’s got so much imagery attached to it, too–the suits, the […]
Triple Fast Action Reissues One of the Best ’90s Albums You May Have Never Heard
On the occasion of its 20th anniversary a few years ago, I did a long piece on Triple Fast Action’s sophomore album Cattlemen Don’t, making the argument it is a largely undiscovered […]
Dialogs: 2020 CHF Event—Chicago Neighborhood Check-in: Arts and Neighborhood Development
Reported by C.E. Archer-Helke In a Chicago Neighborhood Check-In as lively and vibrant as any in-person panel, Bernard Lloyd of Urban Juncture and Build Bronzeville; Billy Ocasio, “reformed” politician and current executive […]
It’s the Penultimate Bandcamp Friday of the Year, Let’s Support Some Local Acts
We’re nearing the end of the year and Bandcamp Friday is coming to a close. This new tradition of Bandcamp waiving their fees on the very first Friday of the month has […]
Review: Proxima Explores the Ordinary Life and Emotional Ties of an Ambitious Astronaut
I’ve spoken before about those rare instances when you begin watching a movie and realize almost immediately that you know nothing about what you’re about to watch. You certainly haven’t seen a […]
Review: Sophia Loren Still Delivers in Netflix’s Touching Drama The Life Ahead
Netflix is aiming for all the Oscars next year (assuming the Academy Awards even happen). Most of their heavy-hitting titles are getting one- or two-week runs in theaters before landing on the […]
Review: Strobophagia Lacks Substance
I love trippy, experimental games. Strangeness doesn’t deter me from enjoying a good game, and is even a refreshing change of pace from the mainstream. Video game art exhibits and itch.io have […]
Review: Family Drama Let Him Go Sees Kevin Costner and Diane Lane on a Mission to Reclaim their Grandson
Taking a B-movie plot and fusing it with A-level heart and performances, the suspense drama Let Him Go is exactly the type of film we need right now, with its story of […]
Review: Documentarian Frederick Wiseman Returns with Masterful City Hall, an Immersive Exploration of Municipal Machinations
For as long as I’ve been doing this movie review thing (more than 20 years), I’ve been reviewing a new documentary by Frederick Wiseman (National Gallery; Ex Libris: New York Public Library) […]
