Parquet Courts Fills Up the Empty Bottle
On Wednesday night, I ran from one lit-up Old Style marquee to the next: the Ez Inn afforded me a nice booth and beer before a night of standing and […]
The Minutes at Steppenwolf Is a Satire of Small Town Politics—and a Modern Morality Play
Steppenwolf Theatre’s world premiere of The Minutes by Tracy Letts takes place during a small town city council meeting. It’s a satire of small-town politics, individual grievances and so much […]
Interview: Daveed Diggs on Wonder and Lining Up One Cool Project After Another
When people refer to particular actors as “a star of stage and screen,” they are usually referring to performers who have decades of experience moving back and forth between theater […]
Pomegranates Pack a Punch This Holiday Season
Fall – the season of thanks, transition, and my favorite – pomegranates. Almost nothing gets me more into the spirit of the season than a huge display of pomegranates. If […]
Hellcab: A Chicago Holiday Story But Not Your Mother’s Christmas Carol
The set is an old taxi. That’s all. An old Checker taxi, number 4538, with an Illinois license plate. The top is removed and its back wheels are on blocks. […]
Review: White Reaper Highlights Chicago’s Young Music Scene at Metro
Whether they knew it or not, all that made it out to Metro on this past Tuesday were in for a treat. Presented by 101WKQX, the historic North-side space presented […]
Game Review: LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 Is Another Kid-Friendly Brick Battler
LEGO games have been a staple of kid-friendly co-op for close to a decade now and it’s no surprise when a major franchise gets the LEGO video game treatment. Warner […]
Poliça and OHMME’s Chill Vibes Dominated House of Vans
[soliloquy id=”20898″] Part record fair and part concert, Day 5 of Red Bull’s 30 Days in Chicago felt like a completely different type of show. The whole event felt more […]
Film Review: BPM (Beats Per Minute) Channels the Urgency of AIDS Activism
The Grand Prix Winner of this year’s Cannes Film Festival is the aggressive and inspiring docudrama BPM (Beats Per Minute), from director and co-writer Robin Campillo (Eastern Boys, They Came […]
Film Review: Bitch is a Sharp, Modern Feminist Satire
I’ll admit, stepping into a film titled Bitch—even one directed by a woman—was an experience I entered into with more than a little trepidation at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. […]
Film Review: Dee Rees Confronts Class, Race, Poverty in Astonishing Mudbound
It’s a real shame that people won’t get a real chance to see festival-favorite Mudbound on the big screen in most places in America. It’s a deeply impactful work about […]
Chicago Bites: Traveler’s Delights
It’s too cold. All you want to do is eat everything and sleep. And maybe go see Lady Bird. But Thanksgiving beckons, and you have to put actual pants on […]