Film Review: Novitiate is Coming of Age, Convent-Style
Set in the wake of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council (more commonly referred to as Vatican II), the debut feature from writer-director Maggie Betts, Novitiate is a powerful look at the […]
Steve Prokopy is chief film critic for the Chicago-based arts outlet Third Coast Review. For nearly 20 years, he was the Chicago editor for Ain’t It Cool News, where he contributed film reviews and filmmaker/actor interviews under the name “Capone.” Currently, he’s a frequent contributor at /Film (SlashFilm.com) and Backstory Magazine. He is also the public relations director for Chicago's independently owned Music Box Theatre, and holds the position of Vice President for the Chicago Film Critics Association. In addition, he is a programmer for the Chicago Critics Film Festival, which has been one of the city's most anticipated festivals since 2013.
Film Review: Thor: Ragnarok Is a Fun, Funny Step in the Right Direction for Marvel
The word I keep coming back to is “loose.” The third Thor movie, Thor: Ragnarok (the first from director Taika Waititi, whose previous outings were the glorious What We Do […]
Cinepocalypse: Everything to See at Chicago’s New Genre Film Festival
We cover the highlights of Cinepocalypse, Chicago’s newest film festival, here. In this post, a rundown of all the feature films. Note that dates and times are for first screenings only; […]
Chicago Gets a Genre Film Festival in Cinepocalypse: Our Preview
Chicago film lovers have had their pick of horror conventions, comic cons, and niche film festivals (by nationality, shared movie theme, etc.) over the years, but from November 2-9, the […]
Film Review: Todd Haynes Aims for Younger Audiences in Magical Wonderstruck
Director Todd Haynes simply refuses to stop impressing me. After creating the chilly love story of Carol two years ago, he follows that up with the PG-rated, puzzle-box fable Wonderstruck, […]
This Halloween, Treat Yourself to the Tricks in 1932’s The Old Dark House
If the words “Have a potato” send a chill down your spine, then you’ve likely seen the classic 1932 haunted castle treat The Old Dark House, directed by James Whale. […]
Film Review: Revolutions of the Night: The Enigma of Henry Darger
In director Jessica Yu’s wonderfully in-depth 2004 documentary In the Realms of the Unreal, the life and uncovered writings and art works of hermit-like artist Henry Darger were put on display […]
Film Review: Jane Proves a Stirring, Impressive Portrait of a Dedicated Scientist
For most of the 2000s, documentary filmmaker Brett Morgan has found new and unique ways to tell stories that easily could have been just another biography, simply piecing together of […]
Film Review: Daring Filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos Again Captivates with The Killing of a Sacred Deer
One thing very few people would ever accuse the works of Greek-born filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth, The Lobster) of being is accessible. Not that his films are difficult to understand […]
Film Review: Social Commentary Is Lost in Subpar Suburbicon
Somewhere in Suburbicon is an interesting commentary on planned communities, race relations, and the quiet corruption of middle-class morals circa the late 1950s. And perhaps in the original screenplay that […]
Film Review: Thank You For Your Service Takes the VA to Task in Moving Vet Story
Editor’s Note: In addition to Steve’s film review, check out his interview with star Miles Teller, filmmaker Jason Hall and film subject Adam Schumann here. Although the film is sometimes […]
Interview: Simon Curtis Brings A.A. Milne, Childhood and Class to the Big Screen in Goodbye Christopher Robin
The films of director Simon Curtis often skirt the line between reality and the myth of a famous person’s life. Rather than attempt to tell the story of Marilyn Monroe, […]