Review: The Collective Makes a Great Case for a Bad Action Movie
As you may have gleaned from my star rating, The Collective is not a good film. But that doesn’t stop it from being fascinating in the ways it is bad. […]
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.
Review: Dreamin’ Wild Brings Music, and Dreams, of Days Gone By Back to the Surface
For reasons I’m very aware of, this one caught me off guard in the best possible way. When I was a much younger man (late teens-early 20s), I was in […]
Review: In Mutant Mayhem, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Get a New, Youthful Energy and Impressive Voice Cast
For years, I wasn’t even sure where the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles originated. I was aware of action figures, an animated series, and a few movies over the years, but […]
Interview: Filmmakers (and Twin Brothers) Danny and Michael Philippou Talk Horror Mythology and Messages, and What Film to Make Next
The Australian-born, twin-brother filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou have spent the better part of the last decade making memorable and successful horror short films for YouTube under the collective banner […]
Review: Actor Ron Perlman Takes Center Stage in The Baker, an Action Thriller That Leans on Its Cast
Ron Perlman is a national treasure, and few people know that better than filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, who has placed Perlman in nearly all of his films, including the Hellboy […]
Review: A Podcast Host Solves Mysteries and Gets More Than She Bargained For in Susie Searches
Actor-turned-first-time-filmmaker Sophie Kargman’s Susie Searches had its premiere almost a year ago at the Toronto Film Festival, and it seemed to disappear until recently. The title comes from the name […]
Review: The Beanie Bubble Charts a Toy Phenomenon and Its Founders’ Epic Rise and Fall
You can add Beanie Babies to the growing list of cultural phenomena of a particular era that are getting a film origin story. Or, in the case of The Beanie […]
Review: Another Month, Another Nicolas Cage Movie That Sees the Actor Lean Into the Unhinged
Well, a month has gone by, so it’s time for a new Nicolas Cage movie. Sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re bad, sometimes they’re crazy. But usually they’re bad. The latest, […]
Review: Disney’s Haunted Mansion Gives the Beloved Theme Park Ride a Welcome New Narrative
When I was a kid, one of the first pieces of vinyl I ever owned was an audio version of Disney’s The Haunted Mansion, containing all the music, voices and […]
Review: Ellie Kemper and Cast Don’t Get Much to Work With in Mediocre Rom-Com Happiness for Beginners
Much like with her debut film, The Volunteer, writer/director Vicky Wright chooses to place a woman in an apathetic fog at the center of her sophomore effort, Happiness for Beginners […]
Review: They Cloned Tyrone Pops Visually, and as a Sharp Parody of Conspiracy Movies
There’s just enough crazy going on in this directing debut from Juel Taylor (writer of Creed II, Shooting Stars, and of course, Space Jam: A New Legacy) to make it […]
Review: Family Secrets and Childhood Anxiety Don’t Add Much to Second-Rate Horror Film Cobweb
Adding to the long list of family dramas couched in the framework of a horror movie, Cobweb (the feature filmmaking debut of Samuel Bodin) tells the story of 8-year-old Peter […]