Review: A Slightly Dark Mystery Gets Weird in The Death of Dick Long
Well that was unexpected. Written by Billy Chew and directed by Daniel Scheinert (one half of the Swiss Army Man directing team “Daniels”), The Death of Dick Long is a […]
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: Britt-Marie Was Here is a Sweet Swedish Story of Starting Over
Three years ago, a wonderful little Swedish film called A Man Called Ove was released in the U.S., and as far as art-house films go, it found a sizable audience […]
Review: Photographer Jay Maisel Ruminates on Art, Collections and Life in Jay Myself
For some reason, when I finally figured out that the title of this documentary on influential photographer Jay Maisel was based on a mishearing of his name, that amused me […]
Review: Brad Pitt at His Best in a Visually Stunning Ad Astra
It’s a helluva year to be Brad Pitt. He’ll go a couple years sometimes without making a movie, and then spring to life as he has this year with the […]
Review: Familiar Faces—and That Familiar Charm—Return in Downton Abbey
Editor’s Note: minor spoilers for the “Downton Abbey” television series follow, in order to relate the new film to the narrative’s larger arc. As difficult as it is to imagine […]
Review: Writer and Pundit Molly Ivins Gets the Last Word in Raise Hell
From first-time feature director Janice Engel, Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins is that rare documentary that might have more of an impact on someone unfamiliar with […]
Review: Film Adaptation of The Goldfinch Loses Far Too Much in Translation
Oh, this one is shit. I don’t care how many Pulitzer Prizes the book (from author Donna Tartt) may have won or how critically acclaimed it is. This movie adaptation […]
Review: The Life and Music of Linda Ronstadt in Sound of My Voice
It was only four or five years ago that I rediscovered my childhood love of the music of Linda Ronstadt, fueled by the purchase of a couple CD volumes of […]
Review: Hustlers Makes Sexy, Smart Work of Scamming and Survival
In more films than I care to count, the role of stripper or exotic dancer is often relegated to the background of a scene that otherwise centers on men being […]
Review: Morgan Spurlock Returns to Make You Rethink Fast Food in Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!
Some may say Michael Moore holds the title of the documentarian whose films most successfully blend politics and activism with humor and sheer entertainment value. But my vote for the […]
Review: An Impressive Cast Carries the Truth and Drama of Official Secrets
Often times when a dramatic film attempts to retell a true-life story, it takes certain liberties with facts or characters to make the work seem more cinematic in the end. […]
Review: The Story Continues As the Scares Fade in It Chapter Two
In many ways, it’s remarkable that you can make what is effectively a single story, told in two parts, with the same creative team throughout, and still come up with […]