Recap: The Idol (S1, Ep2) — Series’ Second Episode Remains a Stale, Uncomfortable Mess
After last week’s episode of The Idol, I had no idea what to expect when I turned on the second one. I didn’t expect it to get better, but some […]
Review: Joy Ride Sees Four Friends on a Journey with Plenty of Laughs, Heart and Sex
So apparently the morality police have fully returned to power, and the ’80s have officially returned in every corner of the entertainment world. On the rare occasion that an R-rated […]
Review: New Documentary Charts Surprisingly Short Lifespan of ’80s Pop Duo Wham!
Although there’s a great deal about the short lifespan on the pop duo Wham! in the recent George Michael documentary Freedom Uncut, I admittedly know very little about the 1980s […]
Feature: CHF’s Ruth E. Carter Interview Celebrates Black History Via Costumes
Costume designer Ruth E. Carter spoke at the Music Box Theatre in June during the Chicago Humanities Festival about her rich film career and her historic Academy Award wins for […]
Review: Brian Cox and Kate Beckinsale Excel as an Estranged Father and Daughter in Serviceable Prisoner’s Daughter
You could have knocked me over with a sparkly vampire when the end credits of the new film Prisoner’s Daughter revealed that the director was Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen, Twilight), a […]
Review: Confidential Informant Is a Perfect Mess of a Film Perfect for Mel Gibson’s Biggest Fans
I dare you to watch Confidential Informant, the latest from South African filmmaker Michael Oblowitz (Frank and Ava), and not wonder what the hell is going on. And I don’t […]
Review: Sensitive, Inspiring and Essential, Every Body Amplifies Intersex Voices, Activism
With world-class documentary filmmaker Julie Cohen (RBG, Julia, I Am Pauli Murray, Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down), Every Body is an absolutely essential and sensitive investigation into the lives of […]
Review: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Brings Back the Fedora, the Whip and (Most of) the Adventure of Cinema’s Favorite Archeologist
In case you hadn’t been keeping score, this fifth installment in the Indiana Jones franchise is the first to be made since Lucasfilm was purchased by Disney in 2012. While […]
Review: Director’s Cut of God Is a Bullet Takes No Prisoners with Violence, Action or Drama in Cult-Centric Story
Just a few housekeeping notes before I dive into this review: for reasons I’m not quite clear on, the version I viewed of writer/director Nick Cassavetes’ latest work, God Is […]
Review: Jennifer Lawrence Cuts Loose in Sex-Positive Comedy No Hard Feelings
Alright yes, the new comedy No Hard Feelings, from Gene Stupnitsky, the director and co-writer of the equally raunchy Good Boys, is about a 30-something-year-old woman who agrees to “date” […]
Review: Wes Anderson Returns to Wonderful Form in Star-Studded, Highly Stylized Asteroid City
Having recently revisited five other key works by writer/director Wes Anderson and having a clear memory of how I feel about the others I haven’t watched recently, it’s fair to […]
Interview: Actor Wendi McLendon-Covey on Voicing a Cloud in Elemental, What She Won’t Miss About The Goldbergs, and the Fun of Barb & Star Go to Vista del Mar
Long before Wendi McLendon-Covey was given the choice supporting role in 2011’s Bridesmaids, she was best known for playing Deputy Clementine Johnson on Reno 911!, after nearly 10 years as […]