Review: Shadow Warrior 3 Is a Competent Shooter that Struggles With Its Series’ Past Identity
There was a retro style shooter revival in in the ‘10s, and it started before Doom 2016 with games like Shadow Warrior 2013. I was never a huge fan […]
Review: Quatuor Diotima Performs Bartok and Beethoven With Passion, Intensity
The French string quartet Quatuor Diotima offered a vivacious performance on Friday night at Mandel Hall in Hyde Park. An ensemble-in-residence at University of Chicago, this was Diotima’s Chicago premier; […]
Review: At Last, Akram Khan’s Apocalyptic Creature Comes to the Harris Theater
Creature, the English National Ballet’s new work by the brilliant choreographer Akram Khan, finally made it to the stage and audiences this week after being waylaid by the pandemic twice. […]
Review: Come from Away Takes a Heartwarming Look at the Helpers
When asked how to talk about scary news with small children, Fred Rogers famously repeated his mother’s advice: “look for the helpers.” Come from Away, the Tony-nominated musical that opened […]
Review: With Laborious Music and Stodgy, Static Filmmaking, Cyrano Is Another Joe Wright Disappointment
I’ve been here before. Where exactly? Oh, just the land of disappointment. Have you met our mayor, Joe Wright? On the heels of triumphant accomplishments like Atonement, Pride & Prejudice […]
Review: Big Gold Brick Marks a Bizarre Filmmaking Debut, from its Questionable Plot to Odd Casting
The feature debut from writer/director Brian Petsos is not a good movie; let’s just get that out in the open right away. But there are enough bizarre and questionable choices […]
Review: A Stacked Cast Elevates Family Squares Above Its Zoom-Filmed Family Meetings
Another example of pure pandemic cinema is this week’s release of Family Squares, a lightweight but often quite funny work from director and co-writer (with Brad Morris) Stephanie Laing (Irreplaceable […]
Review: Creation Stories Tells the Riotous, Indulgent Life Story of Scottish Music Industry Man Alan McGee
As only Danny Boyle (credited here as an executive producer) and Irvine Welsh (who co-wrote the screenplay with Dean Cavanagh) can, Creation Stories tells the riotous, overly indulgent life story […]
GALLERY: Chicago Botanic Garden’s 2022 Orchid Show, Untamed Brings a Burst of Beautiful Color to Your February
[smartslider3 slider=”25″] The sun might be shining and the weather getting warmer (some days, right after a bunch of snow) but it’s still solidly winter in Chicago. Whether you’re […]
Review: Escape Simulator Is a Fantastic Puzzle Game Bolstered by an Active Community
There have been escape room style puzzle games around for a while now—hell, I’d even argue games like Myst have escape room type elements. But what these style of games […]
This War of Mine, Which Portrays the Civilian Cost of War, Will Donate all Proceeds from Sales to the Ukrainian Red Cross
If you, like the rest of the world, are watching in horror as Russia invades sovereign Ukraine then you must also know that Ukrainian civilians are going to be hurting […]
Review: The Foo Fighters Get Possessed in a Mostly Fun, Mostly Forgettable Studio 666
The tradition of having musicians star in movies is a long and dubious one. I’m not talking about the practice of putting song and dance performers in leading roles; no, […]