Ric Wilson Turns Up “Trunk Music” for All to Hear
Last year, Ric Wilson took the stage at Pitchfork Music Festival and wowed the early Saturday crowd with an incredibly fun performance that I still think about. Whether he was […]
Feature: Chris Porterfield Is Surviving, and That’s Enough
Chris Porterfield sings with a kind of howl. On his songs, recorded with the folk-rock band Field Report, his words come out with a ferociousness that charges the poetry with […]
Interview: Poor Calvin, Back in Action, “Get” Ready for a New Year
Well, they’re back! November marked the one-year anniversary of Optimism Inc. by the soulful, modern indie rock band, Poor Calvin. Last Friday marked their newest single, “Get,” on all platforms […]
Review: Robert O’Hara’s Barbecue, Newly Cooked Up for Our Virtual World
Robert O’Hara’s funny, snarky familyish drama Barbecue was staged by Strawdog Theatre in 2017 in Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre. It’s set in a public park where four siblings, led by one […]
The Complete (Chicago) Beer Course: Dortmunder Export
When COVID-19 closed taprooms and cancelled festivals, I looked for ways to still engage with Chicago’s craft beer scene. I therefore decided to finally work my way through The Complete Beer […]
Review: Ambitious, Bold and Unapologetically Female-Forward, I’m Your Woman Impresses as a New Twist on the Gangster Film
Had it been written by a man, I’m Your Woman would be a very different story indeed. Which might be stating the obvious, but hear me out. In that version of […]
Review: Deepa Mehta Brings Her Eye for Lush Production and Political Statements to Funny Boy
Deepa Mehta’s filmmaking career spans decades, though she’s perhaps best known for her “Elements” Trilogy; Fire (1996), Earth (1998) and Water (2005) confront nearly every controversial or taboo subject in Indian culture, from homosexuality […]
Review: In a Well-Worn Genre, Breaking Surface Stands Out for Originality, Intensity
Even if its overarching themes aren’t entirely unique, Breaking Surface, a chilling (and chilly) thriller about two sisters and their deep-water diving excursion gone very wrong, certainly gets points for […]
Review: Harrowing Finding Yingying Is a True-Crime Documentary that Elevates Humanity in its Grief
While 2020 has been rife with crappiness, Chicago-based Kartemquin Films is having a bit of a year (co-founder Gordon Quinn’s battle with COVID-19 early in the pandemic notwithstanding). In October, […]
Review: Heartfelt Farewell Amor Is an Authentic Story of Family, Connection and Rebuilding
In the first feature from writer/director Ekwa Msangi, a family must find their way home. In the case of New York City taxi driver Walter (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine), his […]
Review: Diego Luna and Sienna Miller Bring Strong Performances to a Stylish if Anticlimactic Wander Darkly
The latest work from writer/director Tara Miele (Staring in Suburbia, The Lake Effect) is a classic case of style over substance starring two great actors doing their best to draw […]
Review: Songbird Imagines the Next COVID Pandemic in Dull, Tasteless Terms
When the trailer for the Michael Bay-produced Songbird dropped, there was a loud chorus of “No” heard round the world. Set just a few years in the future and in […]