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CHICAGO – The Audience is the determiner for the Award Winners of the 11th Chicago Film Critics Film Festival, which took play from May 3rd-9th, 2024. The recipients for the 2024 Rotten Tomatoes Audience Award Winners are for Narrative Feature “Ghostlight,’ directed by Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan, Documentary Feature “Flipside” by Christopher Wilcha and the Short Films “Bob’s Funeral” by Jack Dunphy and “Welcome to the Enclave” by Sarah Lasley.

The 11th CCFF
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com

The 11th Chicago Critics Film Festival is the the only such festival in the country curated by film critics, and highlights the 2024 films from the early year festivals like Sundance, SXSW and more. Below is the FIVE BEST FILMS from HollywoodChicago.com Editor and Film Critic/Writer Patrick McDonald.

FIVE BEST FILMS of 2024 CCFF, Audio Overview by Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com

The Chicago Critics Film Festival Audience Awards are sponsored by Rotten Tomatoes and presented by the Chicago Film Critics Association. See you in 2025 for the 12th CCFF!

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for the “Evil Does Not Exist,” the latest film from Japanese writer/director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, whose “Drive My Car” won Best International Film at the 2022 Oscars. In select theaters since May 10, 2024. See local listings.

The film involves a Japanese village within driving distance of Tokyo, pristine in its state of nature and populated by indigenous villagers for several generations. A developer from Tokyo intends to build a “glamping” site … short for luxurious “glamour camping” … to exploit the area’s nature for vacationers. When a meeting is held with the villagers regarding the build-out, there is a questioning to representatives Takahashi (Ryuji Osaka) and Mayuzumi (Ayaka Shibutani) regarding legitimate environmental concerns, especially from Takumi (Hitoshi Omika) the village leader and widower father of daughter Hana (Ryo Nishikawa). When the Tokyo developers ignore the rep’s report, and demand that they alter the villager’s attitudes, at the same time Takumi’s daughter goes missing, and the village pitches in to find her.

“Evil Does Not Exist” is in select theaters since May 10th, including Chicago’s (click) Landmark Century Centre Cinema. Featuring Aryuji Osaka, Ayaka Shibutani, Hitoshi Omika and Ryo Nishikawa. Written and directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. Not Rated.

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s audio review of “Evil Does Not Exist.”

Evil Does Not Exist
Photo credit: Sideshow

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s audio review of “Evil Does Not Exist.”

CHICAGO – One of Chicago’s icon theater actors … Michael Shannon … is performing again in town, in the company that he co-founded. Red Orchid Theatre presents Michael Shannon and Travis A. Knight in the World Premiere of “Turret” by Levi Holloway, now at the Chopin Theatre through June 9, 2024. For tickets and info, click TURRET.

Two men (Shannon and Knight) survive in a facility deep underground somewhere in the wild woods of the Pacific Northwest, hiding away from something terrible from the outside. Ensnared in a relentless loop of endless tomorrows, they discover the wolf isn’t at the door, it’s already inside, waiting in the creeping darkness all around them. “Turret” is an excavation of masculinity, love, loss and isolation, and a claustrophobic carnival of carnage, carrier pigeons, cribbage, whiskey, music, mischief and mayhem.

Red Orchid’s ’Turret’ at the Chopin Theatre through June 9th
Photo credit: RedOrchidTheatre.org

Michael Shannon was born in Kentucky, and moved to the Chicago area when his father became a professor at DePaul University. Bitten with the performance bug at an early age he made his mark on the professional and storefront stages of Chicago. He made his film debut with a small role in “Groundhog Day,” and moved up the film role spectrum with parts in “Jesus’ Son,” “Cecil B. Demented,” “Pearl Harbor” and “8 Mile.” His exquisite performing style made memorable characters out of everyman personas.

In 2008 his stage work (which he has never stopped doing) continued, as he worked with the late Philip Seymour Hoffman on “The Little Flower of East Orange” at the Public Theater in New York City. That same year he appeared in the film “Revolutionary Road,” for which he was nominated for an Oscar. His roles thereafter ranged memorably between TV (HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire,” “George & Tammy”), stage (“Long Day’s Journey into Night” and “Waiting for Godot” on Broadway) and film (“Take Shelter,” “Man of Steel,” “99 Homes,” “The Shape of Water” “Elvis and Nixon,” “Knives Out” and the upcoming “Bikeriders”).

Co-lead actor Travis A. Knight also serves as the Associate Artistic Director of the Red Orchid Theatre, where he has appeared in “The Malignant Ampersands,” “Grey House” and “Small Mouth Sounds.” His Chicago credits include “The Crucible” (Steppenwolf), “Ah Wilderness,” “A Christmas Carol,” “Measure for Measure,” “Camino Real” (Goodman) and “Camelot” (Drury Lane). His TV credits include the “Chicago” series (Fire, P.D. and Med), films include the made-in-Chicago “Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party” and the short film “Runner.”

In a Podtalk interview by Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, Michael Shannon reflects on his craft and “Turret” …

In a Podtalk interview by Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, Travis A. Knight talks about his acting roles and as Red Orchid’s Associate Artistic Director …

Red Orchid Theatre presents “Turret” through June 9th at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 West Division Street, Chicago. Featuring Michael Shannon, Travis A. Knight and Lawrence Grimm. Written and directed by Levi Holloway. For more information on Red Orchid, click here.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on May 9th, reviewing “The Last Stop in Yuma County,” a throwback noir and the director debut of Francis Galluppi. In select theaters and available for digital download on May 10th.

“Last Stop …” begins with a knife salesman (Jim Cummings) stuck at a last-chance-for-a-hundred-miles gas station/diner with an empty tank, and has to cool his heels at the diner to wait for a delayed fuel truck. A second pair of men walks in (Richard Brake and Nicolas Logan) for the same reason, after having robbed a ban. They assert themselves by taking the salesman and diner owner Charlotte (Jocelin Donahue) hostage, when they become aware that Charlotte is married to the local sheriff. As more folks filter in for the same empty tank reason – and Charlotte and the knife salesman have to keep quiet – the situation is about to get very tense.

“The Last Stop in Yuma County” is in select theaters (see local listings) and available for digital download on May 10th. Featuring Jim Cummings, Jocelin Donahue, Richard Brake, Nicholas Logan and Falzon Love. Written and directed by Francis Galluppi. Rated “R”

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s on-air review of “The Last Stop in Yuma County”

The Last Stop in Yuma County
Photo credit: Well Go USA Entertainment

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s on-air review of “The Last Stop in Yuma County”

CHICAGO – Get out your flapper dresses and raccoon coats as FACETS Chicago goes back to the early talkies and so-called “pre-code” films, paired with a cocktail bar at their new “Speakeasy Cinema,” programmed by Raul Benitez. The first film is “The Doorway to Hell” (1930) on Saturday May 11th, starting at 6:30p. For ticket info and more details, click SPEAKEASY.

FACETS invites film lovers to leave their troubles at the door, grab a prohibition-era cocktail, listen to some jazz, and make their way through the secret back entrance to an intimate cabaret-style screening room showcasing underrated gems from the Golden Age of Hollywood. From trailblazing pre-code cinema to classic gangster fare, series programmer Raul Benitez has curated a lineup of films to be presented within their historical context, yet appreciated through a modern lens.

Speakeasy Cinema at FACETS Chicago
Photo credit: Facets.org

“The Doorway to Hell” involves Louie Ricarno (Lew Ayres), the leader of a bootlegging gang in Chicago, with his right hand man Steve Mileaway (James Cagney). With ruthless charisma, he brings the other gangs under control. It’s a time of peace in the crime world. Louie now has time to marry his girlfriend Doris (Dorothy Mathews) and tries to retire and go straight. Events conspire to pull him back into the life.

Raul Benitez has been a film programmer in Chicago for over 14 years. He programs at Comfort Station Logan Square, is the Senior Programmer at the Midwest Film Festival, the After Dark and shorts programmer for the Chicago International Film Festival, and the Chicagoland Shorts programmer for Full Spectrum Features.

In a Podtalk interview by Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, programmer Raul Benitez provides background for “Speakeasy Cinema” …

In a Video Clip, Raul gives the pitch …

FACETS Chicago presents Speakeasy Cinema with “The Doorway to Hell,” on May 11th, 2024, at the cinema, 1517 West Fullerton Avenue, Chicago. For more information on FACETS Chicago, click here.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on May 9th, reviewing “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” the fourth installment of the current iteration of the franchise. In theaters on May 10th.

Many generations after the events of the last film, the society left behind means apes now rule, and humans are the sub species. Noa (Owen Teague as a full CGI ape) is part of a tribe who raise birds for hunting and lives in peace. That peace is upended by Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), King of the Coastal Apes, who accumulates power by destroying other tribes and using the human’s old war technology against his species. When Noa’s tribe becomes victims of destruction, the young ape seeks his revenge with the help of a evolved human named Nova (Freya Allan).

”Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is in theaters on May 10th. Featuring Owen Teague, Freya Allen, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon and William Macy. Screenplay by Josh Friedman. Directed by Wes Ball. Rated “PG-13”

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s on-air review of “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Photo credit: 20th Century Studios

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s on-air review of “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”

CHICAGO – The Midwest Film Festival of Chicago is on the road this weekend and heading north to Milwaukee to screen writer/director Brittani Ward’s award-winning “Single Car Crashes” at the historic Oriental Theatre on May 11, 2024 (11am). For details and tickets for this road show event, click MFF ROAD TRIP.

Ten years after a devastating car crash took his best friend Zach’s life, Sean (Trevor Morgan), still lives small town where he grew up, struggling with his survivor’s guilt. When Zach’s sister Kendall (Lindsey Morgan) – who also was Sean’s first love – returns to town to marry someone else, Sean is forced to confront his failure to launch and the impact it’s having not only on his own stunted life, but on his now nine-year-old son.

’Single Car Crashes’ at the Midwest Film Festival in Milwaukee
Photo credit: five two one films

Writer/director Brittani Ward of “Single Car Crashes” has built an impressive career, working on projects of every size. Extensive casting associate work under Emmy-award winners (Barbara Fiorentino, Amber Horn, Danielle Aufiero, Laray Mayfield, and Julie Schubert) includes one season of every Marvel/Netflix series, “50 Shades of Gray Darker” and “Freed,” as well as “Death Note,” two Jason Statham-led features and several television pilots and series.

In 2022, she partnered up with Angie Gaffney to produce not only “Single Car Crashes,” but also “Adult Children” and “Desire Lines” (a documentary/narrative-hybrid feature). “Single Car Crashes” was honored with the New Vision Award at its World Premiere during the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, California.

In a Podtalk interview by Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, writer/director Brittani Ward talks about “Single Car Crashes” …

In a Video Clip, Brittani Ward tells everyone “ROAD TRIP!” …

The Midwest Film Festival has been a staple in Chicago’s film community since 2004. At the beginning of 2020, the festival was reinvented with a a new outlook and name, facilitated by Executive Director Erica Duffy. It remains one of the most influential and provocative film festivals in the city, and now it’s coming to Milwaukee!

Chicago’s Midwest Film Festival presents “Single Car Crashes” on May 11th, 2024, at the Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Featuring Trevor Morgan, Lindsey Morgan, Paulina Olszynski, Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel, Chris Lee, Billy Dec, Charín Alvarez, and Billy Zane. Written and directed by Brittani Ward. For more information on The Midwest Film Festival, click here. Chicago is with you all.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – Closing Night for the 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival (CCFF) is Thursday, May 9th, and the final film centerpiece is “Ghostlight,” directed by Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson. For the full schedule, info and tickets, click CCFF Closing Night. For individual films, click titles below.

GHOSTLIGHT

Writer/Co-Director Kelly O’Sullivan (inset) of ‘Ghostlight’
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com

Dan (Keith Kupferer) is a middle-aged construction worker grieving a family tragedy, and has cut himself off from his devoted wife Sharon (Tara Mallen) and talented but troubled daughter Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer). Through an accidental circumstance, Dan finds comfort and community in a misfit company of amateur actors. While performing for the first in a low-rent production for one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, Dan is forced to confront his buried emotions.

CAPSULE REVIEW: The premise has sitcom-like plot drivers to get the reluctant Dan on stage, but the path to redemption for him is as emotionally freeing as anything you’ll ever see in a film. The creators of the 2019 award-winning “Saint Frances” has produced another exquisite drama of the human condition, filtered through the relevant words of the most masterful of theatrical philosophers, William Shakespeare. Everyone eventually deals in losing a loved one, and this film is comfort for the soul in the crushing feelings of that loss. A must see. (8:30pm, appearances from Kelly O’Sullivan, Alex Thompson and various cast members).

In Podtalk interview by Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, writer/co-director Kelly O’Sullivan provides insight on “Ghostlight” …

POWER

Power
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com

Driven to contain threats to social order, American policing has exploded in scope and scale over hundreds of years. Now, it can be described by one word … power.

CAPSULE REVIEW: This overview of the history and recent issues with law enforcement in this country involves many factors, but ultimately it points towards the implications of the non-accountable, unfettered and legal violence that police use for many reasons, and as a consequence the delicate hold on democracy that we the people have (if it still even exists). More chillingly, what a society leading towards even less accountability and more force will mean to everybody. (4pm).

The 11th Chicago Critics Film Festival is the the only such festival in the country curated by film critics, and highlights the 2024 films from the early year festivals like Sundance, SXSW and more. The other film on Closing Night is ”National Anthem” directed by Luke Gilford.

The 11th Chicago Critics Film Festival Closing Night is May 9th, 2024, at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 North Southport, Chicago. For the CCFF website, click here.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – “Dandelion” was the centerpiece film at the 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival (CCFF) on May 6th, and featured an appearance by the actor portraying the title character, KiKi Layne (“If Beale Street Could Talk”). Ms. Layne walked the Red Carpet at Chicago’s historic Music Box Theatre.

Dandelion (KiKi Layne) is a struggling Cincinnati singer-songwriter in a downward spiral, takes a last-ditch-effort gig at a motorcycle rally in South Dakota where she meets Casey (Thomas Doherty), a guitarist who walked away from his dream long ago. As Dandelion joins Casey’s nomadic group of struggling musicians, the kindred spirits make music together and strike up a whirlwind romance.

KiKi Layne at the 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

KiKi Layne is an ascending actor after making her feature film debut in “If Beale Street Could Talk” in 2018 as Tish Rivers. She also had prominent roles in “Native Son,” “The Old Guard,” “Coming 2 America,” and “Don’t Worry Darling.” She makes her debut as a musician in “Dandelion.”

HollywoodChicago.com photographer Joe Arce got the Exclusive Portrait of KiKi Layne at the Chicago Critic’s Film Festival on May 6th, 2024.

The 11th Chicago Critics Film Festival runs through May 9th, 2024, at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 North Southport, Chicago. For the CCFF website, click here.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – The 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival on Day Six – Wednesday, May 8th – screens a feature film director debut about a hiking trip and the scattered remnants of disconnected people. “Good One” is by India Donaldson, and she will appear on behalf of the film For the full schedule, info and tickets, click CCFF May 8th. For individual films, click titles below.

GOOD ONE

Good One
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com

17-year-old Sam (Lily Collias) embarks on a three-day backpacking trip in the Catskills with her dad, Chris (James Le Gros) and his oldest friend, Matt (Danny McCarthy). As the two men quickly settle into a gently quarrelsome brotherly dynamic, airing long-held grievances, Sam, wise beyond her years, attempts to mediate. But when lines are crossed and Sam’s trust is betrayed, she is confronted with her dad’s emotional limitations and experiences the universal moment when the parental bond is tested.  

CAPSULE REVIEW: The world is a cruel place that is increasingly unsafe, especially for women. This remarkable statement is encapsulated in a soft narrative about a hiking trip, familiar as a plot line in a movie … usually for redemption … but in this case it is about truth. A must-see authenticity, and a remarkable debut (7pm, Appearance from writer/director India Donaldson).

The 11th Chicago Critics Film Festival is the the only such festival in the country curated by film critics, and highlights the 2024 films from the early year festivals like Sundance, SXSW and more. The other two films on May 8th is “Gasoline Rainbow”, directed by Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross, in addition to ”Handling the Undead”, directed by Thea Hvistendahl.

The 11th Chicago Critics Film Festival runs through May 9th, 2024, at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 North Southport, Chicago. For the CCFF website, click here.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – The 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival Day Four – Monday, May 6th – presents a film about music dreams and a documentary on a music store. “Dandelion” is written and directed by Nicole Riegel and “Flipside” by Chris Wilcha are the centerpiece screenings. For the full schedule, info and tickets, click CCFF May 6th. For individual films, click titles below.

DANDELION

Dandelion
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com

Dandelion (KiKi Layne) is a struggling Cincinnati singer-songwriter in a downward spiral, takes a last-ditch-effort gig at a motorcycle rally in South Dakota where she meets Casey (Thomas Doherty), a guitarist who walked away from his dream long ago. As Dandelion joins Casey’s nomadic group of struggling musicians, the kindred spirits make music together and strike up a whirlwind romance.

CAPSULE REVIEW: This is a passionate meditation on young love and the sensitive artist trying to interpret it. The love is as much about the title character’s passion toward music as the misplaced emotions regarding coupling. The story is deliberate and beautifully filmed, and reaches its destinations through that defiant, unquenchable need to create. Dandy. (7pm, Appearances from lead actor KiKi Layne and writer/director Nicole Riegel).

FLIPSIDE

Flipside
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com

When filmmaker Chris Wilcha revisits the record store he worked at as a teenager in New Jersey, he finds the once-thriving bastion of music and weirdness from his youth slowly falling apart and out of touch with the times. “Flipside” documents his tragicomic attempt to revive the store while revisiting other documentary projects he has abandoned over the years. In the process, Wilcha captures a disparate collection of stories that develops into something strange and expansive … a moving meditation on music, work, and the sacrifices and satisfaction of trying to live a creative life.

CAPSULE REVIEW: For all of us who believe we can never get anything done, this documentary is all in. Filled with surprises, random thoughts and unlikely human profiles, this is a documentary within several documentaries, and the inevitability of this life all going away. As a creative, then to capture something, and then give it to the world. Aye, there is the rub. Meet you on the flip side.(9:45pm).

The 11th Chicago Critics Film Festival is the the only such festival in the country curated by film critics, and highlights the 2024 films from the early year festivals like Sundance, SXSW and more. The other film on May 6th is Shorts Program 2. Day Five is Tuesday, May 7th, and features ”What You Wish For”, directed by Nicholas Tomnay, and two anniversary revivals … the 25th Anniversary screening of Martin Scorcese’s ”Bringing out the Dead” and the 20th Anniversary of the anime classic ”Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence”.

The 11th Chicago Critics Film Festival runs from May 3rd through May 9th, 2024, at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 North Southport, Chicago. For the CCFF website, click here.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – The excellent new film “Babes,” which screened at the 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival (CCFF) on May 4th, was the feature film director debut from a familiar name … Pamela Adlon (“Better Things”). Ms. Adlon walked the Red Carpet at Chicago’s historic Music Box Theatre.

Pamela Adlon at the 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

“Babes” is a hilarious riff on women friendships/bonding and an unexpected pregnancy. Eden (Ilana Glazer, also co-writer) and Dawn (Michelle Buteau) are besties, having grown up together in New York City, and are now firmly in different phases of adulthood. When carefree-and-single Eden finds herself pregnant after a one night stand, she decides to have the baby on her own, and her friendship with Dawn will face its greatest challenge. “Babes” is a hilarious and heartfelt comedy about the bonds of friendship and the messy, unpredictable challenges of being adult and becoming a parent.

Pamela Adlon is a mighty force of show biz awesomeness. In her early career, she was in the classic films “Say Anything … “ and “Grease 2.” She made name recognition with her husky-voiced characterization of Bobby Hill on the seminal animated series “King of the Hill,” which led to a varied animation VoiceOver career. She also had major supporting roles in “Californication” and “Louie” (on which she also produced and wrote episodes). But her big TV splash was on FX’s “Better Things,” the five-season series that she co-created, wrote, produced, directed and starred in.

Pamela Adlon Strikes Another Pose
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com photographer Joe Arce got the Exclusive Portraits of Pamela Adlon at the Chicago Critic’s Film Festival on May 4th, 2024. May the forth be with her.

The 11th Chicago Critics Film Festival runs through May 9th, 2024, at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 North Southport, Chicago. For the CCFF website, click here.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

NASHVILLE – I recently had the extraordinary opportunity to attend a performance at The Listening Room Cafe, where I was treated to an unforgettable evening featuring the “Next from Nashville” lineup. The showcase was nothing short of exceptional. Amidst this lineup of talent, one performer truly stood out to me … Zandi Holup.

Zandi Holup and the other performers had acoustic guitars in hand and standing microphones as their sole companions, inviting the audience into their world of music with nothing but their instruments and voices, bridging the gap between performer and listener. All the performers sang original music, effortlessly captivating the audience with soul-stirring melodies and heartfelt lyrics.

Zandi Holup
Photo credit: ZandiHolupMusic.com

Zandi’s profoundly felt vocals carried an aura of authenticity that immediately drew me in. With a style characterized by raw, unfiltered storytelling, Zandi’s music seemed to flow effortlessly from a deep well of personal emotion and introspective thoughts. Each note she sang and every lyric she expressed carried a deep-rooted weight, inviting the audience into her world of genuine disclosure and heartfelt resonance. She seemed to feel every word she sang and as a result the audience felt the emotion, experiencing each song with her on a personal level.

Originally hailing from Pennsylvania and now calling Nashville home, Zandi Holup’s music resonates with the spirit of iconic folk singer-songwriters such as Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell. Her authentic blend of folk country music thrives on storytelling, reminiscent of legends like Dolly Parton, underscored by her emotive vocals.

Recognized as a 2023 “Artist to Watch” by The Nashville Briefing, Zandi Holup has since secured publishing and record deals with Arthouse Entertainment, TurnTable Music – in collaboration with Universal Music Publishing – and Big Loud Records, setting the stage for her forthcoming October 6th release, “Gas Station Flowers.” In the meantime, her single “Wait for You” soared to the top of Spotify’s all-genre Fresh Finds playlist, accumulating over a million streams.

“Rising status” is the key phrase to describe the ascension of Zandi Holup, marked by organic growth and grassroots support. In the the spirit of luminaries like Steve Earle, Amanda Shires and Ann Wilson of Heart … all of with whom Zandi have shared a stage … the spotlight is shining on her.

For more information about Zandi Holup (including her upcoming U.S. Tour Dates), click ZandiHolupMusic.com. For more music coverage and concert photos by HollywoodChicago.com Music Editor Jeff “Doc” Doles, click here.

Review by: Jeff Doles, Music Editor, HollywoodChicago.com
Published by: Patrick McDonald, Site Editor, HollywoodChicago.com

© 2024 HollywoodChicago.com LLC

CHICAGO – The 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival is off and running, and the third day – Sunday, May 5th – screens and the 30th Anniversary of a modern classic and a highly anticipated upcoming release. “I Saw the TV Glow” by Jane Schoenbrun and “Little Women” (the 1994 version) anchor a full day of cinema heroics. For the full schedule, info and tickets, click CCFF May 5th. For individual films, click titles below.

30th Anniversary, LITTLE WOMEN

Little Women
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com

Based on the classic 1868 novel about love, family and the female spirit, Louisa May Alcott tells the domestic saga of the March family in post-Civil War America with a cast that includes Winona Ryder, Susan Sarandon, Clare Danes, Christian Bale, Kirsten Dunst, Gabriel Byrne, Samantha Mathis, Eric Stoltz and Trini Alvarado.

CAPSULE REVIEW: Greta Gerwig’s 2019 re-imagining aside, the 1994 version – directed by Gillian Armstrong – of the oft-filmed classic combines the elements of 1990s filmmaking with a tilt towards the more classical elements of the book, combined with a turned-up volume of the feminine spirit elements of Alcott’s enduring Great American Novel. Winona Ryder as Jo and Susan Sarandon as Marmee are particularly memorable. (Shown in 35mm at 11:30am).

I SAW THE TV GLOW

I Saw the TV Glow
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com

Owen (younger - Ian Foreman, older - Justice Smith) is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate Maddy (Bridgette Lundy-Paine) introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show, “The Pink Opaque” … a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen’s view of reality begins to crack.

CAPSULE REVIEW: The film is a journey of two people towards identity, in visual elements that are a kaleidoscope of cinema technique. The days of 1990s cable television are lovingly reproduced, as the TV show itself is filtered through a glow of a fantasy memory and borrowed videotapes. We’re all looking for something, after all. Director Jane Jane Schoenbrun is scheduled to appear for a post screening Q&A. (7:15pm).

The 11th Chicago Critics Film Festival is the the only such festival in the country curated by film critics, and highlights the 2024 films from the early year festivals like Sundance, SXSW and more. Other films on May 5th are ”The Dead Don’t Hurt” directed by Viggo Mortensen, ”The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” by Benjamin Ree and ”The Last Stop in Yuma County” by Francis Galluppi.

The 11th Chicago Critics Film Festival runs from May 3rd through May 9th, 2024, at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 North Southport, Chicago. For the CCFF website, click here.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – Doc10, the annual Chicago documentary film festival, highlights a cautionary note for its 2024 Closing Night film on Sunday May 5th, at Chicago’s Davis Theater. ‘War Game’ is a look into a consequence exercise with expert participants playing roles, regarding a “what-if” the insurrection that occurred on January 6th, 2021 would escalate into a more coordinated attack … including the use of extremists within the military for the potential coup. Click WAR GAME for information and tickets.

The participants who took roles in the exercise … and all will appear at a Q&A on Doc10’s Closing Night … include former Montana Governor Steve Bullock, former North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp, retired Major General Linda Singh and National Security Expert Elizabeth Neumann. Also appearing will be CEO Janessa Goldbeck of the VetVoice Foundation, the organization that expedited the war game, and the filmmakers of the “War Game” documentary, Jesse Moss and Tony Gerber.

‘War Game’ is the Closing Night Film for Doc10
Photo credit: Doc10.org

What if the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol spiraled further out of control? And U.S. military personnel and paramilitary groups joined forces to overthrow the government? That’s the scenario of “War Game,” a vivid and compelling docu-thriller that follows a future simulation exercise set on January 6, 2025, with prominent government experts portraying roles in the hypothetical crisis as a kind of “stress-test for our National Security System.”

CAPSULE REVIEW: When my late father, in his final year, watched the 2021 insurrection, the sadness on his face was palpable. “War Game” is so chilling because it is so real. We as a nation witnessed January 6th, and we also realize that the divisions have not cooled down three years later. The exercise shown in the documentary is not political fiction, it is an unfortunate likely scenario. Will I sit in front of a TV in 2025 and watch the democracy crumbling down? I can only hope not, in the name of my father. (7pm).

The Doc10 festival is facilitated by CMP (formerly the Chicago Media Project), founded in 2014 to support media that sparks people to action, connects people through engaging experiences, shares great media content and innovates to find new ways to support media-makers. For more information, click CMP.

The 2024 DOC 10 Film Festival runs through May 5th, at the Davis Theater and Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago. For the DOC 10 website, click here.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – “The Fall Guy” is one of those movies where what’s happening on the margins is so much more interesting than the main event. And the promotional campaign for it is far superior to the film itself. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt have the romantic chemistry to fuel a high octane action comedy … but “The Fall Guy” never steps on the gas.

Gosling’s Colt Seavers is a stunt man in love with a camera operator Jody Moreno (Blunt). The film begins promising enough with a single take trip through the behind the scenes set of an unnamed action movie with Colt and Jody flirting over walkie talkies while he prepares for a big fall. However then the movie grinds to a halt after Colt breaks his back, ghosts Jody and washes up as a parking valet while trying to forget a career in the movies. He’s talked back onto set when the egotistical star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) goes missing while shooting a sci-fi western blockbuster being directed by, you guessed it, Jody.

”The Fall Guy” is in theaters beginning May 3rd. Featuring Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Hannah Waddingham, Winston Duke, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Stephanie Hsu. Written by Drew Pearce. Directed by David Leitch. Rated “PG-13”

Continue reading for Spike Walter’s full review of “The Fall Guy”

The Fall Guy
Photo credit: Universal Pictures

Continue reading for Spike Walter’s full review of “The Fall Guy”

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Ben Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on May 2nd, reviewing “Unfrosted,” featuring Jerry Seinfeld as lead role, co-writer and his debut as director. Streaming on Netflix beginning May 3rd.

The year is 1963, and Seinfeld is Bob Cabana, product developer at the Kellogg’s cereal company in Battle Creek, Michigan. He reports directly to company owner Edsel Kellogg III (Jim Gaffigan), and lives the prototype early 1960s American Dream life with John F. Kennedy, Walter Cronkite, Tony the Tiger (Hugh Grant, in a stretch) and daily milk man deliveries. Kellogg’s rival is Post Cereals, also in Battle Creek, owned by Majorie Post (Amy Schumer). Kelloggs is facing off with Post … with the help of food developer Donna “Stan” Stankowski (Melissa McCarthy … to be the first to create a toaster pastry for America’s breakfast tables. The race is on.

”Unfrosted” is streaming on Netflix beginning May 3rd. Featuring Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, Hugh Grant and Bill Burr. Written by Jerry Seinfeld, Spike Feresten, Andy Robin and Barry Marder. Directed by Jerry Seinfeld. Rated “PG-13”

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s on-air review of “Unfrosted”

Unfrosted
Photo credit: Netflix

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s on-air review of “Unfrosted”

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Ben Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on May 2nd, reviewing “The Fall Guy,” featuring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt in an adaptation of an 1980s TV series. In theaters on May 3rd.

Ryan Gosling is Colt Seavers, a stunt man for the movies, particularly doubling for famous action star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). As the film begins, it’s established that Colt has a relationship with Jody (Emily Blunt), but the relationship is severed after Colt breaks his back with a stunt gone wrong. After a year goes by and he’s healed, Colt gets a call from Movie Producer Gail (Hannah Waddingham from “Ted Lasso”), hiring him back to work on a film that Jody is directing. When a murder occurs and Colt is framed for it, he suddenly involved in more than just stunts

”The Fall Guy” is in theaters beginning May 3rd. Featuring Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Hannah Waddingham, Winston Duke, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Stephanie Hsu. Written by Drew Pearce. Directed by David Leitch. Rated “PG-13”

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s on-air review of “The Fall Guy”

The Fall Guy
Photo credit: Universal Pictures

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s on-air review of “The Fall Guy”

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for the “The Idea of You,” adapted from the popular novel by Robinne Lee, directed by Michael Showalter and featuring Anne Hathaway. Streaming on Prime Video beginning May 2nd, 2024.

Anne Hathaway is Soléne, a woman on the cusp of her 40th birthday who birthed a daughter when she was in her early twenties, and is now divorced from her ex Daniel (Reid Scott). Through a series of wacky circumstances, she meets a boy band singer named Hayes (Nicolas Galitzine), who is s member of AUGUST MOON, a favorite of her now high-school-aged daughter Izzy (Ella Rubin) … when she was in seventh grade. Hayes is now 24, Soléne is decidedly older, but they instantly connect and begin a relationship. When it takes a turn to serious love, social media and the clickbait press takes notice, and the love connection starts to disrupt everyone’s lives. It’s up to Soléne to make the right decision about the coupling.

“The Idea of You” is streaming on Prime Video beginning May 3rd. Featuring Anne Hathaway, Nicolas Galitzine, Ella Rubin, Reid Scott and Anne Mumolo. Screenplay adapted by Michael Showalter and Jennifer Westfeldt. Directed by Michael Showalter. Rated “R”

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s audio review of “The Idea of You.”

The Idea of You
Photo credit: Prime Video

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s audio review of “The Idea of You.”

CHICAGO – Opening Night at the 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival (CCFF) on May 3rd will include the last film of popular South Korean (SK) Actor Lee Sun-kyun, entitled “Sleep” (click here for tickets) The world was rocked on December 27th, 2023, when the report came through that that actor – who had a prominent role in the 2019 Oscar Best Picture “Parasite’ – had died at age 48 from an apparent suicide in Seoul (SK), months after his appearance in Chicago during the Asian Pop-Up Cinema.

“Sleep” follows newlyweds Hyun-su (Lee Sun-kyun) and Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi), whose domestic bliss is disrupted when Hyun-su begins speaking in his sleep, ominously stating, “someone’s inside.”  From that night on, whenever he falls asleep, Hyun-su transforms into someone else, with no recollection of what happened the night before. Overwhelmed with anxiety that he may hurt himself or their young family, Soo-jin can barely sleep because of this irrational fear. Despite treatment, Soo-jin begins to feel that her unborn child may be in danger.

Lee Sun Kyun in ‘Sleep,’ screening at the 2024 CCFF on May 3rd
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com

CAPSULE REVIEW: A relatable problem becomes a scenario with a high creep factor. Lee Sun-kyun takes his final bow with a strange parallel to his real life, as his character is haunted with “someone inside.” Director Jason Yu creates an atmosphere of paranoia and madness, all due to the factor of disrupted sleep. As is noted with the character interpreted by Lee Sun-kyun and the actor himself, it can happen to anyone. (Midnight).

After beginning his career in musical theatre, Lee Sun-kyun was relegated to minor and supporting roles onscreen as he began in TV and film. His breakthrough was in SK TV’s “Coffee Prince” and the medical drama “Behind the White Tower,” both in 2007. He gained more popularity with “My Mister,” which is currently on Netflix.

In film he got award-winning notices in Paju (2009), and arthouse credibility with “Oki’s Movie” (2010) and “Nobody’s Daughter Haewan” (2013). In “Parasite,” Lee portrayed Park Dong-ik, the patriarch of the wealthy family in the film. Besides the Oscars, Lee scored an Ensemble Award from the Screen Actors Guild. In his appearance at APUC’s Closing Night, Lee was representing his role as Jonathan Na in “Killing Romance,” with a nearly perfect comic performance.

In a flashback interview to October of 2023, Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com talked to Lee through an interpreter.

HollywoodChicago.com: When you were filming ‘Parasite,’ was there anything you experienced on set or saw when it premiered that told you that this could be the Academy Award Best Picture, or was the whole journey to that trophy just one big surprise, and why either way?

LS-k: Because the film received the Palme d’OR at Cannes we were hoping that the film would received some recognition at the Oscars, because it was the first Korean film that even had a chance.

When all the nominations came out, I expected that director Boon Joon-ho could win, but I never thought we had a chance at Best Picture. So when our director won, we thought the day was over. You cannot imagine how surprised and excited we were when they called the film for Best Picture. I’ll never forget it.

HollywoodChicago.com: And how did your career change after all the awards, or did it?

LS-k: I got a bump … there were several offers to do international films. But my English isn’t very good, and although I probably should have worked harder on learning the language the offers that came in Korea were steady, because ‘Parasite’ raised our profile. There has been an uptick both in Korean cinema and culture, so I hope it provides opportunities for our younger actors coming up.

Lee Sun Kyun Accepts APUC’s Excellent Achievement in Film Award, October of 2023
Photo credit: AsianPopUpCinema.org

HollywoodChicago.com: Why do you like working for directors like Boog Joon-ho and Lee Won Suk, even when you’re doing something that you’d never thought you would do in a film?

LS-k: First, I respect and like both directors, but their styles are completely different. Bong Joon-ho is a planner, from script to storyboard. Everything to seem finished inside his head before he steps onto the set. With director Lee, especially since ‘Killing Romance’ is a comedy, we had a lot of different approaches and discussions on set, as well as room for improvisation.

HollywoodChicago.com: Finally, what was your favorite moment as a performer in ‘Parasite’?

LS-k: I liked the scene where the daughter brings in a peach, and the housekeeper vomits blood … but as far as my contributions to the film it was really the opportunity to work with Bong Joon-ho. My first scene was driving, and there were just butterflies in my stomach. 

The 11th Chicago Critics Film Festival runs from May 3rd through May 9th, 2024, at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 North Southport, Chicago. For the CCFF website, click here.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com