CHICAGO – Excelsior! Comic book legend Stan Lee’s famous exclamation puts a fine point on the third and final play of Mark Pracht’s FOUR COLOR TRILOGY, “The House of Ideas,” presented by and staged at City Lit Theater in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. For tickets/details, click HOUSE OF IDEAS.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Film Review: Natalie Portman Embodies a Magnificent ‘Jackie’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 2, 2016 - 8:26amCHICAGO – Capturing one of the most familiar woman of the last fifty years would seem impossible, except when focusing on one of the defining moments of her life. “Jackie” reveals Jacqueline Kennedy during the time of her husband John’s assassination, and when the nation lost a president.
Film Review: ‘The Birth of a Nation’ Depends on its Own Piety
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 7, 2016 - 8:43amCHICAGO – “The Birth of a Nation” has been making news since it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival early this year. Taking place before the American Civil War, this incendiary look at a real slave rebellion in the deep South does pack a punch, but its approach isn’t completely successful.
Film Review: ‘Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie’ Too Thin to be Completely Winning
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 24, 2016 - 5:42pmCHICAGO – As far as TV shows that fans wish could be movies, the cult hit “Absolutely Fabulous” was high on the list. The adventures of Patsy and Edina, two middle age Brits with an appetite for self medication, has had a dedicated following since it premiered in 1992. Even though there were six full TV seasons, and various reunions, “Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie” has emerged.
Film Review: ‘Demolition’ Describes the Way They Treated the Story
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 8, 2016 - 5:21amCHICAGO – The attempt to make a European-style “journey of emotional morality” between four characters in New York City kept getting flatter and flatter as the tale emerged. It’s amusing that they called it “Demolition,” because as cinema, it’s basically a teardown.
Film Review: Elegant, Delicate Emotions Are Forged in ‘Youth’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 12, 2015 - 3:17pmCHICAGO – When a film tries to be philosophical, it easily can devolve into heavy handedness. But the exception is the latest from writer/director Paolo Sorrentino, the richly presented “Youth.” It treads upon many definitions of the title, and lands upon all of them, because that’s life.
Film Review: ‘Mistress America’ Ultimately Wears Out Her Welcome
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 21, 2015 - 6:06pmCHICAGO – “Mistress America” is a movie that works best in small doses. The film is chock-full of special moments, lines, and fragments of scenes, but it never really comes together as a cohesive film. I could see it easily taking on a second life once it hits streaming and YouTube.
Interview: Greta Gerwig, Lola Kirke Discover ‘Mistress America’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 17, 2015 - 8:19amCHICAGO – Greta Gerwig’s persona as a character actress has blossomed in the last three years, as she has taken on three women in their twenties at the crossroads of life, in that life decade of consequence. In addition to her title roles in “Lola Versus” and “Francis Ha,” her latest is “Mistress America,” which she also co-wrote.
Film Review: Ever-Present Passion in ‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 12, 2015 - 11:21amCHICAGO – There are feelings encoded in a film, imparted by the creators, which sometimes takes a while to become apparent. “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” is an example, with a deceptive surface story that contains an ocean of feelings and emotions within its passionate core.
Interview: Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon of ‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 11, 2015 - 6:07pmCHICAGO – In my second meeting with director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, I was struck by his almost child-like wonder regarding his breakout film, “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.” Gomez-Rejon bleeds celluloid, and loves films in every fiber of his being. To be able to contribute to the cinema universe is his greatest reward.
Interview: Three Young Actors Are ‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 9, 2015 - 5:20pmCHICAGO – Every so often, a movie makes a huge splash in the ocean of releases, and “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” is a prime example. Both the jury winner and the audience favorite at the Sundance Film Festival, the film features Thomas Mann (Me), RJ Cyler (Earl) and Olivia Cooke (Dying Girl) as the title characters.