non-illustrated

In 1996, when Wes Craven directed SCREAM, he made a horror movie that worked as a dissertation of the genre as well as a straight-up frightener. In the very opening scene, teenager Casey Becker [...]

2021 was another odd year with the pandemic thwarting several releases and a regular return to movie theaters. Still, I saw a lot of terrific films, no matter what the venue, be it on VOD, via [...]

With the talent involved in the new spy thriller, THE 355 should have been at least fun to watch. But as it stands – more like lays there – the tony likes of Jessica Chastain, Penelope Cruz, [...]

As many of you know, I am a member of the Chicago Indie Critics. Our eclectic group of film lovers, journalists, and bloggers have just released our nominations for the best in film of 2021. [...]

The film world didn’t quite return to normal this year due to the ongoing pandemic, yet it was wonderful to see movies in the theater again after so many months away. (We’ll see how badly the [...]

  The movies of Guillermo del Toro are filled with gorgeous images. Even nightmarish creatures, dilapidated mansions, and flooded apartments are presented in stunningly lit and beautifully [...]

Most horror movies do not create a sense of dread as deliciously as THE LOST DAUGHTER does. Ostensibly a character study of a middle-aged woman trying to enjoy a summer holiday on the Greek [...]

In the world of Marvel Comics, the character of Peter Parker (AKA Spider-Man) has always had amazing everyman appeal because he’s young, inexperienced, and struggles to manage the “great [...]

One can imagine the new apocalyptic holiday comedy SILENT NIGHT being pitched as “Richard Curtis meets Lars von Trier.” Indeed, it’s an odd blend of the ribald, British humor of Curtis and the [...]

A funny thing happened on the way to launching HAWKEYE, the new Disney + miniseries created as a vehicle for Jeremy Renner. Co-star Hailee Steinfeld steals the show right out from under him. [...]