Indie Outlook Picks the 2016 Nominees
With Oscar prognostications in full swing, I’m presenting my annual list at Indie Outlook of the five nominees I would personally select in nearly every category, including one that I […]
Top 20 Films of 2016: Part II
I’ve often referred to my all-time favorite films as the gifts that keep on giving. These aren’t pictures that can be fully experienced upon an initial viewing or even the […]
Top 20 Films of 2016: Part I
As we close the book on 2016, a year many of us would rather forget, it’s worth reflecting on the parts of it that are worth savoring—namely, the movies. This […]
Laura Bretan on Her Extraordinary Year
Of all the joyous moments on television this year, few were as memorable or as awe-inspiring as the audition of Northbrook’s own Laura Bretan on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” Her […]
Jackey Neyman Jones on “Manos: The Hands of Fate”
“DO SOMETHING!” Joel Hodgson shouted at the screen while viewing Harold P. Warren’s staggeringly awkward 1966 curiosity, “Manos: The Hands of Fate,” on his hilarious program, “Mystery Science Theater 3000.” […]
David Paterson on “The Great Gilly Hopkins”
I honestly didn’t expect much from the film “Bridge to Terabithia” when I saw it back in 2007. I hadn’t grown up with the 1977 novel by Katherine Paterson, which […]
CIFF 2016 Preview: “La La Land,” “Moonlight” and More
Movie lovers in the Windy City have a massive treat in store for them when the Chicago International Film Festival kicks off this week. Boasting the strongest line-up in recent […]
Joost van Ginkel on “170 Hz,” “The Paradise Suite”
The structurally audacious, vividly nuanced work of Dutch filmmaker and playwright Joost van Ginkel has been one of my most cherished discoveries this year. His first feature, 2011’s “170 Hz,” […]
Julia Sarah Stone on “Weirdos,” “Wet Bum”
While covering the Toronto International Film Festival this year for RogerEbert.com, I had the great privilege of chatting with some of the most revered filmmakers in world cinema: Herzog, Farhadi, […]
Gaite Jansen on “Supernova”
There are few films that provide as fitting an accompaniment to the waning days of summer as Tamar van den Dop’s “Supernova.” It was made and released in the Netherlands […]
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