Top 20 Films of 2021
It has only been within the last few months that I began seeing movies in a theater again. Attending press screenings has felt akin to a family reunion, allowing me […]
Tag Archives: Academy Awards
Indie Flashback: Marjane Satrapi on “Persepolis”
The following interview with author/filmmaker Marjane Satrapi was originally published in the February 11th, 2008 issue of my college paper, The Columbia Chronicle. I was deeply moved by her words, […]
Share the Light: Laura Checkoway on “Edith+Eddie”
With the 93rd Academy Awards airing tonight on ABC, I am pleased to present my 2018 interview with filmmaker Laura Checkoway about her brilliant Oscar-nominated documentary short subject, “Edith+Eddie.” Only […]
Judy, Marlene and the Elusive Oscar: A Chat with Izzy, the Creator of Be Kind Rewind
Not long before I spent my first night in the Oscar press room, a remarkably insightful show about the ceremony and the history of its Best Actress category premiered online. […]
Writing for RogerEbert.com: Vol. 6
On an icy night in December of last year, Julie Andrews arrived at the Chicago Theatre 14 years after her production of “The Boy Friend” graced the venue’s stage. She […]
Indie Flashback: Benh Zeitlin, Dwight Henry and Quvenzhané Wallis on “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
The following interviews with filmmaker Benh Zeitlin and actors Quvenzhané Wallis and Dwight Henry were originally published at HollywoodChicago.com in July 2012. Their film, “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” went […]
Indie Outlook Picks the 2019 Nominees
With the unveiling of Oscar nominations just weeks away, I am offering my annual picks for what I would like to see nominated in each major category. There were so […]
Oscar-Winning Production Designer Eugenio Caballero on “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “Roma” and More
Few people in the film industry are as responsible for me choking back tears as Mexican production designer Eugenio Caballero. He won the Oscar in 2007 for Guillermo del Toro’s […]
CIFF 2019: “Knives Out,” “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and Five More Contenders
Few modern filmmakers understand the essence of Frank Oz’s artistry as innately as Rian Johnson. The most euphoric sequence in Johnson’s sublime 2017 blockbuster, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” occurs […]
Writing for RogerEbert.com: Vol. 5
While waiting for the Lyft that would take me to my cousin’s home in Brentwood, following my trip to pick up the tux I would wear in the press room […]
Indie Outlook 