Why Darci Lynne Farmer is 2017’s Entertainer of the Year
Before I wanted to be a writer, a filmmaker or even a film critic, my first dream job was that of a full-time puppeteer. I grew up marveling at the […]
Tag Archives: Indie Outlook
Roxane Mesquida, Najarra Townsend, Kevin Wehby, Jack C. Newell, Shane Simmons and Michael Glover Smith on “Mercury in Retrograde”
Michael Glover Smith’s sophomore feature, “Mercury in Retrograde,” is a lyrical ode to the unspoken truths tucked between words. It follows three couples on a weekend vacation to a cabin […]
Angelos Rallis on “Shingal, Where Are You?”
“They have no religion, they are beasts,” concludes Viyan, a young woman kidnapped by ISIS. She’s speaking about her captors during a phone call with her family, who are among […]
A Dream Wrapped in a Nightmare: The Genius of “Twin Peaks: The Return”
“In order to follow my films, you must concentrate on the emotion. Because if you concentrate on the buttermilk, you’ll end up going to the dairy.”—David Lynch This was what […]
Amy Jo Johnson’s “The Space Between” Eases Pain with Playfulness
Mitch is having a really bad day. His infertility combined with his job at a go-kart track—not to mention his choice of clothing—has caused him to feel more like a […]
Theodore Collatos on “Tormenting the Hen”
There are two gorgeous landscape shots during the end credits of Theodore Collatos’ “Tormenting the Hen” that I assumed were still images upon first glance. It wasn’t until I peered […]
“Writer’s Block” and “The Puppy Trials” Delight at Pens to Lens 2017
Most of us have a movie that we dream of making someday. It’s what we fantasize about in the midst of our daily routine, imagining what an audience’s response might […]
Why the Choreography of Ryan Heffington Has Become My New Obsession
Edgar Wright’s “Baby Driver” is the most euphoric cinematic mix tape I’ve seen since Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill.” Its hero, Baby (Ansel Elgort), copes with his chronic tinnitus by blaring […]
James Fotopoulos on “The Given,” “There” and More
Four summers ago, I met filmmaker James Fotopoulos at a screening in Chicago. I was so taken with his thoughts regarding cinema that I agreed to visit the set of […]
My RogerEbert.com Interviews Vol. 3
Ever since I was hired by Chaz Ebert in early 2014, I have accompanied my anniversary retrospectives at Indie Outlook with an annual compilation of my writing for RogerEbert.com. This […]
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