Of Films and Flatulence: “The BFG” and “Swiss Army Man”
It’s easy for one to regard fart jokes as the lowest form of humor known to man. I have little doubt that the first laugh ever elicited in human history […]
Tag Archives: Indie Outlook
The Communal Magic of Filmfront
At first glance, Filmfront may appear to be a microcinema. Located in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood just off the 18th station on the Pink Line, this venue offers free screenings of […]
Christine Swanson on “Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story”
When I met filmmaker Christine Swanson at this year’s Ebertfest, she was eager to discuss her upcoming project with me. It was a biopic on the iconic singer Miki Howard, […]
Sadie Rogers on “RPG”
I’ve often thought of Sadie Rogers as Stephen Cone’s good luck charm. She would always pop up in his early films, including “The Wise Kids,” which is one of the wisest […]
A Look Back at the 23rd Chicago Underground Film Festival
The following article was written by Nelson Carvajal. Check out his excellent articles and video essays on his official site and on Vimeo. “This is the year of Jordan!” exclaimed filmmaker […]
CCFF 2016: Six Films to Remember
The fourth installment of the Chicago Critics Film Festival wrapped yesterday at the Music Box Theatre, and I couldn’t be prouder of my colleagues who made this passion project a […]
Lindsay MacKay on “Wet Bum,” “Clear Blue”
As soon as the end credits began to roll on “Wet Bum,” a 2014 coming-of-age drama available on Netflix, I realized that I had just discovered one of my new […]
Love is Blind in “The Lobster”
You know those nightmares that you start laughing at the instant you wake up? They are so illogical and silly that you end up snickering once you try describing them […]
Netflix Discoveries: “In Bloom” and “Wet Bum”
Ever since I purchased a Blu-ray player that enables me to stream content from Netflix directly onto my TV, I have spent many an evening searching for titles—primarily foreign and […]
I Don’t Know If I’m Coming or Going: An Appreciation of “Nine Lives”
Some wonderful things happen in the moments prior to a film screening. Strangers in the audience strike up a conversation, connections are made and in some cases, lives are forever […]
Indie Outlook 