Ten Underrated Performances in 2014
As the summer fades to black, critics are already bracing themselves for the aggressive onslaught of awards campaigns that will be vying for their attention in the coming months. We’ll […]
Tag Archives: The Wise Kids
Wandering in the Wilderness: Christian Indies of 2014
At its highest level, cinema can serve as a religious experience. It can strengthen our spiritual connection to the world around us while bringing us closer to life’s mysteries, illuminating […]
Top 100 Favorite Films
I was recently asked by a friend to rank my Top Five Favorite Films. It was so daunting to limit my list to only five titles that I decided to […]
Ignatiy Vishnevetsky and Allison Torem on “Ellie Lumme”
Described by its director as a “ghost story without a ghost,” the 40-minute film “Ellie Lumme” is one of those mesmerizing mind-benders that plays differently every time you see it. […]
Top Twenty Films of 2013: Part II
In an ordinary year, any of these ten films would easily have deserved the number one slot. Yet 2013, despite some high-profile misfires and disastrous would-be blockbusters, has ultimately proven […]
Stephen Cone, Dennis Grimes, Jaclyn Hennell, Maggie Suma and Alex Weisman on “Black Box”
Three orphans find themselves at the mercy of abusive zealots in “The Reaper’s Children,” a young adult novel from author William Peters, the character played by theatre and screen legend […]
Jack C. Newell on “Open Tables”
Few filmmakers have attempted to mine the Windy City’s wealth of improv talent with as much tenacity and exuberance as Jack C. Newell. His first feature-length directorial effort, 2012’s “Close […]
Indie Outlook: First Anniversary
On July 5th, 2012, I posted my first article on Indie Outlook. It’s now been an entire year since then, and I’m amazed and humbled by the extraordinary array of […]
Patrick Wang on “In the Family”
Watching Patrick Wang’s 169-minute masterwork, “In the Family,” with a packed house at this year’s Ebertfest was one of the great moviegoing experiences of my life. Rarely have I felt […]
Sadie Rogers on “The Wise Kids,” “The Skriker”
Sometimes an actor delivers a performance so vivid and indelible that it transcends the boundaries of screen time. That’s precisely what Sadie Rogers does in Stephen Cone’s masterpiece, “The Wise […]
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