CIFF 2015 Preview: “Anomalisa,” “James White” and Six More
There comes a point when a film festival turns from a casual diversion and into an obsession. That happened to me last year during the Chicago International Film Festival, when […]
Tag Archives: Woody Allen
To Infinity and Beyond: Top Ten Pixar Movies
Perhaps only John Lasseter could’ve transformed an ordinary table lamp into the next Mickey Mouse. In his Oscar-nominated 1986 short, “Luxo Jr.”, Lasseter ingeniously brought a lamp to life by […]
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 […]
Deconstructing Woody Allen
“I just met a wonderful new man. He’s fictional but you can’t have everything.”—Cecilia (Mia Farrow) in “The Purple Rose of Cairo” (1985) There’s a scene toward the end of […]
Top Ten Female Performances in a Woody Allen Film
If there is anything that has remained consistent in the films of Woody Allen, it has been the juicy complexity of his female characters, from Tina Vitale and Linda Ash […]
23 Films to See in 2013
Though 2013 has barely begun, a slew of hotly anticipated titles have already materialized on the calendar, including a handful destined to generate Oscar buzz prior to next year’s ceremony. […]
Pat McDonald on Worst Woody Allen Films
I love Woody Allen. So does my fellow Hollywood Chicago colleague, Pat McDonald. We both agree that even the iconic director’s weakest films have their occasional flashes of brilliance. Since […]
Duncan Riddell on “Older Children”
As Artistic Associate and former Literary Manager at A Red Orchid Theatre, Duncan Riddell knows a thing or two about crafting a convincing performance in close-up. His feature filmmaking debut, […]
Mike Eisenberg on “Stitches”
I first met filmmaker Mike Eisenberg at a screening of Wes Anderson’s utterly delightful treasure “Moonrise Kingdom” about a month before it finally opened across the country. When it ended, […]
Indie Outlook 