With the fall chill in the air and the holidays on the horizon, Black Harvest Film Festival is set to return to the Gene Siskel Film Center, Nov 7-16. The festival, programmed by Jada-Amina and Nick Leffel, boasts an eclectic and vibrant array of Black stories whose diasporic origins and bold ingenuity provide cinematic warmth

The Pokemon series has been in need of serious evolution recently. 2022’s “Pokemon Legends: Arceus” switched up the traditional Pokemon RPG formula by introducing real-time combat elements, a semi-open world, and a new way of story progression. It was a breath of fresh air for the franchise that had a stagnating turn-based battle system. Whereas

At all of its previous stops—Austin, Toronto, Los Angeles, New York—the Criterion Mobile Closet has attracted throngs of cinephiles hoping to pick their favorite films and shoot their very own closet videos. Its latest appearance at the 61st Chicago International Film Festival drew similar crowds during a short October (11-13) weekend stay that also witnessed

“If the devil’s alive, he lived here.” — Quote in the Chicago Tribune, attributed to a worker who was involved in the demolition of John Wayne Gacy’s house. While working as a news columnist in the 1990s, I had one of the most macabre experiences of my life when I was granted access to the

One of the more popular sections of the Chicago International Film Festival each year is the After Dark sidebar, a collection of films from around the world that are just a bit different from the usual fest fare—something a little stranger and wilder and containing plenty of sex, violence, and straight-up weirdness to appeal to

Documentary is a filmmaking approach inherently designed for remembrance. In fact, it’s the approach that most closely aligns with photography and the desire to capture a moment, a person, or a thing before the forces of time overcome and erase its existence. So, you know, usually with these films, you’re going to get a topic

The 61st edition of the Chicago International Film Festival has boasted an unusually strong lineup of high-quality titles from around the world, including such significant works as “The Secret Agent,” “The Mastermind,” and “It Was Just an Accident.” However, if I had to pick just one favorite, I would have to go with “Silent Friend.”

Like so many contemporary R&B fans, I was gutted when it was reported that Michael Eugene Archer, better known as groundbreaking neo-soul artist D’Angelo, passed away on Tuesday at the too-damn-young age of 51, after a long, private battle with pancreatic cancer. The man was an elusive enigma, only dropping three studio albums–Brown Sugar (1995),

Who hasn’t at least once fantasized about switching lives with someone who, from a distance, seems to have a more comfortable, secure, happier existence? While Shakespeare and others created stories about characters pretending to be someone else, it was Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper that popularized the idea of people in opposite circumstances trying out each

Season 3 of “The Diplomat,” Debora Cahn’s feast of political intrigue and personal drama, has landed on Netflix. If you thought the last two seasons were a headrush, you’re “read in” and ready. But before we jump into this cross-pollination of Sorkin-esque walk-and-talks and Rhimes-ian emotional bombshells, let’s get you caught up on the world-shaking