Any filmmaker with the hubris to try and recreate a magical classic is doomed to fail. Those who’ve seen Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) starring Johnny Depp can attest to this. So, it’s clever of director Paul King of Paddington (2014) and Paddington 2 (2017) fame to focus his whimsical efforts on a […]
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Review: Maria Bamford Redefines the Rules with New Comedy Special ‘Local Act’
“Thank you so much for coming out and being a part of a group! I desperately, of course, want to be accepted by you. I hope you can sense that,” said Maria Bamford at the top of her new comedy special, Local Act, which was released on Dec. 12 via Comedy Dynamics. “I like being […]
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Review: Celine Song’s ‘Past Lives’ Lyrically Looks At Love
South Korean-Canadian filmmaker Celine Song is gaining praise for her lost opps romance Past Lives (2023). The atmospheric dramedy was named Best Indie at the Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Film Awards and recently earned Golden Globe nominations for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Performance by an Actress (Greta Lee) in a Motion Picture – […]
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Chicago Premieres Satirize Publishing & Politics
The Nose at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance (Dec. 8 & 10) proves the absurdity of politics is nothing to sneeze at, while a struggle to see eye-to-eye between truth and manipulation is comically explored in The Lifespan of a Fact at TimeLine Theatre (through Dec. 23). The Lifespan of a Fact“We’re elated […]
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Photos: Angel Olsen Brings Sad Songs, Comfort & Joy to Thalia Hall in Chicago
‘Tis the season to be jolly and the sold-out crowd at Angel Olsen‘s Dec. 1 performance at Thalia Hall – the first of three shows presented by 93XRT at the Chicago venue – found comfort and joy in the beautiful, yet sad, songs composed and performed by the incomparable singer-songwriter. “This is a sad song. […]
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Backlash to Affirmative Action Hits Pioneering Maternal Health Program for Black Women
For Briana Jones, a young Black mother in San Francisco, a city program called the Abundant Birth Project has been a godsend. Designed to counter the “obstetric racism” that researchers say leads a disproportionate number of African American mothers to die from childbirth, the project has provided 150 pregnant Black and Pacific Islander San Franciscans […]
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Holiday Shopping, Festive Shows & All That Jazz
It’s the most wonderful time of the year to experience holiday shopping, live shows and other seasonal activities in Chicagoland. Depending on the weather, residents can venture out to Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston (Dec. 16) or stay in and livestream A Jazz Christmas. The soulful production showcases vocalist Tammy McCann and the TRIIO quartet […]
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Photographer Irene Young Launches Her Women’s Music Book with Two Stellar Concerts
This piece was originally published by Windy City Times. BERKELEY, Calif. — “Something About the Women” was appropriately the closing song for two sold-out, stellar concerts at Berkeley’s Freight & Salvage November 19, in celebration of the new book of the same name by Irene Young, the legendary photographer of women’s music and culture for the past 50 […]
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Films Inspire Live Theater & Interactive Events in Chicago
When it comes to Elvis Presley and Willy Wonka, Chicagoans may be seeing double since the pop icons are simultaneously appearing on stage and screen this November and December, respectively. Other movies are also overlapping with live events throughout the Thanksgiving and winter holidays. Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir “Elvis and Me” co-written by Sandra Harmon […]
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Review: ‘It’s Britney’ Spears Through BS Image
Who is the real Britney Spears? An all-American girl? The Princess of Pop? A ditzy blonde? A hot mess? A hardworking woman used by self-serving men? A survivor? IMPACT x Nightline: It’s Britney touches on these images. Within 37 minutes, the ABC special uses narration by Juju Chang, insider interviews, news footage, music video clips, and […]