MEDIA APPEARANCE: "The Harvey and Bob Show" meet the CIFCC

Film critics El'Ahrai Stanek and John Robinson are two Chicago area podcasters that have been reviewing films and talking shop on their "Harvey and Bob Show" since 2006, longer than most of us have been blogging or writing. As a founding director of the new Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle (CIFCC), I was invited to come and take part in their weekly podcast. Between the 14-minute mark and the 47-minute mark, El'Ahrai and John interview us about how we started the CIFCC, our backgrounds, and our goals going forward.

MOVIE REVIEW: 10 Cloverfield Lane

It sure is nice to see a surprise stay a surprise. In today's day and age of instant and nearly universal access to information, news, and buzz, it's very hard to keep anything the size of a movie a secret. The filmmakers of "10 Cloverfield Lane" and its studio have pulled off a marketing stunt that has now paid off as a entertainment coup. "10 Cloverfield Lane" is capricious blast of horror, drama, and science fiction all rolled into one twisty enigma.

COLUMN: 2016 Spring Movie Preview

The spring movie season is meant to bring promise coming out of winter, the slowest annual season of the year. The awards seasons is done and gone and new movies can make their mark on 2016. Most of the blockbusters we've been drooling over are still looming for when summer hits in May. However, for several years now, more tentpole movies are starting to stake their claim and populate the spring season where the competition is much less than the summer gauntlet which presents a new slugger every week from May until August.

2016, Column, EditorialDon ShanahanMarch 2, 20162016, 2016 Spring Movies, 2016 Spring Movie Preview, Spring Movies, 2016 Spring Movie Calendar, 2016 Spring Movie Checklist, March film releases, March movie releases, April film releases, April movie releases, London Has Fallen, Zootopia, Knight of Cups, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, 10 Cloverfield Lane, The Brothers Grimsby, The Perfect Match, Eye in the Sky, The Young Messiah, Hello My Name is Doris, The Lobster, Lolo, Allegiant, Midnight Special, Miracles from Heaven, The Program, The Little Prince, The Bounce Back, The Bronze, Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, I Saw the Light, The Invitation, Mia Madre, Miles Ahead, Rings, God's Not Dead 2, Collide, Amityville: The Awakening, The Boss, Demolition, Before I Wake, Hardcore Henry, Louder than Bombs, The Jungle Book, Barbershop: The Next Cut, Everybody Wants Some, Criminal, The Huntsman: Winter's War, Keanu, The Meddler, Mother's Day, Ratchet and Clank, Same Kind of Different as Me, Donald Shanahan, Don Shanahan, Every Movie Has a LessonComment

CHECKLIST: 2016 Spring Movie Calendar

Here is your lineup of upcoming films for the ever-warming spring movie season that aims to put winter behind us. Pick through this list for March and April and find a few winners. Add these to your calendar or print and slip this list on the fridge.