The melodramatic preposterousness of Colors of the Wind is two-fold. The first layer is good old-fashioned stage magic, everything from card tricks to disappearing acts. The second comes from the notion of doppelgangers, the fanciful term for doubles, ghostly counterparts, and alter egos that have been a storytelling trope before in film. Both elements create spirited and soapy intrigue in the film when combined with the romantic destiny of star-crossed lovers.
Read MoreWith Black Panther showing no signs of slowing down, what films coming in 2018 can make similar dents in our wallets? What blockbusters could put up big time numbers? Can anything catch Black Panther? I know the oddsmakers and informative websites like Sports Betting Dime can be a great resource for answering those questions and examining the field. In a quick list and editorial, let’s handicap and predict 10 contenders that could rule the 2018 box office.
Read MoreThe Wilmette Theatre is excited to announce a new, curated film series for children and families starting this spring. KIDS KLASSICS is a themed film series screening some of the most beloved classics. Each screening will be followed by a fun and educational talkback to engage young audiences to think about films in a new way. Hosted by Chicago film critic for Every Movie Has a Lesson and educator Don Shanahan, who will lead an interactive discussion.
Read MoreMany internal and external situations can cause feelings of desperation. Straits get so dire that horrible choices become the only choices. For Angie in Beauty Mark, played by emerging TV actress Auden Thornton, the burdensome weights (and they are sure plural) around her neck are overbearing. When those burdens and stresses pile on at the same time, the desperation of her situation becomes overwhelming in this excellent and hardscrabble family drama from writer-director Harris Doran.
Read MoreEvery Movie Has a Lesson joined Ian Simmons and his "Kicking the Seat Podcast" to travel nine billion miles across the universe in the blink of an eye alongside David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel! Our destination was Ava DuVernay's A Wrinkle in Time, the blockbuster adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's beloved children's science fiction novel. Ian continues in his show to talk about the Music Box Theatre's upcoming "Sci-Fi Spielberg" retrospective.
Read MoreCheck out this fun infographic on the real-life costs of some popular movie cars. The folks over at NerdWheels have done some "movie math" and put proof to their math (see below after the graphic). I don't know who can foot the bill on some of these price tags, but, boy am I tempted to start buying lottery tickets. Enjoy the fascinating information and thank you for sharing, NerdWheels!
Read MoreUnderneath the on-screen actions in director Mark Sobol’s dynamic short film The Photographer, the motif of voyeurism is dissected from a presented theory. A male narrator orates an internal monologue opening on the notion “a subject is so much more beautiful when it doesn’t know its being watched.” Assigning beauty to a moment that is not the observer’s to share in begs a few life lessons.
Read MoreTaking the full theological route possible from A Wrinkle in Time would be too strong mentally and too trippy visually for most of today’s audiences. By contrast, skimping on those expressions in favor of softer and attractive commercial cuteness sanitizes what makes the novel a subversive and revered classic. What you’re getting today in 2018 is a noble attempt at the core of the former with many caveats and concessions made for the latter.
Read MoreWouldn’t it be great if you could just click your fingers and change location spontaneously? Think how much time we’d get back! No more delays at the airport check-in, no more rushing to the station to catch the train. Well, if you live in Harry Potter’s world, and have the magical skills, there’s a whole bunch of ways to get from one place to the next. Here are some of OSV’s favorites
Read MoreABCFinance has compared these media giants, looked at the potential impact of the deal on both their own employees and the end user, and demonstrated how Disney is looking to leverage this deal to break into new markets. Read on to see how the merger will affect everything from television and the cinema box office to streaming platforms and sports broadcasting with their comprehensive infographic.
Read MoreIn what has become an annual day-after-hangover and post-Oscars tradition, I have this editorial that closes the book on one awards season and declares the next one open for competition. Each year, I pull out the crystal ball and look into the murky future to prognosticate which films coming in 2018 will we be applauding for at this time next year for the 91st Academy Awards. Here are 19 films to watch for the 2019 Oscars.
Read MoreNow entering its thirteenth year, the Beloit International Film Festival, hosted across the “Cheddar Curtain” border in Wisconsin, is no slouch of a gathering for film lovers. For ten days, the organizers, backers, and lucky audience members have the pleasure of discovering over 100 national and international films of all genres. The visiting filmmakers are welcomed by full venues and eager audiences looking to share the love of independent filmmaking. I honored to have absentee press access to the BIFF and it’s my pleasure to share reviews of its highlighted films.
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