Every cinematic depiction of Robin Hood is a reflection of its era. Consider: The Technicolor glory of the definitive 1938 Errol Flynn version The risk-taking 1976 “Robin and Marion” with Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn The fondly remembered 1977 Disney cartoon The extremely-of-its-time, 1991 “Robin Hood-Prince of Thieves” The failed 2018 re-telling, the wannabe franchise-builder…

Iconic historian Timuel Black is turning 102 on Monday, December 7th, 2020, and will be celebrated with a special drive-by car parade organized by the University of Chicago Civil Knowledge Project and the Alumni Association. Mr. Black is a true Chicago treasure: historian, veteran, social scientist and political activist, scholar, teacher, civil rights leader and jazz…

★★★★ Directed by: #RolfinNyhus Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWritten by: #RolfinNyhus Starring: #RichardStephensonWinter, #ChrisAnderson, #RyanLaccohee Read moreRobert Stack Finally Solves a Mystery in ‘The Strange and Deadly Occurrence’Film Review by Lucy Clarke Greasy spoons are embedded in British culture. Although they’re just a cheap and cheerful café to get a plate…

Welcome to Movie DNA, a column that recognizes the direct and indirect cinematic roots of both new and classic movies. Learn some film history, become a more well-rounded viewer, and enjoy like-minded works of the past. This entry recommends movies to watch after you stream David Fincher’s Mank on Netflix. Let’s start off by stating that…

Nearly a century ago, a new hotel at the corner of Main and Bank streets was the talk of New Port Richey, Florida. The Hacienda Hotel was a luxurious building with pink stucco walls and a sprawling courtyard. In the decades since it was built, the Hotel has played host to movie stars, served as…

Crossing the Streams is our monthly look at all the offerings hitting the big streaming services each month, and this time we’re checking out the new Amazon Prime arrivals for December 2020. This month’s titles include a drumming movie that’s not Whiplash, a suspenseful female riff on Lord of the Flies, and more!  Amazon Prime…

Amigo Bob Cantisano, instantly recognizable with his waist-length dreadlocks and handlebar mustache, can often be found searching for treasure in the California mountains. But he’s not looking for the gold which drew droves of miners to the area in the mid-1800s. Instead, Cantisano hunts for what those early migrants left behind—a trove of long-lost crops,…

Crews squelching their way through sewer systems in cities around the world sometimes find that they’re not alone. Their headlamps and flashlights occasionally fall across fellow creatures—rats scampering through the filth, or bugs, or even amorous amphibians. Some Victorian-era Londoners circulated stories about feral swine thriving down in the damp, and New York City residents…

★★★ Directed by: E.B. Hughes Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonWritten by: E.B. Hughes Starring: Denny Bess, Reyna Kahan, Mark Borkowski, Don Striano, Ron Rey Read moreRobert Stack Finally Solves a Mystery in ‘The Strange and Deadly Occurrence’,,Film Review by: ,,Jason Knight A man has just been released from prison. Can he…

Ladies and gentlemen, David Fincher is back. After the release of Gone Girl in 2014, the Fight Club, Se7en, and Zodiac director took a 6-year-long break to executive produce the Netflix show Mindhunter (which he also directed a few episodes of), but the legend has finally returned to gift us with another cinematic jewel. From the…

When Mongolia closed its borders earlier this year due to the pandemic, Marinel de Jesus was organizing an all-female trip there and filming the annual winter migration of nomadic families in the Altai Mountains. She focused her documentary work on female Kazakh herders, from the country’s largest ethnic minority. “While doing research on the Kazakh…

“He’s filming his kills.” Gravitas has released an official trailer for GetAWAY, a meta-slasher horror film from filmmaker Blayne Weaver. This first premiered at the deadCENTER Film Festival earlier this year, and arrives on VOD later this month for those interested in watching. Emma Norville stars as young actress Maddie, who lands a small role…

Luke Greenfield’s “Half Brothers” is a tale of two stories. One track gives the movie its title: two half-brothers who could not be more different meet for the first time when their father is dying. Because this is a comedy, disaster ensues. Their father dies suddenly, and because their old man loved puzzles, he sends…

“The moon is full and we must harness its power.” IFC Films has released a new US trailer for the kooky relationship comedy Blithe Spirit, a big screen adaptation of the classic stage play of the same name. This opens first in the UK this month, then in the US in February. An over-the-top spiritualist…

Until several years ago, I had no idea the extent of The Ventures‘ influence going far beyond their emblematic surf rock. They have more cultural clout than I ever would have given them credit for. The Ventures: Stars on Guitars is yet another opportunity to solidify their well-deserved legacy. It’s also supposedly the first documentary…

Sacha Baron Cohen and Ryan Long once shared a similar comic spirit. Not anymore. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonCohen, the rapscallion behind 2007’s “Borat,” now embraces Big Tech Censorship. Even worse? The British comic’s newest release, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” is as politically toothless as your average Stephen Colbert rant. Read moreRobert…

A walk through Pyrgi, an island town with a population around 1,000, is a colorful tour of geometric designs and motifs. As one of the “mastic villages” that once made the picturesque Greek island of Chios renowned and rich—the sap obtained exclusively from its mastic trees to make medicines, foods, liqueurs, and natural chewing gum…

When the pandemic hit, it halted the planned second season of HBO’s Emmy-winning “Euphoria,” resulting in this week’s minimized Christmas episode titled simply “Euphoria Part 1: Rue.” Filmed during the pandemic, the show that’s often so full of characters and settings that one can lose track has been reduced to a two-hander between a girl…

Two contradictory episodes open Steven J. Mihaljevich‘s The Xrossing, the lyrical suburban symphony that will be making its Australian premiere at the Revelation Perth Film Festival’s physical fest this year. Beginning with the discovery of the dead body of the 18-year old teenager Tracey Myers in Perth’s eastern hills, Shane Piggott‘s eclipsing drone footage pivots to…

Until the mid-16th-century, Europe’s minting techniques had not progressed from ancient Greek coinage, which was struck by hand using dies and a hammer. Eventually, this method became ineffective as a large amount of bullion was imported from across the world and the mints had trouble keeping up. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho…

In the congested traffic along a prominent Decatur thoroughfare, commuters may notice an unusual garden of giant metal sculptures, and a man playfully encouraging them to wake up from their lulled complacency. According the Clark Ashton, the exhibition’s sculptor and designer, the commuters are part of the “mechanical river,” and his garden, towers, and metal…