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Oh man…Keanu. I am not embarrassed to say that I absolutely love Keanu Reeves . There was a long, snarky period where it was hip to hate on the guy. All of the cheap jokes, the “whoa” memes, the theater-kid eye rolls (and I come from theater, I’ve done the storefront thing, wrote and directed plays, I know the vibe). He was always the easy punchline at actor parties. I never bought it. I’ve defended Keanu since the very beginning and I’ll keep doing it. Do some roles stretch

I enjoy wearing nice pants, but it's getting warm out there, so how about some shorts? Some Film Critic Shorts? They fit. They are on, and I am ready to review five new movies in this week's capsule (short) movie reviews for Friday, June 6th, 2025. 1) THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME It is now official: I've had it with Wes Anderson . And that's not something I say lightly. I loved his early work. Bottle Rocket , Rushmore , and especially The Royal Tenenbaums  — that's a perfect three-f

One of the absolute joys of watching certain genres—whether action, adventure, sci-fi, fantasy, or spy thrillers—is seeing our heroes get absolutely wrecked and yet somehow miraculously keep going. When a main character gets shot, stabbed, blown up, thrown off a building, crushed, run over, electrocuted, or beaten to within an inch of their life… and yet, they still  get back up and keep fighting. Well, except when the movie is terrible, as in the recent release of Novocaine

I have peppermint bark all over my Film Critic pants. I need to wipe them off for another week of film releases! Only two new movies are featured in this week's capsule (short) movie reviews for Friday, December 20, 2024. Because it is a slow week, I included a few movies still in theaters that I recommend you check out. 1) MUFASA: THE LION KING So, let's see if I can get this straight: "Mufasa" is a prequel to Disney's classic 1994 animated adventure "The Lion King,"  but no

For over a year, "Auditorium Philms"   has been one of the most exciting features in the Auditorium Theater's programming and concert schedule. At each Philms event, a classic movie is projected on a big screen, and the film's music is performed by a live orchestra from the Chicago Philharmonic . Julie and I have attended several Philm events, including the most recent one last Saturday featuring Francis Ford Coppola 's 1992 version of Bram Stoker's Dracula . I had mixed feel

Football season is underway, and while I am not the world's biggest football fan, I do enjoy a good football movie. So, in honor of the start of football season, I have assembled my top 10 favorite football movies of all time. These choices might not represent the game in its most accurate or purist form but they are entertaining and, in some cases, really remarkable films. Have I left any out? If so, please share your choices with me on my podcast voicemail line: 773-417-694