Michael Phillips

‘Fast and Furious’ director Justin Lin to direct adaptation of Kartemquin doc ‘Abacus’; casting TBA

August 14, 2020 at 3:21 p.m.

The Kartemquin Films-backed documentary "Abacus: Small Enough to Jail," about a tiny New York City Chinatown bank prosecuted for mortgage fraud following the 2008 financial crisis, is heading toward a...

‘Represent’ review: The art of the possible, painted by three aspiring midwest politicians

August 13, 2020 at 4:08 p.m.

Two truths remain contradictorily self-evident in the winning new documentary "Represent," a Kartemquin project distributed by Music Box Films, streaming Aug. 14 and screening in the smaller of the two...

Most silent films are lost forever. The Chicago Film Society found one that wasn’t really lost, ‘because hardly anyone knew it existed’

August 12, 2020 at 7:29 p.m.

"People love a lost-film story," says Becca Hall, director of operations at the nonprofit Chicago Film Society. "It gets to the core of what appeals to people about analog media....

Review: ‘Sputnik,’ a Russian spin on ‘Alien’ — and it’s good

August 12, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.

The clever and nicely gory "Sputnik" comes from Russia with love, slime, and an impressive lesson in efficient, low-cost pulp filmmaking. How is the gore "nice," exactly? It's in the...

‘Inception’ review: Hit the road again to DiCaprio’s dreamland, in all 70 millimeters

August 12, 2020 at 12:05 p.m.

So far, life in 2020 Chicago has played out like every Christopher Nolan movie put together, without the commercial appeal. And even fewer jokes. Time in our lives has transformed...

A damaged car is surrounded by downed tree branches on North Hamilton Avenue, Aug. 11, 2020, after a powerful storm tore through the area Monday evening in the West Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. A tornado was also confirmed to have touched down in Rogers Park Monday according to the National Weather Service.

Storms sweep through Chicago area, with high winds downing trees and utility poles

August 11, 2020 at 6:14 p.m.

High winds and hard rain swept through the Chicago area Monday, ripping off roofs, crashing trees to the ground and causing widespread power outages, but officials said the area generally...

Club Lucky, 1824 W Wabansia Ave is one of Allison and Kyle Peschel favorite places to hang out in Bucktown photographed Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015 in Chicago, IL.

‘One Vote’ review: The fateful 2016 election as seen from five voting stations nationwide — including Bucktown’s Club Lucky

August 7, 2020 at 12:55 p.m.

The Chicago Italian restaurant and tavern Club Lucky, located at Wabansia and Honore in the Bucktown neighborhood, routinely makes the local list of "most unusual places to vote." Now its...

All Stories