Roger Ebert: The Life & Death of a Chicago Journalist Jack note: I originally published this piece on my ChicagoNow media blog “Eye on Chi” on April 4, 2013, the day that one of my heroes, Roger Ebert, passed away at age 70. In honor of th…

A forever thank you to Roger Ebert for everything.

@ebertvoices.bsky.social

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The Columbine massacre was on this date in 1999. Instead of energizing our country to get gun violence under control, it kicked off a new normal. One of the best explanations ever of journalism's destructive impact on mass shootings came from Roger Ebert in his review of Gus Van Sant’s “Elephant.”

The Best Version of the Thing: Steven Soderbergh on "The Christophers" An interview with the legendary director about his newest film.

“I can just go to the material I’m interested in & then determine what kind of filmmaker I want to be to present it.”

For @ebertvoices.bsky.social, I spoke w/ THE CHRISTOPHERS director Steven Soderbergh abt being a creative chameleon, artistic legacy, & stress testing new technologies:

The Best Version of the Thing: Steven Soderbergh on "The Christophers" An interview with the legendary director about his newest film.

"On a narrative, emotional, and philosophical level, it's a very active film; it just happens to be contained.”

@zacharylee.bsky.social spoke with Steven Soderbergh about THE CHRISTOPHERS, artistic legacy, & stress testing new technologies:

Power Ballad review: John Carney plucks chords of hope from heartbreak A movie that constantly surprises you by plucking chords of hope from a heartbreaking narrative.

Shameless plug for my @ebertvoices.bsky.social review:

Power Ballad When Rick (Paul Rudd), a past-his-prime wedding singer, meets fading boy-band star Danny (Nick Jonas) during a gig, the two bond over music and a late-night jam session. But when Danny turns one of…

Last but not least, I hold a soft spot for POWER BALLAD, a movie that constantly surprises you by plucking chords of hope from a heartbreaking narrative. Playing Saturday, 5/2 for @@chicagocritics.bsky.social 🎟️:

If I Go Will They Miss Me Twelve-year-old Lil Ant transforms his working-class neighborhood beneath the LAX flight path into a living mythology, where family members become gods and the sky is crowded with endless departures.…

You won't see a better movie about Greek mythology this year than IF I GO WILL THEY MISS ME. A @chicagocritics.bsky.social selection that explores what happens when protection gets in the way of presence. Walter Thompson-Hernández's film is worth seeing in all of its intimate glory. 🎟️:

Late Fame Legendary New York poet Ed Saxberger's forgotten works captivate an eccentric group of young creatives, reigniting his artistic passion. Their intrigue intertwines with the bewitching presence of…

I've been enamored with LATE FAME since I saw it & am delighted it's playing @@chicagocritics.bsky.social. Kent Jones gem starring Willem Dafoe & Greta Lee is about the need for someone to hear us thoroughly just once & the joy of having our story receive the grace of being beheld. 🎟️:

We Broke the Loop: Ian Tuason and Nina Kiri on "undertone" The director and star of A24's atmospheric horror film talk fear, faith, and turning the filmmaker's family home into a haunted house.

Now on digital VOD, I loved chatting with UNDERTONE director Ian Tuason & star Nina Kiri on the film’s spiritual wavelength and how they created a horror film that explores the reality that we’ll always care for our loved ones imperfectly. For @ebertvoices.bsky.social:

Maddie's Secret MADDIE’S SECRET is comedian, writer, and actor John Early’s critically acclaimed directorial debut starring himself as Maddie, a plucky dishwasher who leaps to viral superstardom at a trendy food…

Also worth checking out from @chicagocritics.bsky.social is MADDIE'S SECRET. John Early's film soars on the fuel of its open-hearted sincerity & reminds us that we don’t have to follow the world’s recipe for success; we’re beloved enough that we can freestyle on our own and still be whole. 🎟️:

Carolina Caroline Acclaimed director Adam Carter Rehmeier’s romantic crime thriller stars Samara Weaving (READY OR NOT, BORDERLINE) as Caroline Daniels, whose desire to leave her small Texas town brings her into the…

This week I'll highlight titles from @@chicagocritics.bsky.social worth checking out:

1st up is CAROLINA CAROLINE. Sexiness & tragedy sizzle off the screen thanks to Samara Weaving, Kyle Gallner, & a smooth-as-whiskey score from Christopher Bear 🎟️:

Doomscrolling the Abyss: Daniel Goldhaber and Isa Mazzei on Reimagining Horror in “Faces of Death” When John Alan Schwartz’s “Faces of Death” came out in 1978, it emerged at a time when the proliferation of violent images wasn’t as ubiquitous as it is today. The mondo-horror film…

"We've taken for granted that this is what the internet is ... but we are capable of constructing a better social media.”

I spoke w/ Daniel Goldhaber and Isa Mazzei about FACES OF DEATH, cheese pizza, reimagining our online existence, & being digital prophets: cinemafemme.com/2026/04/11/d...

Beyond Film Fest, The Biggest Genre Festival In US, Makes Its Chicago Debut This Weekend The festival is bringing 31 features to the Music Box, including the new Bob Odenkirk action film “Normal” and a 4K restoration of the 2008 film “Speed Racer.”

For @blockclubchi.bsky.social I preview what Chicagoans can expect for the Beyond Chicago Film Festival, which kicks off at the @musicboxtheatre.bsky.social today!

“Questions of the Soul”: Director Brian Tetsuro Ivie and Star Sydney Chandler on Anima Zachary Lee interviews director Brian Tetsuro Ivie and star Sydney Chandler on Anima, their sci-fi, SXSW-premiering film.

Your Sunday read: incredibly blessed I could have a thoughtful chat with ANIMA director Brian Tetsuro Ivie and star Sydney Chandler about ANIMA. For Filmmaker Magazine, our convo on how shooting on film is an act of prayer & the importance of mystery in the creative life:

‘Reminders of Him’ Is a Love Story About Forgiveness After Prison The latest Colleen Hoover adaptation finds surprising poignancy in the story of a formerly incarcerated woman navigating reentry and stigma amid a surprise romance.

For @sojo.net, I got to interview the oomfs, Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers about forgiveness, prison reform, and motherhood:

Forbidden Fruits review: Lili Reinhart shines in sapphic witch thriller This is for those who like their sisterhood slashers dashed with sapphic yearning.

I'm quite high on FORBIDDEN FRUITS, which operates at a more cosmically tragic level if you devote your time to it, but it works just as well if consumed in the background of a sleepover where the gossip and liquor are flowing freely. My @ebertvoices.bsky.social review:

‘They Will Kill You’ Review: Zazie Beetz Slays in a Devilish,  Kill-the-Rich Horror Genre Mash-Up SXSW: Director Kirill Sokolov delivers raucous thrills in a tale of sisters who fight their way out of Hell.

Emerging from chrysalis to share more work from SXSW. First up being THEY WILL KILL YOU, one of the most bonkers and madcap action films to ever come from the studio system. My review for @thewrap.com:

“The Devil Won’t Wait for You”: Radio Silence on Ready or Not 2: Here I Come Zachary Lee discusses Ready or Not 2: Here I Come with co-directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, AKA Radio Silence.

“I’m sick of living in a world where the bad guys win.”

For Filmmaker Magazine I got to chat w/ Radio Silence about READY OR NOT 2 HERE I COME, the increased candle budget, and what gives them the strength to resist despair: filmmakermagazine.com/133457-inter...

Stunning!

SXSW 2026: baby/girls, Manhood, Drift On three docs tackling everything from young mothers to tall buildings to male insecurity from this year's fest.

"Where they could have just been sensationalized stories, they are instead projects that present their subjects with grace and understanding,” writes @zacharylee.bsky.social about BABY/GIRLS, MANHOOD, and DRIFT.

Sirât? You mean MAD LAXE: FURY RAVE?

Didn't love TRAP HOUSE, but Inde Navarrette's work in that film did solidify that the ingredients for her maniacal turn in OBSESSION have been there all along. Can't wait for people to experience her unique flavor of unhinged

Li Jun Li and Yao on Representing Asian Americans in the South in "Sinners" Asian American Arts Alliance supports the work of New York City's Asian American artists. Since 1983.

For @aaartsalliance.bsky.social, I also spoke with Li Jun Li and Yao:

Defined In Isolation: Ryan Coogler on "Sinners" An interview with the director about the soulful undertones of his genre-defying period thriller.

SINNERS deservedly received sixteen nominations, including BEST PICTURE and BEST DIRECTOR. For @ebertvoices.bsky.social, I spoke with Ryan Coogler:

'Weapons' Is a Movie at War with Itself Zach Cregger’s follow-up to 'Barbarian' sees him exploring similar territory about the evils of suburbia, with sprawling (and uneven) results.

Amy Madigan was nominated for BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS for her turn in WEAPONS. I reviewed the film for @movie-web.bsky.social:

'Frankenstein' review: Guillermo del Toro tells his most personal story yet Guillermo del Toro tells his most personal story yet in 'Frankenstein,' starring Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi as the mad doctor and his creation.

FRANKENSTEIN received nine nominations, including BEST PICTURE and BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR. I reviewed the film for @movie-web.bsky.social:

Chase Infiniti is Chicago’s latest claim to fame - Chicago Reader A Q&A with the young actor and Columbia College Chicago graduate making her feature film debut in One Battle After Another

At this point it's easier to name the awards ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER hasn't won. For @chicagoreader.com, I spoke with Chase Infiniti:

The Alabama Solution movie review review: This focus on what happens both inside and outside the prison walls makes “The Alabama Solution” transcend mere documentation.

THE ALABAMA SOLUTION was nominated for BEST DOCUMENTARY. I reviewed it for @ebertvoices.bsky.social:

'It Was Just an Accident' Asks Tough Questions in Searing Style From Iranian writer-director Jafar Panahi, the winner of this year's Palme d'Or is a simple, yet gut-wrenching drama about the nature of forgiveness.

I also reviewed the film for @movie-web.bsky.social:

Nothing Closes the Doors to Creating: Jafar Pahani on "It Was Just an Accident" An interview with the acclaimed Iranian director about his latest work of cinematic resistance.

IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT was nominated for BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM and BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY. For @ebertvoices.bsky.social, I spoke with Jafar Panahi: