‘Eddington’ analyzes beliefs gone wild

Some would say – and quite astutely at that – there’s plenty of madness to go around these days, and they’d be right. But where and when did this begin? Many would increasingly agree that a good place to start looking would be the COVID-19 Pandemic, a time when fear was ratcheted up, conspiracy theories ran amok, “protective” measures slid into excessive overreach, neighbors routinely spied on (and often made unsupported accusations about) neighbors, and people’s imaginations were let loose without restraint. What began as an alleged but widely legitimized public health crisis soon spilled over into myriad other areas of life as tempers, paranoia and disinformation flared to new heights. So why did this happen?

2025-09-24T04:44:31-05:00July 28th, 2025|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Can I Get a Witness?’ appraises the price of paradise

“Can I Get a Witness?” (2024 production, 2025 release). Cast: Sandra Oh, Keira Jang, Joel Oulette, Zaa Nkweta, Shaz Far, Casey Kenneth Wright, Yuki Morita, Ben Immanuel, Patrick Gallagher, Naika Toussaint, Andre Anthony, Oscar Chark, Jude Wilson, Cassandra Sawtell, Tedra Rogers, Ally Battaggia, Kymo Van Oers, Jovanna Burke. Director: Ann Marie Fleming. Screenplay: Ann Marie Fleming. Web site. Trailer. Successfully vanquishing global ills like environmental degradation, economic inequality, insufficient health care and armed conflict in order to purposely create an earthly paradise is undeniably an ambitious and virtuous goal that most of us would probably support. The benefits of creating a healthy, sustainably managed future are undeniable. But how far would we be willing to go to realize it? The [...]

2025-09-03T16:55:22-05:00July 15th, 2025|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews, Sci-Fi|

‘How to Make Millions’ puts life into perspective

There are things in life more important than money, but sometimes we lose sight of that, unwittingly allowing our perspectives to become seriously skewed. Unfortunately, this usually happens most often when family-related considerations are involved. And those flawed perceptions, in turn, can become even further distorted when money is tied up with those familial matters, particularly when inheritance concerns loom. Such is the case for a Chinese-Thai family facing the prospects of what will happen to the assets of its terminally ill matriarch.

2025-08-28T07:39:09-05:00July 13th, 2025|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

A Tremendous Honor

It's with tremendous pride and pleasure to announce that I have been officially accepted as a new member of the Chicago Indie Critics organization, a group of professional film reviewers who celebrate the diversity in film and film criticism, especially in my favorite (and often-underappreciated) genres -- arthouse movies, documentaries and foreign releases. This is a truly great honor, and it represents much welcomed, long sought-after recognition of my work in this area. I look forward to adding my voice to this esteemed chorus, as well as meeting and greeting a new circle of like-minded cinema peers.

2025-08-12T17:19:53-05:00July 10th, 2025|Announcements, Movie Discussion, Movie Reviews|

For the Love of Magic (and Vice Versa)

For many of us, notions related to witchcraft and the supernatural frequently conjure up images of things scary, menacing, even evil. But those who freely engage in these practices are often frustrated by just how misunderstood their ways are perceived by others, gestures that are generally intended for beneficial purposes, especially when it comes to the processes of self-discovery and manifesting one’s hopes and dreams. And one area in which those aims are particularly true is in the romance department, regardless of one’s lifestyle or orientation.

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