Notable and notorious IndieWire film critic David Ehrlich recently put out a social media call for film critic peers to join a weekly survey to discuss movie topics, answer questions, and highlight their work.  Representing Every Movie Has a Lesson, I, along with over 60 other emerging and established film critics including some of my fellow Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle members, accepted the invitation to participate.  I'm honored by the opportunity, and I hope my responses are chosen each week.  

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What’s the best Christmas movie for people who hate Christmas movies?

I really do not consider myself much of a hater of too many things, especially in the arena of movies. OK, you got me with Love Actually, A Christmas Story, Grease, and just about all things Terrence Malick. On the topic of Christmas, there are too many undeniable classics I adore. Yet, we all see how there are cable channels and Netflix genres devoted to the crap that creates the dislike fitting this question. The easy answer to this survey question is Die Hard. For me, I had to go darker, namely black, with Tim Burton’s Christmastime-set Batman Returns. This was the last IndieWire Critics Survey of 2018. I look forward to the chance to continue on in the next year.