Posts in SPECIAL
FESTIVAL COVERAGE: Second year of the drive-in program of the 57th Chicago International Film Festival

Last year’s Drive-In offerings for the 56th Chicago International Film Festival were a big success at the ChiTown Movies location in the Pilsen neighborhood. Continuing that success, the Drive-In program has returned with its classic format for the upcoming 57th Chicago International Film Festival. Five drive-in features will be presented at 2343 South Throop Street. Tickets to the Chicago International Film Festival drive-in screenings, and the full program and drive-in schedule are available online now.

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FESTIVAL COVERAGE: Previewing the headliners of the 57th Chicago International Film Festival

The prestigious 57th Chicago International Film Festival will run from October 13-24. Spinning out of a virtual 2020 year of limited online screenings, drive-in accommodations, and a limited slate, this year’s festival roars back to expand across the city. After many years centered at the AMC River East homebase location, the 57th CIFF is branching out across the Windy City. Film events will also be hosted by The Gene Siskel Film Center, the historic Music Box Theatre, the returning drive-in ChiTown Movies in Pilsen, and neighborhood pop-up screenings at Bronzeville’s historic Parkway Ballroom. This proud festival finally has the full coverage across the city it has long deserved.

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SPECIAL EVENT: Previewing Wizard World Chicago 2021

Wizard Brands, Inc. is proud to announce that the 23rd edition of its flagship national event, Wizard World Chicago, will officially make its triumphant return on October 15-17, 2021, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. As a sign of tremendous good faith in this COVID era, all tickets purchased for the originally scheduled event in 2020, also postponed from August 2021, will be honored. Event tickets, photo op, autograph appointments and more are available online right now at the Wizard World website.

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MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Seeing and Believing" Podcast with Kevin McLenithan

Recently, I had the pleasure of joining Kevin McLenithan of the long-running "Seeing and Believing Podcast,” part of the Christ and Pop Culture site and podcast network as one of a series of interim hosts. Kevin and I are both members of Chicago Indie Critics and his faith-flavored perspective has always been topical, honest, and outstanding. His regular co-host Wade Bearden has retired from the show for other ventures and this new episode talking about the new James Bond movie No Time to Die was Kevin’s first run on “Seeing and Believing” leading the ship. I was honored to talk about a stellar movie and temporarily fill some big shows.

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PREVIEW: 7th Annual Irish American Movie Hooley

Folks, it’s been a year, but fortunes and health are looking up enough to maybe get back to some good old fun. As the Irish say, when a party gets rowdy, they call it a “hooley.” For movie fans, I think it’s high time we mix a little whiskey with our night out. As the Irish like to say, when a party gets rowdy, they call it a “hooley.” With that vibrancy in mind, the 7th annual Irish American Movie Hooley returns to the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago this weekend. This resident Chicagoan with Irish roots has you covered.

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MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Kicking the Seat" YouTube roundtable for "What If..." Episode 6

MY 75TH APPEARANCE ON KICKING THE SEAT! Not that it reached a Keyser Soze level, but episode 6 of rhe animated What If…? series gave us a taste of what would happen in a “bad guy wins” scenario. Michael B. Jordan was featured heavily in a reality where he rescues Tony Stark before he ever becomes Iron Man and uses his new platform as a long game to infiltrate Wakanda. A selection of “Earth’s Mightiest Critics” on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel talked it all over. Enjoy Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat, myself, Mike Crowley of You’ll Probably Agree, and Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions pledging our allegiances .

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MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Kicking the Seat" YouTube roundtable for "Shang-Chi"

A new Marvel movie, and a very special one at that, summons “Earth’s Mightiest Critics” on Ian Simmons’s Kicking the Seat roundtable. The runaway success that is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has inspired audiences instantly. It sure hit strong with us film critics too, but, just not all of us. Enjoy Ian, myself, Annie Banks of Chuck Load of Comics, David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel, Mike Crowley of You’ll Probably Agree, and Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions to hear praises and one big strong dissenting opinion. Come to the show, but don’t listen to that guy. Enjoy the movie!

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MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Kicking the Seat" YouTube roundtable for "What If..." Episode 5

What kind of thing can swerve superheroes? Zombies! 2009 called and they want their gimmick back. That said, superpowered zombies is a plenty interesting idea. Leave it to the animated What If…? to try it on for size with its fifth episode. The roundtable of assembled critics on the the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel came away split on our takes of approval or disapproval. Watch and listen to Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat, myself, Annie Banks of Chuck Load of Comics, David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel, Mike Crowley of You’ll Probably Agree, and Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions show you who’s who with that division.

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MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Kicking the Seat" YouTube roundtable for "What If..." Episode 4

For the first time on this inaugural season of What If…? the entire roundtable of assembled critics on the he Kicking the Seat YouTube channel came away gloriously impressed. The fourth episode of What If…? this week presents a very Doctor Strange-centered episode that evokes drama and act with equal concentrations. Watch and listen to Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat, myself, David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel, Mike Crowley of You’ll Probably Agree, and Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions put our thoughts together on this intriguing episode as this show starts to settle into its zone.

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MEDIA APPEARANCE: Guest on the "Kicking the Seat" YouTube roundtable for "What If..." Episode 3

The swerves are on! On this week’s What If…? the narrative was dominated by an unseen assassing knocking off Avengers candidates before they could become a team. You know who isn’t knocking off people? Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast! His YouTube channel gathers “Earth’s Mightiest Critics” for his weekly roundtable of “What If… We Talked about What If…?” The group of Ian, myself, David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel, Annie Banks of Chuck Load of Comics, and Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions put our thoughts together on this intriguing episode as this show starts to settle into its zone.

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