CHICAGO – Theatrical satires of the Star Wars Universe are like the number of TV series the universe has wrought … too many to figure out if anything is worthwhile. But “Trade Federation” (subtitled “Or Let’s Explore Globalization Through the Star Wars Prequels”), presented by Otherworld Theatre in Wrigleyville Chicago, gets it right on.
President
‘Long Shot’ Awkwardly Combines Politics & Romance
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 4, 2019 - 7:38am![]() Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Long Shot” is a bit of a hybrid that can’t quite decide what it wants to be. Is it a political satire, or is it another in a long line of Seth Rogen stoner comedies with a little rom com thrown in for good measure? It’s a little of both, with the shaggy dog stoner comedy the dominant form … making it a somewhat jarring and incongruous fit with the more political elements of this comedy.
Fate of a Nation is Contemplated in ‘Fahrenheit 11/9’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 22, 2018 - 9:22pm![]() Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – You might think that “Fahrenheit 11/9,” the latest advocate documentary from provocateur Michael Moore, is all about Donald Trump and his diffident administration. But that’s not the whole thing, which is the strength of the film. Moore goes back to hometown Flint, Michigan, and other places in the USA, which exposes the symptoms rather than the Trump disease.
‘Elvis & Nixon’ is a True Story That’s Fit for a King
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 23, 2016 - 12:41pm![]() Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “When two great saints meet, it’s a humbling experience,” said Paul McCartney of John and Yoko. Well that also applies to “Elvis & Nixon.” Their meeting, albeit brief, has layers of meaning for our times – and their time – and the movie with the “E&N” title exposes that meaning with humor and grace.
