Dawn Porter in conversation with @812filmreviews.com tonight at @musicboxtheatre.bsky.social!! I'll also be introducing Sara Dosa's brilliant new documentary TIME AND WATER!

for the afternoon crowd

We couldn’t have asked for a better opening night for the 13th edition of our festival than back-to-back sold out screenings of THE INVITE and THE FLY, both on 35mm, or a more gracious opening night guest than the brilliant Olivia Wilde. 📸 Kate Scott Photography

Marya killed it last night!!

It was. . .quite a night to remember moderating the Q&A for THE INVITE with Olivia Wilde at tonight's opening of @chicagocritics.bsky.social

I have an essay in this release of Hiroshi Okuyama’s MY SUNSHINE, a sweet and profound coming of age figure skating story that I saw at Cannes in 2024 and has only grown in my estimation.

Editors 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾

This week’s guide is super long because this weekend is the @chicagocritics.bsky.social fest and then Cannes, so I have decided to include the entire month of May in one guide. It’s got film festivals, screening series, rare screenings in 16mm and 35mm, new films from around the world, and more.

I wish I was bigger fan of RZA’s ONE SPOON OF CHOCOLATE, a film that starts off very strong but soon peters out. My review.

Criterion Venerates Three Essential Works of ’90s Black Cinema with “John Singleton’s Hood Trilogy” -by Robert Daniels www.rogerebert.com/dvd-blu-ray/...

Watching Baby Boy. Cannot remember if I’ve seen it before. Wild seeing my neighborhood in all of its turn of the century glory. The car wash and liquor store where Jody and Sweetpea have scenes in the first 20 minutes are both gone now.

"Through copious deleted scenes, we get a sense of how [John] Singleton stitched his films together. Each deleted scene is revealing of this artist’s process and rewarding for any aspiring director to witness." - @812filmreviews.com on the Criterion "hood trilogy." www.rogerebert.com/dvd-blu-ray/...

“[The boxset] completes the vision of a director like Singleton, who made his films for the people and by the people.” For @ebertvoices.bsky.social, I reviewed Criterion Collection’s release of John Singleton’s Hood Trilogy.

"This pristine box set is an imperative tribute to one of cinema’s great, paradigm-shifting directors,” writes @812filmreviews.com about Criterion’s release of John Singleton’s Hood Trilogy, which includes BOYZ N THE HOOD, POETIC JUSTICE, & BABY BOY.

For the early evening crowd

It was lovely to converse with smart people about movies!

Seven years after his death, John’s Singleton legacy of giving voice to a young Black generation endures. With his ‘Hood Trilogy’ of films entering the Criterion Collection, we revisit a director who shook American cinema.

Seven years after his death, John’s Singleton legacy of giving voice to a young Black generation endures. With his ‘Hood Trilogy’ of films entering the Criterion Collection, we revisit a director who shook American cinema.

ESSENTIAL!!!!

great list here from Robert!

Sometimes you’ve just got to be honest about Taylor Lautner in ABDUCTION.

With the Criterion Collection releasing John Singleton's Hood Trilogy, I took on the tall task of ranking the director's nine features for @vulture.com!!

It's Gotham TV Awards time! With me, @tomilaffly.bsky.social, @812filmreviews.com, @judysquirrels.bsky.social, and @briantallerico.bsky.social picking the best... films? www.indiewire.com/awards/resul...

Chicago:

Big news!

JUST ANNOUNCED! Star Judy Greer will be joining directors Edd Benda and Stephen Helstad for the post-screening Q&A after CHILI FINGER! CHILI FINGER screens at @musicboxtheatre.bsky.social on May 5th at 7PM Get your tickets now: musicboxtheatre.com/films-and-ev...

This one is straight from the heart. I hope you'll read it! www.rogerebert.com/ebertfest/lo...

If I had the stones to do it, there’s a film I’d write an entire piece comparing MICHAEL with.

With MICHAEL the question isn’t whether you can separate the art from the artist. It’s whether you can separate the victims from the artist.

So this happened!! I was on Victor Blackwell’s FIRST OF ALL on CNN talking about my review of MICHAEL.

Reporting for duty @mkefilm.bsky.social 🫡

I’ve lots of writing to share today! First up: I reviewed Rashad Frett’s RICKY, a film I was very mixed on at Sundance but liked a bit more upon rewatch. Mostly because of Stephan James’ fantastic performance. My review via @ebertvoices.bsky.social

Honored to speak to @aishaharris.bsky.social for a very special episode on Michael Jackson, his estate, and his legacy as a new authorized biopic opens tomorrow

CHICAGO!! TONIGHT!!! Over at FACETS, you have one last chance to see Kristen Stewart's THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER on the big screen like the lord intended, then at 9pm is our final screening of OBEX followed by a Q&A with co-writer-producer-DP Pete Ohs, moderated by me!!!

“This isn’t a movie. It’s a filmed playlist in search of a story,” writes @812filmreviews.com about MICHAEL.

Oh lord

Well…. This was worth the read lol

Robert and I both agree that Bubbles the Chimp is the most three-dimensional character in this movie, and that Colman Domingo is surprisingly bad.

"MICHAEL isn’t a movie. It’s a filmed playlist in search of a story."

The final screening of @albertbirney.bsky.social's lo-fi sci-fi horror fantasy adventure OBEX at FACETS is Thursday night at 9:00pm followed by a Q&A with co-writer, producer, and DP Pete Ohs moderated by yours truly. You won’t want to miss it!! Tickets: facets.org/programs/obex/

Still cackling over how Odie describes Colman Domingo in MICHAEL: “the love child of Rudy Ray Moore’s Dolemite and Blacula."

"Antoine Fuqua might’ve had some cameras and microphones on hand to produce moving images and sound for this estate-approved King of Pop biopic. But make no mistake about it: “Michael” isn’t a movie. It’s a filmed playlist in search of a story."

This isn't just a regular biopic. It's funded by Jackson's estate. They sued HBO to remove LEAVING NEVERLAND, a documentary where survivors of Jackson's abuse shared their horrific stories. This movie is a blatant attempt to rehabilitate his legacy, to increase his popularity and their revenue.

The word is out, "Michael" is doin' wrong! My audience was talking back to the screen and acting like this was a good movie. My audience needed its ass beat. ("Beat it1 Beat it!") Because this is, well, you know, BAD! E-E-E!!! www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/21/a...

Before I could even ask myself, “Gee I wonder what Robert would think—“ *opens Bluesky* 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠

I knew MICHAEL was going to be bad but I didn't realize that it doesn't even include Janet Jackson AT ALL. Good lord.

well there's the surprise of the century.

There was no reason for this movie to exist in the year of our Breakdancing Baby Jesus 2026

Let me be straight with you: MICHAEL is horrid. My review via @ebertvoices.bsky.social