ICYMI

also, if any Chicago-based pubs/pods would be interested in doing a piece about this slate, or my plans for the Must-Watch Indies for the rest of the year, hit me up! I wanna get some butts in the seats for these great films!!

I’m guest programming the Must-Watch Indies series at FACETS starting in April! Each month I’ll be programming indie films that are singular works made outside the Hollywood studio system. My first slate of films starts screening on April 11th! 🎟️ Tickets and showtimes: facets.org/portfolio-ca... 🍿

this one is so special. a Chicago premiere! a great doc about filmmaking, a cool journalism teacher, and how important it is to speak truth to power even when you're just a kid!

todays must-read!!!

It was a pleasure speaking with @allyfield.bsky.social about her incisive new book LABOR OF LOVE: BLACK PERFORMANCE AND THE KISS THAT CHANGED FILM—a work I find to be equally revealing and thrilling. Our conversation via LA Review of Books.

"It's a story of resistance to the narrow view of Black people that film had circumscribed them to." Allyson Field talks about her new book to @812filmreviews.com: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/allyson-nadia-field-acts-love-black-silent-film/

ICYMI

"Shyne’s deep-rooted vision is the kind that grips you, eternally" re @812filmreviews.com @ebertvoices.bsky.social. Brittany Shyne's Sundance-winning documentary SEEDS at the Belcourt this Sat, Mar 28 (12:15pm, 6:15pm); Sun, Mar 29 (3pm); and Tue, Mar 31 (5:15pm) > bit.ly/Belcourt-SEEDS

I’m cackling

I really appreciate Cristian Carretero and Lorraine Jones’ evocative Puerto Rican lovers on the run drama ESTA ISLA, which rebels against genre conventions to discover something organic and mesmerizing. My review via @ebertvoices.bsky.social

@812filmreviews.com comes swinging once again on behalf of Puerto Rican cinema! Unfortunately, its distributor dumped it in two Chicago theaters (AMC Galewood and AMC Cicero, nowhere near the city's Boricua community) without much fanfare (press release was sent at 4 p.m. Opening Day!).

Been workin' my tail off over the last two weeks on #SXSW coverage, so you know what that means—review thread time!

The only thing you need to read this Sunday!! @pamhutch.bsky.social and @oldfilmsflicker.bsky.social in conversation -- talking Queen Kelly👑, C.A. Lejeune, feminist film history, silent festivals, Musidora, Iris Barry, and "the magic of film"! 🎞️❤️ oldfilmsflicker.substack.com/p/silent-fil...

“Every time they were making a film in the silent era, they were exploring the idea of what a film can be. Everyone who tried to get into filmmaking during this era had to have a vision.” A fantastic convo between Pamela Hutchinson and Marya!

Really enjoyed talking to the fab @oldfilmsflicker.bsky.social for this extended chat.

I’ve got a long one for you today! I had so much fun talking with author, critic and film historian @pamhutch.bsky.social about QUEEN KELLY, Louise Brooks, C. A. Lejeune, HÄXAN, and so much more! Read: oldfilmsflicker.substack.com/p/silent-fil...

We made our goal! @812filmreviews.com and I want to sincerely thank everyone who helped us out. Here is a photo of Miss Fanny, who is NOT enjoying life in quarantine. Hopefully she will get better soon. She'll be eleven in May. Here's hoping she's free by then!

I'm not in a place to do so, so please help out Marya and Robert. We don't know each other much but ran in the same circles for a hot sec and they both love this town and it's art so much. If you've got the means and ever gotten enjoyment from Chicago's film community, chip in. It's the thing to do.

help if you can!

If you've ever enjoyed Marya or her partner Robert Daniel's writing as I have, or you know what it's like to be stung by a big bill for a beloved pet please donate.

boosting to help my homies 🙏🏽

ICYMI

👇

I went to my day job today and got more bad news. Read below.

I hate to say it, but. . .things got worse. Screenshot with our terrible update. Donate if you can: gofund.me/b464eebef

We’re THAT close to our goal

Marya and Robert are almost close to the finish line. Help them cross it, especially if you are a cat lover. Come on, look at that kitty... ain't she a cute one?

We are just under $500 away from our goal. Thank you to everyone who’s helped so far!

for the nite owls

Help these great folks out if you can.

Help out Marya and Robert if you can!

Hey help these people out.

We are now 2/3 of the way to our goal!!

Y'all. . .it's been a year. Literally a year since Miss Fanny almost died from her heart attack and the world has come back for our necks. Literally my neck. Fanny got ringworm and gave me the ringworm. With our medical/cleaning fees. . . my savings are wiped out. Any help would be appreciated.

honestly this is pretty much the worst year of my life and the universe keeps piling on more shit

We’re about a 25% of the way toward our goal. Any help would be greatly appreciated 🙏🏾

Nearly 25% of the way to our goal!

We’re already 18% of the way to our goal. Thank you to all who have contributed 🙏🏾

Hey, folks, these good people and excellent writers need your help. And if you can't help, do share the below. Thanks.

I thought I was going home today. That’s being delayed because I found out Fanny and @oldfilmsflicker.bsky.social have ringworm. I’ll have to be away from for a few of days. In the meantime, between deep cleaning the apartment, PCR tests, etc we have to fundraise. I hate, hate, hate doing this.

"Part of a living archive, these ludic experiments curated by feminist collectives become lightning rods for hope, lifelines against the dystopian onslaught of the neofascist war machine and the apocalypse of AI slop."

Someone must have drugged me and took me to a totally different movie.

One of the bigger surprises of SXSW is Graham Parkes’ metaphysical sci-fi romance WISHFUL THINKING, which stars Maya Hawke and Lewis Pullman as a struggling couple whose love could literally move mountains. My review via Screen Daily

Whoever was manning the PA at the Alamo tonight at SXSW said, “If you have a Caucasian ticket, you can come in.” And everyone waiting said the what now?!

As V for Vendetta turns 20, director James McTeigue tells Robert Daniels about his scorchingly relevant dystopian thriller debut, auditioning Natalie Portman for the role of Evey, and drawing inspiration from ’70s political thrillers. https://boxd.it/32W

I really wish Alex Prager's DREAMQUIL worked for me. Also, its sleek design and many big swings by Elizabeth Banks in a dual role can't save a cliche narrative. My review via Screen Daily.

This is the kind of stuff that makes me miss SXSW.

For @letterboxd.social, I looked back with director James McTeigue on V FOR VENDETTA, and how the movie, twenty years later, very much still resonates.

Hell yeah. Really excited for this one.