Movies
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Emotional complexity, melodramatic wit and masterful acting in 'May December'
Nov 16, 2023 12:00 pm - “May December” — ★ ★ ★ ½ There is hardly a false note in “May December,” an audaciously self-aware, mischievously funny and emotionally complex drama that defies si...
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Taika Waititi's 'Next Goal Wins' is a sweet, frothy diversion but no knee slide
Nov 16, 2023 12:00 pm - “Next Goal Wins” — ★ ★ In “Next Goal Wins,” a soccer coach comes from far away to lead a hapless group of athletes. He's a fish-out-of-water type, ill-suited for th...
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With the odds in its favor, the Hunger Games return in 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes'
Nov 16, 2023 5:45 am - “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” — ★ ★ ½ Two hours and 37 minutes is pretty long for a “ballad,” but you can't call it “The Hunger Games: The Th...
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Nicolas Cage finds fame to be highly overrated in chillingly funny 'Dream Scenario'
Nov 16, 2023 5:00 am - “Dream Scenario” — ★ ★ ★ Quick: What's a good adjective for Nicolas Cage's screen presence? Mercurial, perhaps? Volcanic? Volatile? How about mundane, schlubby, ave...
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What to stream this week: Dolly Parton rocks out, 'The Crown' returns, 'Rustin' creates a march
Nov 14, 2023 12:00 am - Colman Domingo's incredible performance in the civil rights biopic "Rustin" and Dolly Parton's rock music album are some of the new television, movies, music and games h...
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'The Marvels' melts down at the box office, marking a new low for the MCU
Nov 11, 2023 10:00 pm - NEW YORK - Since 2008's "Iron Man," the Marvel machine has been one of the most unstoppable forces in box-office history. Now, though, that aura of invincibility is show...
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Nia DaCosta makes her mark on Marvel history with 'The Marvels'
Nov 10, 2023 5:00 am - NEW YORK - Nia DaCosta, director of the upcoming "The Marvels," has a diagnosis for the recent struggles of superhero movies. It basically comes down to, she says, "Mo' ...
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A serene debut from Raven Jackson in 'All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt'
Nov 10, 2023 5:00 am - “All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt” — ★ ★ ★ Nature provides much of the soundtrack to “All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt,” a poised and occasionally transcendent debut from w...
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Documentary on 'Teaching the Holocaust' by South Elgin High students wins film fest prizeNov 09, 2023 10:00 pm - A documentary filmed and edited by students from the Beacon Magnet Academy of Media and Digital Arts at South Elgin High School, called "Teaching the Holocaust: Beyond F...
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Timely doc 'Common Ground' gives us the dirt on ineffective, deadly farming practicesNov 09, 2023 5:00 am - “Common Ground” — ★ ★ ★ ½ An open letter to filmmaker Adam “The Big Short” McKay: Dear Mr. McKay, I have a perfect idea for your next movie — a dramatic version of ...