Dann Gire
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Flying nanny returns in spirited sequel to 'Mary Poppins'Dec 18, 2018 2:30 pm - “Mary Poppins Returns” - ★ ★ ★ It may not be super, but it still qualifies as a califragilisticexpialidocious sequel to Walt Disney's 1964 live-action/animated mashup m...
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Gire on Penny Marshall: Hollywood's most unassuming, barrier-bashing directorDec 18, 2018 12:00 am - I asked budding filmmaker Penny Marshall back in the 1980s what she liked best about directing a movie. "Ooooohh, I'm trying to figure out what I like about it," she rep...
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Teen battles angst - and zombies! - in horror musical 'Anna and the Apocalypse'Dec 05, 2018 10:15 am - “Anna and the Apocalypse” - ★ ★ ★ If Chicago's cinematic poet of teenager angst, John Hughes, had created a melodious mash-up of “High School Musical” and “Shaun of the ...
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Cinematic gifts: 7 new movies to put the HO HO HO in your holidaysNov 25, 2018 6:00 am - Every Christmas, Santa stuffs our movie theaters with an abundance of cinematic gifts, hoping to offer something for everyone's taste and interests. Here come seven of m...
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Movie review: Boxing sequel fails to live up to its 'Creed'Nov 20, 2018 11:00 am - “Creed II” - ★ ★ ½ Ryan Coogler's 2015 “Creed” rebooted the “Rocky” franchise with a fresh and metaphorically punchy twist that recast Philly boxer Rocky Balboa as a su...
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Illinois 200: Illinois provides the setting for cinema favoritesNov 18, 2018 6:00 am - Maybe Illinois has produced so many cool movies because it offers such a vastly diverse spectrum of locations to tell highly visual stories. Or maybe our state has pumpe...
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Movie review: 'The Front Runner' a better journalism story than political dramaNov 15, 2018 5:00 am - “The Front Runner” - ★ ★ ★ Jason Reitman's “The Front Runner” may not be the best example of political drama, but it should be mandatory viewing for students of journali...
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Movie review: 'Instant Family' marries laughs, tears before devolving into crass comedyNov 14, 2018 10:00 am - “Instant Family” - ★ ★ ½ For once, an advertising tagline accurately summarizes a film: “Instant Family: Just add chaos, laughter, awkwardness, mistakes and love.” “Inst...
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Movie review: Benedict Cumberbatch's 'The Grinch' no match for animated originalNov 08, 2018 5:00 am - “The Grinch” - ★ ★ ½ You're not a mean one, Mr. Grinch. At least not mean enough to be called “a monster” in a song. Not near mean enough for lyricists to describe your...
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Movie review: 'The Girl in the Spider's Web' spins misconceived sequel to 'Dragon Tattoo'Nov 07, 2018 10:00 am - “The Girl in the Spider's Web” - ★ ★ “The Girl in the Spider's Web” wastes no time in establishing itself as one of the most misconceived movie sequels ever made. It be...