Reviews – Page 9 – The Columbia Chronicle

Play about immigrant struggles touches audiences

March 10, 2014

Seen as the ultimate melting pot of old and new, America has long been a destination for immigrants dreaming of success and opportunity. Steppenwolf Theatre’s new production “Russian Transport” exp...

‘Pompeii’ overflows with cliches

By Stephen Hall

March 3, 2014

Even impressive explosions and wanton destruction cannot help some movies escape mediocrity. The new action-adventure film “Pompeii” by director Paul W.S. Anderson (“Resident Evil,” “Death Ra...

Canadian banjoist brings folk to Chicago

March 3, 2014

Jayme Stone is proof there is still a place for traditional folk music in the modern world. Although it is encouraging that folk has found its way into pop music with the help of bands like Mumford & ...

Mardi Gras lives in Chicago

By Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

March 3, 2014

New Orleans Mardi Gras celebrations usually involve bright purple and yellow masks, beads, boobs and traditional New Orleans jazz, but in Chicago, it is the blues community that brings the spirit of Mardi Gras.Mardi Gras, which falls on March 4 this year, celebrates Fat Tuesday, the day before the first day of Lent, a Catholic fasting period during which followers give up something they enjoy for 40 days as a sacrifice to ...

Robo-stop right there

By Stephan Hall

February 24, 2014

The original 1987 “RoboCop” was poorly written, excessively violent and downright hokey. However, its novel concept, impressive special effects and dark sense of humor made it a memorable classic.The 2014 “RoboCop,” released Feb. 12 by Brazilian director José Padilha, falls short for the same reasons but with none of the charm or technical bravado that redeemed the original. The film joins the growing number of forg...

Second act trumps Honey and Buffalo

February 17, 2014

An experimental, string-heavy, folk-country group, Honey and Buffalo, tried its best but didn’t quite mesh in the intimate setting of Schubas Tavern, 3159 N. Southport Ave., on a frigid February week...

Anything but Angels

By Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

February 10, 2014

Putting on their most comfortable pair of jeans to let loose, Chicago’s mid-lifers gathered Feb. 5 to dance awkwardly to the grooving sounds of The Black Angels at Park West, 322 W. Armitage Ave.On paper, th...

An ‘Awkward’ Romantic Comedy

February 3, 2014

Romantic comedy narratives tend to be the most simplistic. Audiences who attend these films generally do not expect Shakespeare. They want predictability and flawed yet endearing characters that become lik...

Radler serves up German comfort food

February 3, 2014

A few blocks north of the California Blue Line stop, the Radler, a German restaurant born of chefs Nathan Sears and Adam Hebert, is a warm respite from Chicago’s miserable weather.The Radler opened i...

Schuba diving for Perfect P—y

January 27, 2014

In Chicago, concertgoers will inevitably encounter many beards. Each beard is indicative of a different demographic: Big beards represent seasoned mosh veterans and little beards express the spry Wicker Park...

‘Holy Motors’’ dizzying narrative will divide audiences

By Sam Flancher

October 21, 2012

The divisiveness of “Holy Motors” was evident at its premiere at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.Met equally with cheers and boos, veteran French director Leos Carax’s film of audacious, polarizing proportions refuses critical consensus. With its grand assemblage of generic elements, “Holy Motors” frustrates as often as it astounds.The film begins with an image of Carax in a dream state as he surveys a movie theate...

Rambunctious Rocky riles up Congress Theater

October 14, 2012

A$AP Rocky played the Congress Theatre October 11 with Danny Brown and ScHoolBoy Q.Helicopter sound effects, operatic scales and the strumming of a harp underlined A$AP Rocky’s cracked voice as he opened h...