Michael Phillips

Yes, and Ted Sarandos has already indicated his displeasure in anything more than 2 weeks. So.

This is an American patriot.

Apparently the Netflix algorithm picked up on the phrase “you ran guns to Ethiopia” and boom: prequel

Right on.

The State of Film Criticism – Museum of the Moving Image It’s become distressingly rare for arts journalists of all kinds to maintain staff jobs. For this free event, the Museum invites an illustrious panel to discuss the embattled profession of film critic...

NY-and-thereabouts friends: If you can swing by Astoria and the Museum of the Moving Image 4:30pm Sat. Nov. 1, I'll be here with these good people. movingimage.org/event/the-st...

They were already living in one of Chicago’s worst apartment buildings. Then came the ICE raid. In what appears to have been a warrantless operation, the federal government will not say how many people were detained, who remains in custody and what happened to the children.

They were already living in one of Chicago’s worst apartment buildings. Then came the ICE raid. Our story @chicagotribune.com breaks down the “mind-blowing violation of the Fourth Amendment” that occurred and the propaganda from the U.S. government.
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/19/i...

Favorite sign at one of the many, many rallies across America today, this one in Albuquerque: "I like my democracy neat, no ICE." Clearly the work of domestic terrorists.

And yet five of the nine would probably get rid of the Voting Rights Act for free

Next on my reading list. It can, and has, happened anywhere.

What an absolute treasure Diane Keaton was. Her wit never tired, nor did her style.

Laying the groundwork for martial law, with the instigating provocation to be named later, exceeds the meaning of "unusual."

Thanks to the good people at rogerebert.com. It's a sadly beautiful re-watch right about now, in the age of "five Watergates a month."

Kimmel won. Winning matters, wins are how we’re going to prevent this autocratic slide.

Texas Tech Moves to Limit Academic Discussion to 2 Genders

“I’m emotionally shellshocked right now,” said one professor in the Texas Tech system. “What does it say about academic freedom? It says we don’t have it.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/u...

I think there is a direct relationship between punishing people for mourning George Floyd and punishing people for not mourning Charlie Kirk.

Much obliged, Peter. Truly.

Working w the excellent @ninametz.bsky.social and our editor Doug George has made us all a little better, I hope. I'll be hanging around "Filmspotting" as needed, and inflicting my musical tastes weekly on Classical WFMT via "Soundtrack." To you all: Thanks for reading, and giving a damn. (3/3)

...I took the buyout. After 20 very good years here, straddling my two lifelong journalistic loves of theater (first four years, coming from the L.A. Times drama critic post to the Tribune's) and the movies, I feel nothing but gratitude for the chance to do this work in a great cultural city. (2/3)

A bit of news: The Chicago Tribune has deemed the post of film critic non-essential, and therefore zeroed-out that post. My options were to take a newsroom reassignment to be named later, or a buyout to be taken more or less immediately. So...(1/3)

My colleague is so right. The prospect of spending even a second being an uncredited unpaid story contributor to an AI collection of other people's ideas: not good.

‘Weapons’ review: The kids aren’t all right, but the movie works like a fiendish charm A missing children mystery collides with horror and, yes, humor, in “Barbarians” filmmaker Zach Cregger’s absorbing “Weapons.”

'Weapons' review: Some of the tonal change-ups may give you whiplash, but it's clever, well-acted and pretty gripping. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/07/w...

‘Freakier Friday’ review: A multiplied Disney reboot for the age of anxiety Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are two of many repeat players in “Freakier Friday,” and that’s good news. The script, less so.

"Is it fun? Almost? Kind of? Yes. Almost, and kind of. But there is a strain to it all. Doubling the bodies swapped ends up feeling like six times the chaos, not two: 'Cheaper by the Dozen' with a side of 'The Parent Trap.'” www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/06/f...

Siskel Center director Rebecca Fons is hired away by London’s Barbican Centre Rebecca Fons, the director of programming at the Siskel Film Center in Chicago since 2021, is the new head of cinema for London’s multidisciplinary Barbican Centre, effective Sept. 1.

Iowa's own Rebecca Fons is now Chicago's loss: The Siskel Film Centerprogramming director heads for London in September to become Head of Cinema for the Barbican Centre. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/28/s...

Colbert is a brilliant comedian, great interviewer & w good person. He has a million places in this new age to take his talents, be widely heard and make $$$. I hope he will.What is beyond rescue is much of the legacy media making decisions that will haunt them & their business for decades to come.

‘Superman’ review: This latest reboot opens strong, and that dog Krypto’s a pip Besides a very good dog named Krypto, James Gunn’s “Superman” gives us a five-star Lois Lane thanks to Rachel Brosnahan.

The Gunn conundrum continues with "Superman," one hour of which has and is a pretty good time, followed by a second hour fighting its own endless beat-downs that may still be going on. On the other hand: Krypto! And Rachel Brosnahan! www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/09/s...

‘Familiar Touch’ review: A coming-of-old-age story, compassionate and clear-eyed The writer-director Sarah Friedland and actress Kathleen Chalfant avoid every storytelling pitfall in a movie about a woman in a memory care facility.

An extremely good debut feature. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/06/27/f...

Column: Money and status aren’t everything. Try telling TV that. The preponderance of wealthaganda is odds with reality for most Americans. So what do these stories of status aim to do?

A-1 conversation between @ninametz.bsky.social and U Delaware Prof. Dominique J. Baker about TV's default wealthaganda impulse. Shows telling you money isn't everything love to say one thing while ogling another: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/06/18/c...

Column: How ‘Breaking Away’ helped a newbie cyclist conquer his inner critic Just when Tribune critic Michael Phillips thought his bike-packing weekend got the best of him, “Breaking Away” rode to the rescue.

Just got back from my first bikepacking excursion which KICKED MY ASS but in an instructive and lovely way. My column on how a 1979 charmer rolled out of the mists of time to assist. Particular thanks to Lisa Michurski and her fellow NY cyclists. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/06/19/c...

‘Ballerina’ review: Ana de Armas leads a bloody ‘John Wick’ spinoff Of course, it’s all fight scenes, which get tiresome. But Anjelica Huston plays a Russian mob boss in a moment worth waiting for.

'Ballerina''s most riveting action happens in the pause and then the delievery of Anjelica Huston's one-syllable exit line. Also, some of the mountain village adventure tourism, let's call it, has its charms. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/06/04/b...