Beth Capper
Articles by Beth Capper
Dense Diary
Diary of the Dead a dull zombie apocalypse
Sublime wallowing in America's oil fields
P.T. Anderson and Daniel Day Lewis wow audiences with There Will Be Blood
Major promise, minor delivery
‘The Orphanage’ a mediocre mélange of ‘Pan's Labyrinth’ and ‘The Devil's Backbone’
Lonely old men and the people who love them
‘Starting Out in the Evening’ paints a grim but moving portrait of human relationships
Alternative to what?
Though it presents itself as hip and counterculture, Juno sends an alarmingly mainstream message
Marjane Satrapi
Issue #34
The comix artist animates the Iran revolution with the film version of her award-winning book, Persepolis
Guns, drugs, and old men
The Coen brothers' latest and greatest is about a place that really is No Country for Old Men — or anyone else for that matter
Penciling in history
The tale of secret love in a Nazi concentration camp is brought to life in Michèle Ohayon’s documentary Steal a Pencil For Me
On the road again
Gypsy Caravan a stand-out documentary about a Romanian band’s nomadic way of life
Don’t call it a comeback
The third time may be the charm, but the fourth time can be a real blow — which is the case for The Invasion
Death of the auteurs
Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni and Swedish director Ingmar Bergman died 12 hours apart on July 30, 2007
Marge-inally satisfying
The Simpsons Movie falls short of expectations
Not another Vietnam movie
Hollywood film strikes with a stunning attack to the intellect in Rescue Dawn
Hi-tech bots and nu-metal
Transformers is polluted with product placements and patriotism
The business of spin
Michael Moore’s Sicko covers the U.S. health-“care” system
Punch first, think later
Twelve years since the series’ last film, Live Free or Die Hard doesn’t disappoint
This Week in Cinema (06.11.07)
Disturbing as it is, Crazy Love tries to make abuse funny
This Week in Cinema (06.03.07)
With confusing plot lines and tired characterizations, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End pales in comparison to the original
This Week in Cinema (5.17.07)
The Low-budget 28 Weeks Later is fast-paced and predictable
This Week in Cinema (5.16.07)
Spider-man 3: Multiple storylines make this sequel to a sequel hard to follow
This Week in Cinema (04.24.07)
WWII indie drama Black Book portrays life of an undercover spy in Nazi-occupied Holland
This Week in Cinema (04.19.07)
Centering around writer Clifford Irving’s ‘scam of the century,’ The Hoax is a compelling surprise
Chicago International Documentary Film Festival
The 2007 Chicago International Documentary Festival revisits Italian mafias, Chicago’s gentrification process, and the death of a Black Panther member
Grindhouse
Tarantino catapults the b-movie genre into the 21st century
This Week in Cinema (03.28.07)
Reign Over Me
This Week in Cinema (03.22.07)
Mafioso
This Week in Cinema (03.12.07)
The Number 23
This Week in Cinema (02.23.07)
Oscars Rundown: Our film columnist takes a look at this year’s Best Picture nominees
This Week in Cinema (02.12.07)
The Animation Show 2007
This Week in Cinema (02.05.07)
The Italian: This story of a Russian orphan offers a compelling plot but pushes too hard for a happy ending
This Week in Cinema (01.30.07)
Inland Empire and Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock?
This Week in Cinema (01.08.07)
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
This Week in Cinema (12.11.06)
The History Boys
This Week in Cinema (12.05.06)
Absolute Wilson
This Week in Cinema: Robert Altman Dies at Age 81
The venerable director departed for the Nashville in the sky on 11.20.2006
This Week in Cinema (11.13.06)
Borat and 49up
The devil knows what Sidney Lumet’s been up to
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke star in postmodern update on the family crime drama in Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
This Week in Cinema (10.31.06)
Death of a President and Lunacy
This Week in Cinema (10.23.06)
The Host and American Hardcore
Music Box Massacre (October 14-15 2006)
Loud Organs, Old Demons, and Sticky Substances: A Film Series to Make You Go Mad, Mad, Mad …
Les Georges Leningrad
Venus Zine explores a love-hate relationship with the ever-evolving Montreal group
This Week in Cinema (10.10.06)
The Departed and Al Franken: God Spoke
Estrojam 2006
Nina Hagen, Lesbians On Ecstasy, and Team Dresch headlined the four-day fest
Erase Errata
Issue #29
Guitarist-vocalist Jenny Hoyston converses on the political slant of the San Francisco band’s new album
Scene & Unheard: Spain
Issue #29
You don’t have to speak Spanish to enjoy the sounds of these bands
Caught Up in a Song, No. 4: Jeffrey Lewis
The singer-songwriter and comic-book artist remembers a life-changing radio show
Caught up in a song, No.3: The Fiery Furnaces
Matt Friedberger discusses his childhood record-buying habits
Going solo
Electrelane’s Ros Murray and Verity Susman discuss their side projects
Caught up in a song, No. 1: the Mountain Goats
John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats tells you about his flash-frozen-into-his-brain moment with Barbara Morgenstern
Various Artists
Issue #28
The Sound the Hare Heard (Kill Rock Stars)
Scene & Unheard
Issue #28
Sweden
Sonic Youth
Issue #28
An essential guide to the band celebrating its 20th release, Rather Ripped
Calvin Johnson
The K Records label boss and Beat Happening front man talks about his favorite music documentaries, small-town artist collectives and how the Internet has transformed access to underground music scenes
Wolf Eyes at the Empty Bottle
The Detroit noise band leaves something to be desired at their Chicago show
One for the kids...
Dave Eggers' 826 Project helps cultivate the talents of young writers across the United States
Doug Martsch
Issue #27
The Built to Spill frontman talks about his experiences of the Seattle-Olympia scene, his youth in Boise, and his unique method of translation
Sterling's instrumental rock mesmerizes hipsters in Chicago
Members of Atombombpocketknife and Milemarker combine heavy metal with ornate instrumentation in an engaging performance.
Brighton, England
Take a trip to London by the sea
