Feature

The more things changed, the more they remained the same for American movies. Superhero films and sequels still held sway at the box office as the top five grossing movies fell into one of these two categories, while more IMAX and other large screen venues were built than in any other year on record. Meanwhile, […]

Movies are about moments – big moments that erase our cynicism about cinema and remind us of its capacity to dazzle, quiet scenes that succeed in touching our hearts. This happens in a way only possible with a medium that seamlessly combines so many other art forms. There are instants that prompt us to consider […]

Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence in Columbia Pictures’ American Hustle. PHOTO BY FRANCOIS DUHAMEL Grand performances move Hustle Deception, denial and blind ambition are at the core of David O. Russell’s American Hustle, a wildly ambitious, relentlessly engaging and darkly humorous tale that features not only some of the […]

PHOTO BY GINNY LEE On Wednesday, Dec. 4, outside Room 2250 in Menard Hall on the campus of Lincoln Land Community College, well-dressed young adults pace nervously, awaiting the moment they enter to participate in the LLCC 2013 Honors Recital in progress. Inside the room a black Steinway grand piano dominates the center of the […]

As 2013 draws to a close, the arts in Springfield are in an exciting place. Local visual artists, theatrical performers and musicians have rarely had so many opportunities to gain exposure, with a growing number of active, adventurous venues and curious, enthusiastic audiences becoming the norm rather than the exception. Simultaneously, established and emerging artists […]

At first glance, it should be a matter of simple mathematics. If there are x number of mouths to feed in any given city, then that city should support y number of grocery stores. The industry rule of thumb, according to David Livingston, a Milwaukee-based grocery store consultant, is one store for every 10,000 people. […]

The 65-mile Lincoln Heritage Water Trail spans two historic sites – the Lincoln Homestead State Park and the New Salem State Historic Site PHOTO BY BEN KINNINGHAM Rivers have dictated the history of life itself, drawing to it animals, with humans in their wake. There are celebrated, legendary and notorious rivers – rivers that rage […]

Sleight of Hand is a 10-minute stop motion film by Michael Cusack of Adelaide, Australia. This film will be presented Sat., Nov. 2, in the morning session. The festival takes place at Capital City Bar and Grill. For more than 10 years, the Route 66 Film Festival has been screening independent films from around the […]

This year’s annual Project Censored list of the most underreported news stories includes the widening wealth gap, the trial of Pfc. Bradley Manning for leaking classified documents, and President Obama’s war on whistleblowers – all stories that actually received considerable news coverage. So how exactly were they “censored” and what does that say of this […]

Amon Paul Carlock performed as Klutzo The Clown for kids and had never been in trouble with the law before his arrest. The death of A. Paul Carlock of Springfield haunts Sangamon County nearly six years after the police officer turned clown died during a stint in the county jail. Charged with possession of child […]