April 18, 2024, on Planet 93.9 with Dave and Darren — “Civil War,” “Arcadian,” “Vanya,” and “Hundreds of Beavers”



Mike Schulz, Dave Levora, and Darren Pitra chit the film chat for a tight fifteen. Schulz liked what he saw this week, which disappointed Levora, who finds Schulz to be most fun when he’s attacking some form of abominable tripe. No luck this week, Dave.

The films under discussion:

Continue reading April 18, 2024, on Planet 93.9 with Dave and Darren — “Civil War,” “Arcadian,” “Vanya,” and “Hundreds of Beavers”


April 11, 2024, on Planet 93.9 with Dave and Darren — “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” “In the Land of Saints and Sinners,” “Ripley,” “The New Omen,” “Monkey Man,” “Wicked Little Letters,” and “Problemista”



Mike Schulz has overcome last week’s problem (car died, again) to make it into studio to jaw with Dave Levora and Darren Pitra about stuff cinematic. Schulz credits the fine folk at Uber for making the film-going experience sans automobile an enjoyable one, even when the films proved underwhelming or even anti-whelming.

These are the films that Schulz has reviewed:

Continue reading April 11, 2024, on Planet 93.9 with Dave and Darren — “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” “In the Land of Saints and Sinners,” “Ripley,” “The New Omen,” “Monkey Man,” “Wicked Little Letters,” and “Problemista”


March 28, 2024 on Planet 93.9 with Dave and Darren — “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” “Road House,” “Shirley,” “Immaculate,” and “Late Night with the Devil”



Mike Schulz, Dave Levora, and Darren Pitra take an extended stroll down Memory Lane with the films from 1989. Road House wasn’t the only film released that year, you know. That’s what Wikipedia tells us, anyway.

To the movies, ladies and gentlemen!

Continue reading March 28, 2024 on Planet 93.9 with Dave and Darren — “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” “Road House,” “Shirley,” “Immaculate,” and “Late Night with the Devil”


March 21, 2024 on Planet 93.9 with Dave and Darren — “Arthur the King,” “Love Lies Bleeding,” “One Life,” “The American Society of Magical Negroes,” and “Snack Shack”



Mike Schulz was over the moon with Dave Levora and Darren Pitra about how many films he was able to watch and review (five) and still visit his mother in Chicago. Good job, homie.

Here, now, the reviews:

Continue reading March 21, 2024 on Planet 93.9 with Dave and Darren — “Arthur the King,” “Love Lies Bleeding,” “One Life,” “The American Society of Magical Negroes,” and “Snack Shack”


March 14, 2024 on Planet 93.9 with Dave and Darren — “Imaginary,” “Cabrini,” “Kung Fu Panda 4,” and “20 Days in Mariupol”



Mike Schulz, Dave Levora, and Darren Pitra sound alarmed about the possibility of another mic having fritzed out, leaving Pitra to shout out his contributions from the bleachers. Not this time, baby! Schulz was happy with the Oscar production and the films that won (mostly). Ryan Gosling’s “Ken” song? Who could resist that? And he was happy with his rate of Oscar predictions, having missed only five of them, having tied for last year.

Here, now, the movies:

Continue reading March 14, 2024 on Planet 93.9 with Dave and Darren — “Imaginary,” “Cabrini,” “Kung Fu Panda 4,” and “20 Days in Mariupol”


More Citizen Intelligence, Less Artificial Intelligence Needed: Todd McGreevy & AD in the Morning on WQUD Discuss the March Edition of River Cities’ Reader



River Cities’ Reader publisher Todd McGreevy talks with WQUD GM Aaron Dail and Pat Jones, Sancho Panza to Dail’s Don Quixote, re recent highlights, both online and within Issue N° 1019. Joining the two for half of the discussion is Li Arellano, the former mayor of Dixon, Illinois, and one of three Republicans vying for the open 37th District state Senate seat at present. (The other candidates are Chris Bishop, former Dixon teacher and a member of the Dixon City Council, and Tim Yager, a member of both the Henry County Board and the Henry County Farm Bureau.) McGreevy solicits Arellano’s opinion re the recent state efforts to push Donald Trump off their ballots — since decided by the Supreme Court to be the provenance of Congress, not the states — and both question the legality of such efforts, given that (to date) Trump hasn’t been convicted of any federal offense that would mandate such pre-emptive actions.

Continue reading More Citizen Intelligence, Less Artificial Intelligence Needed: Todd McGreevy & AD in the Morning on WQUD Discuss the March Edition of River Cities’ Reader


March 7, 2024 on Planet 93.9 with Dave and Darren — “Dune: Part Two” and “Spaceman”



Mike Schulz, Dave Levora, and Darren Pitra discuss Schulz’s recent reviews as well as the Oscars, airing this Sunday — and breathe out. Owing to technical issues, however, what should be an audio three-way sounds like one of the participants — in this case, Darren — has been mixed waaaay down in the feed. Technical issues in the studio left the three with only two working mics, so Levorac, mensch that he is, elected to give Schulz his mic. Bear that in mind as the discussion proceeds, ‘kay?

On to the movies, then! Wagons ho!

Continue reading March 7, 2024 on Planet 93.9 with Dave and Darren — “Dune: Part Two” and “Spaceman”


February 29, 2024 on Planet 93.9 with Dave and Darren — “Drive-Away Dolls” and “Ordinary Angels”



Mike Schulz, Dave Levora, and Darren Pitra have a comparatively brisk tête-à-tête. Next week, they’ll be on about the Oscars. And Dune: Part Two.

Continue reading February 29, 2024 on Planet 93.9 with Dave and Darren — “Drive-Away Dolls” and “Ordinary Angels”


February 22, 2024 on Planet 93.9 with Dave and Darren — “Bob Marley: One Love,” “Madame Web,” and the 2024 Oscar-Nominated Short Films: Animated and Live Action



Dave Levora told Mike Schulz how he regrets not being present when MS saw Madame Webb: “I love it when you just tee off on a film,” he said. Levora’s not the only one — Darren Pitra presumably shares it. And good kids who eat their cereal get a healthy dose of irony with each spoonful!

The films in questions:

Continue reading February 22, 2024 on Planet 93.9 with Dave and Darren — “Bob Marley: One Love,” “Madame Web,” and the 2024 Oscar-Nominated Short Films: Animated and Live Action


Todd McGreevy & AD in the Morning on WQUD Discuss the February Edition of River Cities’ Reader



River Cities’ Reader publisher Todd McGreevy talks with WQUD GM Aaron Dail re recent highlights, both online and within Issue N° 1018. The first one-and-a-half minutes that you don’t get to hear concerns Dail’s admiration of Bruce Walters’s Buried Stories profile on Helen Van Dale for the latest issue:

Continue reading Todd McGreevy & AD in the Morning on WQUD Discuss the February Edition of River Cities’ Reader