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Articles by Eric Althoff

(Eric Althoff)

Ebertfest filmmaker Michael Polish said Roger Ebert believed in his work

Filmmaker Michael Polish related to the Ebertfest audience Thursday afternoon that it was Roger Ebert's belief in him and his abilities that pushed he and his filmmaking twin brother, Mark, to stretch their artistry in their movies. It was appropriate, then, that Mr. Polish's 2003 film, "Northfork," would screen at the critic's festival. "Northfork," co-written by the Polish brothers, was introduced by Ebert's widow, Chaz Ebert, who said her late husband called the film "a masterpiece."

April 15, 2016
Cliff Curtis, left, and James Napier Robertson attend the LA Premiere of "The Dark Horse" held at The Theatre at Ace Hotel on Wednesday, March 30, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

‘The Dark Horse’ chess film from New Zealand shines light on mental illness of Genesis Potini

When New Zealand chess great Genesis Wayne Potini began hearing -- and responding to -- voices in his head, he descended rapidly into barely contained madness, which ended his professional career prematurely. From then on no one expected much of the former champ as he bounced in and out of mental institutions and lived a transient life, often neglecting his medications and winding up warehoused by the state yet again. "I was immediately kind of captivated by him as a character, as a person," said filmmaker James Napier Robertson, the writer and director of "The Dark Horse," a film about Potini opening Friday in the District.

April 14, 2016
Filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro during the opening ceremony at the 68th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Wednesday, May 13, 2015. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Guillermo Del Toro begins Ebertfest 2016 with ‘Crimson Peak’ screening

Chaz Ebert welcomed the crowd to the 18th Annual Roger Ebert's Film Festival, also known as "Ebertfest," Wednesday evening at the Virginia Theatre, where Roger Ebert started the festival, now in its 18th year. Ms. Ebert then brought to the stage the eccentric Spanish director Guillermo Del Toro, whose 2015 "gothic romance" "Crimson Peak" opened this year's festival.

April 14, 2016
The author (left) gets his adrenaline on with the help of instructor Trevor Gibbs at iFLY Loudoun in Ashburn, Virginia.

Indoor skydiving available an hour from D.C. at iFLY Loudoun

Finally, for those in the District without a pilot's license, there's now a way to fly. A 45-minute drive west of the nation's capital is iFLY Loudoun, the latest outpost of the indoor-skydiving franchise that allows customers to both experience free fall without every stepping foot into an aircraft and to train for a career as a professional skydiver.

April 12, 2016
A mural by Diego Rivera on a government building in Mexico City. (Eric Althoff)

‘Paint the Revolution’ exhibit highlighting Mexican change to bow at Philadelphia Art Museum

Because the Mexican Revolution was not in fact televised, it was instead recorded in art form. This fall the Philadelphia Museum of Art will showcase "Paint the Revolution: Mexican Modernism: 1910-1950," an exhibition that details how and why murals in and around Mexico City reflected the drastic changes and upheaval that helped usher Mexico into the 20th century.

April 11, 2016
(Youtube)

Ian Astbury of The Cult never had ambitions to be a rock singer

Ian Astbury never had ambitions to be a rock god, saying that he intended to go to art school when he was asked to sing lead for The Cult, the hard-charging British rock group. "I was never a careerist. I never thought of this as something I wanted to do," Mr. Astbury told The Washington Times. Mr. Astbury and The Cult will descend upon The Fillmore Silver Spring in Silver Spring, Maryland, Sunday evening as part of their tour to promote their most recent album, "Hidden City."

April 10, 2016

Tom Arnold shares stories about Roseanne Barr, ‘True Lies’ in Arlington Drafthouse shows

Tom Arnold will share stories with audiences Saturday evening at the Alamo Drafthouse and Cinema in Arlington, Virginia. Mr. Arnold, who filmed much of "True Lies" in and around the District, said that because audiences will already have some familiarity with his personal life and history, it will allow for a shorthand with those who come to the Drafthouse.

April 9, 2016
This image released by Sony Pictures Classics shows Don Cheadle as Miles Davis in a scene from, "Miles Ahead." (Brian Douglas/Sony Pictures Classics via AP)

Don Cheadle directs, stars in Miles Davis biopic

Perhaps Don Cheadle never knew he was so cool. But when Miles Davis' nephew, Vince Wilburn Jr., decreed that only Mr. Cheadle could play the jazz great in a film, Mr. Cheadle sat up and took notice. It took a decade, but on Friday moviegoers throughout the District can see Mr. Cheadle channel the coolest man who ever lived in "Miles Ahead," in which he not only plays Davis but also directs and co-wrote the screenplay.

April 8, 2016
Molly Ringwald. (Alexandra Wyman/Invision/AP)

Molly Ringwald sings jazz standards on current tour

You likely recall her as Claire, the popular but insecure teen trapped in detention with five other misfits for a day of self-discovery in the seminal Brat Pack comedy "The Breakfast Club" from 1985 -- or perhaps from her over 50 other film and TV credits. But what you may not know is that Molly Ringwald can also sing.

April 7, 2016

‘People v. OJ Simpson’ shows how divided culture was on race — and still is

Tuesday evening's finale episode, aptly and simply titled "The Verdict," brought the 10-week must-see event to a close in high-drama fashion, not only recreating the final moments of Simpson's yearlong trial but also re-festering the incomparable wounds that the entire affair sullied upon America's soul. The outstanding, sublime Courtney B. Vance as Johnny Cochrane breaks down in tears watching as then-President Clinton weighs in on the verdict, assuring that a celebrity murder trial had become, for better or worse, the biggest news in the nation.

April 7, 2016
Singer Jewel Kilcher attends ";Howard Stern's Birthday Bash," presented by SiriusXM, at the Hammerstein Ballroom on Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Singer Jewel shares stories from life on ‘Picking Up the Pieces’ tour

In 1995 Alaska native Jewel's debut album, "Pieces of You," was drawing raves and sales galore when she was but 21. The album, certified platinum 12 times over, made the single-named artist (whose full name is Jewel Kilcher) and her rocky life story the stuff of rock legend. The singer/songwriter will perform at the District's Warner Theater Thursday evening as part of her "Picking Up the Pieces" tour, the album a sort of spiritual sequel to her smash debut from two decades earlier.

April 5, 2016

Calvert Brewing Company of Maryland using state’s most historic family name

Vintner Mike Scarborough said the transition to making beer was as natural as turning hops, malt and barley into golden liquid delights. "I've just come to the conclusion that beer has become the new wine," Mr. Scarborough said of his Calvert Brewing Company, which opened to the public this spring in Upper Marlboro.

March 28, 2016
(dinealonerecords.com)

Dandy Warhols among bands coming to D.C. for spring shows

As the weather warms and the cherry blossoms bloom, some of the music world's best acts will be heading to the District for concerts celebrating new albums. Here are a few acts and dates to keep your eyes out for:

March 27, 2016
Peter Lanzani (left) and Guillermo Francella in a scene from the Argentinian fact-based thriller "The Clan." (miaminewtimes.com)

MOVIE REVIEW: ‘The Clan’ movie from Argentina adds black comedy to mass murder

"The Clan" is one of the most intriguing films I have seen in some time. Based on a true story, it tells the tale of a family of Argentine ransomers who nab rich people from the streets while maintaining the exterior of a middle-class normalcy, maintaining jobs, relationships and the veneer of neighborliness, while beneath their floorboards lies a dungeon of horrors. That it is based on actual happenings only ups the unease we experience beholding what occurs -- as well as the seeming detachment the kidnappers and murderers exhibit to outsiders.

March 24, 2016