Alejandro A. Riera
@alejandroariera.bsky.social
Writer, editor, critic, movie lover, Doctor Who fan, proud to be a boricua, a cubano and a gallego. Curmudgeon extraordinaire. You can find my writing here https://alejandroariera.substack.com and at times at outlets like the Chicago Reader.
Meanwhile, in Chicago...
Chicago’s Comedy Scene Steps Up as ICE Clamps Down
ICE raids in Chicago have triggered a “NATO situation,” with the city’s comedians delicately fashioning comedy into a tool of resistance.
www.bloomberg.com
December 7, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Meanwhile, in Chicago...
Like Eddie Palmieri, who died last August, Rafael Ithier was "una institución." His orchestra, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, was known as "The University of Salsa" not only because of the countless generations of musicians who learned the craft playing with him but its swing and showmanship.
Muere Rafael Ithier, el fundador de El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico
El músico y arreglista puertorriqueño tenía 99 años
www.primerahora.com
December 7, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Like Eddie Palmieri, who died last August, Rafael Ithier was "una institución." His orchestra, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, was known as "The University of Salsa" not only because of the countless generations of musicians who learned the craft playing with him but its swing and showmanship.
Many of this new generation of film critics who grew up venerating Tarantino and his disciples will also, at some point, be rid of his shit. And then they'll start appreciating the movies more instead of trying to out snark each other before and after a press screening (IYKYK).
No bullshit, I'm that guy. I'm the guy who took community college film classes with an honest to God Quentin Tarantino poster on my wall. Not just of his movies. Of him. I was the very quintessence of a Tarantino fanboy.
So when I'm officially done with his shit, something has gone very wrong.
So when I'm officially done with his shit, something has gone very wrong.
December 7, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Many of this new generation of film critics who grew up venerating Tarantino and his disciples will also, at some point, be rid of his shit. And then they'll start appreciating the movies more instead of trying to out snark each other before and after a press screening (IYKYK).
👇👇👇👇👇
When we talk about physical media, we are often only taking about personal collections but a big part of shunning the current digital ecosystem is supporting your local library. Not just for print books and periodicals but for movies, games and other medias too. Get. A. Library. Card.
December 6, 2025 at 10:20 PM
👇👇👇👇👇
Even Chicago was touched by his talent. The Jay Pritzker Pavilion is, without a doubt, one of the best outdoor concert venues in the city:
Frank O. Gehry, Titan of Architecture, Is Dead at 96
www.nytimes.com
December 5, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Even Chicago was touched by his talent. The Jay Pritzker Pavilion is, without a doubt, one of the best outdoor concert venues in the city:
Eat your heart, Alamo Drafthouse (added bonus: the Davis is a REAL THEATER):
Joe Swanberg’s Video Store Finds New Home At The Davis Theater
Analog, Swanberg’s subscription-based pop-up, revives the browsing experience and curated selections of video rental’s heyday. It’s housed in the Davis’ cocktail lounge.
blockclubchicago.org
December 5, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Eat your heart, Alamo Drafthouse (added bonus: the Davis is a REAL THEATER):
Reposted by Alejandro A. Riera
For the record. Duh.
December 5, 2025 at 2:15 PM
For the record. Duh.
Reposted by Alejandro A. Riera
It’s increasingly clear that we live in a world by and for billionaires now, but the movies have always been a stridently democratic art form. The spaces where indie films thrive need to be protected and we are losing sight of that in an ever growing sea of corporate content.
December 5, 2025 at 1:12 PM
It’s increasingly clear that we live in a world by and for billionaires now, but the movies have always been a stridently democratic art form. The spaces where indie films thrive need to be protected and we are losing sight of that in an ever growing sea of corporate content.
Yep, the Supreme Court really is just a House of Lords—a purely political branch with bizarre veto power, wielded capriciously and without accountability. Time for massive reform.
December 5, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Folks, vote for Cynthia...vote for the Chicago Latino Film Festival...vote for Destinos...shit, vote for every single Latino name you see. Great way to show your support and help us raise our voices in this most difficult of times for our community.
The Chicago Reader's Best of Chicago 2025 voting has begun.
I'm listed in the Best Novelist category with these stellar authors.
When you're done voting for all Chicago Arts and Culture, don't forget to vote in the other categories!
Vote: chicagoreader.com/best-of-chic...
I'm listed in the Best Novelist category with these stellar authors.
When you're done voting for all Chicago Arts and Culture, don't forget to vote in the other categories!
Vote: chicagoreader.com/best-of-chic...
December 5, 2025 at 1:33 AM
Folks, vote for Cynthia...vote for the Chicago Latino Film Festival...vote for Destinos...shit, vote for every single Latino name you see. Great way to show your support and help us raise our voices in this most difficult of times for our community.
Reposted by Alejandro A. Riera
Tarantino quickly turning into the David Mamet of his generation: a filmmaker that writes fantastic scripts, and whose dialogue I could listen to for hours, but every time they open their mouths I just think less of them.
December 4, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Tarantino quickly turning into the David Mamet of his generation: a filmmaker that writes fantastic scripts, and whose dialogue I could listen to for hours, but every time they open their mouths I just think less of them.
Reposted by Alejandro A. Riera
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has proposed disastrous cuts to our city's libraries while setting aside $5M for a ShotSpotter replacement. As library associate Sara Heymann told me, “Libraries embody everything we need to fight back against fascism.” My piece on what’s at stake and how to fight back:
You Can’t Fight Fascism While Defunding Libraries
“Libraries embody everything that we need right now to fight back against fascism," says Sara Heymann.
organizingmythoughts.org
December 3, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has proposed disastrous cuts to our city's libraries while setting aside $5M for a ShotSpotter replacement. As library associate Sara Heymann told me, “Libraries embody everything we need to fight back against fascism.” My piece on what’s at stake and how to fight back:
Reposted by Alejandro A. Riera
Had a conversation with a famous actor last night who got right into it and bemoaned the extinction of film criticism as a viable profession. Understood the loss to culture. Said it’s how he *learned* as a young man what cinema and acting could do. Nice to be seen by someone used to being looked at.
December 4, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Had a conversation with a famous actor last night who got right into it and bemoaned the extinction of film criticism as a viable profession. Understood the loss to culture. Said it’s how he *learned* as a young man what cinema and acting could do. Nice to be seen by someone used to being looked at.
What the man said (cont.).
Yep, I'm a CD guy and it bugs the shit out of me when some of my favorite recording artists, especially jazz musicians, release their new material only through streaming platforms.
Yep, I'm a CD guy and it bugs the shit out of me when some of my favorite recording artists, especially jazz musicians, release their new material only through streaming platforms.
You can’t be pro-physical media for one thing while being ok with, and complicit in, the real time collapse of integrity in another. If we want physical media to survive, it’s not just Blu-ray’s. It’s also records/tapes/CDS, printed books, hard copies of video games. All of it is one ecosystem.
December 4, 2025 at 1:08 PM
What the man said (cont.).
Yep, I'm a CD guy and it bugs the shit out of me when some of my favorite recording artists, especially jazz musicians, release their new material only through streaming platforms.
Yep, I'm a CD guy and it bugs the shit out of me when some of my favorite recording artists, especially jazz musicians, release their new material only through streaming platforms.
What the man said...
I feel like the physical media narrative is lost. So many who champion analog in regards to movies, that advocate for Blu-ray and 4K discs over streaming of those films, have seemingly zero issue with using services like Spotify while not also buying records. Physical media is all of it.
December 4, 2025 at 1:06 PM
What the man said...
And yet, the city's hoi polloi still celebrate him. Screw 'im.
ugh this mf’ing parking meter deal:
“Chicago’s inspector general confirmed in 2019 that the city had sold out for far less than the lease’s value. A report by Bloomberg Business said CPM [the company the city sold to] stood to earn about **10 times what it paid** over the life of the contract”
“Chicago’s inspector general confirmed in 2019 that the city had sold out for far less than the lease’s value. A report by Bloomberg Business said CPM [the company the city sold to] stood to earn about **10 times what it paid** over the life of the contract”
December 4, 2025 at 12:44 PM
And yet, the city's hoi polloi still celebrate him. Screw 'im.
Finally watched it and it's…oh…so…brilliant!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJxz...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJxz...
'Forks Out': A Benoit Blanc Sesame Street Mystery | Wake Up Dead Man | Netflix
YouTube video by Still Watching Netflix
www.youtube.com
December 3, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Finally watched it and it's…oh…so…brilliant!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJxz...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJxz...
THIS ISLAND, is I am not mistaken, is the first Puerto Rican film to be nominated to the Independent Spirit Awards!
Three Latin American films have scored Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations!
ESTA ISLA, A POET and THE SECRET AGENT Score Spirit Awards Nominations — Cinema Tropical
Three Latin American films—from Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Brazil—were announced this morning as nominees for the 41st Film Independent Spirit Awards, presented by Film Independent in celebration of t...
www.cinematropical.com
December 3, 2025 at 5:19 PM
THIS ISLAND, is I am not mistaken, is the first Puerto Rican film to be nominated to the Independent Spirit Awards!
Love it!
Dedham Priest pissing off all the right people by removing Jesus from the church's nativity scene and putting up an ICE WAS HERE sign in His place.
www.boston25news.com/news/local/i...
www.boston25news.com/news/local/i...
‘ICE was here’: Dedham church sparks outrage over nativity scene with political message
A Dedham church is causing controversy over another political statement in their Nativity scene this holiday season.
www.boston25news.com
December 3, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Love it!
Reposted by Alejandro A. Riera
What's happening with the Chicago Public Libraries right now is terrible. The proposed budget of the city would CUT 89 CPL positions. Importantly, 78 positions were lost LAST year. That would be 167 positions in 2 YEARS while COPS KEEP GETTING MORE MONEY. ENOUGH. SAY NO.
December 2, 2025 at 10:51 PM
What's happening with the Chicago Public Libraries right now is terrible. The proposed budget of the city would CUT 89 CPL positions. Importantly, 78 positions were lost LAST year. That would be 167 positions in 2 YEARS while COPS KEEP GETTING MORE MONEY. ENOUGH. SAY NO.
Reposted by Alejandro A. Riera
Historic win! Wagner Moura is the first Latin American Best Actor by the New York Film Critics Circle, and THE SECRET AGENT is named Best International Film. Parabéns, Wagner and Kleber!
Wagner Moura Makes History as First Latin American Best Actor at New York Film Critics Circle — Cinema Tropical
In a landmark moment for Latin American cinema in the United States, Wagner Moura has become the first Latin American performer to win Best Actor from the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC), thanks ...
www.cinematropical.com
December 2, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Historic win! Wagner Moura is the first Latin American Best Actor by the New York Film Critics Circle, and THE SECRET AGENT is named Best International Film. Parabéns, Wagner and Kleber!
The man, the myth, the legend.
Bom dia
December 2, 2025 at 5:31 PM
The man, the myth, the legend.
A theater that makes it easier for residents of the city's far North side and even Northwest side to access these sorts of films without having to go to Lakeview or downtown is a more than welcome addition.
Rogers Park's New 400 Theaters, once the city's oldest continuously running movie house, is reopening.
blockclubchicago.org/2025/12/01/r...
blockclubchicago.org/2025/12/01/r...
December 2, 2025 at 1:20 AM
A theater that makes it easier for residents of the city's far North side and even Northwest side to access these sorts of films without having to go to Lakeview or downtown is a more than welcome addition.