A podcast about Chicago films, hosted by journalist Paco Alvarez and filmmaker Jeremy Marder.
Four Stars: A Chicago Film Podcast
Claim This Podcastby Paco Alvarez and Jeremy Marder
5.0(25 reviews)
40 episodes
Updated Daily
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38
Podcast Authority
BetaPoorBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality26
Social0
YouTube76
Engagement51
Podcast Overview
A podcast about Chicago films, hosted by journalist Paco Alvarez and filmmaker Jeremy Marder.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
1/31/2025
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38
Podcast Authority
BetaPoorBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality26
Social0
YouTube76
Engagement51
6
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excellent
Episode Length
1h 33m
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Recent Episodes
July 20, 2026
One Last Score: Widows (2018) with filmmaker Caitlyn Johnson
<p>Jeremy and Paco are joined by filmmaker<a href="https://www.sirichilukuri.com/"> </a>Caitlyn Johnson to discuss Widows (2018), directed by Steve McQueen. Check out Caitlyn’s newest short film, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/candygirlfilm/"><u>Candy Girl</u></a>. </p><p>This is the eighth episode in our miniseries, One Last Score, where we're going through different heist and bank robbing movies set in Chicago. The next and final episode in our miniseries will be about<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1106860/"><u></u></a> <a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/heist-88/"><u>Heist 88</u></a>.<a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/widows-2018/"><u></u></a> </p><p>Art by<a href="https://lilybacon.com/"><u> Lily Bacon</u></a></p><p>Music by<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@newest_latest"><u> newest_latest</u></a></p><p>Suggestions, comments, complaints, hate mail, and all other correspondence can be sent to chicagopodfilmcast@gmail.com.</p><p><strong>Jeremy’s Recommendations</strong></p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/revolutionary-girl-utena-the-movie/"><u>Adolescence of Utena</u></a> (1999) dir. Kunihiko Ikuhara</p><p><strong>Paco’s Recommendation</strong></p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/the-odyssey/"><u>The Odyssey</u></a> (1997) dir. Andrei Konchalovsky</p><p><strong>Sources and further reading:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.indiewire.com/2018/11/widows-chicago-steve-mcqueen-movie-the-chi-1202021132/"><u>‘Widows’ and ‘The Chi’ Found the Secrets of Chicago, Hiding in Plain Sight</u></a> | Ben Travers, IndieWire</li><li><a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2018/11/10/18457341/widows-director-cast-offer-a-fresh-slant-on-chicago-its-rich-and-poor-parts"><u>‘Widows’ director, cast offer a fresh slant on Chicago, its rich and poor parts</u></a> | Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times</li><li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/12/ride-through-chicago-most-important-shot-widows/579010/"><u>The Blunt-Force Power of Widows, in One Scene</u></a> | David Sims, The Atlantic</li><li><a href="https://chi.streetsblog.org/2019/05/23/chicago-transportation-infrastructure-and-politics-got-their-close-up-in-the-film-widows/"><u>Chicago Transportation Infrastructure and Politics Got Their Close-up in “Widows”</u></a> | John Greenfield, StreetsBlog Chicago</li><li><a href="https://chicagocrusader.com/film-shot-at-parkway-gardens-and-daleys-debuts-this-weekend/"><u>“Widows,” shot at Parkway Gardens and Daley’s restaurant debuts this weekend</u></a> | Chicago Crusader</li><li><a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/ct-mov-widows-mcqueen-viola-davis-1111-story.html"><u>Viola Davis, Gillian Flynn and Steve McQueen enter Chicago underworld with 'Widows'</u></a> | Michael Phillips</li><li><a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/steve-mcqueen-bringing-chaos-a-chicago-heist-widows-1161983/"><u>Steve McQueen on Bringing a “Small Element of Chaos” to a Chicago Heist in ‘Widows’</u></a> | Caroline Giardina, Hollywood Reporter</li><li><a href="https://slate.com/culture/2018/11/steve-mcqueen-interview-widows-director-trump-metoo.html"><u>Widows Director Steve McQueen on Why He Wanted to Adapt a 35-Year-Old TV Series</u></a> | Sam Adams, Slate</li><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/15/movies/steve-mcqueen-viola-davis-widows.html"><u>Steve McQueen and Viola Davis on Hollywood, Race and Power</u></a> | Reggie Ugwu, New York Times</li><li><a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/11/widows-director-steve-mcqueen-interview"><u>Director Steve McQueen Goes from Art House to Multiplex with Heist Thriller Widows</u></a> | Nicole Sperling, Vanity Fair</li><li><a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/making-widows-how-steve-mcqueen-went-mainstream-1160326/"><u>Making of ‘Widows’: How Steve McQueen Went Mainstream for a $40M Heist Movie</u></a> | Kate Kilkenny, Hollywood Reporter</li><li><a href="https://www.salon.com/2018/11/17/steve-mcqueen-on-widows-it-is-an-emotional-awakening-for-these-women/"><u>Steve McQueen on “Widows”: “It is an emotional awakening for these women”</u></a> | Andrew O’Hehir, Salon</li><li><a href="https://infoweb-newsbank-com.chipublib.idm.oclc.org/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=NewsBank&req_dat=C23BE832E46446E3AEC1CCAEBDEAF5AE&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F16FBF6290BD90CF0"><u>Aldermanic privilege steeped in power, politics — and prejudice, critics contend</u></a> | Mark Brown, Chicago Sun-Times</li><li><a href="https://news.wttw.com/2023/11/28/aldermanic-prerogative-fuels-segregation-and-violates-black-latino-chicagoans-civil"><u>Aldermanic Prerogative Fuels Segregation and Violates Black, Latino Chicagoans’ Civil Rights: Federal Officials | Heather Cherone, WTTW</u></a></li><li><a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2025/07/08/hud-affordable-housing-aldermanic-prerogative-discrimination-brandon-johnson"><u>Federal investigation into affordable housing, aldermanic prerogative in Chicago fizzles | Brett Chase, Chicago Sun-Times</u></a></li><p><br></p></ul>
July 3, 2026
Bearchinski: Poochinski (1990) and The Bear season 5 (2026)
<p>Jeremy and Paco discuss the event of the summer, the Chicago TV show everyone is talking about: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2lH8Td_yLo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Poochinski</a>, the unsold 1990 NBC pilot starring Peter Boyle about a cop who becomes a dog. And also some show called “The Bear” just released its final season, so they talk about that too. </p><p>Art by<a href="https://lilybacon.com/"><u> Lily Bacon</u></a></p><p>Music by<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@newest_latest"><u> newest_latest</u></a></p><p>Suggestions, comments, complaints, hate mail, and all other correspondence can be sent to chicagopodfilmcast@gmail.com.</p><p>We're recommending stuff at the end of the podcast now!</p><p><strong>Paco’s recommendation:</strong></p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/hunger/"><u>Hunger (2008)</u></a> dir. Steve McQueen</p><p><strong>Jeremy’s recommendation:</strong></p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/materialists/"><u>Materialists (2025)</u></a> dir. Celine Song (yes, seriously)</p><p><strong>Sources and further reading:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/1990/04/15/plane-talkor-not-in-my-back-yard/"><u>TV`s kind of town</u></a> | Chicago Tribune</li><li><a href="https://www.cracked.com/article_37367_the-inside-story-of-poochinski-the-sitcom-in-which-a-dead-cop-is-resurrected-into-a-crime-fighting-bulldog.html"><u>The Inside Story of ‘Poochinski,’ the Sitcom in Which a Dead Cop Is Resurrected into a Crime-Fighting Bulldog</u></a> | Brian VanHooker, Cracked</li><li><a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/1990/07/09/dunning-discovery/"><u>Dunning Discovery</u></a> | Chicago Tribune</li><li><a href="https://chipublib.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/aldermens-legal-fees-debated/docview/282940630/se-2"><u>Aldermen's legal fees debated</u></a> | R. Gibson, Chicago Tribune</li><li><a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/business/2022/6/23/23180173/ken-griffin-citadel-leave-chicago-miami"><u>Ken Griffin pulling Citadel out of Chicago</u></a> | David Roeder, Chicago Sun-Times</li></ul>
June 20, 2026
One Last Score: Dhoom 3 (2013) with journalist Siri Chilukuri
<p>Jeremy and Paco are joined by journalist <a href="https://www.sirichilukuri.com/"><u>Siri Chilukuri</u></a> to discuss Dhoom 3 (2013), directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, as well as the rest of the Dhoom franchise. Check out Siri’s great reporting on data centers in the<a href="https://chicagoreader.com/author/siri-chilukuri/"><u> Chicago Reader</u></a>. Siri previously joined us on our second episode ever to discuss <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2TQ5lWly0s4gJ3bI0to0Xo?si=vQX5ltfaSaCTZCNEW8RLnA"><u>My Best Friend’s Wedding</u></a>.</p><p><br></p><p>This is the seventh episode in our miniseries, One Last Score, where we're going through different heist and bank robbing movies set in Chicago. The next episode in our miniseries will be about<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1106860/"><u></u></a> <a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/widows-2018/"><u>Widows (2018).</u></a> </p><p>Art by<a href="https://lilybacon.com/"><u> Lily Bacon</u></a></p><p>Music by<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@newest_latest"><u> newest_latest</u></a></p><p>Suggestions, comments, complaints, hate mail, and all other correspondence can be sent to chicagopodfilmcast@gmail.com.</p><p>We're recommending stuff at the end of the podcast now!</p><p><strong>Jeremy’s Recommendations</strong></p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/no-fear-no-die/"><u>No Fear, No Die (1990)</u></a> dir. Claire Denis</p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/the-holy-mountain/"><u>The Holy Mountain (1973)</u></a> dir. Alejandro Jodowrosky </p><p><strong>Paco’s Recommendation</strong></p><p><a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/the-odyssey-1968/"><u>The Odyssey (1968)</u></a> dir. Franco Rossi</p><p><strong>Sources and further reading:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://chipublib.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/taking-stock-chicago-tv-film/docview/1241887170/se-2"><u>Taking stock of chicago TV, film</u></a> | Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune</li><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/23/movies/dhoom-3-is-a-bollywood-thriller-set-in-chicago.html"><u>Combating Criminals With Flash</u></a> | Rachel Saltz, New York Times</li><li><a href="https://www.loopnorth.com/news/bollywood0916.htm"><u>Chicago River set for Bollywood film</u></a> | Loop North News</li><li><a href="https://chipublib.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/banks-shed-foreclosures-reap-benefits/docview/1469609345/se-2"><u>Banks shed foreclosures, reap benefits: Charities vow to use homes to help poor but often don't deliver.</u></a> | Jackson, D., & Marx, G., Chicago Tribune</li></ul>
40 total episodes available
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Cortlyn Kelly
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Kevin Shaw
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Curtis Miller
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Natalie Jacobson
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Will Morris
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Rebecca Lyon
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Joe Farina
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Keith Phipps
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