Jason Crock writesCouldn’t You Wait?: The Story of Silkworm

The particular charm of Silkworm is explained many times over the course of Couldn’t You Wait?, a documentary that was self-released by the filmmakers last month as a $5 DRM-free download. It may be producer Steve Albini who puts it most succinctly: “People that like Silkworm really like Silkworm, but they’re not like normal people, and there aren’t that many of them.” What made the band strange, and what made them a taste worth acquiring, is a subject the filmmakers have been plumbing since beginning the project in late 2006. To tell the story of how different the band’s path was, and how Chicago played a part in that story, several subjects are interviewed, and their responses are interspersed with clips of the band’s performances throughout the years.

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Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesDon’t Miss the 20th Anniversary of the Chicago Underground Film Festival

It’s been 20 years since a young Columbia College film student named Jay Bliznick established a film festival that would spotlight creative film and video work outside of the system that supports major Hollywood players and elitist distributor events. For him and others who share his passion for film and desire to see new, original projects, years of dedication and effort have established the Chicago Underground Film Festival as one of the most respected and anticipated annual events for cinephiles, movie buffs, and anyone else who wants to see the kind of independent, experimental, and documentary work that doesn't make it into the local metroplex.

This year’s festival will treat audiences to outstanding work from the past and present. In the words of Festival Coordinator Lori Felker,  ”We've got a really energizing mix of films from the past 20 years mixed in with current in-competition films.  It really gives you a sense of how broad the definition of ‘underground’ is, how weird ‘weird' can get, and interesting and talented people are.”

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