2022-23 Ebert Fellows Celebrate the Holidays

Not all holiday movies are created equal, certainly not in the eyes of the 2022-23 U of I College of Media Roger Ebert Fellows.

On Dec. 21, 2022, the day before the storm rolled across the midwest, this year's trio of Ebert Fellows met at the studios of Chicago Public Radio and WBEZ-FM on Navy Pier. They worked, on mic and off, with the expert guidance of "Filmspotting" co-host Adam Kempenaar and longtime "Filmspotting" and WBEZ producer Joe DeCeault, along with fellowship advisor and Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips. 

The topic: holiday movies they find themselves re-watching around this time year; one Fellow, Tania Trejo, said she'd been watching the Jim Carrey version of "The Grinch" since she was 3. 

From "The Grinch" to "It's a Wonderful Life" to....a home invasion Christmastime thriller called "Better Watch Out": Listen to a few minutes of memories, recommendations and more from Trejo, Lee Beckett and Andrew Stover, the 2022-23 Ebert Fellows. Thanks to our "Filmspotting" colleagues for the production and editing--and may the movies in 2023 bring us some nice surprises.

Michael Phillips is the film critic of the Chicago Tribune and the advisor-mentor of the U of I College of Media Roger Ebert Fellowship.