CHICAGO – The late playwright August Wilson left a gift to the world in the form of his “American Century Cycle,” a series of plays each individually set in a decade of the 20th Century, focusing on the black experience. Chicago’s Goodman Theatre presents Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” now through May 19th, 2024 (click here).
November 2010
Blu-Ray Review: HBO’s ‘The Pacific’ Stands as One of TV’s Best Mini-Series
Submitted by BrianTT on November 4, 2010 - 1:28pmCHICAGO – HBO’s “Band of Brothers” has been an annual bestseller around the holiday season, first on DVD and now on Blu-ray, and it seems virtually impossible that their equally-notable “The Pacific,” now on Blu-ray and DVD, would not follow it up the charts and turn out to be one of the most-given HD gifts of the upcoming season.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Winter’s Bone’ Features Two of the Best Performances of 2010
Submitted by BrianTT on November 4, 2010 - 12:13pmCHICAGO – Every year there’s a performance or two that truly heralds the arrival of an amazing new talent. Arguably the most impressive debut of 2010 belongs to Jennifer Lawrence, a nearly-guaranteed Oscar nominee for her searing performance in the devastating “Winter’s Bone,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD on the eve of what is sure to be numerous year-end mentions and potential award nominations.
Blu-Ray Round-Up: ‘Wallander,’ ‘Metalocalypse,’ ‘Maniac,’ ‘The Dry Land’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 4, 2010 - 11:18amCHICAGO – What on Earth do metal rock stars, a British detective, a 30-year-old slasher flick, and a movie starring a kid from “That ’70s Show” have in common? Nothing but release dates that shuffle them into the world-famous Round-Up, our feature that captures synopsis, cast & crew, tech details, and special features for discerning buyers. Pick your favorite.
DVD Review: Alain Resnais Entices, Perplexes Again in ‘Wild Grass’
Submitted by mattmovieman on November 4, 2010 - 7:59amCHICAGO – There’s a very good reason why casual moviegoers are weary of films purporting themselves to be avant-garde. Such a term seems to suggest that a level of effort is required from the audience to fully digest and enjoy a particular work of cinematic art. They are the opposite of disposable entertainments devoured by mainstream viewers like escapist munchies.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 30 Chicago Passes to ‘Morning Glory’ With Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on November 3, 2010 - 11:42pmCHICAGO – In our latest romantic comedy edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 30 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of “Morning Glory” with Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, Jeff Goldblum and Patrick Wilson!
Slideshow: 19-Image Gallery of ‘For Colored Girls’ Starring Janet Jackson, Thandie Newton
Submitted by BrianTT on November 3, 2010 - 6:13pm
From left to right: Anika Noni Rose (as Yasmine), Kerry Washington (as Kelly), Janet Jackson (as Jo), Kimberly Elise (as Crystal), Phylicia Rashad (as Gilda), Loretta Devine (as Juanita), Tessa Thompson (as Nyla) and Thandie Newton (as Tangie).CHICAGO – This 19-image slideshow contains all of the official press images for the highly-anticipated “For Colored Girls,” starring Janet Jackson, Loretta Devine, Michael Ealy, Kimberly Elise, Omari Hardwick, Hill Harper, Thandie Newton, Phylicia Rashad, Anika Noni Rose, Tessa Thompson, Kerry Washington, and Whoopi Goldberg. The film was written and directed by Tyler Perry. It will be released on November 5th, 2010.
Video Game Review: ‘Time Crisis: Razing Storm’ Brings Arcade Experience Home
Submitted by BrianTT on November 3, 2010 - 6:05pmCHICAGO – With the verdict still out on the market relevance and popularity of the Sony Playstation Move, one wonders how we should approach the “phase one” titles that try to take advantage of this new technology. Should we be a little soft and consider the growing pains involved in anything new? Or be extra hard as these are the titles meant to justify the purchase price of the new tech? “Time Crisis: Razing Storm” only works if you take the former approach.
Blu-Ray Review: Stanley Kubrick’s Timeless ‘Paths of Glory’ Joins Criterion Collection
Submitted by BrianTT on November 3, 2010 - 1:40pmCHICAGO – “Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.” No film has as succinctly captured the truth of this brilliant Samuel Johnson quote as Stanley Kubrick’s masterful “Paths of Glory,” one of the best anti-war films ever made. It’s a work that often gets overlooked by the flashier projects like “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “A Clockwork Orange,” or “The Shining” that Kubrick would make later in his career, but it’s easily one the best works from one of history’s best directors and the Criterion Collection Blu-ray release of the film is another stunning beauty.
Interview: Thandie Newton on the Passion of ‘For Colored Girls’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 3, 2010 - 12:19pmCHICAGO – The expansive and intuitive prose poetry of Ntozake Shange’s “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf” comes to life in Tyler Perry’s film adaptation “For Colored Girls.” Thandie Newton portrays Tangie (color Orange) and saturates the character with a precise truth.
DVD Review: ‘You Don’t Know Jack’ Makes Case For Dr. Kevorkian
Submitted by mattmovieman on November 3, 2010 - 8:01amCHICAGO – It all seems perfectly simple to Dr. Jack Kevorkian. When a person is suffering, and recovery isn’t an option, what’s the point of elongating the agony? Should medical professionals force that person to live in pain or grant his (or her) wish to die in peace? The answer is a no-brainer for Kevorkian, whose perspective is unclouded by the complications of “religious dogma.”
Video Game Review: ‘Fallout: New Vegas’ Transports Players to Fascinating World
Submitted by BrianTT on November 2, 2010 - 7:26pmCHICAGO – It takes some time to build up momentum, but there’s a point in “Fallout: New Vegas” where the game becomes one of the most addictive titles on the market in quite some time. Once you cross the Mojave Wasteland and arrive in Freeside, just before entering the gorgeously-rendered The Strip itself, “Fallout: New Vegas” gets its hooks in you and won’t let go.
DVD Review: ‘Nip/Tuck: The Complete Series’ Captures Once-Promising Show
Submitted by BrianTT on November 2, 2010 - 4:28pmCHICAGO – Having started writing about television and DVD right around the time that “Nip/Tuck” premiered on FX and always having lovely contacts at both the network and Warner Brothers, who released the DVDs for the series, I have possibly written about the adventures of Drs. Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) and Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) more than any other program. And so I greet the “Complete Series” box set, recently released on DVD, with a tinge of sadness as I say goodbye to a program with definite highlights that somehow never quite lived up to its potential.
Blu-Ray Review: Pixar’s Spectacular ‘Toy Story 3’ With Tom Hanks Given Amazing Blu-Ray Release
Submitted by BrianTT on November 2, 2010 - 1:45pmCHICAGO – It’s always wonderful to see Blu-ray karma turn out the way it should. Blu-ray critics often see great releases with perfect HD and interesting special features for awful movies. Conversely, it’s not uncommon for great films to be given lackluster home releases. “Toy Story 3” is not only one of the best films of 2010, it’s one of the best Blu-rays as well.
Blu-Ray Review: Disney Nature’s ‘Oceans,’ ‘The Crimson Wing’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 2, 2010 - 11:11amCHICAGO – Nature films used to be much more common in the days before basic cable. Believe it or not young ones, there was a time before the interwebs and Discover Health when you couldn’t see nature at work outside of museums or a trip to the Antarctic. Rebooting the genre has been a remarkably profitable endeavor for Disney Nature as 2009’s “Earth” made $107 million worldwide and 2010’s “Oceans,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD followed with $68 million.
