October 2011

CHICAGO – Here is a decision that was clearly not hard to make. Showtime has officially announced that they have given the green light for a second season of production on their new drama series “Homeland.” Why was the decision so easy? For a network that already boasts a number of hit series such as “Dexter,” “The Tudors” “The Borgias” and “The L Word,” “Homeland” is the highest rated freshman drama series in network history.

CHICAGO – Billing Andrew Rossi’s documentary “Page One” as a year in the life of The New York Times is a trifle misleading. Such a sprawling premise would demand a running time better suited to a miniseries than a 92-minute feature. Rossi limits his focus to the Media Desk and the reporters struggling to keep their paper relevant, but like all great documentaries, the film is about so much more than the figures inhabiting its foreground.

CHICAGO – As expected, CBS has given back-episode orders to new dramas “Unforgettable” and “Person of Interest,” meaning they’ll be on until at least May 2012. As for whether or not they’ll get second seasons, let the bubble watch begin. Both shows have done well in overall viewers but not as respectably in the key youth demos.

CHICAGO – “Planet Earth” is one of the most highly-acclaimed Blu-rays of all time and a cherished gift every holiday season. What does a company do when so many people already own one of their most beloved products? It’s time for a re-release! Luckily for fans of “Planet Earth,” there’s enough new material here (and a stellar new video transfer) to justify the double dip. Sell your old version of “Planet Earth” and ask Santa for this one.

CHICAGO – One of the more memorable dramas of the year hits Chicago theaters this Friday in Sean Durkin’s directorial debut “Martha Marcy May Marlene.” The story of a young girl who escapes her life in a cult only to have difficulty readjusting to being home with her distant sister has earned nothing but raves since its Sundance debut.

CHICAGO – Halloween just isn’t the same without an Onryō. Thanks to America’s tireless remakes of Japanese horror films, the materialization of Onryōs in pop culture has become as much of a seasonal tradition as witches and goblins. They’re often characterized by long black hair, white robes, bodily contortions, tragic backstories and an unquenchable thirst for vengeance beyond the grave.

CHICAGO – In our latest trilogy edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Blu-ray, we have 5 Blu-rays up for grabs to the ultimate Blu-ray home entertainment release of the “Jurassic Park Trilogy” from Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg!

CHICAGO – Actor Michael Rapaport proves himself a gifted documentarian with “Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD and a gift for fans of the golden age of hip-hop. Documenting the ups and downs of one of the most beloved and influential bands in the history of rap, Rapaport has delivered a strong music doc that sags a bit near the end but nevertheless serves to remind viewers of the right age that hip-hop just ain’t what it used to be.

CHICAGO – Rocksteady’s “Batman: Arkham City” is everything you’ve hoped it could be and everything you’ve read that it is and more. It is the best game to hit the market since “Red Dead Redemption” and a likely choice for 2011’s Game of the Year unless something miraculously tops it in the next two months.

CHICAGO – The summer of the R-rated comedy, which was SO clearly inspired by the success of “The Hangover” and its sequel, was an interesting case of the law of diminishing returns. If you over-saturate a market, critics and viewers will turn away. By the time that “The Change-Up” and “30 Minutes or Less” thudded into theaters, we all remembered why they don’t make that many R-rated comedies in a year any more — most of them are dumb. Looking back on the trend, two films stand out as the R-rated comedies of Summer 2011 — the widely-beloved (and a bit overrated) “Bridesmaids” and Seth Gordon’s very-funny and consistently-entertaining “Horrible Bosses,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD.

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Dennis Farina on the Red Carpet for ‘Last Rites for Joe May,’ October 6th, 2011

CHICAGO – The 47th Chicago International Film Festival wrapped on Oct. 20, 2011 with a spectacular showing of the new film “The Artist”. Over the past two weeks, HollywoodChicago.com has been covering the red carpets and publishing exclusive portraits of the stars and directors.

CHICAGO – With two “Snow White” films currently in production, it’s tempting to believe that Hollywood’s well of originality has run dry. Sure, faerie tales have always been reinterpreted for new generations, but how many re-imaginings does one generation need?

CHICAGO – Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” has stirred up a bit of controversy since its debut early in the Summer of 2011. You almost certainly saw the stories (or Facebook posts or tweets) about the audience walk-outs and signs at theaters that warned ticket buyers that they were about to see something unique.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Horror films that delicately balance the psychological nature of fear with the actual chills are as rare as Lady Gaga without attention. “Paranormal Activity 3” is one of those scary “delights,” essentially walking the tightrope between screaming “boo” in a crowded theater and tensely sending electricity down the spine.