Interview

CHICAGO – Dust off your cowboy hat and power bolo ties, the legendary TV show ‘Dallas’ is about to launch again, June 13th, on the TNT Network. Returning as the Ewing family are Larry Hagman (J.R.), Patrick Duffy (Bobby) and Linda Gray (Sue Ellen), joined with the new Ewings, Jesse Metcalfe (Christopher) and Barbara Strong (Anne).

NEW YORK – The set-in-Chicago staging of “Clybourne Park” won Best Play, and the stageplay-based-on-the-movie “Once,” won Best Musical at the 66th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday night. “Once” took home eight Tony Awards, while its rival “Newsies the Musical’ won Best Score and Best Choreography.

CHICAGO – The characters in a Lynn Shelton movie live relatively content lives until an unexpected event ruptures their sense of self. A self-absorbed writer awakens to the fact that he’s been a terrible friend in “My Effortless Brilliance.” Two heterosexual buddies test the boundaries of their relationship by attempting to film a porno together in “Humpday.”

CHICAGO – Australian actor Alex Russell has a penchant for exploring the darker sides of the teenage psyche. He made his film debut as a loathsome bully in Ben C. Lucas’ “Wasted on the Young,” before landing a lead role in Josh Trank’s surprise hit, “Chronicle,” about three teens who suddenly acquire superpowers and are excited by the dangerous magnitude of their mysterious abilities.

CHICAGO – The popular and wacky lawyer/buddy series, “Franklin & Bash” begins its second season on Tuesday, June 5th, with the two leads – Beckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar – reprising their roles as the title characters. This year, the duo are challenged by the responsibility of becoming partners in their law firm, but won’t lose their unique edge.

CHICAGO – “U.N. Me,” a risky and provocative documentary, is taking the United Nations to task for what they have become – an institution more interested in keeping the bureaucratic status quo than going forward with their original charter. Filmmaker Ami Horowitz, along with his co-writer and co-director Matthew Groff, pull no punches in their cinematic investigation.

CHICAGO – Thursday, May 31st, marks the beginning of the CineYouth Festival, sponsored by the Chicago International Film Festival. And what better way to kick it off than with a Q&A featuring director Jonathan Levine, coming off of his 2011 hit film, “50/50.” The appearance will take place at the AMC River East 21 Theater in Chicago.

CHICAGO – One of the great international films from France, which had nine nominations at The 2012 Cesars – the French equivalent of the Oscars – is the intimate relationship film “The Intouchables.” Focusing on a handicapped man and his caregiver, it was created by Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache.

CHICAGO – From the 1950s to the early 2000s, Fred Rogers found new and innovative ways to educate, entertain and enrich the lives of children around the world. He never talked down to his viewers on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” he held conversations with them. His compassionate care for his audience was not faked for the cameras. He was one of the nicest people ever to be involved in show business.

CHICAGO – While some stand-up comics shield themselves with an ironic, larger-than-life persona, Kevin “Dot Com” Brown’s approach is more conversational. He mines the humor in his own life while developing a genial rapport with the audience. Some may still find him to be larger than life, but that would most likely be due to his formidable size.