CHICAGO – The comic book admiration society has been the fastest growing sub-culture in the last 25 years. Once thought a remnant of childhood is now a flourishing industry in show business, comic book shops and conventions. “Geek Lounge,” a TV series created by producer/director/writer Larry Ziegelman, explores the comic book/pop culture generation, and is now streaming on Amazon Prime. Click here for the details.
Cate Blanchett
Film Review: Satisfying Emotion in ‘How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 22, 2019 - 9:25amCHICAGO –All fiery things must come to an extinguishing point, and the “How to Train Your Dragon” animated film series concludes with its third entry, subtitled “Hidden World.” To finish things up the creators turn on the Dragon power, there are literally thousands of them flamed up and ready to go.
Film Review: ‘The House With a Clock in Its Walls’ is Movie Magic
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 20, 2018 - 10:52pmCHICAGO – “The House With The Clock In Its Walls” is a surprisingly restrained and endearing haunted house pic for kids just getting rid of their training wheels. It’s all a spooky atmosphere with cobwebs galore, creaking doors, a stained glass window which changes on its own, and a library of books which at times resemble the avifauna predators from the Hitchcock classic “The Birds.”
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 40 Pairs of IMAX Passes to ‘The House with a Clock in Its Walls’
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on September 17, 2018 - 8:35amCHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 40 pairs of advance-screening IMAX movie passes up for grabs to the new film “The House with a Clock in Its Walls” starring Cate Blanchett and Jack Black!
Film Review: Sandra Bullock & Heist Crew Con Us in ‘Ocean’s 8’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 7, 2018 - 11:56pmCHICAGO – In “Ocean’s 8,” a diamond necklace at the Met Gala isn’t the only thing getting ripped off. This all female knock off provides a reasonable facsimile of a facsimile of the original’s suave swagger, but doesn’t have anything else to go on. “Oceans 11” is a movie that never should have gotten a sequel, much less become some kind of a franchise.
Film Review: ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Shatters the Hammer, But Maintains the Mold
Submitted by JonHC on November 1, 2017 - 1:12pmCHICAGO – Any blacksmith will tell you that their job is much more than the brute action of slamming a hammer onto steel. There is some finessing and an attention to detail that needs to take place in order to make something truly notable. With Taika Waititi manning the hammer, he takes the “Thor” franchise out from the Dark Ages and into the technicolor light.
Film Review: Terence Malick’s Feverish Dream in ‘Knight of Cups’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 11, 2016 - 9:50amCHICAGO – I’ve been quoting Martin Scorsese over the years, that he said “movies are a psychotic’s feverish dream on display.” In searching for those words, I found he never said it. He did say they are “dreams with eyes open.” So let us combine the two quotes in analyzing Terence Malick’s “Knight of Cups.”
Interview: Director Todd Haynes Plays the Right Notes in ‘Carol’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 26, 2015 - 7:20pmCHICAGO – One of the best films of 2015 is the atmospheric and kinetically performed “Carol.” The film, set in the early 1950s, depicts a love that dares not speak its name, and also showcases the breathtaking presence of actress Cate Blanchett as the title character. The director of the film is the veteran Todd Haynes, known for another set-in-the-1950s classic, “Far from Heaven,” as well as “Velvet Goldmine,” “I’m Not There” and the recent HBO miniseries “Mildred Pierce.”
Film Review: ‘Truth’ Exposes the Obstacles in Modern Journalism
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 2, 2015 - 1:10pmCHICAGO – One of the indications of how the story depicted in “Truth” still resonates was that the CBS Network refused to show advertising for it. The film is a lesson in messing with true power – CBS News went after the ruthless Bush administration during an election year, and they went down.
Film News: 51st Chicago International Film Festival Closes with Best of Fest, ‘Carol’ & ‘Spotlight’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 28, 2015 - 10:05amCHICAGO – All great things come to an end, and the 51st Chicago International Film Festival is no exception, concluding on October 28th and 29th, 2015, with the Best of the Fest, in addition to a special presentation of the new Todd Haynes’ film “Carol’ and their Closing Night film event, the tense journalism thriller “Spotlight.”
Film Review: ‘Cinderella’ Finds New Magic in Old Fairy Tale
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 12, 2015 - 11:23pmCHICAGO – In the years since “Shrek,” the fractured fairy tale has become Hollywood’s default approach. We’ve been treated to so many irreverent and increasingly labored treatments of storybook characters, that Disney’s new live-action “Cinderella” comes off as relatively fresh by comparison.
