CHICAGO – Excelsior! Comic book legend Stan Lee’s famous exclamation puts a fine point on the third and final play of Mark Pracht’s FOUR COLOR TRILOGY, “The House of Ideas,” presented by and staged at City Lit Theater in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. For tickets/details, click HOUSE OF IDEAS.
Theater, TV, DVD & Blu-Ray
Blu-Ray Feature: Behind-the-Scenes Clips of ‘High School Musical 3’ With Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens
Submitted by BrianTT on February 18, 2009 - 12:46pmCHICAGO – Disney sent over a few clips to celebrate the Blu-Ray/DVD release of “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” this week.
Blu-Ray Round Up, Feb. 17, 2009: ‘Amadeus,’ ‘Boondock Saints,’ ‘A History of Violence’
Submitted by BrianTT on February 17, 2009 - 4:04pmCHICAGO – A Best Picture winner that looks nowhere near as old as many of the films that came out a quarter-century ago with it, a recent masterpiece from David Cronenberg that probably should have been more recognized by Oscar, and a little film that was never on the Academy’s radar but has developed an insanely huge and loyal cult following.
DVD Review: ‘Clint Eastwood: American Icon Collection’ Includes Four Diverse Films
Submitted by BrianTT on February 16, 2009 - 4:00pmDVD Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – With the $130 million gross and counting for “Gran Torino,” Clint Eastwood has proven that his star power has not diminished in the slightest even with 50 years in show business under his belt.
DVD Review: Greg Kinnear’s Feel-Good ‘Flash of Genius’ Not Great
Submitted by BrianTT on February 16, 2009 - 2:17pmDVD Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Greg Kinnear does solidly entertaining work in “Flash of Genius” and director Marc Abraham understands the basics of the inspirational crowd-pleaser, but the film ultimately feels like a missed opportunity to tell a more riveting version of the same story.
Blu-Ray Review: Shockingly High Levels of Melodrama Sink ‘Nights in Rodanthe’
Submitted by BrianTT on February 16, 2009 - 1:15pmBlu-Ray Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I have a very high threshold for melodramatic romance. I was raised on cheesy musicals and will admit to pausing on the underrated “The Notebook” more than once when I pass it on cable.
TV Review: ‘The Amazing Race’ on CBS Begins 14th Race Around the World
Submitted by BrianTT on February 13, 2009 - 3:46pmTelevision Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – For six years there has been an Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Competition Program and for every one of those years the same show has walked home with the trophy, beating series like “Project Runway,” “Survivor,” and “American Idol”. That show is “The Amazing Race”. Based on the strength of the premiere, it seems likely the producers of this CBS mainstay should probably make room for Emmy #7.
TV Review: Premiere of Joss Whedon’s ‘Dollhouse’ Imperfect But Intriguing
Submitted by BrianTT on February 13, 2009 - 2:27pmTelevision Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – A friend of mine suggested that I need to be patient regarding Joss Whedon’s highly anticipated “Dollhouse,” starring Eliza Dushku, Olivia Williams, Amy Acker, and Harry Lennix. Watching the so-so premiere, “Ghost,” airing Friday, February 13th, 2009 at 8pm CST, it’s easy to see why. All the ingredients are there for a riveting, fantastic series, but it feels like a show still finding its way.
TV Review: Danny McBride Delivers Comedy Heat With HBO’s ‘Eastbound & Down’
Submitted by BrianTT on February 12, 2009 - 7:40pmTelevision Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Danny McBride had an amazing 2008, stealing scenes in “Tropic Thunder” and finding comic gold with director David Gordon Green in the great “Pineapple Express”. McBride, Green, director Jody Hill, and producer Will Ferrell have teamed up for the six-episode HBO comedy series “Eastbound & Down,” one of the most laugh-out-loud, promising comedy premieres in a long time.
Blu-Ray Review: Clint Eastwood’s ‘Changeling’ Features Great Performance By Angelina Jolie
Submitted by BrianTT on February 12, 2009 - 1:49pmBlu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I usually don’t agree with suggestions that certain movies need to be seen twice to be appreciated. If a movie doesn’t work on first viewing, then it simply doesn’t work. Having said that, watching Clint Eastwood’s “Changeling” a second time on Blu-Ray made me appreciate the final product significantly more than my disappointed reaction to it in theaters.
DVD Review: ‘Blindness’ With Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo Should Not Be Widely Seen
Submitted by BrianTT on February 12, 2009 - 12:51pmDVD Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Blindness” is one of the bleakest cinematic experiences of the last few years, shocking, violent, dirty, headache-inducing proof that what works on the page doesn’t always on the big or small screen and that even the most talented actors and director can sometimes stumble.