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CHICAGO – It must have taken a lot of guts to suggest radically altering one of the most successful video gaming franchises of all time. The “Madden NFL” series of video games are as influential and wildly popular as any on the market. With loyal fans lining up at midnight tonight to buy their new copy, the developers at EA Tiburon merely had to update the rosters and spit out last year’s edition before they counted their money.

CHICAGO – Roman Polanski’s name has drawn a lot of media attention in 2010 due to his continued international legal problems but the controversy regarding his real life has overshadowed the fact that he recently made one of the best films of his career, the tragically underrated and straight-up brilliant “The Ghost Writer,” a must-see now that it’s on Blu-ray and DVD.

CHICAGO – In our latest action/comedy edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 20 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of the new film “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” starring Michael Cera!

CHICAGO – What could possibly drive a man into such a deep pit of despair that he would choose to break from society and take on the life of a hermit?

Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Todd Solondz’s 1998 masterpiece, “Happiness,” is the darkest American comedy ever made. It’s so brutal and uncompromising that it calls into question the very definition of comedy. When one character explains to her sister that she isn’t laughing at her, but with her, the sister responds, “But I’m not laughing.” Solondz isn’t laughing either.

CHICAGO – While a cop film take-off is filed under the fish-in-a-barrel category, writer/director Adam McKay manages to spin some absurd gold threads into the thin blue cloth. In other words, Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg are damn funny in this all-in cop farce, with enough familiar co-star support to prop up the whole enchilada.

CHICAGO – It makes sense that a show as stylish and well-dressed as USA’s “White Collar” would have a beautiful HD transfer for its first-season release but sense and Blu-ray production don’t always go hand in hand. Luckily, fans of this excellent show will be happy to know that this is one of the most expertly-remastered sets of the year to date.

CHICAGO – With his unique and sometimes divisive career, writer/director Todd Solondz is something of a controversial figure in the world of independent cinema. Some people love him, others hate him, and very few fall in the middle. His new film, “Life During Wartime,” is unlikely to change his polarizing reputation.

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(L-R) Rick Malambri, Sharni Vinson Ph: K.C. Bailey

CHICAGO – This 21-image slideshow contains a selection of the official press images for the highly anticipated Step Up 3D, starring Adam G. Sevani, Alyson Stoner, Rick Malambri, Sharni Vinson, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, Keith Stallworth, Kendra Andrews, Martin Lombard, Facundo Lombard, and Oren “Flearock” Michaeli. The film was written by Amy Andelson & Emily Meyer and directed by Jon M. Chu. It will be released on August 6th, 2010.

Video Game Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – “Castlevania: Harmony of Despair” (or “Castlevania HD” for those who like to be overly clever) is not unlike a remixed version of your favorite CD. The creators have taken already-existing elements including graphics, levels, and characters and increased the beats per minute to ridiculous levels in an attempt to turn something you loved before into something you’ll love again.