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CHICAGO – “The Hangover” is arguably the most successful comedy of all time (only a few dollars below “Meet the Fockers” that would probably disappear if you adjust for inflation). The comedy that proved that star power and sequelitis don’t have to drive every Summer movie was wildly beloved by audiences and fans of the film have been given a Blu-Ray release drunk on the film’s success and loaded with special features, including an unrated version of the movie itself.

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Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland.

CHICAGO – This eight-image slideshow contains new imagery from the highly anticipated Tim Burton film “Alice in Wonderland,” which stars Johnny Depp (as The Mad Hatter), Mia Wasikowska (Alice Kingsley), Helena Bonham Carter (The Red Queen) and Anne Hathaway (The White Queen).

CHICAGO – We’ve become spoiled by the next generation of gaming. Most high-profile games have gone through enough research and development during their production and are made by such experienced developers that they rarely come out of the industry machine with little to no redeeming value at all. Sure, there are disappointments, but you don’t see as many complete bombs in the gaming world as you do in film, music, or TV. The exception to the rule is the truly awful “Rogue Warrior”.

CHICAGO – Ang Lee’s take on the landmark music festival isn’t a film so much as a filmed idea. It aims to capture the atmosphere of the concert without ever showing the actual music. Of course, the real show was the crowd itself.

CHICAGO – The Chicago Film Critics Association, of which HollywoodChicago.com writers Brian Tallerico, Adam Fendelman, and Pat McDonald are all voting members, announced their nominees for the best of 2009 this morning.

CHICAGO – On paper, Michael Mann’s “Public Enemies” looked like it would be a clear contender for end-of-the-year consideration but it has been largely forgotten, only a few months after its release. The cold, dense film didn’t register strongly enough with critics or audiences and it looks like it could disappear without much fanfare. What I think is more likely is that Mann’s dark, complex film will slowly get the recognition it deserves on the home market and it starts with this Blu-Ray release.

CHICAGO – Clear some shelf space for the gigantic Blu-Ray releases of the first two “Harry Potter” films, timed with the not-as-enormous edition release of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” the same week. These ultimate editions, complete with collectibles and new special features, are great collector’s set gifts for the holidays for the Potter nut in your family but feel a bit like overkill for everyone else.

CHICAGO – The team behind the highly anticipated “Assassin’s Creed 2” have delivered one of the most remarkably realized and complete video game worlds of the year, a journey back in time to when a man’s word meant as much as the edge of his sword. With very few hiccups, “Assassin’s Creed 2” gives fans exactly what the expect, improving significantly on the original without deviating from what worked about the first hit game.

CHICAGO – The nominees for the the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards were revealed today and the George Clooney dramedy “Up in the Air” and the Daniel Day-Lewis musical “Nine” led the way in the film categories with six and five nominations, respectively, while acclaimed new show “Glee” led the way in the television category with four nominations.

CHICAGO – 2009 has been a year of supremely underwhelming biopics, primarily because Hollywood has bent over backwards to make them marketable. You’d think that the idea of Meryl Streep playing Julia Child, or Morgan Freeman playing Nelson Mandela, or uncanny newcomer Christian McKay playing Orson Welles would be enough to sell a picture.