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.
HollywoodChicago.com Arts & Entertainment News
‘Toy Story 3’ is a Perfect Play Date For the Entire Family
Submitted by BrianTT on June 18, 2010 - 2:38pmCHICAGO – Very few recent films are as purely entertaining or thematically satisfying as Pixar’s “Toy Story 3,” not only one of the best films of the year but one of the best in the history of animation. Brilliantly tying up the two films that came before in a way that so many sequels fail to do, the geniuses at Pixar have done it again. It’s another masterpiece.
‘Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work’ Reveals the Woman Behind the Face
Submitted by BrianTT on June 18, 2010 - 11:32am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – One of the most revealing insights to be gleaned from “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work” is the lifelong desire of its titular comedienne to be a serious actress. The sad irony is that Rivers has rendered her most vital acting tool (her face) utterly immobile, thus making her ineligible for any dramatic screen role, save for the Elephant Man.
Josh Brolin, Megan Fox Dash Between the Explosions in ‘Jonah Hex’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 18, 2010 - 9:21amCHICAGO – Delving deep into the comic book lexicon, the latest page-to-film adaptation is “Jonah Hex,” featuring Josh Brolin, Megan Fox and John Malkovich. Hex is a scarred bounty hunter whose primary job seems to be saving America, when he isn’t in the midst of or causing things to blow up real good.
Theater Review: Ellen DeGeneres Brings Laughs, Magic to Chicago Theatre
Submitted by Alissa Norby on June 18, 2010 - 12:41amCHICAGO – “I like the word ‘somewhat’”, mused Ellen DeGeneres Wednesday night onstage at the Chicago Theatre in front of what is now her standard roused audience. “Like you can say, ‘I’m somewhat gay. But my girlfriend’s really gay.’”
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Showgirls: 15th Anniversary Sinsational Edition’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 18, 2010 - 12:33amCHICAGO – I’ll admit that I never jumped on the “Showgirls” so-bad-it’s-good bandwagon that turned one of the biggest bombs of the ’90s into a cult hit that plays at midnight in theaters around the world. Not unlike “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” people have been drawn to the film that killed the career of nearly everyone involved and is so awful that it became the go-to bad movie reference until “Gigli” came out. Catch up with the suck on the “Showgirls: 15th Anniversary Sinsational Edition.”
If We Had an Emmy Ballot: The Best TV of 2009 to 2010
Submitted by BrianTT on June 17, 2010 - 10:00pmCHICAGO – Ballots for the 62nd Annual Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Emmy nominations are due on Monday, June 21st, 2010, and we’re here to offer some advice for all of you Emmy voters still holding a ballot in your hands and trying to make those tough TV decisions over the upcoming weekend.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 50 Chicago Passes to ‘I Am Love’ With Tilda Swinton
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on June 17, 2010 - 2:55pmCHICAGO – In our latest drama edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 50 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of the new film “I Am Love” starring the Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton!
DVD Review: ‘Youth in Revolt’ Showcases Michael Cera’s Versatility
Submitted by mattmovieman on June 17, 2010 - 8:17amCHICAGO – Some actors are so brilliantly in command of their abilities that their efforts are routinely taken for granted. Michael Cera’s utter failure to hit a single false note onscreen has led some to believe that he’s simply playing himself, as if playing oneself was somehow easy to begin with.
Video Game Review: Create Your Own World in ‘ModNation Racers’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 17, 2010 - 12:27amCHICAGO – Blending the worlds of “Super Mario Kart” and “Little Big Planet,” Sony’s “ModNation Racers” will be the perfect summer title for players who like their racing a little more cartoonish than most speed-based titles and for those who love to make a title their own. Grafting the “LBP” customization and game creation model on to a racing world makes for a unique release that will serve as a length diversion for some but not all.
DVD Review: TV Season Sets Including ‘Entourage,’ ‘The Closer,’ ‘HawthoRNe’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 16, 2010 - 10:43pmCHICAGO – The wave of TV on DVD sets that always comes crashing down upon us after the end of a traditional September-to-May season is still a few months off, but a few interesting releases have popped up recently and we thought they each deserved a mini-review for potential fans out there looking for something new now that their DVRs have gotten pretty empty. Take notes, there might be a test at the end.
Interview: Foxy! Pam Grier Remembers ‘My Life in Three Acts’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 16, 2010 - 1:24pmCHICAGO – Pam Grier has a strong, peaceful aura. After inventing the female action hero in her early 1970s hits “Coffy” and “Foxy Brown,” Grier has navigated her life through optimistic success. She was in Chicago for a book signing at Borders State Street, promoting ‘Foxy: My Life in Three Acts.”
Theater Interview: Looking ‘Up’ With ‘Fuerza Bruta’ Creator Diqui James
Submitted by Alissa Norby on June 15, 2010 - 1:37pmCHICAGO – The confetti-filled, fist-pumping import “Fuerza Bruta: Look Up” recently stormed into Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre stage. Lauded by audiences as an experience the bridges the gap between the fervor of a night club and the aesthetics of traditional theatre, the production is known for its use of 360 degree spectacle. Diqui James, the co-creator and Artistic Director of the piece, recently caught of with ShowBiz Chicago to discuss the concept of the hands-on “Fuerza Bruta”, and why the art may just be in the discovery.
Blu-Ray Review: Park Chan-wook’s ‘Vengeance Trilogy’ Earns Amazing Release
Submitted by BrianTT on June 15, 2010 - 12:26pmCHICAGO – Park Chan-wook’s “Vengeance Trilogy” stands as one of the most essential cinematic achievements of the new millennium and should be seen anyone who dares call himself a movie fan. The three thematically linked films (although not sequels in a traditional sense) — “Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance,” “Oldboy,” and “Lady Vengeance” — have been collected in a gorgeous, extras-packed, simply spectacular release from Palisades Tartan that is now available to all after a limited exclusive deal with Best Buy for the last few months. If you haven’t already, buy it. Now.
