CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio review for the doc series “Charlie Hustle & the Matter of Pete Rose,” about the rise and bitter fall of the major league legend, the MLB’s all-time hits leader, only to be banned from the sport because of gambling. Streaming on MAX and on HBO since July 24th.
September 2009
Kate Beckinsale’s ‘Whiteout’ About as Thrilling as a Blank Screen
Submitted by BrianTT on September 11, 2009 - 3:26pmCHICAGO – Producing more derisive snickers than gasps and more snores than thrills, Dominic Sena’s “Whiteout” is a massive waste of time, a predictable, dull, and hysterically cliched slice of junk that should be run out of theaters before month’s end.
Kate Beckinsale’s ‘Whiteout’ About as Thrilling as a Blank Screen
Submitted by BrianTT on September 11, 2009 - 3:22pm Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Producing more derisive snickers than gasps and more snores than thrills, Dominic Sena’s “Whiteout” is a massive waste of time, a predictable, dull, and hysterically cliched slice of junk that should be run out of theaters before month’s end.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 50 IMAX Passes to ‘Michael Jordan to the MAX’ in Chicago
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on September 11, 2009 - 1:13amCHICAGO – In our first IMAX edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: IMAX, we have 50 admit-one passes up for grabs to the Chicago IMAX screening of “Michael Jordan to the MAX”.
Blu-Ray Review: Fourth Season of Underrated ‘Supernatural’ Rocks
Submitted by BrianTT on September 10, 2009 - 2:26pmCHICAGO – With the fifth and reportedly final season of “Supernatural” starting tonight, September 10th, 2009, on The CW, what better time to sing the praises of this often clever and always underrated show via a review of the recently released fourth season Blu-Ray and DVD editions? If you’ve never seen “Supernatural” start at the beginning, but if you’ve seen the first three seasons, don’t give up on number four.
Blu-Ray Review: Disney’s ‘Earth’ Highlights Beauty of Mother Nature
Submitted by BrianTT on September 10, 2009 - 1:54pmCHICAGO – Writing about Disney’s nature documentary “Earth,” now available on Blu-Ray and DVD, is complicated because the movie itself contains undeniably beautiful imagery but, for a lot of people, it’s footage that they’ve seen before and the film never really registers as a complete experience. It’s a slice of nature mostly meant for children and, if you keep that in mind, it’s sometimes effective.
Slideshow: 22-Image Gallery For ‘Love Happens’ With Jennifer Aniston, Aaron Eckhart
Submitted by BrianTT on September 10, 2009 - 10:56amCHICAGO – This 22-image slideshow contains the official press images for “Love Happens,” starring Aaron Eckhart, Jennifer Aniston, Dan Fogler, Judy Greer, Joe Anderson, John Carroll Lynch, Frances Conroy and Martin Sheen. The film was written by Brandon Camp & Mike Thompson and directed by Camp and opens on September 18th, 2009. It is rated PG-13.
Interview: The Journey of Rumer Willis With a Stop in ‘Sorority Row’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 10, 2009 - 7:07amCHICAGO – Rumer Willis, the progeny of popular stars Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, is now on her own as a young actor and continuing her movie career with a role in “Sorority Row,” opening on Friday this week.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 20 Passes to Matt Damon’s ‘The Informant!’ Screening in Chicago, 10 Books
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on September 9, 2009 - 5:32pmCHICAGO – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 20 admit-two passes up for grabs to the upcoming Chicago screening of the new Steven Soderbergh comedy “The Informant!” starring Matt Damon! We’re also hooking our HollywoodChicago.com winners up with 10 books of the true story by Kurt Eichenwald, too!
DVD Review: Guilty Pleasure ‘Harper’s Island’ Could Become Cult Hit
Submitted by BrianTT on September 9, 2009 - 2:26pmCHICAGO – I’m still a little miffed that the “Harper’s Island” experiment didn’t work out for CBS. The show was far from perfect, but I still like the idea of a limited series with a predetermined beginning, middle, and end. Sadly, no one tuned in to watch “Harper’s Island” on CBS but the guilty pleasure could have a second life on DVD.
Nicolas Cage Out of Michel Gondry’s ‘The Green Hornet’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 9, 2009 - 1:45pmCHICAGO – Production has begun recently on “The Green Hornet” but not for Nicolas Cage. For months Cage has been set to star as the film’s villain, but according to Screen Crave things have gone bad. Cage has dropped out of the film when the negotiations for the star have fallen through.
TV Review: The Best New Show of the Year is ‘Glee’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 9, 2009 - 1:10pmCHICAGO – Ryan Murphy’s brilliant “Glee” is not only the best new show of the year, it’s off to one of the best starts for any series in the last several fall seasons. Much closer to Alexander Payne’s “Election” than Disney’s “High School Musical,” this is a clever blend of satire, pop tunes, laugh-out-loud comedy, and rich, interesting characters that you simply shouldn’t miss.
Video Game Review: Everyone Should Play ‘The Beatles: Rock Band’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 9, 2009 - 12:03pmCHICAGO – “The Beatles: Rock Band” is easily the most fulfilling music gaming experience to date. As someone who has played all of the “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band” releases so far, I can tell you from experience that most of these titles are easy to pick up and put down without a concrete narrative to drive a player from beginning to end.
Chicago’s Navy Pier Announces 60-By-80-Foot IMAX Screen Replacement
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 8, 2009 - 8:15pmCHICAGO – On Monday, Sept. 14 and Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009, Chicago’s Navy Pier IMAX Theatre will replace its 60-by-80-foot foot IMAX screen.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘M*A*S*H’ Still Resonates Nearly Four Decades Later
Submitted by BrianTT on September 8, 2009 - 3:35pmCHICAGO – I worry that young people out there raised on syndicated reruns don’t know that the beloved TV show “M*A*S*H” is actually based on not just any movie but a great comedy featuring two actors at or near their prime and directed by one of the best directors that ever lived. Perhaps a great new Blu-Ray release from Fox will correct the oversight.
Slideshow: 11-Image Gallery For ‘Sorority Row’ With Rumer Willis, Briana Evigan
Submitted by BrianTT on September 8, 2009 - 1:35pm
(Left to right) Briana Evigan, Rumer Willis, Leah Pipes and Jamie Chung star in Sorority Row.CHICAGO – This 11-image slideshow contains the official press images for “Sorority Row,” starring Rumer Willis, Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Jamie Chung, Margo Harshman, Audrina Partridge, Caroline D’Amore, and Carrie Fisher. The film was written by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger and directed by Stewart Hendler and opens on September 11th, 2009. It is rated R.
Janet Jackson to Perform Michael Jackson Tribute at MTV’s Video Music Awards
Submitted by BrianTT on September 8, 2009 - 12:59pmCHICAGO – According to TMZ, Janet Jackson is hard at work rehearsing for a Michael Jackson tribute that will be performed at this weekend’s MTV Video Music Awards.
Blu-Ray Review: Ninth Season of ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’ Sparkles in HD
Submitted by BrianTT on September 8, 2009 - 12:52pmCHICAGO – “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” jumps from the first season to the most recent when it comes to Blu-Ray releases of one of the most successful and beloved shows of the ’00s. It’s only a matter of time before the seven seasons in-between are filled-in but, until then, you can watch the beginning and the end of the William Petersen era on “CSI” with the recent release of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - The Ninth Season”.
Blu-Ray Review: Fantastic ‘Sugar’ Deserves Wide Home Audience
Submitted by BrianTT on September 8, 2009 - 11:40amCHICAGO – As the baseball season winds to a close, take some time to catch up with one of the best dramas of the year and one of the best movies made about the changing face of the sport in Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s fantastic “Sugar”. This is a film that gets better with each viewing and as it lingers in the memory. Now on Blu-Ray and DVD, don’t miss “Sugar”.
Interview: From ‘Office Space’ to ‘Extract’ With Writer, Director Mike Judge
Submitted by BrianTT on September 8, 2009 - 10:48amCHICAGO – Last week, the writer/director of “Extract,” Mike Judge, took some time with HollywoodChicago.com to discuss his many comedic creations from the characters of “Office Space” to “King of the Hill,” “Beavis and Butthead,” and, now, “Extract”.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 30 Passes to ‘The Burning Plain’ Chicago Screening With Charlize Theron
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on September 5, 2009 - 8:36pmCHICAGO – In our latest romantic edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 30 admit-two passes up for grabs to the Chicago screening of the new romance drama “The Burning Plain” starring Oscar-winner Charlize Theron and Oscar-winner Kim Basinger!
Sequel to Beloved ‘Tron,’ ‘TRON: Legacy’ to Hit Theaters in Dec. 2010
Submitted by BrianTT on September 4, 2009 - 1:33pmCHICAGO – The highly anticipated movie “TRON: Legacy” will hit theaters on December 17, 2010, according to Dark Horizons.
Interview: Writer, Director Bobcat Goldthwait on ‘World’s Greatest Dad’ With Robin Williams
Submitted by BrianTT on September 4, 2009 - 11:55amCHICAGO – Bobcat Goldthwait has made one of the most daring, unique, dark comedies of the year, the personal “World’s Greatest Dad,” starring Robin Williams, Alexie Gilmore, Daryl Sabara, and Henry Simmons.
Video: Trailer For ‘The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 4, 2009 - 11:35amCHICAGO – Sony sent over the brand-new preview for “The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day,” the highly anticipated sequel that opens on October 30th, 2009. The sequel to the massive cult hit was one of the biggest properties at Comic-Con this year and the preview is pretty cool. Stay tuned to HollywoodChicago.com for more coverage.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 50 Passes to ‘9’ Screening in Chicago From Tim Burton
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on September 3, 2009 - 10:44pmCHICAGO – In our latest animated edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 50 admit-two passes up for grabs to the Chicago screening of the new animated film “9” from producers Tim Burton of “Beetlejuice” and Timur Bekmambetov of “Wanted”.
‘Snatch’ Director Guy Ritchie Set to Direct DC Comics’ ‘Lobo’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 3, 2009 - 1:43pmCHICAGO – Film Journal has announced that Guy Ritchie will be directing his first superhero film “Lobo.” The movie, based off the DC Comics anti-hero, is about a blue-skinned cigar-chomping alien named Lobo who’s an interstellar mercenary and bounty hunter.
TV on DVD Review: Seasons of ‘House,’ ‘Californication,’ ‘Brothers and Sisters,’ More
Submitted by BrianTT on September 3, 2009 - 11:55amCHICAGO – Late summer and early fall always produce a wave of TV programs on DVD, as if you’ll see the latest season on a store shelf at the local Best Buy and remember that a show returns to the air soon. It’s both advertising and a way for viewers to catch up before another weekly iteration of one of their favorite shows.
Blu-Ray Review: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck in Thriller ‘State of Play’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 3, 2009 - 10:23amCHICAGO – I had some issues with “State of Play” in theaters, but it’s an intelligent thriller that is bound to find an audience on DVD and Blu-Ray and the Universal-produced Blu-Ray of the Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck film is an excellent one, the kind of release that can polish a good film and make it nearly great.
Blu-Ray Review: Clever, Entertaining ‘Duplicity’ Deserves Wider Audience
Submitted by BrianTT on September 2, 2009 - 11:36pmCHICAGO – In my role as a film critic, I’m always hearing complaints about the lack of films aimed at adults. It’s true that most of what Hollywood delivers is designed to please teenagers. But can you blame them when a great adult comedy like “Duplicity” comes out and hardly anyone goes to see it? Now on Blu-Ray, the Clive Owen and Julia Roberts film from the man who made “Michael Clayton” deserves to find the audience that missed it in theaters.
DVD Round Up, Sept. 2, 2009: ‘Boot Camp,’ ‘Red Velvet,’ ‘Homeboy’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 2, 2009 - 11:09pmCHICAGO – Time to catch up with the DVD Round-Up, a collection of titles that may have slipped under your radar while you were busy blogging about Inglourious Basterds” or programming your DVR for the new Fall TV season.
Exclusive ‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’ Trailer Premiering at 2009 VMAs
Submitted by BrianTT on September 2, 2009 - 6:49pmCHICAGO – MTV.com reported today that during the 2009 Video Music Awards that “Twilight” stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner will appear on the show to debut an exclusive trailer for “New Moon” with fresh new footage.
