CHICAGO – In anticipation of the scariest week of the year, HollywoodChicago.com launches its 2024 Movie Gifts series, which will suggest DVDs and collections for holiday giving.
May 2010
Slideshow: World Premiere of ‘Prince of Persia’ With Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton
Submitted by BrianTT on May 10, 2010 - 11:24amCHICAGO – This 24-image slideshow contains red carpet and afterparty pics from the world premiere of “Prince of Persia: Sands of Time” on May 9th, 2010 in Westfield, London. Celebrities in attendance include Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Final Day of 10 Days of ‘Iron Man 2’ Giveaways With Signed Poster
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 10, 2010 - 10:42amCHICAGO – HollywoodChicago.com welcomes back our earlier contestants to the final day 10 of our exclusive 10 Days of “Iron Man 2” giveaway! Today is the day you’ve been waiting for because we’re offering our grand prize: an official poster for the film signed by the cast!
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Day 9 of 10 Days of ‘Iron Man 2’ Giveaways
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 9, 2010 - 7:08pmCHICAGO – HollywoodChicago.com welcomes back our earlier contestants to day nine of our exclusive 10 Days of “Iron Man 2” giveaway! If you didn’t win yesterday or learn about the fun until now, today’s your next chance to win! And if today isn’t yours, tomorrow might be!
Interview With Larry Manetti: Memories of Tom Selleck’s ‘Magnum P.I.’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 9, 2010 - 3:05pmCHICAGO – Where would Thomas Sullivan Magnum had been without his trusty sidekick Rick Wright? Chicago-born Larry Manetti was Rick Wright on “Magnum P.I,” and has just re-released his book of memories with the show, “Aloha, Magnum.”
Theater Interview: Back on the Street With Lisa Helmi Johanson of ‘Avenue Q’
Submitted by Alissa Norby on May 7, 2010 - 11:33pmCHICAGO – The puppets are back in town. Those R-rated, sexually-inclined, potty-mouthed denizens of Avenue Q have once again taken over the neighborhood where they are appearing at Broadway in Chicago’s Bank of America Theater. Now in its seventh year Off-Broadway (where the production recently transferred from its previous home on the Great White Way), the Tony Award-winning musical by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx continues to tempt and tickle its Sesame Street fanbase on the road.
Theater Interview: The Write Stuff With Playwright Will Cooper
Submitted by Alissa Norby on May 7, 2010 - 10:37pmCHICAGO – Chicago Dramatists’ playwright Will Cooper isn’t interested in the simple answers. Rather, his new production, “Jade Heart”, has every intention to ask the hard-hitting questions of racial identity in a post-melting pot America, a topic as potentially layered as it is controversial.
DVD Review: ‘Georgia O’Keeffe’ Showcases Two Great Actors
Submitted by BrianTT on May 7, 2010 - 7:16pmCHICAGO – A TV movie that’s slightly light on substance and presented in a downright ugly standard DVD presentation, “Georgia O’Keeffe” is still well worth seeking out for it features one of the best actors and one of the best actresses currently alive in Jeremy Irons and Joan Allen, both nominated for multiple awards for their work in this film and both at the top of their game.
Video Game Review: Riveting, Thrilling Action of ‘Splinter Cell: Conviction’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 7, 2010 - 6:12pm Video Game Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – With a consistently intriguing story, excellent voice work, and perfectly-paced gameplay, the Microsoft Xbox 360 game “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction” is a surprisingly accomplished title, one that will suck you in for hours on end and nearly make you feel like a superspy yourself.
TV Review: ‘Friday Night Lights’ Continues Stellar Storytelling
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 7, 2010 - 4:01pmCHICAGO – Why has a seemingly ordinary tale of an oil patch town in Texas and their high school football obsession conquered books, film and television? Because the folks telling the story continue a tradition of beautiful, significant truth.
Despite Some Superfluous Story, ‘Iron Man 2’ Delivers Hollywood Oomph
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 7, 2010 - 1:15pmCHICAGO – “Iron Man 2” with returner Robert Downey Jr. and newcomer Scarlett Johansson does what it can within the confines of what it has to do. The Hollywood machine has trained us to have certain expectations for blockbuster sequels and “Iron Man 2” neither deviates nor blazes new territory.
Despite Some Superfluous Story, ‘Iron Man 2’ Delivers Hollywood Oomph
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 7, 2010 - 12:42pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Iron Man 2” with returner Robert Downey Jr. and newcomer Scarlett Johansson does what it can within the confines of what it has to do. The Hollywood machine has trained us to have certain expectations for blockbuster sequels and “Iron Man 2” neither deviates nor blazes new territory.
Catherine Keener Shines in Nicole Holofcener’s Rewarding ‘Please Give’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 7, 2010 - 12:40pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Writer/director Nicole Holofcener (“Lovely and Amazing,” “Friends With Money”) has an amazing ability to write characters that immediately feel genuine. It helps to have an actress as free of artifice as Catherine Keener as your regular lead but we shouldn’t diminish Holofcener’s rare ear for dialogue that actually sounds like it wasn’t created by a screenwriting machine.
Catherine Keener Shines in Nicole Holofcener’s Rewarding ‘Please Give’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 7, 2010 - 12:37pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Writer/director Nicole Holofcener (“Lovely and Amazing,” “Friends With Money”) has an amazing ability to write characters that immediately feel genuine. It helps to have an actress as free of artifice as Catherine Keener as your regular lead but we shouldn’t diminish Holofcener’s rare ear for dialogue that actually sounds like it wasn’t created by a screenwriting machine.
‘Echotone’ Will Captivate Starving Artists Everywhere
Submitted by BrianTT on May 7, 2010 - 11:18am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Two towering orbs are routinely seen eclipsing each other throughout “Echotone,” the wonderful new documentary by first-time filmmaker Nathan Christ. It’s an apt visual metaphor for representing the film’s titular term, which is defined as meaning, “the point at which nature and civilization meet.”
‘Echotone’ Will Captivate Starving Artists Everywhere
Submitted by BrianTT on May 7, 2010 - 11:15amRating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Two towering orbs are routinely seen eclipsing each other throughout “Echotone,” the wonderful new documentary by first-time filmmaker Nathan Christ. It’s an apt visual metaphor for representing the film’s titular term, which is defined as meaning, “the point at which nature and civilization meet.”
Exclusive Portrait: Good Golly, It’s Teen Queen Molly Ringwald
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 6, 2010 - 4:32pmCHICAGO – It was nostalgia time as Molly Ringwald made an appearance at the Borders Books in Lincoln Park, Chicago, near the suburban locale of one her great collaborations with the late John Hughes, “The Breakfast Club.”
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Day 8 of 10 Days of ‘Iron Man 2’ Giveaways
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 6, 2010 - 3:26pmCHICAGO – HollywoodChicago.com welcomes back our earlier contestants to day eight of our exclusive 10 Days of “Iron Man 2” giveaway! If you didn’t win yesterday or learn about the fun until now, today’s your next chance to win! And if today isn’t yours, tomorrow might be!
‘The Good, The Bad, The Weird’ Favors Spectacle Over Story
Submitted by BrianTT on May 6, 2010 - 11:36amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Any guess what’s going on?” asks Zhang Qi, the befuddled leader of the Tri-Nation gang, as he observes a nearby train erupting into utter chaos. This line earns the first big laugh in Kim Ji-woon’s breathlessly entertaining “The Good, The Bad, The Weird,” precisely because it mirrors the thoughts of audience members during the film’s delirious opening sequence.
‘The Good, The Bad, The Weird’ Favors Spectacle Over Story
Submitted by BrianTT on May 6, 2010 - 11:27amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Any guess what’s going on?” asks Zhang Qi, the befuddled leader of the Tri-Nation gang, as he observes a nearby train erupting into utter chaos. This line earns the first big laugh in Kim Ji-woon’s breathlessly entertaining “The Good, The Bad, The Weird,” precisely because it mirrors the thoughts of audience members during the film’s delirious opening sequence.
Blu-Ray Review: Kathryn Bigelow’s ‘K-19: The Widowmaker’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 6, 2010 - 11:16amCHICAGO – Her ceiling-breaking Oscar win for Best Director and Best Picture for “The Hurt Locker” is likely to send many movie watchers into the back catalog of the great Kathryn Bigelow, a fact that has driven Paramount to release her least accomplished film, the truly mediocre Harrison Ford vehicle “K-19: The Widowmaker” on Blu-ray.
Warner Bros. Summer Preview Slideshow: ‘Sex and the City 2,’ ‘Inception,’ ‘Jonah Hex,’ ‘Splice’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 5, 2010 - 9:16pm
Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.CHICAGO – This 18-image slideshow contains the official press images for Warner Brothers’ Summer 2010 slate including “Sex and the City 2,” “Splice,” “Jonah Hex,” “Inception,” “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore,” “Lottery Ticket,” and “Going the Distance”. Stars featured include Sarah Jessica Parker, Adrien Brody, Megan Fox, Josh Brolin, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Drew Barrymore.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Day 7 of 10 Days of ‘Iron Man 2’ Giveaways
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 5, 2010 - 5:21pmCHICAGO – HollywoodChicago.com welcomes back our earlier contestants to day seven of our exclusive 10 Days of “Iron Man 2” giveaway! If you didn’t win yesterday or learn about the fun until now, today’s your next chance to win! And if today isn’t yours, tomorrow might be!
‘Twilight’ Sequel ‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn’ Set For Nov. 18, 2011
Submitted by BrianTT on May 5, 2010 - 3:53pmCHICAGO – Summit announced the release date for the final film in the “Twilight” franchise today, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn,” starring Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner, but did not yet reveal if it will be one or two films, as has been rumored. “Breaking Dawn,” helmed by recently-announced director Bill Condon, will be released on Nov. 18, 2011.
Marvel DVD Round Up, May 2010: ‘X-Men,’ ‘Iron Man,’ ‘Wolverine’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 5, 2010 - 1:13pmCHICAGO – With “Iron Man 2” hitting theaters in a matter of hours, the round-up is back with a trio of superhero animated DVDs clearly timed to release with the launch of the biggest Marvel movie of the year. See “Iron Man 2” and take home whichever animated TV on DVD release suits your fancy. Or get all three.
Interview: Writer, Actor Justin Theroux on His ‘Iron Man 2’ Screenplay
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 5, 2010 - 1:07pmCHICAGO – Justin Theroux has a long resume as both a cult actor (”Muholland Dr.”) and screenwriter (”Tropic Thunder”). Through a key connection and his own point-of-view, he was hired to write “Iron Man 2,” the sequel to one of the biggest blockbusters ever.
DVD Review: Coppola’s ‘Tetro’ Arrives With a Wealth of Special Features
Submitted by mattmovieman on May 5, 2010 - 11:52amCHICAGO – It’s been thirty-five years since Francis Ford Coppola wrote an original screenplay for one of his pictures, and though “Tetro” is certainly not in the same league as his last singular written work (1974’s “The Conversation”), it is still the most cinematically exciting, hauntingly beautiful, and achingly personal film he’s made in decades.
Matthew Vaughn Set to Direct ‘X-Men: First Class’ With June 2011 Release
Submitted by BrianTT on May 4, 2010 - 10:47pmCHICAGO – In an ironic twist of movie fate, “Kick-Ass” director Matthew Vaughn, the man once assigned the role of directing “X-Men: The Last Stand” will direct the next installment in the mega-franchise, “X-Men: First Class,” to be released on June 3rd, 2011.
Blu-Ray Review: John Malkovich Anchors Excellent ‘Disgrace’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 4, 2010 - 10:27pmCHICAGO – One of our best living actors, John Malkovich, drives the very good drama “Disgrace” with the subtlety of his decisions as an actor reflected back in a complicated script based on the acclaimed, Booker Prize-winning novel by J.M. Coatzee. This is a rare film willing to leave some questions unanswered and to be content with the knowledge that life is full of gray moral areas more often than black and white.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Leap Year’ Represents the Nadir of Romantic Comedy
Submitted by mattmovieman on May 4, 2010 - 10:27amCHICAGO – Amy Adams is one of the most charming, appealing, and brilliant actresses working in Hollywood today. Sure, she’s often been typecast in sweetly naive roles, and could definitely benefit from a change of pace. But seriously, who thought it was a good idea to cast her as a bitchy micromanager, first in the disappointing “Julie & Julia,” and now in this cataclysmic disaster? It’s yet another instance of Hollywood’s consistent gift for wasting talent.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Dirty Dancing: Limited Keepsake Edition’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 4, 2010 - 10:05amCHICAGO – How does one review a lavish “Keepsake Edition” of a beloved hit? Does it matter what the critic thinks of the movie itself? It’s not like anyone out there will be buying a gift set such as this having not even seen the film, so the opinion of a potential buyer is pretty much set in stone. With that in mind, if you love “Dirty Dancing” as so many do, it’s hard to think of anything missing from Lionsgate’s new “Limited Keepsake Edition”.
