January 2011

Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – In many ways, “The Dilemma” is director Ron Howard’s most daring film. Leaving behind the usual brightly lit, good/evil morality tales, Howard weaves a narrative basket filled with infidelity, gambling addiction, blackmail and mistrust. This is Opie on the dark side, with Vince Vaughn and Kevin James along for the journey.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Mike Leigh (“Happy-Go-Lucky,” “Vera Drake”) has long ago been correctly-labeled as one of our most remarkably-attuned writer/directors when it comes to capturing the tragedy of the everyday human condition on film. His latest work, “Another Year,” may seem like just another slice of life and it’s certainly not the drama to see if you need fancy hooks with your popcorn, but realistically presenting the highs and sadness of an unfulfilled life is much harder than it looks.

CHICAGO – Who would have guessed that the network to jump on the Betty White phenomenon (and who would have guessed that would ever be a viable phrase) would be TV Land? It makes a certain kind of twisted sense that a sitcom featuring stars who made it big on other shows would reunite on network built around reruns but “Hot in Cleveland” should have and could have been much better and one wonders if it wasn’t fate but that no one else would have this lackluster comedy.

CHICAGO – We may be a little late to the wrap-up of the 2010 video game party, but there’s still time to take one final look back at the year that was before we get (more) addicted to “Little Big Planet 2” and “Dead Space 2.” What were the outstanding titles of the last twelve months? And what games will you still be playing in 2011? Chances are, these are the ten titles that won’t be leaving your console anytime soon.

CHICAGO – Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are two of the funniest men alive. Their work on “The Office” and “Extras” stills stands up as brilliant, clever, and consistently hysterical. Their quick wit made them a perfect fit for the world of the podcast and it’s simply spectacular that they hold the Guinness title for the most-downloaded audio recordings. The smash hit podcasts have been turned into an animated HBO series, returning to the network on Friday, January 14th, 2011, shortly after the DVD release of the first season.

CHICAGO – As the weeks, months, and years make it clearer that we will never get a live-action continuation of one of the best television programs ever, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (it’s just cruel that there are two “Sex and the City” movies and we can’t even get a “Buffy” reunion special), fans of the franchise are forced to turn to alternate advancements in the universe, such as the Dark Horse Comics series. The very-popular and critically-acclaimed comics have been turned into Motion Comics and released in a 2-disc Blu-ray set with mixed results.

CHICAGO – “Machete” may be one of the most wonderfully-conceived films of 2010. The idea that one of the fake trailers from “Grindhouse” could ever become a full-length film is a movie lover’s dream come true (and it’s so ironic that “Machete” grossed more domestically than the movie that spawned it). While I love the very existence of “Machete,” the movie itself is something of a disappointment, and it’s not helped by a mediocre Blu-ray that barely has any special features.

CHICAGO – In our latest action/thriller edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: DVD, we have 10 DVDs up for grabs to the new DVD “Death Race 2” with Danny Trejo and Ving Rhames!

CHICAGO – What happens after the final bell rings in the life of a boxer? FX’s drama centers around a character who goes from having a bloody cut above his eye sewn shut to making breakfast for his daughters within the first few scenes.

CHICAGO – Timed to coincide with Fox’s release of “Machete,” Sony has released three of director Robert Rodriguez’s earlier action extravaganzas on two releases — a double feature of “El Mariachi” and “Desperado” to sit next to your new copy of “Once Upon a Time in Mexico.” Both releases feature more special features and arguably better HD transfers than Rodriguez’s 2010 film and could be the better choice for your Blu-ray dollar than “Machete.”

Previous | Image 1 of 5 | Next

Rachael Ray, at Barnes and Noble Oakbrook

CHICAGO – Despite having a popular talk show and continuing her reign as one of America’s favorite TV cooks, Rachael Ray still has time for charity, as demonstrated in this HollywoodChicago.com slideshow at her book signing last month at Barnes & Noble in suburban Oakbrook, Illinois.

CHICAGO – Showtime has built a critical and award-winning reputation around strong lead characters for some of our most best TV actors: Michael C. Hall in “Dexter,” Edie Falco in “Nurse Jackie,” Mary-Louise Parker in “Weeds,” Laura Linney in “The Big C,” and Toni Collette in “United States of Tara” are only a few examples.

CHICAGO – TV animation continues to reign on FOX Sunday nights, and the newest addition is “Bob’s Burgers,” premiering January 9th at 8:30pm ET/7:30pm CT. “Burgers” is created by Loren Bouchard, known for “Dr. Katz” and “Home Movies.”

CHICAGO – NBC never learns. After not just countless rip-offs but “Heroes” itself tanked, why would they try to go back to a clearly-drained well for another comic book TV series like “The Cape”?