March 2011

Rating: 2.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Sebastian Gutierrez is the sort of filmmaker who thrives best on the festival circuit. His work is just quirky and distinctive enough to garner overenthusiastic praise from jaded festival goers in the mood for markedly lighter fare. Yet when screened out of the celebratory atmosphere at SXSW, Gutierrez’s films fail to register as anything more than mediocre trifles.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – How many of us can honestly say that we have the level of devotion to anything that we would put our lives at risk to protect it? How many of us can say that when faced with almost certain violence, we would stand up and refuse to run in the other direction for any imaginable reason?

Rating: 1.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Catherine Hardwicke, who only directed the first “Twilight” and none of the following franchise films because she felt rushed and financially constrained, has cleverly figured out how to make another “Twilight” under the guise of the name “Red Riding Hood”.

CHICAGO – “Jackass 3” features more male genitalia and bodily fluids than most pornos. The boys have become bizarrely obsessed with their penises and, well, crap. And while the movie features some definite laughs, there are a surprising number of bits that either fall flat as comedy or seem designed to shock more than entertain. This big fan of Johnny Knoxville and the gang (I’ve seen every episode and the first two movies) just didn’t find the third installment as funny as I had hoped it would be — even in nauseating 3D.

CHICAGO – Shouldn’t it be called the “Millennium Trilogy”? Or the “Girl Trilogy”? Only the first movie has the words “Dragon Tattoo” in it. Anyway, I’m being picky. Whatever you call it, the three foreign films adapted from Stieg Larsson’s uber-successful series have been now included in one box set that should appeal to fans of the books hoping to have their favorite series in one place.

CHICAGO – Has there ever been a season of reality TV that got off to such an instantly-entertaining start as “Survivor: Redemption Island”? The new gameplay concept represented by the title has helped reinvigorate the series.

CHICAGO – History has a funny way of distorting the quality of a film. Don’t worry. I’m not here to tell you that “The Last Unicorn” only works through the haze of memory. It still features some striking visuals and reasonably strong storytelling, but it may not be the ’80s classic you conjure up when you hear a tune that reminds you of that cheesy theme song. The legions of adoring fans should definitely check this out but be prepared for what could be a let down.

CHICAGO – HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico speaks with WGN Radio host Bill Moller on Mar. 5, 2011 about the cancel/renew status of current TV shows including “Blue Bloods,” “The Defenders,” “NCIS,” “Celebrity Ghost Stories,” “Supernatural,” “Drop Dead Diva,” and more.

CHICAGO – Part “Top Chef,” part “The Apprentice,” and even part “American Idol” and with a title borrowed from “America’s Next Top Model,” NBC’s “America’s Next Great Restaurant” is a recipe built from ingredients you’ve tasted before but that have become bland by mixing them all together with nothing new to add to the pot.

CHICAGO – What has happened to Sunday nights? Perhaps the most bizarre modern trend in television is the desire for a good cry at the end of the weekend. People watch hard-working men and women finally get their due on “Undercover Boss” or shed a tear at the reshaped lives of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” The latest entry in this manipulative sub-genre is ABC’s “Secret Millionaire,” a program that certainly highlights deserving people but does so in a way that doesn’t quite work.

CHICAGO – The Charlie Sheen train wreck has been interesting to watch. His “winning” and “tiger blood” have been hot topics at the water cooler all week long. Now the online betting sports book giant BetUs is spicing up that conversation even more.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – When we first see the chameleon named Lars (Johnny Depp), soon to be ‘Rango,’ he is doing acting voice exercises. He is basically warming up a film that is a real hoot, and has wonderful heart.

CHICAGO – The main problem with “Beastly,” a modern high schooler retelling of “Beauty and the Beast,” is that the outcome is known (Beast will learn lessons, become handsome again). That leaves only the way it gets to that end for creating story. This film cannot find its way.

CHICAGO – Nostalgia films need a couple of elements to make them work. First, instant recognition with the era, and second, a reason to go there. “Take Me Home Tonight” lacks both characteristics, and lead actor Topher Grace can’t seem to light a fire under the rest of it.