CHICAGO – There is no better time to take in a stage play that is based in U.S. history, depicting the battle between fact and religion. The old theater chestnut – first mounted in 1955 – is “Inherit the Wind,” now at the Goodman Theatre, completing it’s short run through October 20th. For tickets and more information, click INHERIT.
May 2012
Blu-ray Review: Katherine Heigl Bombs Again in Unfunny ‘One for the Money’
Submitted by mattmovieman on May 16, 2012 - 8:10amCHICAGO – With each passing year, Katherine Heigl’s claims about Judd Apatow’s sexism appear increasingly absurd. While Apatow is producing A-grade work from female filmmakers, such as “Bridesmaids” and HBO’s “Girls,” Heigl is portraying shallow ditzes who are susceptible to chauvinistic, overgrown adolescents. “The Ugly Truth,” “Killers,” “Life as We Know It” and “New Years Eve” is not a track record worth bragging about.
TV News: CBS Moves ‘Two and a Half Men’ to Thursdays, Launches Four New Shows
Submitted by BrianTT on May 16, 2012 - 8:08amCHICAGO – In the most interesting scheduling move of the Fall 2012 TV announcements, CBS is going to move “Two and a Half Men” to Thursday nights following “The Big Bang Theory.”
Blu-ray Review: Fifth, Final Season of Beloved ‘Chuck’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 15, 2012 - 5:17pmCHICAGO – If television shows were deemed a success or failure based on the number of emails, comments, and call-ins to radio shows that were sent on their behalf, NBC’s “Chuck” would be one of the biggest programs of the last two decades. Every time we wrote about it or discussed it on the radio show, people got excited. The show didn’t have many fans, but they were LOYAL and that’s why it stayed on the air much longer than it should have based on pure ratings numbers and that’s why WB has treated fans right through five Blu-ray releases.
Blu-ray Review: ‘80s Hits ‘Gremlins,’ ‘Dirty Dancing’ & Their Sequels
Submitted by BrianTT on May 15, 2012 - 4:06pmCHICAGO – The generation raised on movies of the ’80s is now the one that buys the most Blu-rays. And so it makes sense that more and more of the films of our youth are hitting the format. Again. And again. Lionsgate has turned releasing and re-releasing “Dirty Dancing” into an art form (and would never pass up the 25th anniversary without another re-release). And Warner Bros. has finally given both “Gremlins” and “Gremlins 2” an HD polish although one wishes they had given more care and love to Joe Dante’s gems. Oh yeah, you can also now own “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” on Blu-ray if there’s anyone out there who considers that valuable information.
TV News: ABC Fall Schedule Includes Four New Shows, New Nights For ‘Revenge,’ ‘Happy Endings’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 15, 2012 - 10:31amCHICAGO – After an incredibly successful 2011-2012 season, ABC is doing something of a victory lap by not changing much of what worked about a season that saw the network create a number of new hits, including “Revenge,” “Once Upon a Time,” and “Suburgatory.”
Film Review: Funny, Political ‘The Dictator’ with Sacha Baron Cohen
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 15, 2012 - 7:47amCHICAGO – Ali G, Borat, Bruno and the Stationmaster Guy in “Hugo” is now “The Dictator.” Sacha Baron Cohen puts on another character mask and produces his usual style of cheap laughs with a surprising sense of political sharpness. Anna Faris and Ben Kingsley go along for the ride.
Funny, Political ‘The Dictator’ with Sacha Baron Cohen
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 15, 2012 - 7:43amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Ali G, Borat, Bruno and the Stationmaster Guy in “Hugo” is now “The Dictator.” Sacha Baron Cohen puts on another character mask and produces his usual style of cheap laughs with a surprising sense of political sharpness. Anna Faris and Ben Kingsley go along for the ride.
Blu-ray Review: ‘The Grey’ Offers Liam Neeson His Best Role in Years
Submitted by mattmovieman on May 15, 2012 - 6:53amCHICAGO – Joe Carnahan’s “The Grey” is one of the first great surprises of 2012, a thriller more interested in the inner turmoil of its characters than gratuitous bloodletting. The cynical bait-and-switch of its marketing campaign is easier to forgive considering the superior nature of the actual film. It’s vastly more thoughtful and moving than one would expect.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 5 Blu-Ray, DVD Combo Packs to ‘The Secret World of Arrietty’
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 15, 2012 - 3:11amCHICAGO – In our latest animated edition of the HollywoodChicago.com Hookup, we have 5 Blu-ray and DVD combo packs up for grabs to the home entertainment release of “The Secret World of Arrietty” from the studio that brought you the Oscar-winning best animated feature “Spirited Away” and “Ponyo”!
TV Review: Emily Maynard Tries to Bring Personality to ‘The Bachelorette’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 14, 2012 - 1:55pmCHICAGO – “I may have had a head injury, but there’s nothing wrong with my heart.” If you find that line too cheesy to be realistic, you probably won’t be interested in tonight’s premiere of the eighth season of “The Bachelorette.”
Video Game Review: ‘Mortal Kombat’ Comes Fully Loaded to PlayStation Vita
Submitted by BrianTT on May 14, 2012 - 1:07pmCHICAGO – Fans of HollywoodChicago.com’s video game coverage will know by now that I LOVE the new incarnation of “Mortal Kombat.” The team at NetherRealm brilliantly brought this legendary franchise back from the brink of irrelevance by focusing on what worked about it in the first place and giving players one of the deepest fight game experiences on the market. There are a lot of good fighting games out there right now including “Soul Calibur V” and “Street Fighter x Tekken” but “Mortal Kombat” wins with a brutal fatality, even on the PlayStation Vita.
TV Review: ‘American Masters Johnny Carson: King of Late Night’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 14, 2012 - 11:42amCHICAGO – There is arguably no icon on a higher pedestal in the history of television than Johnny Carson, the man who didn’t just host “The Tonight Show” for three decades but became a cultural fixture. We let Johnny into our homes and trusted him in ways that I believe just can’t happen again in a more cynical TV age. He was a nightly visitor for millions and the new PBS documentary about him, “American Masters Johnny Carson: King of Late Night,” is one of the best TV history documentaries yet produced.
TV News: FOX Moves ‘Glee,’ ‘Touch,’ Launches Three New Shows
Submitted by BrianTT on May 14, 2012 - 8:11amCHICAGO – When so much of your already-limited primetime schedule is devoted to reality singing competitions and animated programming, it gives a network little room to play. FOX only has a few timeslots once one takes “The X Factor”/”American Idol” and “Animation Domination” out of the equation. But play they will.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 50 Pairs of Chicago Passes to TNT’s ‘Franklin & Bash’ VIP TV Party
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 13, 2012 - 10:47pmCHICAGO – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: TV, we have 50 admit-two VIP TV party passes up for grabs to the special sneak screening of the second-season premiere episode of TNT’s “Franklin & Bash”!
Film News: ‘The Avengers’ Posts Best Second Weekend Ever, ‘Dark Shadows’ Disappoints
Submitted by BrianTT on May 13, 2012 - 5:42pmCHICAGO – “The Avengers” showed no sign of second weekend fatigue, beating the smash second frames of “The Dark Knight” and “Avatar” by collecting another $103.1 million. Dropping just over 50%, “The Avengers” has made $373 million domestically and over $1 billion internationally. This thing could challenge “Avatar” and “Titanic” for all-time grosses.
TV News: CBS Cancels ‘CSI: Miami,’ ‘Unforgettable,’ ‘Rob,’ Renews ‘CSI: NY’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 13, 2012 - 1:49pmCHICAGO – David Caruso will have to dramatically remove his sunglasses somewhere else. CBS answered a few of the remaining question marks today by officially axing “CSI: Miami,” “Unforgettable,” and “Rob!” They also announced that “CSI: NY” would return.
TV News: NBC Fall Schedule Includes ‘The Voice,’ Six New Shows, ‘Community’ on Fridays
Submitted by BrianTT on May 13, 2012 - 1:36pmCHICAGO – NBC revealed their Fall schedule today and there were multiple surprises including comedies moving to Tuesday and Friday nights (we were wondering where all of the sitcoms would go) and a Fall cycle of the hit singing show “The Voice.”
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 30 Pairs of Chicago Passes to Sundance Ballet Film ‘First Position’
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 12, 2012 - 5:39pmCHICAGO – Last-minute Hookup! In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 30 admit-two movie passes up for grabs to the advance screening of the award-winning Sundance Selects documentary “First Position”!
TV News: Recap of Cancellations, Renewals For 2012-13 Season
Submitted by BrianTT on May 12, 2012 - 11:14amCHICAGO – With the onslaught of news stories this week about what would and what would not be included in next week’s Fall schedule announcements, it’s easy to lose track of your favorite show. Let us guide the way with this handy recap. When will it all air? Will some of these be mid-season returns? Will your favorite show move? Come back next week as all of the Fall schedules are announced.
TV News: ABC Renews Four Shows Including ‘Body of Proof’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 12, 2012 - 11:05amCHICAGO – ABC decided to throw TV journalists a curveball late on Friday when they announced the renewal of two on-the-bubble shows that most were predicting would get the axe — drama “Body of Proof” and comedy “Don’t Trust the B—— in Apt. 23.” They also announced the expected renewals of “Last Man Standing” and “Private Practice” and confirmed that “Missing” and “The River” would not return.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: ‘RENT’ Prequel ‘tick, tick... BOOM!’ & The Lauren Wolf Band Rock Concert
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 11, 2012 - 9:00pmCHICAGO – In the latest extra-special HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Music with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 2 admit-two passes up for grabs for the “RENT” prequel and Chicago rock musical “tick, tick… BOOM!” plus a rock concert from the fast-rising Chicago rock performers The Lauren Wolf Band immediately following the show!
TV News: ABC Renews ‘Scandal,’ Cancels ‘GCB’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 11, 2012 - 7:23pmCHICAGO – TV By the Numbers reports that ABC has given a thumbs up to a second season of Shonda Rhimes’ “Scandal” while also deciding that “Desperate Housewives” clone “GCB” was never going to find an audience and showing it the door.
TV News: NBC Cancels ‘Harry’s Law’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 11, 2012 - 7:15pmCHICAGO – This one was predictable. NBC continues to leak out their renewals and cancellations one piece at a time. Despite having decent overall ratings, the youth demo that advertisers want never came to “Harry’s Law” and so the Kathy Bates dramedy has been predictably canceled. It only leaves one question mark on the NBC’s slate — “Whitney” — which some outlets are reporting has already been renewed.
TV News: The CW Renews ‘Nikita,’ ‘Hart of Dixie,’ ‘Gossip Girl,’ Cancels ‘The Secret Circle,’ ‘Ringer’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 11, 2012 - 7:13pmCHICAGO – Well, now this is a bit unpredictable. While the other networks have fallen relatively in line with predictions (CBS, NBC, and ABC have yet to do anything that we didn’t predict in our feature earlier this week), The CW is shaking it up a bit as they just announced the renewal of “Nikita,” “Hart of Dixie,” and “Gossip Girl” (for a sixth and final season of 11 episodes) while TV By the Numbers reports that the network has signed on five new dramas. Where do they put them?
Film Review: Brit Marling Speaks Volumes in ‘Sound of My Voice’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 11, 2012 - 6:26pmCHICAGO – Fresh off her Spirit Award nominated film “Another Earth,” the up-and-coming filmmaker Brit Marling again writes and stars in “Sound of My Voice,” portraying another mysterious and mood-inducing character. The future of humanity is the basis for this simple but vivid narrative.
Brit Marling Speaks Volumes in ‘Sound of My Voice’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 11, 2012 - 6:22pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Fresh off her Spirit Award nominated film “Another Earth,” the up-and-coming filmmaker Brit Marling again writes and stars in “Sound of My Voice,” portraying another mysterious and mood-inducing character. The future of humanity is the basis for this simple but vivid narrative.
TV News: NBC Cancels Four Shows Including ‘Bent,’ ‘Awake’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 11, 2012 - 3:38pmCHICAGO – NBC released the least surprising quartet of cancellations in a very long time by announcing that four of their under-performers will not be on the list when schedules are announced next week — say goodbye to “Awake,” “Bent,” “Best Friends Forever,” and “Are You There, Chelsea?”
TV News: ABC Renews ‘Happy Endings’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 11, 2012 - 3:06pmCHICAGO – Here’s some great news to end your week — ABC has officially renewed “Happy Endings,” bringing their total of renewals in advance of next week’s full schedule announcement to eight. This leaves two comedies in question for the network — “Don’t Trust the B—— in Apt. 23” and “Last Man Standing.” Expect a cancellation for the former and renewal for the latter, maybe even today.
TV Review: USA Tries to Find Ratings Gold Again with ‘Common Law’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 11, 2012 - 2:51pmCHICAGO – Is the USA model getting a little tired to anyone else? Does every show have to be a mystery-of-the-week series? Can they try something totally new? “Common Law” is not as quirky as some of their other programs but if you showed me the pilot and asked me what network it was on, I could easily pick it out as a USA show.
TV News: NBC Renews ‘Parks & Recreation,’ ‘The Office,’ ‘Up All Night’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 11, 2012 - 2:11pmCHICAGO – Now this is getting interesting. NBC has officially renewed three comedies — “Parks & Recreation,” “The Office,” and the very on-the-bubble “Up All Night.” Rumors of “Parks” only getting a 13-episode commitment have proven to be true but there has been no official confirmation that this means that the fifth season will be the program’s last.