May 2012

CHICAGO – Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows” is one of the most inconsistent and frustrating major films in a long time. There are elements here and there that work but Burton and writer Seth Grahame-Smith seem incapable of figuring out how to wrangle them into a coherent, successful film.

CHICAGO – As we told you would happen earlier this week (in this feature), CBS has canceled “A Gifted Man,” a show that had a small audience from day one and ABC has finally given up on “Cougar Town,” but TBS has picked up the show with a 15-episode order to air in 2013.

CHICAGO – Good news, TV fans. NBC has made official several of their on-the-bubble shows, renewing “Community,” “30 Rock,” and “Parenthood.” The good news is a bit tempered though as “30 Rock” has been cleared for only 13 episodes and most are assuming its a final season.

CHICAGO – Good news, bad news for fans of FOX dramas. To no one’s surprise, FOX has pulled the plug on their highly-promoted “Alcatraz” as ratings plummeted throughout the season. A little more surprisingly, they’ve decided to give “Touch” with Kiefer Sutherland more time to find an audience.

CHICAGO – In our latest action/adventure edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Blu-ray, we have 5 Blu-rays up for grabs for the highly anticipated home entertainment release of “The Grey” starring Liam Neeson!

CHICAGO – Remember when sequels of any kind were viewed with disdain? No, you don’t, because you aren’t old enough. Of course, now we have a situation where sequels, reboots and even simple rehashes are often better than what spawned them.

CHICAGO – Showtime’s “The Big C” is a sporadically brilliant show that somehow still has not clicked into place as the truly great comedy it could have been. Despite my issues with the often-pretentious, self-aware writing, there’s one thing that no one can complain about regarding this Emmy-nominated show — the cast rules. Laura Linney gives easily one of the most engaging performances on TV and she’s ably assisted by a truly strong ensemble.

CHICAGO – Director Jack C. Newell ended up meeting one of his great collaborators while taking classes at Columbia College Chicago. His future filmmaking partner turned out to not be a fellow peer, but his teacher, Ron Falzone. Together, they made the acclaimed short, “Typing,” about two Hollywood screenwriters whose brainstorming session draws inspiration from the clacking of typewriter keys in the next room.

CHICAGO – “Joyful Noise” is a weird movie in that it absolutely comes alive in its full musical numbers, of which there are several, but the plot that connects those gospel and pop songs is so thin that it’s impossible to care about the characters or what’s happening to them. The people in “Joyful Noise” are all likable and the story is harmless but the movie is slowly paced and oddly inert, showing none of the life that real gospel music brings to the people. It’s not full of enough joy or noise.

CHICAGO – It’s that crazy time of year when network executives have to make the tough decisions. What do they cancel? What do they give another chance? What do they move? These are no small choices. Not only do they impact your favorite shows, but they can also determine the overall success of a network and lead to millions of dollars made or lost.

CHICAGO – 2011 featured a series of uncommonly affecting films from female directors about young women grappling with their sexual identities. In all three cases, the heroines strain to keep their lesbianism a secret from their families. Céline Sciamma’s “Tomboy” centered on a 10-year-old girl who posed as a boy, while Maryam Keshavarz’s “Circumstance” explored the forbidden romance of two Iranian teens.

CHICAGO – Vern started his career as one of those snarky critics who wrote in to Harry Knowles’ landmark and influential movie website Ain’t It Cool News. He became a regular writer for the site and his work there turned him into a very unorthodox author. His first book was a fantastic examination of, believe it or not, the career of Steven Seagal. Newly updated with a dozen new chapters about the recent adventures of his subject matter (the first printing was in 2008), “Seagalogy: A Study of the Ass-Kicking Films of Steven Seagal” is a funny, clever read for fans of the unusual action star and those who have never seen one of his movies. Vern’s movie-loving, smart, enjoyable writing makes this a more entertaining experience than Seagal himself has ever produced.

CHICAGO – USA continues to lead the way in terms of cable ratings. While FX and TNT have their loyal audiences and critics adore HBO and AMC, it’s really USA that can boast the most remarkable claims in terms of breakthrough ratings. Some of their biggest hits regularly clobber network competition. Two of them just hit DVD — “Suits: Season One” and “Covert Affairs: Season Two.” Fans will be happy with both but I have a clear favorite.

CHICAGO – “The Avengers” was expected to dominate at the U.S. box office on its opening weekend but no one predicted that it would break $200 million, shattering the record for the biggest opening weekend of all time. The Summer season got off with a bang as Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, and the rest of the gang made cash registers ring around the world.