CHICAGO – Excelsior! Comic book legend Stan Lee’s famous exclamation puts a fine point on the third and final play of Mark Pracht’s FOUR COLOR TRILOGY, “The House of Ideas,” presented by and staged at City Lit Theater in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. For tickets/details, click HOUSE OF IDEAS.
HollywoodChicago.com Arts & Entertainment News
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Pride and Glory’ Wastes Two Talented Stars in Generic Drama
Submitted by BrianTT on January 27, 2009 - 10:41am Blu-Ray Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The Blu-Ray package for Gavin O’Connor’s “Pride and Glory” features shots of stars Edward Norton and Colin Farrell wielding guns on both the front and back of the case. The artistic intention is clear - Try and sell this generic, dull cop drama as an action film, as that’s the genre that takes off on the home market. Don’t buy it.
DVD Review: ‘Sam Kinison Unleashed’ Brings Comic Genius to DVD
Submitted by BrianTT on January 27, 2009 - 10:29am DVD Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Anyone who has ever seen a Sam Kinison stand-up special knows the truth. The man was a genius. Finally, people unfamiliar with the mad preacher will get to see for themselves and those of us old enough to remember Kinison’s all-too-brief time in the spotlight can revisit this inspirational and hilarious comedian on DVD with “Sam Kinison Unleashed”.
DVD Round Up, Jan. 27, 2009: ‘Moonlight,’ ‘College,’ ‘City of Ember’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 27, 2009 - 10:19amCHICAGO – We apologize to the people behind these four titles but the star power is a little dim in this edition of HollywoodChicago.com’s DVD Round Up. When a canceled vampire series is arguably the biggest release in a four-pack of titles, it’s a weird edition of the Round Up. Prepare yourself.
Blu-Ray Review: True Story, Good Performance Give Speed to ‘The Express’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 26, 2009 - 1:39pm Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There’s nothing surprising about “The Express”. It’s a true story that hits all of the beats that you would expect it to for an inspirational sports movie. A big game, a bad injury, and the will to overcome extreme adversity - these are the staples of the genre.
Heath Ledger, Kate Winslet Win 2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards
Submitted by BrianTT on January 26, 2009 - 10:41amCHICAGO – The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) gave out its coveted awards on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009 and Heath Ledger, Kate Winslet, Sean Penn and Meryl Streep walked away with the major film acting prizes.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona,’ First Woody Allen Movie on Blu-Ray
Submitted by BrianTT on January 26, 2009 - 10:11am Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I love “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”. It’s a wonderful slice of whimsy and sexuality that perfectly captures something about Spain that’s impossible to put into words.
DVD Review: Social Realism of ‘El Norte’ Resonates With Criterion Release
Submitted by BrianTT on January 26, 2009 - 10:03am DVD Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Gregory Bava’s “El Norte” is a riveting commentary on the impact of the American dream on the rest of the world. It’s easily one of the best films produced about the complex struggle of immigration and a great way to kick off 2009 for The Criterion Collection.
Big Winners at 2009 Sundance Film Festival Include ‘Push,’ ‘We Live in Public’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 25, 2009 - 7:22pmCHICAGO – The 2009 Sundance Film Festival Awards were announced on Saturday, January 24th, 2009 and Lee Daniels’ examination of parental abuse and self-redemption in Harlem in the 1980s, “Push: Based on a Novel by Sapphire,” won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in the U.S. dramatic competition.
Interview: Chicago ‘Underworld: Rise of the Lycans’ Writer Kevin Grevioux on Science-Based Vampires
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on January 24, 2009 - 9:37pmCHICAGO – While Alfred Hitchcock and more recently M. Night Shyamalan have teetered between whether or not to write roles for themselves into their own scripts, there’s no tottering for Chicago-born Marvel Comics writer and “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” character creator Kevin Grevioux.
Video Game Review: ‘Skate 2’ Lives Up to Expectations in Every Way
Submitted by BrianTT on January 23, 2009 - 1:34pm Video Game Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – As icicles hang at skate parks and snow-covered ground makes it hard to roll, EA’s excellent “Skate 2” will probably be your favorite diversion throughout the winter.
The 10 Biggest Oscar Snubs of 2009
Submitted by BrianTT on January 23, 2009 - 10:31amCHICAGO – Stories are released every year about the gap between the Oscars and public opinion. It’s a chasm that seems to be growing with every passing year.
Interviews With 2009 Oscar Nominees: Melissa Leo, Richard Jenkins, Taraji P. Henson
Submitted by BrianTT on January 23, 2009 - 10:14amCHICAGO – In 2008, HollywoodChicago.com was lucky enough to speak to several of of this year’s lucky Oscar nominees, including Melissa Leo of “Frozen River,” Richard Jenkins of “The Visitor,” Taraji P. Henson of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” and Darren Aronofsky of “The Wrestler,” who may have missed out Best Director but saw his two stars, Marisa Tomei and Mickey Rourke, land major nominations.
Animated Documentary ‘Waltz With Bashir’ One of Best of 2008
Submitted by BrianTT on January 23, 2009 - 10:00amCHICAGO – “Waltz With Bashir” is a transcendent shattering of what viewers should expect from traditional animation or the standard documentary film. Ari Folman’s dream-like journey into his own memory is a must-see, one of the best films of 2008 and a likely Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film.
