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
TV Review: HBO’s ‘Into the Storm’ With Brendan Gleeson, Janet McTeer
Submitted by BrianTT on May 29, 2009 - 1:07pmCHICAGO – HBO’s “Into the Storm” is a different kind of WWII movie than audiences have recently become accustomed to seeing. This excellent drama is not about the people on the ground but about the powerful men that made the decisions that determined their fates.
Sam Raimi Returns to Horror Genre With Thrilling ‘Drag Me to Hell’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 29, 2009 - 12:53pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The gleefully gory Sam Raimi who made “Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn” and “Darkman” is back in close to prime form with this week’s thoroughly enjoyable “Drag Me To Hell,” a horror thrill ride almost certain to satisfy any audience member willing to choose a movie with “Hell” in the title over the latest Pixar offering.
Moving on ‘Up’: Disney, Pixar Score Another Masterpiece in 3-D
Submitted by Ebeth on May 29, 2009 - 1:08amCHICAGO – There is an art to music. There is an art to writing a story and an art to telling that story. There is art in a great drawing, a great painting and a great photograph. There is an art to communication. And it may only be a matter of time before museums expand to include a whole new category of modern art: the animated film from Disney and Pixar.
Blu-Ray Review: Tom Cruise’s ‘Valkyrie’ a Disappointing Film, Excellent Blu-Ray
Submitted by BrianTT on May 28, 2009 - 1:01pmCHICAGO – The Blu-Ray release of “Valkyrie” is another case of a disappointing movie being elevated by an excellent home release. With its miscast lead and mediocre screenplay, “Valkyrie” was a near-miss in theaters, but the film looks and sounds great on Blu-Ray and comes accompanied by informative commentaries and featurettes. If you’re a fan, you won’t be disappointed.
Blu-Ray Review: Pixar Continues HD Dominance With ‘A Bug’s Life’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 28, 2009 - 11:33amCHICAGO – If you have yet to jump on the Blu-Ray bandwagon or are new to the HD revolution and have yet to see a Pixar film in 1080P, the new edition of “A Bug’s Life” would be a great place to start. With releases like the great one for “WALL-E” and now this gorgeous transfer for “A Bug’s Life,” Disney/Pixar produces HD video clarity that really must be seen to be believed.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 25 Admit-Two Passes to VIP Screening Party For TNT’s ‘Raising the Bar’
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 27, 2009 - 6:30pmCHICAGO – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: TV, we have 25 admit-two VIP screening passes up for grabs to the exclusive Chicago screening party for season two of the new TNT drama “Raising the Bar”.
Blu-Ray Review: Prequel ‘Underworld: Rise of the Lycans’ With Michael Sheen
Submitted by BrianTT on May 27, 2009 - 5:06pmCHICAGO – “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” is easily one of the weirdest movies of 2009. It’s a werewolf movie that plays like a variation on “Gladiator” or “Spartacus” with the foundation of “Romeo & Juliet”. Solid work by the excellent Michael Sheen nearly redeems the film but an awful screenplay, dull design, and plodding direction sink this bizarre prequel.
Blu-Ray Review: 3D Rocks in HD Version of ‘My Bloody Valentine’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 27, 2009 - 4:29pmCHICAGO – 3D still doesn’t look nearly as impressive at home as it does in a crowded theater, but “My Bloody Valentine,” now on Blu-Ray and DVD, is easily the best-looking attempt to bring that experience into your living room to date.
DVD Round Up, May 27, 2009: ‘Eden Log,’ ‘El Dorado,’ ‘Yonkers Joe’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 27, 2009 - 1:57pmCHICAGO – Welcome back to the Round-Up, a safety net to catch the DVD titles that fell off the mainstream tightrope. The titles this week have virtually nothing in common other than coming in two waves from two studios - a pair of classics from Paramount’s Centennial Collection and a trio of indie films from the great Magnolia Pictures.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 26, 2009 - 4:37pmCHICAGO – Fans of “American Dad!” and “Family Guy” should definitely take a look at “Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy,” a Blu-Ray release of short animated films in the same style as the random, tangential asides that helped make Stewie Griffin a household name.
Father’s Day Blu-Ray Round Up, May 26, 2009: ‘Fletch,’ ‘Field of Dreams,’ ‘Seabiscuit’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 26, 2009 - 3:54pmCHICAGO – Universal Home Video is releasing a wave of titles timed for Father’s Day gifts. Some of their choices - “Field of Dreams,” “Fletch” - seem like logical picks for a better HD daddy day than another striped tie while others seem chosen purely because they have the word “Men” or “Man” in the title - “Children of Men,” “Cinderella Man,” “Inside Man”.
TV Review: Misguided ‘Mental’ Misses the Mark
Submitted by BrianTT on May 26, 2009 - 2:26pmCHICAGO – Hugh Laurie deserves the heaps of praise he gets for his spectacular work on “House”. If you’re wondering what that show would be like without the same believable medical issues, interesting characters or whip-smart dialogue provided by the show’s underrated writers, though, check out the new “Mental”.
Blu-Ray Review: Catch Up on ‘Terminator’ Mythology With HD ‘T2: Judgment Day’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 26, 2009 - 1:04pmCHICAGO – I’m far from alone in my generation when I say that “T2: Judgment Day” rocked my world. I vividly remember seeing it as a teenager and absolutely loving every minute of it. That’s why I reacted so harshly to the disappointing “Terminator: Salvation,” a film that produces none of the jaw-dropping awe of the James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger classics. With a perfect Blu-Ray release for a beloved ’90s action masterpiece, go back to the best with “T2: Judgment Day - Skynet Edition”.