CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio review for the doc series “Charlie Hustle & the Matter of Pete Rose,” about the rise and bitter fall of the major league legend, the MLB’s all-time hits leader, only to be banned from the sport because of gambling. Streaming on MAX and on HBO since July 24th.
HollywoodChicago.com Arts & Entertainment News
The 10 Most Promising New TV Shows of Fall 2010
Submitted by BrianTT on August 19, 2010 - 7:47pmCHICAGO – The broadcast network rookie class of 2009 was one of the best of all time with “Community,” “Glee,” “Modern Family,” “The Good Wife,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “The Middle,” and “Cougar Town” finding loyal fans.
Edward Norton to Walk Red Carpet For ‘Stone’ at 46th Chicago International Film Festival
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on August 19, 2010 - 5:11pmCHICAGO – The 46th Chicago International Film Festival will officially open with the highly anticipated drama “Stone,” which stars Edward Norton, Robert De Niro and Milla Jovovich.
Blu-Ray Review: Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Hamlet’ Was Made For HD
Submitted by BrianTT on August 19, 2010 - 9:58amCHICAGO – Kenneth Branagh’s “Hamlet” got a raw deal. In the shadow of not just the legend of William Shakespeare’s play but the incredible film versions that had come before, “Hamlet” couldn’t even break $5 million at the box office. And yet this gorgeous, incredibly-made retelling of one of the most influential pieces of theater ever written looks simply amazing on Blu-ray. It’s a fantastic release.
Blu-Ray Review: Original ‘Nanny McPhee’ Released Just in Time For Return
Submitted by BrianTT on August 19, 2010 - 9:31amCHICAGO – With the sequel “Nanny McPhee Returns” (also known as “Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang” overseas) about to be released in theaters, Universal has taken the opportunity to release the original 2005 Emma Thompson on Blu-ray. This is a standard import of already-available DVD special features to the HD market in an attempt to spark interest after kids see the new film but it’s still entertaining family filmmaking that’s certainly worth a look if your rugrats have yet to see it.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Heroes: Season 4’ Concludes Botched Sci-Fi Series
Submitted by mattmovieman on August 19, 2010 - 9:24amCHICAGO – Here’s one of the saddest casualties of the recent writer’s strike. Tim Kring’s sci-fi series, “Heroes,” came on like gangbusters when it debuted in 2006. It intriguingly fused the formulas of “X-Men” and “Unbreakable,” as it followed a colorful assortment of earthlings who discover that they have powers unsettlingly akin to those seen comic books.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘The Joneses’ Has Charming Cast, Clever Premise
Submitted by BrianTT on August 18, 2010 - 9:42pmCHICAGO – A well-cast comedy and a clever concept can help make screenwriting speed bumps much more tolerable. Take “The Joneses,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD. It has an undeniably interesting set-up and a very likable cast and those facts alone make it worth a rental. It’s disappointingly tooth-less and somewhat predictable, but the film’s flaws are easy to overlook.
Video Game Review: ‘Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days’ Has Bite to Go With Bark
Submitted by BrianTT on August 18, 2010 - 9:11pmCHICAGO – The ultra-violent third-person shooter “Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days” wins points merely by the developer’s refusal to pull any punches when it comes to visceral, pitch-black action, but a few frustrating elements continue to hold the franchise back from what it could have been.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Signed Poster By ‘The Extra Man’ Stars Kevin Kline, Paul Dano; Three Magnolia DVDs
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on August 18, 2010 - 3:17pmCHICAGO – In this edition of the HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: DVD, one lucky winner will clean up with three DVDs from Magnolia Pictures for the movies “The Great Buck Howard,” “What Just Happened” and “Finding Amanda” plus a full-size poster for “The Extra Man” signed by filmmaker Shari Springer Berman and stars Kevin Kline and Paul Dano!
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Elvis on Tour’ Preserves Late Triumph For the King
Submitted by mattmovieman on August 18, 2010 - 3:16pmCHICAGO – Elvis may have left the building, but his work remains viscerally alive in this breezily enjoyable concert documentary. It was filmed during a 15-city tour in April of 1972, and captures the King of Rock at a triumphant peak late in his career, one year before his infamous “Aloha from Hawaii” concert (the first globally broadcast via satellite) and five years before his death.
Interview: Director David Michôd Explores His ‘Animal Kingdom’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 18, 2010 - 8:46amCHICAGO – The gangster movie gets a nice Freudian twist in director David Michôd’s new film, “Animal Kingdom.” This Australian import focuses on a family of bank robbers whose mother is the glue that holds their criminality together. Guy Pearce (”Memento,” “The Hurt Locker”) lends his talent as Leckie, a pursuing police officer.
Exclusive Portrait: Celebrating Ozzfest With Guitarist Zakk Wylde
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 18, 2010 - 12:18amCHICAGO – As Ozzfest, the summer music jam anchored by Ozzy Osbourne, rolls through Chicago on Tuesday, August 17th, former Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde brought his new band, Black Label Society, to rock at the fest. He also had time to greet fans here on Monday at Borders Books State Street.
Blu-Ray Review: Inconsistent ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ Not For Whole Family
Submitted by BrianTT on August 17, 2010 - 8:50pmCHICAGO – I am not (quite) yet old enough to have completely blocked out the socially treacherous days of middle school. For most kids, life is cruising smoothly until they get to middle school when cliques, popularity, and the opposite sex start to become a daily dilemma. Such is the subject matter of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” a cute-but-flawed family comedy with a few good laughs and strong supporting performances but generally silly tone that never quite comes together into something memorable.
Exclusive Portrait: Bruce Willis, Star of ‘The Expendables,’ ‘Red’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 17, 2010 - 3:06pmCHICAGO – The bright star named Bruno, Bruce Willis himself, was recently in Chicago at a benefit event for the Foundation for Retinal Research. In his role as Global Brand Ambassador for Sobeski Vodka, Willis offered a toast for the foundation, in the same week as his cameo appearance in “The Expendables.”
