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
Interview: Matthew Weinstein on ‘A Missed Connection’ at Beloit Film Fest, Feb. 21-22, 2020
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 19, 2020 - 11:38amCHICAGO – Writer/director Matthew Weinstein is bringing a bit of Chicago to the Beloit (Wisconsin) International Film Festival this upcoming weekend (February 21st and 22nd) as he presents his short made-in-Chicago film, “A Missed Connection.” Featuring a couple, a chance encounter and a meditation on the past, more information on the screening is available by
Film Review: ’Sonic the Hedgehog’ is Fast & Furry But Not Funny
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 14, 2020 - 11:43amCHICAGO – It may be damning with faint praise, but I can assure you that “Sonic the Hedgehog” is no longer the stuff of nightmares. The-Island-of-Dr-Moreau-like creation which seemed half human and half hedgehog in the film’s first trailer, has been replaced by something more akin to the Sonic we know from video games and cartoons. He’s cute. He’s fast. But he’s not particularly funny.
Podtalk: Melissa Grubbs of Chicago's Reckless Records on ‘High Fidelity’ Pop Up, Feb. 13-15, 2020
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 13, 2020 - 12:06pmCHICAGO – “High Fidelity” is back! The iconic 2000 film, which was set in Chicago, is being rebooted as a Hulu series featuring Zoë Kravitz.
Film News: ‘Parasite’ Makes History at 92nd Academy Awards
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 10, 2020 - 11:15amCHICAGO – In a surprising sweep, the South Korean film “Parasite” – created through the vision of director Bong Joon Ho – won all the major creative categories, including Best Original Screenplay and Director, as well as securing Best International Film and making Oscar history as the first non-English-speaking Best Picture.
Podtalk: Director Lulu Wang on ‘The Farewell,’ 2020 Independent Spirit Best Picture
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 8, 2020 - 7:44pmCHICAGO – One of the hottest films from the first half 2019 festival season was an emotional story about family, and scored the Best Picture at the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards on February 8th. “The Farewell” is a breakout for both the lead actor Awkwafina (“Crazy Rich Asians”), Zhao Shuzhen (who won the Indie Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress) and their director Lulu Wang. Wang’s story of her grandmother became a universal spirit about our relative connections.
Film Feature: HollywoodChicago.com 2020 Oscar Predictions
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 8, 2020 - 4:01pmCHICAGO – Let’s make this important! The 92nd Academy Awards are on Sunday, February 9th, 2020, and HC.com film/entertainment contributors Patrick McDonald, Michael “Spike” Walters and Jon Lennon Espino are ready to add their Swami-like powers to eight major categories, plus three wild cards. Let the predicting begin.
Film News: Champion Movie Star Kirk Douglas Dies at 103
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 6, 2020 - 3:10pm- 000 Leagues Under the Sea
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- Ace in the Hole
- Blacklist
- Catherine Zeta-Jones
- Dalton Trumbo
- Film News
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- In Harms Way
- It Runs in the Family
- Kirk Douglas
- Lust for LIfe
- Michael Douglas
- Paths of Glory
- Seven Days in May
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- The Bad and the Beautiful
- The Fury
- The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
- Tough Guys
- Young Man with a Horn
LOS ANGELES – From his chiseled-from-marble good looks to his actor intensity on screen, Kirk Douglas defined the very concept of Movie Star. The actor also broke records for longevity, living to the ripe old age of 103. Kirk Douglas died of natural causes on February 5th, 2020, at his home in Los Angeles.
Podtalk: Writer/Director Kitty Green Reveals ‘The Assistant’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 5, 2020 - 6:21pmCHICAGO – Gratefully, we live in a post-Weinstein environment of #metoo, and one of the first films to comment upon it is “The Assistant,” written and directed by Kitty Green. Coming off its run at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, the film explores a low level female production assistant (PA) as she navigates an office overwhelmed by a successful-but-abusive bossman.
Podtalk: Singer Kevin Pollack Brings His Swing to ‘Holiday’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 30, 2020 - 3:10pmCHICAGO – When we last talked to Kevin Pollack, Chicago’s answer to the Sultan of Swing, he was embarking on his once-a-month song reveal for the fall of 2019. The whole thing culminated in the release of “Holiday,” a feeling-the-vibe celebration of taking a break.
Podtalk: Director Richard Stanley Finds ‘Color Out of Space’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 22, 2020 - 3:34pmCHICAGO – Richard Stanley has finally steered clear from one of the most infamous chapters of movie history. His new narrative feature film is “Color Out of Space.” It is his first since being let go from the 1996 “The Island of Dr. Moreau.” After much gnashing of teeth and a documentary about it later, Stanley went back to his childhood roots for “Color,” a horror sci-fi epic featuring Nicolas Cage.
Entertainment News: Monty Pythoner Terry Jones Dies at 77
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 22, 2020 - 12:31pmLONDON – Co-founding one of the most influential comedy troupes in history just wasn’t enough for Terry Jones, of “Monty Python’s Flying Circus.” He also had to become one of the foremost amateur medieval history scholars in the world, among his many achievements as author, director and comic sketch creator. Jones passed away in London on January 21st, 2020. He was 77.
Film Review: ‘Bad Boys for Life’ Are Just Too Old For This
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 17, 2020 - 10:37amCHICAGO – “Bad Boys For Life” shows that maybe Will Smith isn’t too old for this kind of sh*t, but Martin Lawrence certainly is. This third installment comes 17 years after “Bad Boys II,” and 25 years after the original film unleashed director Michael Bay on an unsuspecting public.
Exclusive Photo: In Memoriam, Edd Byrnes of ‘77 Sunset Strip’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 16, 2020 - 2:40pmCHICAGO – In the strange old days of three TV Networks and the fan-based crossovers that would come out of it, there was Gerald “Kookie” Kookson the Third of the ABC-TV show “77 Sunset Strip” (1958-1964). Kookie loved rock ’n roll, hair combing and cracking wise like a beatnik. For some reason, he became a break out star and full partner in the private investigation office of the title.
