CHICAGO – When two brothers confront the sins of each other and it expands into a psychology of an entire race, it’s at a stage play found in Chicago’s Invictus Theatre Company production of “Topdog/Underdog,” now at their new home at the Windy City Playhouse through March 31st, 2024. Click TD/UD for tickets/info.
Laurence Olivier
Blu-ray Review: Lost Classic ‘Perfect Understanding’ Has Aged Dreadfully
Submitted by mattmovieman on June 15, 2013 - 11:14amCHICAGO – It’s a cause for celebration amongst film buffs when any picture—however minor or unremarkable—is miraculously resurrected from the dead, enabling us to view a lost piece of cinema history. That being said, there are countless titles more worthy of being reborn than “Perfect Understanding,” the latest alleged classic released by Cohen Media Group.
Blu-ray Review: Criterion Upgrades Olivier’s Take on ‘Richard III’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 10, 2013 - 3:50pmCHICAGO – Laurence Olivier’s 1955 adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Richard III” came on the heels of his other beloved film versions of the Bard and wasn’t as well-received. History has reassessed the film and realized that this easily one of Olivier’s greatest accomplishments. As he almost always was, he’s so committed to this iconic role that he makes it his own, never feeling like he’s making the obvious choices that so many other actors have over the years. Olivier’s “Richard III” is so completely his own and few actor/directors in history ever understood Shakespeare or this character so notably.
Blu-Ray Review: 50th Anniversary Edition of ‘Spartacus’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 1, 2010 - 2:04pmCHICAGO – I think nearly every film critic with an association card has bowed at the altar of Stanley Kubrick at least once in their life (if they don’t still do so). I can vividly remember first seeing “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “The Shining,” “A Clockwork Orange,” “Dr. Strangelove,” and “Full Metal Jacket,” all films I could watch any day of the week and never grow tired of them. Despite saying that, I was never a huge “Spartacus” fan, a film I admire more than love. The new Blu-ray release has not changed my mind.
Blu-Ray Review: Original 1981 ‘Clash of the Titans’ Deserves Better Re-Release
Submitted by mattmovieman on March 9, 2010 - 4:00pmCHICAGO – The Winter Olympics coverage on NBC made it impossible for viewers to ignore the fact that there is indeed a “Clash of the Titans” remake coming out in April. This may seem redundant, since the vast majority of modern fantasy has in some way ripped off Greek mythology. Both “Harry Potter” and “Percy Jackson” include a variation on Medusa, the reptilian villain with snake hair and a stoney stare.