Paramount Home Entertainment

CHICAGO – One of the clear observations in re-connecting with the 1964 Oscar-winning Best Picture “My Fair Lady,” is that essentially it’s a timeless musical. It lives in a universe of George Bernard Shaw, adapted from his original play “Pygmalion,” and comes to life through the music and lyrics of Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner.

CHICAGO – The sincerity of “Super 8” is the wondrous highlight of this film. Director J.J. Abrams creates a valentine to the lives in his childhood, and the films within that dream state. Combining nostalgia, suspense and of course, hope, “Super 8” is one of the more emotional and impactful American films of the year.

CHICAGO – With her gamine physique and ageless radiance, it’s easy to see why many cinephiles regard Audrey Hepburn as the greatest of all screen beauties. Yet it isn’t merely her unconventional appearance that continues to keep moviegoers mesmerized. It’s her utter lack of vanity and unmistakable sweetness that ground her in an earthy reality unoccupied by fellow icons like Monroe.

CHICAGO – Sydney Pollack was a filmmaker who could do anything: sweeping romantic melodramas, side-splitting satires and epic yet intimate tragedies. It’s easy to forget that Pollack could also craft a superb commercial thriller every once in a while, and 1993’s “The Firm” falls under that category. Despite a few dated elements, the picture holds up surprisingly well.

CHICAGO – In our latest music edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: DVD, we have three prize packs with DVDs up for grabs in advance of the home entertainment release of “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never”!

CHICAGO – “Middle Men” marks somewhat of a comeback for director George Gallo, since his recent career has been marred by a series of poorly received comedies. As a writer, Gallo’s films can be as great as “Midnight Run,” and as awful as “The Whole Ten Yards.” “Men” appropriately falls somewhere in the middle, though it’s easily Gallo’s most entertaining film in years.

CHICAGO – Some films invite instant parodies before they’re even released. Jodie Foster’s ill-advised Mel Gibson vehicle, “The Beaver,” is one of them. Christian Alvart’s long-buried Renée Zellweger vehicle “Case 39” is another. The film’s tagline reads, “Some cases should never be reopened,” which inspires the obvious (and defensible) retort, “Some films should never be released.”

CHICAGO – Matthew Vaughn is a filmmaker unafraid of taking risks. His films are often messy and uneven, but they have more energy, exuberance and conviction than the vast majority of Hollywood blockbusters. Though he’s never quite topped his directorial debut, “Layer Cake,” his 2007 sophomore effort “Stardust” has nearly all the trappings of a future cult classic, with the key exception of a large fan base.