Parker Posey

CHICAGO – It pains me to say this — HBO’s “Hemingway & Gellhorn” is a complete mess, a film littered with awful directorial decisions, built on a misguided screenplay, and featuring performances that range from mediocre to downright horrendous. I’m as big a cheerleader for HBO and their line of original films as you’re likely to find but this is one of the worst.

CHICAGO – Richard Linklater’s “Dazed and Confused” is not just a fun comedy, not just a clever slice of nostalgia, and not just a stoner movie. It is, without question, one of the best films of the ’90s. It passes through nostalgia to something more like a time machine, in a way not that dissimilar to George Lucas’ “American Graffiti.” A deeply personal project from one of our best modern writer/directors, “Dazed and Confused,” recently released on Criterion Blu-ray and re-released on Criterion DVD, gets better with each passing year.

CHICAGO – Is there something special about 8/9/11 like 4:20? The notorious smoke-down time is well-known but I ask about August 9th because it’s a date with a massive influx of pot-themed movies, including new hits like “Paul” and “Your Highness” (which we’ll cover with full reviews soon) and re-releases of classics like “Dazed and Confused” and “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” both hitting the HD format tomorrow. It’s a stoner free-for-all!

CHICAGO – When Tina Fey made the jump from “Saturday Night Live” to “30 Rock,” she was planning on taking her talented co-star and friend Rachel Dratch to the award-winning show. Before the season began, Dratch was replaced by Jane Krakowski and the rest is history.

CHICAGO – HollywoodChicago.com is giving out 15 admit-two movie passes for Jessica Alba’s “The Eye”. Movie posters and buttons can also come in the movie pack, which will be awarded to users who submit images of the most “standout eyes” taken, created or found elsewhere.