Paul W.S. Anderson

CHICAGO – Guilty pleasures are the order of the day, especially when we are facing daily signs of a real, impending apocalypse. End of the world by zombies remains one of the most popular cataclysmic cinematic events and “Resident Evil” is proof. “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter” proves that what should be dead can come back to life, but the real question is if it actually should.

CHICAGO – For a film in which everyone knows the ending walking in, “Pompeii” creates a decent good-versus-evil precursor to the volcanic big bang, and enough sword and sandals style fight sequences to provide some action. It all comes down to an active volcano, in modern digital design and 3D.

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Combo Pack with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 10 free Blu-ray and DVD combo packs up for grabs for the home entertainment release of “Death Race 3: Inferno”!

CHICAGO – In a subpar, mediocre and entirely disposable sort of way, Paul W.S. Anderson’s “The Three Musketeers” could prove diverting for undiscerning viewers, particularly those in the lower double digits. Everyone else has already steered clear of this unnecessary remake helmed by the king of junk entertainment, who mistakenly believed this dreck would lead to a franchise.

CHICAGO – In our latest action/romance edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 35 admit-two movie passes up for grabs to the highly anticipated advance Chicago screening of “The Three Musketeers” starring Milla Jovovich and Orlando Bloom!

CHICAGO – In our latest action/thriller edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: DVD, we have 10 DVDs up for grabs to the new DVD “Death Race 2” with Danny Trejo and Ving Rhames!

CHICAGO – Despite the exhaustion most of us have with the 3D trend by now, if there’s any franchise that should have benefited from the 3D rollercoaster, it would be the one based on “Resident Evil.” Zombies and Milla in 3D?!? Sign me up. And I wasn’t alone as the film made a stunning $300 million worldwide (more than double any other film in the franchise). Sadly, the traditional Blu-ray proves that 3D was the main reason for not just the film’s success but its very existence. It doesn’t work without it.

CHICAGO – The second wave of catalog titles from Paramount Home Video hits this week, just in time for buyers to put their gift cards to use. HollywoodChicago.com covered the first wave, including “Into the Wild” and “Old School,” a few weeks ago.

CHICAGO – The Blu-Ray release of “Death Race” with Jason Statham and Tyrese Gibson tests the critical concept of reviewing the movie itself or purely its home presentation.

CHICAGO – While 2008’s “Death Race” makes no secret about being a remake of 1975’s “Death Race 2000” with David Carradine as the title character Frankenstein and Sylvester Stallone as his archrival Machine Gun Joe Viterbo, what’s perhaps less obvious but still clear is how the film steals from others.