CHICAGO – If you’ve never seen the farcical ensemble theater chestnut “Noises Off,” you will see no better version than on the Steppenwolf Theatre stage, now at their northside Chicago venue through November 3rd. For tickets and details for this riotous theater experience, click NOISES OFF.
People Like Us
Blu-ray Review: Crowd-Pleasing ‘People Like Us’ Deserved Better Fate
Submitted by BrianTT on October 8, 2012 - 11:16amCHICAGO – The companies behind Alex Kurtzman’s “People Like Us” had no idea what to do with their crowd-pleasing melodrama, arguably releasing it at the worst possible time of the year for a tiny movie to not get swept away by bigger blockbusters. The result was a dud in theaters but should get strong word-of-mouth on the home market, helped amply by a stellar Blu-ray/DVD release.
Box Office News: ‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’ Takes Weak First Place
Submitted by BrianTT on July 16, 2012 - 3:13pmCHICAGO – Fox’s “Ice Age: Continental Drift” under-performed domestically but still opened strongly enough to take first place at the box office and is riding a huge wave of box office overseas. Meanwhile, “The Amazing Spider-man” fell a reasonable percentage and held on to 2nd place, just ahead of juggernaut “Ted.”
Box Office News: ‘The Amazing Spider-man’ Drives Strong Box Office
Submitted by BrianTT on July 8, 2012 - 4:25pmCHICAGO – Whether or not it’s a hit depends on who you ask but Sony’s “The Amazing Spider-man” easily dominated the box office with $65 million over the three-day weekend and $140 million since it opened on July 3, 2012. Big numbers for sure but “Transformers” made $155.4 million in 2007 dollars over its first six days at the same time of year. They’d never admit it, but Sony is probably disappointed that they couldn’t crack $175 million.
Box Office News: Audiences Escape Heat with ‘Ted,’ ‘Magic Mike’
Submitted by BrianTT on July 1, 2012 - 1:28pmCHICAGO – Two R-rated offerings shattered expectations at the box office this weekend as “Ted” and “Magic Mike” not only proved that adults still go see movies in the Summer season but that original concepts can make for massive hits. While rehashed fare like “Rock of Ages,” “Battleship,” and “Dark Shadows” have all stumbled, “Ted” and “Magic Mike” will out-gross all three.
Film Review: Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks in Moving ‘People Like Us’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 29, 2012 - 9:24am Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “People Like Us” is an old-fashioned tearjerker with everything that phrase implies. It’s undeniably manipulative and sentimental but it’s also somewhat refreshing to see a drama that isn’t laced with irony, cynicism, or some form of postmodern commentary on the genre. “People Like Us” is a film that wants you to be moved; it wants you to cry; it wants you to feel something. Some audiences will be turned off by the blatant melodrama but the honest approach works for me and the strong performances from the cast clearly enlivened by the material elevates it beyond processed cheese.
Interview: Chris Pine, Alex Kurtzman Find ‘People Like Us’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 26, 2012 - 9:20amCHICAGO – Writer/director Alex Kurtzman has been an incredibly powerful creative voice in the world of sci-fi from TV’s “Fringe” to film’s “Star Trek” & “Transformers” but his new work comes from someplace much more personal. Starring Chris Pine, “People Like Us” was born from Kurtzman’s own desire to find the half-siblings that his father had left behind years earlier.
