The Hobbit

CHICAGO – Though he’s never been called it before in scientific speak, I’m saying it now: Peter Jackson is a master of mitosis. He’s one of Hollywood’s best in splitting up the cinematic cellular DNA of one story into three because, apparently, he can’t do epics unless they’re in groups of three.

CHICAGO – To celebrate the release of “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” in cinemas, HollywoodChicago.com, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and New Line Cinema are giving away 30 pairs of advance-screening passes to the highly anticipated “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”!

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Michael Shannon of ‘Man of Steel,’ ‘Boardwalk Empire’ and ‘Take Shelter.’

CHICAGO – Last month’s 2013 version of the Wizard World Comic Con in Chicago was a memorable event, with appearances of Marvel Comic’s legend Stan Lee, favorites from the new Star Trek movies, ‘The Man of Steel,’ ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ and TV’s ‘Homeland,’ ‘The Walking Dead’ ‘Heroes’ and ‘Hawaii Five-0.’ HollywoodChicago.com was there to capture Exclusive Portraits.

CHICAGO – Orcs, wizards, and dwarves, oh my. Between “Lord of the Rings: Guardians of Middle-Earth”, “WoW”, “Kingdoms of Amalur”, and about sixty thousand other games, movies, and TV shows featuring medieval fantasy, it’s pretty obvious this setting appeals to millions of people across the world. To these fans, the “Lord of The Rings” franchise is like the Holy Bible. So it pains me to say that the acronym-o-riffic XBLA MOBA “LOTR:GOME” is practically sacrilege.

CHICAGO – Twice as many frames per second and another dimension only serve to amplify the notable flaws of Peter Jackson’s truly disappointing “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” a bloated, dull mess of a film that meanders when it should move and stumbles when it should run.

CHICAGO – The Walt Disney Studios is teaming up with acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth,” “The Hobbit”) to launch a new production label called Disney Double Dare You. With the new production company they will create new animated movies that are full of “chills and thrills” for people of all ages, announced at D23 Expo last week by Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios.

CHICAGO – Hellboy is plugged as the world’s brawniest, kitten-loving superhero. While that paradox is supposed to be both funny and action packed, “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” from famed writer and director Guillermo del Toro falls flat on the funny front and instead winds up on the funny farm.