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.
HollywoodChicago.com Movie Reviews
Popular ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ Book Comes to Life on the Big Screen
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 19, 2010 - 8:30am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” and main character Greg Heffley, is familiar to a generation of kid book lovers through the line drawings of creator Jeff Kinney. The film version has child actor Zachary Gordon bringing Greg to life.
Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning Rock Out 1970s Style in ‘The Runaways’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 19, 2010 - 6:33amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Joan Jett rocks and her 1975 roots are on display in a movie bio about her first band, “The Runaways.” Kristen Stewart portrays Jett and Dakota Fanning takes on the band’s troubled lead singer, Cherie Currie.
‘Red Riding Trilogy’ Simultaneously Captivates, Infuriates
Submitted by BrianTT on March 16, 2010 - 11:36am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Much ink has been spilled about how HBO is at the forefront of made-for-TV filmmaking in the world, a fact already demonstrated this year by the brilliant biopic “Temple Grandin” and the stellar WWII mini-series, “The Pacific.”
Lack of Clear Vision, Viewpoint Handcuffs ‘The Art of the Steal’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 12, 2010 - 4:42pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Remember the golden rule? Those who have the gold makes the rules. An illustration of this point is in the new documentary “The Art of the Steal,” a stark reminder of territorial power regarding a valuable art collection.
Robert Pattinson Anchors the Forgettable ‘Remember Me’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 12, 2010 - 9:47am Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The hottest actor of the moment, smoldering Robert Pattinson, gets the opportunity to ditch the “Twilight” fangs and sink his teeth into a drama about New York City and the splintering factions of family in “Remember Me.”
Don Cheadle, Wesley Snipes, Richard Gere Are ‘Brooklyn’s Finest’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 5, 2010 - 10:02amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The “thin blue line,” that imaginary border that separates society between order and chaos, is experienced on a daily basis by the police “force.” The human beings knighted with this responsibility are “Brooklyn’s Finest.”
Go Ask ‘Alice in Wonderland’ With Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 5, 2010 - 8:23am Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It’s like living in a dream. Director Tim Burton’s adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” uses 3-D magic for a timeless classic and creates gratitude for this current era of technology and creativity.
‘The Crazies’ Defies Rule That Horror Remakes Never Work
Submitted by BrianTT on February 26, 2010 - 4:28pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Horror remakes are almost never a good idea but there seems to be something about George A. Romero’s work that defies that expectation. Zack Snyder delivered with his version of “Dawn of the Dead” and now Breck Eisner has shocked genre fans with his effective take on the low budget classic “The Crazies”.
Take Trip to Riveting ‘Shutter Island’ With Leonardo DiCaprio
Submitted by BrianTT on February 19, 2010 - 2:46pmRating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Shutter Island” is a riveting trip through a cinematic funhouse led by one of the best filmmakers of all time in Martin Scorsese, who fully employs the copious skills of his most talented collaborators including star Leonardo DiCaprio. It is a technical masterpiece that gets under your skin and stays there for days.
‘The Wolfman’ With Benicio Del Toro Misses By a Hair
Submitted by BrianTT on February 14, 2010 - 2:02pmRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Joe Johnston’s “The Wolfman” nearly works. The Benicio Del Toro vehicle has a strong supporting cast, a few striking visual compositions, and at least one must-see sequence, but it misses the mark as a complete film, never quite as compelling or entertaining as it could or should have been.
‘Percy Jackson & the Olympians:The Lightning Thief’ Conjures Up a Big Bolt of Bland
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 12, 2010 - 10:00amRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Oh, those nutty kids today. At one moment they’re regular high schoolers, doing all those post millennium teen rituals, then suddenly they’re demigods in “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.”
Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried Can’t Quite Deliver ‘Dear John’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 5, 2010 - 9:26amRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Love stories are as common at the movies as popcorn and sticky floors. Despite this, rising stars Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried add their own spin to the timeworn plot theme in “Dear John.”
Original, Stylish ‘Daybreakers’ With Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe
Submitted by BrianTT on January 8, 2010 - 4:12pmRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In the early part of the last decade, Michael and Peter Spierig (The Spierig Brothers) debuted with the unique zombie cult hit “Undead” and horror nuts waited to see what they’d do next. It took way too long but the brothers are back with the stylish, original “Daybreakers,” a vampire film that injects new life into an often-dead genre.
