CHICAGO – In the last several years, how many times have you wanted to shout the “Mad as Hell” movie quote? Well, Invictus Theatre Co. has produced a stage adaptation of “Network” – with that quote shout worthy – at the Windy City Playhouse in Chicago through September 29th. For tickets/details, click HOWARD BEALE.
HollywoodChicago.com Movie Reviews
‘Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs’ Tastes Right For All Generations
Submitted by BrianTT on September 18, 2009 - 11:30am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Proving that you should never judge an animated film by its cover or its typically predictable brethren, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” is a very funny comedy with one of the best voice casts in years, an enjoyable visual aesthetic, and even a heartwarming message that doesn’t come off over-cooked.
Steven Soderbergh’s ‘The Informant!’ Puts Matt Damon on a Wire
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 18, 2009 - 7:09am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Behind every great fortune lies a great crime, as the saying goes. In director Steven Soderbergh’s “The Informant!,” he and Matt Damon carve out a satire where the “crime” becomes entangled with the larger issues of “justice.”
‘Jennifer’s Body’ a Bloody, Out-of-Body Dud For Oscar-Winning ‘Juno’ Scribe Diablo Cody
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on September 18, 2009 - 1:01am Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – For Oscar-winning “Juno” writer Diablo Cody, writing “Jennifer’s Body” with “Transformers” star Megan Fox and “Mamma Mia!” star Amanda Seyfried as the two lead women was as much of an out-of-body experience as Charlize Theron’s against-type role in 2003’s “Monster”.
Kate Beckinsale’s ‘Whiteout’ About as Thrilling as a Blank Screen
Submitted by BrianTT on September 11, 2009 - 3:22pm Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Producing more derisive snickers than gasps and more snores than thrills, Dominic Sena’s “Whiteout” is a massive waste of time, a predictable, dull, and hysterically cliched slice of junk that should be run out of theaters before month’s end.
Ang Lee’s ‘Taking Woodstock’ Lays Down Too Mellow a Vibe to Be Memorable
Submitted by BrianTT on August 28, 2009 - 2:23pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – More about the vibe surrounding the three days of peace and love that would become the most influential festival in history than the actual music itself, Ang Lee’s “Taking Woodstock” is a frustrating drama with individual elements that work but a cinematic set list that is ultimately disjointed and unsatisfying.
Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Inglourious Basterds’ With Brad Pitt Lives Up to Expectations
Submitted by BrianTT on August 21, 2009 - 3:02pm Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – What truly distinguishes Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” from the cookie-cutter marketplace also makes its impact incredibly difficult to put into words. It’s a film that’s impossible to pin down - a thriller, drama, comedy, action film, and a slice of revisionist history played as modern revenge fantasy. And it’s a total blast.
Paul Giamatti Does More With Less in ‘Cold Souls’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 21, 2009 - 2:21am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – How is the best way to discover the elusiveness of the soul? For Paul Giamatti, playing himself, the key is to store the legendary organ into the deep freeze, in his new absurdist comedy, “Cold Souls.”
‘Julie & Julia’ Misses Some Ingredients But Still Goes Down Smoothly
Submitted by BrianTT on August 7, 2009 - 1:04pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Like a long meal at a good restaurant where no one can agree on the best course of the evening, Nora Ephron’s “Julie & Julia” with Amy Adams and Meryl Streep will have different highlights for different viewers.
‘A Perfect Getaway’ With Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich Delivers Thrills
Submitted by BrianTT on August 7, 2009 - 12:18pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – David Twohy’s “A Perfect Getaway” is a surprisingly effective thriller, featuring good-to-great performances from Milla Jovovich, Timothy Olyphant, Steve Zahn, and Kiele Sanchez, and a taut, interesting screenplay with enough twists and turns to keep the audience entertained for its scant running time.
Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen Star in Ambitious But Flawed ‘Funny People’
Submitted by BrianTT on July 31, 2009 - 10:55am Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Judd Apatow’s “Funny People,” starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Leslie Mann, is like watching a friend try out a new stand-up routine. As with a lot of attempts at trying something untested, it doesn’t quite work out, but you have to admire the effort, if not the execution.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel Connect in ‘(500) Days of Summer’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 17, 2009 - 7:37amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Romantic comedies have been so sanitized, obviously for the protection of the movie consumer, that it is refreshing to meet a reality-based couple as they interact, co-mingle, love and clash in “(500) Days of Summer.”
‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ Discovers the Wizard of Awe
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 14, 2009 - 9:20am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The Harry Potter phenomenon, born from the pen of J.K. Rowling and nurtured through the utter magic of modern filmmaking, has reached a monumental creative peak with the film “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”
‘I Love You, Beth Cooper’ Inspires Hatred For the High School Genre
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 10, 2009 - 2:11pmRating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In what could be the worst mainstream release of the summer, “I Love You, Beth Cooper” wastes talent, production values and ultimately time in a cliché-ridden mess that produces little or no real love.
