CHICAGO – The Steppenwolf Theatre of Chicago continues to provide different viewpoints on the American stage, and their latest “Little Bear Ridge Road” is no exception. Featuring ensemble member Laurie Metcalf, it’s the resonate story of a family at the crossroads. For tickets/details, click LITTLE BEAR.
HollywoodChicago.com Movie Reviews
‘In Time’ With Justin Timberlake Fails to Build on Clever Idea
Submitted by BrianTT on October 28, 2011 - 8:17am Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Andrew Niccol has delivered complex, daring science fiction before, most notably in his scripts for “The Truman Show” and “Gattaca.” Sadly, “In Time” will never be mentioned in the same breath with those films. This is a one-idea film and that one idea is poorly executed. With some of the cheesiest, surface-level dialogue of the year, a complete lack of chemistry between the leads, and some of the choppiest action editing of the year, “In Time” is a near disaster.
Johnny Depp is On, Story is Off in ‘The Rum Diary’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 27, 2011 - 5:55pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Johnny Depp has a Hunter S. Thompson obsession, that is career apparent. After playing the journalist’s alter-ego Raoul Duke in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” Depp gives a turn as Hunter’s younger self in a film based on Thompson’s 1998 novel, “The Rum Diary.”
Brilliant ‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’ Offers No Easy Answers
Submitted by BrianTT on October 27, 2011 - 8:37am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – With a striking lead performance and assured direction from a debut filmmaker, “Martha Marcy May Marlene” has been one of the most acclaimed films of 2011 since its debut at Sundance many months ago. It’s finally now being released around the country, including tomorrow in Chicago, and it’s a work that demands your attention, a film that lingers in the memory as much as any this year.
‘Paranormal Activity 3’ Earns Every Fright in Precise Chiller
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 21, 2011 - 9:12pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Horror films that delicately balance the psychological nature of fear with the actual chills are as rare as Lady Gaga without attention. “Paranormal Activity 3” is one of those scary “delights,” essentially walking the tightrope between screaming “boo” in a crowded theater and tensely sending electricity down the spine.
‘The Three Musketeers’ Lets Down Legendary Heroes
Submitted by BrianTT on October 21, 2011 - 6:09pm Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Seriously?!?! Another “The Three Musketeers”?!?! Just because source material is beloved, why does it need to be remade over and over again? Perhaps Paul W. S. Anderson’s new take on the legendary trio complete with “Resident Evil”-esque action sequences can serve as the final word on this over-done story although if it somehow ends being the only version that future generations end up seeing they will surely wonder why such a boring tale was retold so many times in the first place.
Incomprehensible Story, Uninteresting Characters Sink in ‘Texas Killing Fields’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 21, 2011 - 1:53pmRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Ami Canaan Mann’s “Texas Killing Fields” is further proof of just how difficult it is to do what David Fincher does so well. “TKF” may have echoes of “Seven” and “Zodiac” but none of the character, mood, or even cohesion of those films. The best word to describe this misstep is a “mess” as the movie jumps around between plotlines and characters and never gives the viewer the footing that would make them resonate as something worth caring about or entertaining.
Dan Byrd Shines in Coming-of-Age Gem ‘Norman’
Submitted by mattmovieman on October 20, 2011 - 7:22amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – His eyes are at once weary and sardonic, brooding and vulnerable. He doesn’t know how to cry for help, apart from crying wolf. He resists the spotlight when it’s placed upon him and yet still craves attention from his peers. He’s deeply cynical about life in general, yet is prone to falling for the sweetness of a pure-hearted soul. And he’d probably be well adjusted if it weren’t for the enormous weight on his shoulders.
Owen Wilson, Steve Martin, Jack Black Flock Up in ‘The Big Year’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 15, 2011 - 2:01amRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “The Big Year” is advertised as a comedy. The subject is bird watching, or as the new film likes to express the proper term, “birding.” It stars comic legend Steve Martin, and funnymen Jack Black and Owen Wilson. It is both not funny and is ACTUALLY, seriously about birding. Time to fly away.
Unsettling Paranoia, Special Effects Showcase ‘The Thing’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 14, 2011 - 8:04pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – With Halloween approaching, what will truly scare us at the cinema this month? One strong entry is this weekend’s “The Thing,” the third remake of a wild and mysterious monster movie. It combines a European-style approach to paranoia with some truly unique monster effects.
‘Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure’ Documents Viral Legacy
Submitted by BrianTT on October 14, 2011 - 6:34pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Raymond Huffman and Peter Haskett were viral before that word meant anything other than an adjective for pneumonia. Perhaps you’ve heard of Peter and Ray, a pair of irascible roommates in San Francisco who became audio tape icons after their neighbors recorded their drunken exchanges and started circulating them among their friends. “Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure” documents the phenomenon that started when two hipster kids moved in next door to a pair of fascinating drunks.
Ryan Reynolds, Julia Roberts Trapped in Dull ‘Fireflies in the Garden’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 14, 2011 - 12:05pm Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It’s always risky for a screenwriter to craft a film about a family of writers in that when the result is a script so generically awful as that for “Fireflies in the Garden” it’s going to stick out even more prominently. After sitting on the shelf for years (it played festivals in 2008 and was supposed to be released that year) and reportedly undergoing some reshoots, this stale drama is finally getting a limited release and will prove just how limited it is to the poor saps who pay to see it.
Horrendous ‘Trespass’ With Nicolas Cage, Nicole Kidman
Submitted by BrianTT on October 14, 2011 - 11:14amRating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Joel Schumacher’s “Trespass” represents a new low for the often divisive and (lately) horrendous director of such gems as “The Number 23,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Bad Company,” “8MM,” “Batman & Robin,” and “Batman Forever.” The film is getting a very-brief theatrical release before essentially going straight-to-DVD, leading a few industry watchers to question if perhaps one of the stars had it in his or her contract that the film had to run in movie houses. Unless you have a similar contract requiring you see it, avoid at all costs.
‘Blackthorn’ Offers Wistful Rethinking of Butch Cassidy Legend
Submitted by mattmovieman on October 14, 2011 - 7:16am Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Western buffs have often criticized George Roy Hill’s 1969 classic, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” for romanticizing its subject matter to the point where it felt less concerned about its titular criminals and more interested in the friendship between stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Yet for all of the charm in William Goldman’s script, there was an underlying darkness and tragic poignance that allowed the final act to pack an unforgettable punch.
