CHICAGO – Society, or at least certain elements of society, are always looking for scapegoats to hide the sins of themselves and authority. In the so-called “great America” of the 1950s, the scapegoat target was comic books … specifically through a sociological study called “The Seduction of the Innocent.” City Lit Theater Company, in part two of a trilogy on comic culture by Mark Pracht, presents “The Innocence of Seduction … now through October 8th, 2023. For details and tickets, click COMIC BOOK.
Garrett Hedlund
‘Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk’ Won Some of the Battles But Lost the War
Submitted by JonHC on November 18, 2016 - 12:42pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – War is an ugly part of our civilization, but it can be told beautifully. The complexities of battle are often dark and overwhelming, but inside of that there is also a light that reflects hope and love. “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” wants to show us both sides of the war, but despite the bright visuals it is still shrouded in problems.
‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ Resonates Like Long-Lost Folk Masterpiece
Submitted by BrianTT on December 19, 2013 - 11:18am Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
Films about musicians are remarkably common. Artists from one medium have always loved to put themselves in the well-worn shoes of craftsmen from another. Most of them are stories of an underrated talent rising to the top of his profession, designed for both audience and filmmaker to live vicariously through the protagonist’s success. “Inside Llewyn Davis,” the latest masterpiece from Joel & Ethan Coen, is not one of those stories.
Visceral ‘On the Road’ Honors a Great American Novel
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 23, 2013 - 7:01am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The 1957 novel “On the Road” by Jack Kerouac, was a missile across the bow of American social conventions, and a precursor to the radical 1960s. For over fifty years, it has eluded a film adaptation, until director Walter Salles (“The Motorcycle Diaries”) found the way to capture it.
Melodrama Weakens Gwyneth Paltrow in ‘Country Strong’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 7, 2011 - 9:01amRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Modern country music is actually quite fascinating. Whereas in the classic days of the 1950s to ‘70s, when it was a cult stepchild of popular music, now it occupies the rarified heights of the Justins and Taylors. That is why “Country Strong,” starring Gwyneth Paltrow, is so annoying. It doesn’t even try to be modern.
Lopsided ‘TRON: Legacy’ is Heavy on Visuals, Light on Humanity
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on December 17, 2010 - 7:27pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Every great film is a delicate balance of a number of critical elements. Good films lack in one department while mediocre films have serious gaps that stick out like a red dress at a funeral. The overall mediocre “TRON: Legacy” is exceedingly fixated on its impressive visual effects while neglecting to focus on creating an evocative and humanized story.
Instead of Seeing ‘Death Sentence,’ I Would Have Welcomed a Death Sentence
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on August 31, 2007 - 8:41pm
CHICAGO – When an everyday man goes seeking family justice, action-thriller “Death Sentence” teaches us this valuable lesson: Don’t hire Kevin Bacon for a role you wrote for Charles Bronson.
