CHICAGO – In anticipation of the scariest week of the year, HollywoodChicago.com launches its 2024 Movie Gifts series, which will suggest DVDs and collections for holiday giving.
Winona Ryder
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Returns to Tim Burton Form
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 6, 2024 - 8:21am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice” is a return to the practical effects playfulness of Tim Burton’s earlier work and thankfully doesn’t try to be a note-for-note remake of the largely flawless original, although there are callbacks a plenty. The film is one of director Tim Burton’s better late period films but when you consider his output from the last 20 years or so, that’s not exactly high praise.
Dull ‘Homefront’ Can’t Get Action into an Action Movie
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 27, 2013 - 5:22am Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Sylvester Stallone is a difficult man to comprehend, unless if doing a thesis on male menopause. The one time screenwriter of gritty soul pictures like “Rocky,” “Paradise Alley” and “First Blood” is spending his later years pumping out undistinguished boom-boom pictures like “Homefront.”
Great Michael Shannon Performance Can’t Thaw ‘The Iceman’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 16, 2013 - 10:09amRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Another great Michael Shannon performance should come as no surprise as everything he touches lately seems to be interesting, from “Take Shelter” to “Boardwalk Empire” to letters written by batshit crazy sorority girls. However, his increasingly impressive ability can’t save “The Iceman,” a misguided, clichéd hitman flick that careens tonally and doesn’t really justify its existence. It doesn’t work as thriller or as drama, serving as little more than a performance piece for its talented star.
‘Frankenweenie’ is Visually Rich, But Lacks Monstrosity
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 5, 2012 - 1:08pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The immersion that is possible in modern animated films is so rich now that it is practically reality. “Frankenweenie,” the newest puppetry-style film from director Tim Burton, is heroically painted onto the screen’s canvas, but the limp retelling of the Frankenstein movie myth doesn’t live up to the visual tone.
Vince Vaughn, Kevin James Seek Trust in Uneven ‘The Dilemma’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 14, 2011 - 9:18amRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In many ways, “The Dilemma” is director Ron Howard’s most daring film. Leaving behind the usual brightly lit, good/evil morality tales, Howard weaves a narrative basket filled with infidelity, gambling addiction, blackmail and mistrust. This is Opie on the dark side, with Vince Vaughn and Kevin James along for the journey.
Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Darren Aronofsky Stage Mesmerizing ‘Black Swan’
Submitted by BrianTT on December 2, 2010 - 7:14pm Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” pulses with the kind of energy and life that we only see from cinema a few times a year. With creative expression rarely seen in American film and one of the best performances by an actress that you will ever see, “Black Swan” is a film that resonates for hours and even days after you see it. You won’t easily shake this masterpiece. And you won’t want to.
Pure Summer Entertainment Lives on in J.J. Abrams’ ‘Star Trek’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 8, 2009 - 9:52amRating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It will be a stunning surprise if the summer of 2009 produces another slice of movie entertainment as satisfying and well-made as J.J. Abrams rollicking “Star Trek” reboot, a film that not only delivers on high expectations but shatters them by clicking on every single level.
