April 2014

Blu-ray Review: Criterion Assembles Great Package For Landmark ‘Breaking the Waves’

Breaking the Waves

It’s hard to overstate the shock waves that Lars Von Trier’s “Breaking the Waves” made when it was released in 1996. It’s not as if LVT was a completely unknown commodity but this was a new level for the filmmaker in the way he both played with his form and embraced larger-than-life imagery. “Breaking the Waves” was both grounded in classic themes and felt like the coming-out party for Dogme, the movement founded by LVT that embraced natural filmmaking techniques like handheld cameras and sunlight.

Blu-ray Review: Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin Sweeten Domestic Thriller ‘Labor Day’

Labor Day

CHICAGO – “Labor Day” is certainly a change of shade for writer/director Jason Reitman, who previously unearthed the humor in his American character dramas, however dark their content (such as with the dark but funny soul erosion of Charlize Theron’s non-matured mean girl in “Young Adult”). In this tale of an unexpected family unit, he doesn’t find humor but instead a thoroughly gray compassion.

Interview: John Turturro Vibrantly Directs ‘Fading Gigolo’

CHICAGO – “You’re a sick f**k, Fink” is the movie quote I was tempted to throw at John Turturro, the actor who played the title role as “Barton Fink,” and dozens of other memorable movie characters. Turturro is breaking out again as a writer/director, producing a new film co-starring Woody Allen, delicately entitled “Fading Gigolo.”

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 11 Pairs of Live Boxing Passes to ‘The Moment: Mayweather vs. Maidana’

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 11 pairs of GUARANTEED live-event boxing passes up for grabs to the 12-round, world-championship bout “The Moment: Mayweather vs. Maidana” in movie theatres across Chicago(land)!

Blu-ray Review: ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’

Walter-Mitty-Hiking.jpg

CHICAGO – Ben Stiller plays Walter Mitty: a man whose constant daydreams about life are interrupted by a series of real-life adventures that may or may not help him find love and save his job. This is a sweet-tempered and often visually spectacular film. It has the guts to be really weird at times as well. The end result? The film is entertaining, but it’s just too scattered to really imprint on the average viewer. That’s too bad because Ben Stiller distinguishes himself here in way that real cineastes will appreciate.

Interview: Actress Fawzia Mirza Reflects on the Stage Play ‘Brahman/i’

Fawzia Mirza

CHICAGO – The world is full of living components that express the similarities in our differences, and actress Fawzia Mirza is the embodiment of us all coming together. The self described South-Asian-Muslim-American woman has been a force on the Chicago acting scene for years, and recently broke out with a role in the high profile stage play “Brahman/i,” by Aditi Brennan Kapil, which premiered in Chicago on March 27th. The play was recently extended to May 4th.

Film Review: Challenging ‘Child’s Pose’ Sparked by Luminita Gheoeghiu

Child's Pose

CHICAGO – Parents often feel responsible for their child’s reprehensible actions or despicable behavior. They may feel it reflects poorly on their own character and will go out of their way to fix a situation, make it all better. Certainly not all parents, but definitely the mother we meet in “Child’s Pose,” a Romanian film from last year that is finally getting released here in the States.

Challenging ‘Child’s Pose’ Sparked by Luminita Ghaoeghiu

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 4.5/5.0
Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Parents often feel responsible for their child’s reprehensible actions or despicable behavior. They may feel it reflects poorly on their own character and will go out of their way to fix a situation, make it all better. Certainly not all parents, but definitely the mother we meet in “Child’s Pose,” a Romanian film from last year that is finally getting released here in the United States.

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 50 Pairs of Passes to ‘Locke’ With Tom Hardy

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 50 pairs of advance-screening movie passes up for grabs to the new experimental thrillerLocke” starring Tom Hardy (who played Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises”)!

Film Review: British Import ‘Alan Partridge’ With Steve Coogan is Just Plain Silly

CHICAGO – Before earning Oscar nom validation for his “Philomena” screenplay last year, British comedian Steve Coogan led a separate life as Alan Partridge, a dopey media personality who symbolized the danger of empowering clowns like him with a microphone, whether on a news program, a late night show, or in a radio booth.

British Import ‘Alan Partridge’ With Steve Coogan is Just Plain Silly

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.0/5.0
Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Before earning Oscar nom validation for his “Philomena” screenplay last year, British comedian Steve Coogan led a separate life as Alan Partridge, a dopey media personality who symbolized the danger of empowering clowns like him with a microphone, whether on a news program, a late night show, or in a radio booth.

Film Review: Searing Performances Invigorate ‘Walking with the Enemy’

CHICAGO – In movie land, the World War II Holocaust drama has been more personal – and in many ways more horrific – in our modern era. The latest film to tell a different story, from a different angle, is director Mark Schmidt’s “Walking with the Enemy.”

Searing Performances Invigorate ‘Walking with the Enemy’

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – In Movie Land, the World War II Holocaust drama has been more personal – and in many ways more horrific – in our modern era. From Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” to Roman Polanski’s “The Pianist,” the Jewish genocide of the Holocaust has been rendered more artfully and truthfully. The latest film to tell a different story, from a different angle, is director Mark Schmidt’s “Walking with the Enemy.”

Film Review: Sharpness Wears Down to Dull in ‘The Other Woman’

CHICAGO – Cameron Diaz has a firm grasp on her…image. She has carefully transitioned throughout her career from ingenue to comedienne to voiceover to the new film “The Other Woman.” But what begins as a sharp revenge comedy collapses into a bonding-sticky-sweet dullness.

Sharpness Wears Down to Dull in ‘The Other Woman’

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.0/5.0
Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Cameron Diaz has a firm grasp on her … image. She has carefully transitioned throughout her career from ingenue to comedienne to voiceover to the new film “The Other Woman.” But what begins as a sharp revenge comedy collapses into a bonding-sticky-sweet dullness.

Interview: Jonas Armstrong, Simon Dutton are ‘Walking with the Enemy’

CHICAGO – World War II will never be over, in a sense, as long as it continues to influence the culture or teach us lessons about our contemporary lives. The new film “Walking with the Enemy” is rooted in the Holocaust, but uses the twist of a Hungarian Jew who brashly impersonated a Nazi officer to relocate his counterparts.

Slideshow: 32 Exclusive Portraits from Walker Stalker Con in Chicago

| Image 1 of 32 |
Steven Yuen portrays Glenn in ‘The Walking Dead.’

CHICAGO – There was a meeting of the undead last month as Walker Stalker Con invaded Chicago on March 14th and 15th at the Donald A. Stephens Center in Rosemont, Ill. This convention is a gathering point for zombie lovers, also known as “Walker Stalkers,” to gather and meet their favorite performers from AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and other movies and TV shows.

Blu-ray Review: ‘Ride Along’ is Just Another Generic Buddy Cop Comedy

Ride Along with Ice Cube

CHICAGO – Few figures have had less of an exciting domination of the world than Kevin Hart. In the past few years, the comedian has skyrocketed to leading fixture in the comedy scene, creating hit scripts out of films like “Think Like A Man” and “About Last Night,” while taking victory laps in his lacking stand-up features like “Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain”. The big problem is that these projects don’t justify his comic potential.

Film Review: Errol Morris’ ‘The Unknown Known’ Seeks Donald Rumsfeld

CHICAGO – The reason some people fit into government service is fairly well defined in the latest film of iconic documentary maker Errol Morris. His profile of ex-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in “The Unknown Known” is a tale of history – affected by war, death, torture and justification.

Errol Morris’ ‘The Unknown Known’ Seeks Donald Rumsfeld

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 4.0/5.0
Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – The reason some people fit into government service is fairly well-defined in the latest film by iconic documentary-maker Errol Morris. His profile of ex-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in “The Unknown Known” is a tale of history – affected by war, death, torture and justification. The power of government men in suits and what happens when the power is realized flows through Rumsfeld like water through a faucet, and who or what shuts it off, is often determined by the title of the film.

Blu-ray Review: ‘Grudge Match’ is Strictly Lightweight

Grudge Match

CHICAGO – This forgettable time waster is mildly amusing as long as you don’t let yourself go into mourning over Robert Deniro’s career. But then again that almost goes without saying these days. Likewise Stallone who has had far more interesting career choices in the last decade than this. The pair play retired boxers who comes out of retirement for one last fight. One for the paycheck. The other to settle an old score.

Blu-ray Review: ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

CHICAGO – It seems mean to pick on a movie for being merely entertaining. But when that film is part of the Lord of the Rings canon such criticism is fair. Peter Jackson manages to thrill here via some stunning action, and a truly memorable CGI Smaug. But Bilbo’s point of view seems lost in all the action, other characters and subplots. Clearly Jackson and Fran Walsh want The Hobbit to feel connected to their breathtaking Lord of the Rings trilogy but The Hobbit just doesn’t feel intimate enough. The second film in the trilogy is more entertaining but only marginally more moving.

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 16 Pairs of Guaranteed Passes to William Shatner’s Live ‘Shatner’s World’ Event

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 16 pairs of GUARANTEED live-event movie passes up for grabs to William Shatner’s critically acclaimed one-man show “Shatner’s World” for one night only in movie theatres throughout Chicago(land)!

Film Review: Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman on Track in ‘The Railway Man’

CHICAGO – One the hidden implications of World War II was the suffering of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) from the millions of soldiers who survived the horrors of that war. The difficulties associated with PTSD are communicated with honor by Colin Firth in “The Railway Man”

Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman on Track in ‘The Railway Man’

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – One of the hidden implications of World War II was the suffering of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) from the millions of soldiers who survived the horrors of that war. The difficulties associated with PTSD are communicated with honor by Colin Firth in “The Railway Man”

Film Review: ‘A Haunted House 2’ Spoofs Better Than the Original

CHICAGO – The parody industry that the Wayans comedy machine has generated has provided big laughs and big box office for years. In 2013, Marlon Wayans launched another series, with “A Haunted House.” Faster than the fastest green light, that success led to ‘A Haunted House 2.’

‘A Haunted House 2’ Spoofs Better Than the Original

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – The parody industry that the Wayans comedy machine has generated has provided big laughs and big box office for years. In 2013, Marlon Wayans launched another series, with “A Haunted House.” Faster than the fastest green light, that success led to ‘A Haunted House 2.’

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