June 2015

Film Review: Nichely Entertaining ‘Magic Mike XXL’ a Substanceless Soft Porn

Magic Mike XXL with Channing Tatum

CHICAGO – You know those amateur porns with no-name actors that use cheesy dialogue in between the sex scenes those viewers simply want? You never expect a real story or actually developed characters because it’s a collection of sex scenes. It’s not a real, you know, movie.

Nichely Entertaining ‘Magic Mike XXL’ a Substanceless Soft Porn

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 2.0/5.0
Rating: 2.0/5.0

CHICAGO – You know those amateur porns with no-name actors that use cheesy dialogue in between the sex scenes those viewers simply want? You never expect a real story or actually developed characters because it’s a collection of sex scenes. It’s not a real, you know, movie.

Interview: Jada Pinkett Smith Plays Host in ‘Magic Mike XXL’

CHICAGO – Jada Pinkett Smith was doing it her way long before she became half of one of Hollywood’s biggest power couples. From modest beginnings, she worked her way up through the entertainment ranks on television, movies and in a metal band (more on that below). She portrays Rome in the sequel “Magic Mike XXL.”

Interview: Adam Scott Wants Everyone There For ‘The Overnight’

CHICAGO – Adam Scott has become familiar to audiences through his five year run as Ben Wyatt on TV’s “Parks and Recreation,” but he is also creating a presence on the big screen, with various supporting roles in big films (“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”) and his latest comedy, “The Overnight.”

Film Review: ‘Max’ is a Step Beyond the Heroic Dog Movie Genre

CHICAGO – From Rin-Tin-Tin to Lassie to Benji, American movie goers have loved the heroic dog. As the film “Max” throws its leash into the ring, the expectation was a dull family drama just about Max the dog himself. What a surprise to learn it was also a poignant meditation on people.

‘Max’ is a Step Beyond the Heroic Dog Movie Genre

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

CHICAGO – From Rin-Tin-Tin to Lassie to Benji, American movie goers have loved the heroic dog. As the film “Max” throws its leash into the ring, the expectation was a dull family drama just about Max the dog himself. What a surprise to learn it was also a poignant meditation on people.

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 75 Pairs of Front-of-the-Line IMAX Passes to ‘Terminator Genisys’

CHICAGO – It gives us tremendous pride to offer you this Hookup, but not just because it’s a killer giveaway. It’s not just because we’ve arranged for 75 pairs of you to hopscotch to the front of the line for the advance screening of one of the summer’s most-anticipated blockbuster films. It’s not just because our winners will be seeing “Terminator Genisys” in IMAX.

Film Review: ‘Ted 2’ is a Funnier Film Than it Deserves to Be

CHICAGO – While it’s cruder and it can’t quite match the original “Ted,” “Ted 2” is still funnier than it has any right to be. It is unmistakably a Seth MacFarlane production, and there are a million reasons why this movie shouldn’t work, chief among them a plot that attempts to plop a foul mouthed talking teddy bear into a moralistic legal parable about civil rights. But I can’t deny I laughed throughout, almost despite myself.

‘Ted 2’ is a Funnier Film Than it Deserves to Be

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

CHICAGO – While it’s cruder and it can’t quite match the original “Ted,” “Ted 2” is still funnier than it has any right to be. It is unmistakably a Seth MacFarlane production, and there are a million reasons why this movie shouldn’t work, chief among them a plot that attempts to plop a foul mouthed talking teddy bear into a moralistic legal parable about civil rights. But I can’t deny I laughed throughout, almost despite myself.

Interview: Félix de Givry, Sven Hansen-Løve Take the Journey to ‘Eden’

Eden

CHICAGO – When it comes to how dance music evolved in the last thirty years, there was a ground zero that was launched right here in Chicago. House music, or Garage House, were inspired beats that were mixed from a DJ source in front of the dancers, creating a brand new club scene. The late DJ Frankie Knuckles was one of the pioneers, and his legacy eventually reached Paris, where it was discovered and re-invented in fresh and different forms. A new film called “Eden” explores that phenomenon, and it features Félix de Givry as a Paris DJ in the 1990s and 2000s, based on the life of the co-writer of the film, Sven Hansen-Løve.

Slideshow: ‘Day of the Dead’ Horror Convention Brings Out the Stars

| Image 1 of 6 |
Rose McGowan, Cherry Darling of ‘Planet Terror’ in ‘Grindhouse.’

CHICAGO – The “Day of the Dead” Horror Convention is a must-attend for the admirers of the scare genre, with appearances by fright movie favorites, autograph opportunities, special events and after show parties. The next Day of the Dead gathering is this upcoming weekend in Indianapolis, Friday through Sunday, June 26th-28th, 2015.

Interview: Actor Thomas Haden Church is Character Driven in ‘Max’

CHICAGO – Thomas Haden Church has the recognizable name, and a long career of character roles in comedy and drama. His laid-back persona gets a bit more intense as a conflicted father in the new film “Max,” about a military dog who comes home to an uncertain future with a grieving family.

Film News: Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com to Host ‘The Thieves’ in Chicago on June 24, 2015

Thieves, The

CHICAGO – The International Screenings Program – co-presented by the City of Chicago, the Chicago International Film Festival (Cinema/Chicago) and the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs – continues on Wednesday, June 24. 2015, with the film “The Thieves” (“Dodookdeul”) from South Korea.

Indiegogo Launch: All-New HollywoodChicago.com Web Site, Podcasts & More!

CHICAGOHollywoodChicago.com is evolving! Our biggest leap forward in years, we’re transforming into a next-gen everything entertainment publication with a new Web site built from the ground up, new podcasts and more!

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 40 Pairs of Passes to ‘Ted 2’ With Mark Wahlberg

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 40 pairs of advance-screening movie passes up for grabs to the highly anticipated comedy sequel “Ted 2” starring Mark Wahlberg, Seth MacFarlane and Amanda Seyfried!

Red-Carpet Video Interviews: Gloria Estefan’s Broadway Musical ‘On Your Feet!’

CHICAGO – HollywoodChicago.com presents our video coverage of the pre-Broadway premiere of the new musical “On Your Feet!” from Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan on June 17, 2015 at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago.

Interview: Lori Petty on a New Team in ‘Orange is the New Black’

CHICAGO – Lori Petty will never be predictable, nor put into some show business box. The free-wheelin’ Ms. P applies her expansive performance skills to the role of Lolly – a guest spot that turned into a recurring character – on Netflix’s hot series “Orange is the New Black,” which released its third season on June 12th, 2015.

Film Review: Alternate American Dream Played Out in ‘Dope’

CHICAGO – If you’re lucky enough, you’ll never know what it’s like to grow up in a poor American neighborhood. But what if the notions of such societies are flipped on its ear, and what if the message draws attention to our current perceptions of race? This is what the new film “Dope” conveys.

Alternate American Dream Played Out in ‘Dope’

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

CHICAGO – If you’re lucky enough, you’ll never know what it’s like to grow up in a poor American neighborhood. But what if the notions of such societies are flipped on its ear, and what if the message draws attention to our current perceptions of race? This is what the new film “Dope” conveys.

Film Review: ‘Inside Out’ is a Loving Masterwork of Pixar Animation

CHICAGO – It starts with the imagination, and the story that comes from that lightning inner creativity. Nobody, it seems, does it better than Pixar Animation, and they are taking it all to a new level. For your consideration, and in a perfect world a candidate for Best Picture, “Inside Out.”

‘Inside Out’ is a Loving Masterwork of Pixar Animation

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

CHICAGO – It starts with the imagination, and the story that comes from that lightning inner creativity. Nobody, it seems, does it better than Pixar Animation, and they are taking it all to a new level. For your consideration, and in a perfect world a candidate for Best Picture, “Inside Out.”

Film Review: Love, Truth & Dignity in Emotional ‘The Farewell Party’

CHICAGO – As the last cells in our carbon based forms decide to perish, how can our consciousness bear the stigma of that demise? This question is the theme of “The Farewell Party,” a Israeli/German production that combines the mix of feelings that come with old age.

Love, Truth & Dignity in Emotional ‘The Farewell Party’

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

CHICAGO – As the last cells in our carbon based forms decide to perish, how can our consciousness bear the stigma of that demise? This question is the theme of “The Farewell Party,” a Israeli/German production that combines the mix of feelings that come with old age, and the sorrowful truth that there are more goodbyes than anything else, with a burden that is brought to bear when a person is dying around family, friends and spouses.

Film Review: SNL Rightly Touts Its Influence in ‘Live From New York!’

Livefront.jpg

CHICAGO – Love, hate or maintain indifference to it, the TV dinosaur “Saturday Night Live” has and will continue to influence American culture as long as it may reign. To celebrate its 40th Anniversary, filmmaker Bao Nguyen takes a fresh look at the iconic television show in “Live From New York!”

SNL Rightly Touts Its Influence in ‘Live From New York!’

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

CHICAGO – Love, hate or maintain indifference to it, the TV dinosaur “Saturday Night Live” has and will continue to influence American culture as long as it may reign. To celebrate its 40th Anniversary, filmmaker Bao Nguyen takes a fresh look at the iconic television show in “Live From New York!”

Film Review: More Than a Popcorn Flick, ‘Jurassic World’ Makes a Climactic Comeback Worth Making

CHICAGO – Blockbuster films are obsessed with bigger, louder and faster. They often think they need to spend more money to outdo what they’ve done before – especially when coming from a beloved original like “Jurassic Park”.

More Than a Popcorn Flick, ‘Jurassic World’ Makes a Climactic Comeback Worth Making

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

CHICAGO – Blockbuster films are obsessed with bigger, louder and faster. They often think they need to spend more money to outdo what they’ve done before – especially when coming from a beloved original like “Jurassic Park”.

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