July 2015

Film News: 2015 Chicago French Film Festival Kicks Off July 31 at the Music Box Theatre with ‘Le Affaire SK1’

French Film Fest 2015

CHICAGO – The 5th annual Chicago French Film Festival is six days of beret-wearing cinema, taking place July 31st-August 5th, 2015, at the historic Music Box Theatre in Chicago. The opening night film at 7pm is “Le Affaire SK1.”

Film Review: ‘Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation’ at Top of Its Game

CHICAGO – The sensational summer movie season of 2015 still has some pulse pounding tricks up its sleeve, and “Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation” fulfills that sensation with a wham-bam bag of spy games. Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner are back, joined by femme kick-ass Rebecca Ferguson.

‘Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation’ at Top of Its Game

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

CHICAGO – The sensational summer movie season of 2015 still has some pulse pounding tricks up its sleeve, and “Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation” fulfills that sensation with a wham-bam bag of spy games. Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner are back, joined by femme kick-ass Rebecca Ferguson.

Video Game Review: ‘Journey’ Achieves Perfection Again on PlayStation 4

Journey video games on PlayStation 4

CHICAGO – “Journey” is a gentle breeze. It approaches gradually – alighting your skin and igniting your thoughts with its poetic brilliance. It’s as much a game as it is an exercise in interpretive storytelling and emotional art design, and everybody – gamer and non-gamer alike – should play it.

Interview: Rebecca Ferguson of ‘Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation’

CHICAGO – When it comes to keeping up with the boys, actress Rebecca Ferguson is equal to any task in the upcoming “Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation.” She portrays Ilsa, an undercover spy who could be going rogue, and treats the audience to her signature leg clamp, motorcycle skills and action-based heroism.

Interview: Actor Omar Sy Tackles Immigrant Issues in ‘Samba’

CHICAGO – The situation with in-country immigrants is not just an issue in the United States. The new French film “Samba” focuses on the ongoing status of immigrants in Paris, who often do menial jobs while surviving under the radar of immigration laws. French Actor Omar Sy portrays the title character with insight and humor.

Film Review: Tartan Prancer – Yes, a Fictional Albanian Car – Steals the Otherwise Borrowed Show in ‘Vacation’

CHICAGO – Retreads from classics are often as weary as having to write that they are almost never as good as the original. And here we go again with the Ed Helms-led “Vacation,” which fails to capitalize on the beloved Chevy Chase film “National Lampoon’s Vacation” from 1983.

Tartan Prancer – Yes, a Fictional Albanian Car – Steals the Otherwise Borrowed Show in ‘Vacation’

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 2.5/5.0
Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Retreads from classics are often as weary as having to write that they are almost never as good as the original. And here we go again with the Ed Helms-led “Vacation,” which fails to capitalize on the beloved Chevy Chase film “National Lampoon’s Vacation” from 1983.

Preview: Jennifer Hudson to Perform at Art Van’s Grand Opening on July 30, 2015 in Downers Grove, Ill.

Jennifer Hudson, photo by Joe Arce

CHICAGO – Jennifer Hudson has won an Academy Award and a Grammy. Not bad for the 33-year-old singer and actress who was discovered as a runner-up on “American Idol.” She will perform in Downers Grove, Ill. this Thursday, July 30, 2015 at Art Van Furniture’s grand-opening event “The Art of WOW!”

Film Review: Two Women Create a Human Connection in ‘Unexpected’

CHICAGO – Providing human life to this planet is the dominion of women, given that they gestate new existence through to birth. It was refreshing to see that gender point of view carried to expressive terms in “Unexpected,” the latest film by Chicagoan Kris Swanberg, and featuring Cobie Smulders.

Two Women Create a Human Connection in ‘Unexpected’

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

CHICAGO – Providing human life to this planet is the dominion of women, given that they gestate new existence through to birth. It was refreshing to see that gender point of view carried to expressive terms in “Unexpected,” the latest film by Chicagoan Kris Swanberg, and featuring Cobie Smulders.

Film Review: Deep Thoughts, Shallow Characters in ‘Irrational Man’

CHICAGO – At this point in his stellar career, what is fascinating about Woody Allen is basically what he thinks about. He is a successful, family-stable, millionaire filmmaker with mortality issues. In “Irrational Man,” he ponders the existential question of “what lights the spark of life?”

Deep Thoughts, Shallow Characters in ‘Irrational Man’

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

CHICAGO – At this point in his stellar career, what is fascinating about Woody Allen is basically what he thinks about. He is a successful, family-stable, millionaire filmmaker with mortality issues. In “Irrational Man,” he ponders the existential question of “what lights the spark of life?”

Exclusive Portraits: Woody Allen, Parker Posey on the Chicago Red Carpet for ‘Irrational Man’

Woody Allen, photo by Joe Arce 2015

CHICAGO – It was a Chicago moment for the legendary filmmaker Woody Allen, as he walked the Red Carpet on behalf of his latest film, “Irrational Man.” He was joined by a co-star in the film, Parker Posey, and HollywoodChicago.com was there to capture these Exclusive Portraits.

Film Review: Instead of Geeky Greatness, Adam Sandler Sucks the Soul Out of a Badly Miscast ‘Pixels’

CHICAGO – The epitome of an idea that far outweighs its execution, “Pixels” is a bittersweet blunder that had all of the elements to be geeky great but ends up being cheesy mediocre. I could literally feel its potential for 105 minutes, but the $88 million film ultimately fails to realize it.

Instead of Geeky Greatness, Adam Sandler Sucks the Soul Out of a Badly Miscast ‘Pixels’

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

CHICAGO – The epitome of an idea that far outweighs its execution, “Pixels” is a bittersweet blunder that had all of the elements to be geeky great but ends up being cheesy mediocre. I could literally feel its potential for 105 minutes, but the $88 million film ultimately fails to realize it.

Exclusive Slideshow: Thrash Metal Band Slayer at Rockstar Mayhem Festival 2015

| Image 1 of 12 |
Slayer guitarist Kerry King

CHICAGO – Following our exclusive video interview with legendary Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph at Rockstar Mayhem Festival 2015 outside of Chicago, we present these exclusive action photos from the July 12, 2015 show!

Red-Carpet Video Interviews: Woody Allen, Parker Posey for ‘Irrational Man’

CHICAGO – HollywoodChicago.com presents our red-carpet video coverage of the “Irrational Man” premiere in Chicago on July 17, 2015. We interview legendary filmmaker Woody Allen and star Parker Posey at the Bellwether Meeting House & Eatery.

Woody talks about newly using Emma Stone and Parker Posey in his films, a different aspect ratio, possibly filming in Chicago, his upcoming 2016 film and more.

Film Review: Amy Schumer Way Too Conventional in ‘Trainwreck’

Trainwreck front

CHICAGO – In one of the most anticipated comedies of the summer, Amy Schumer breaks out of her edgy role as a stand-up and sketch artist to put her spin on the film universe in “Trainwreck.” She plays the lead role, is directed by the comic-reputable Judd Apatow, and she wrote the script. Why is it so “meh”?

Amy Schumer Way Too Conventional in ‘Trainwreck’

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 2.5/5.0
Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – In one of the most anticipated comedies of the summer, Amy Schumer breaks out of her edgy role as a stand-up and sketch artist to put her spin on the film universe in “Trainwreck.” She plays the lead role, is directed by the comic-reputable Judd Apatow, and she wrote the script. Why is it so “meh”?

Film Review: A Perfect Paul Rudd, Michael Peña Bring Often-Overlooked Humor to ‘Ant-Man’

CHICAGO – In 1989, Rick Moranis played a scientist father in “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” who accidentally shrinks kids to the size of insects. But dating back to a first appearance in 1962, Marvel Comics first published the Ant-Man character. His persona was the superhero alias of the scientist Hank Pym after inventing a substance that allowed him to shrink himself.

A Perfect Paul Rudd, Michael Peña Bring Often-Overlooked Humor to ‘Ant-Man’

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

CHICAGO – In 1989, Rick Moranis played a scientist father in “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” who accidentally shrinks kids to the size of insects. But dating back to a first appearance in 1962, Marvel Comics first published the Ant-Man character. His persona was the superhero alias of the scientist Hank Pym after inventing a substance that allowed him to shrink himself.

Film Review: Elegy for a Different Superhero in ‘Mr. Holmes’

CHICAGO – Sherlock Holmes is the most famous fictional detective in literary history, and his character adaptation into movies, TV and other media shows no sign of slowing down. But what if Holmes were real, and lived as an old man past World War II? This scenario is explored in “Mr. Holmes.”

Elegy for a Different Superhero in ‘Mr. Holmes’

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

CHICAGO – Sherlock Holmes is the most famous fictional detective in literary history, and his character adaptation into movies, TV and other media shows no sign of slowing down. But what if Holmes were real, and lived as an old man past World War II? This scenario is explored in “Mr. Holmes.”

Exclusive Video Interview: Legendary Drummer Paul Bostaph of Slayer at Rockstar Mayhem Festival

CHICAGO (Exclusive) – HollywoodChicago.com is proud to take you inside the mind of legendary heavy metal drummer Paul Bostaph of the thrash metal bands Slayer, Forbidden, Exodus, Systematic and Testament. We sat down with Bostaph on July 12, 2015 at Rockstar Mayhem Festival outside of Chicago in Tinley Park.

Film Review: Despite Same Stale Producer, ‘The Gallows’ a Refreshing Horror Original From New Filmmakers

CHICAGO – We all know dramatic films win most of the awards, comedies are hit or miss and horrors often don’t deliver the scares they promise. The problem with the horror genre lately is Hollywood is afraid to go against a “proven” formula (for financial reasons) and really think outside the box.

Despite Same Stale Producer, ‘The Gallows’ a Refreshing Horror Original From New Filmmakers

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

CHICAGO – We all know dramatic films win most of the awards, comedies are hit or miss and horrors often don’t deliver the scares they promise. The problem with the horror genre lately is Hollywood is afraid to go against a “proven” formula (for financial reasons) and really think outside the box.

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