CHICAGO – Excelsior! Comic book legend Stan Lee’s famous exclamation puts a fine point on the third and final play of Mark Pracht’s FOUR COLOR TRILOGY, “The House of Ideas,” presented by and staged at City Lit Theater in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. For tickets/details, click HOUSE OF IDEAS.
Brian Tallerico
Film Review: Joe Swanberg Hits Again with Gentle ‘All the Light in the Sky’
Submitted by BrianTT on December 18, 2013 - 3:08pmJoe Swanberg had quite a year. In the same summer, he appeared in the horror hit “You’re Next” and saw his most high-profile success in the excellent “Drinking Buddies” with Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, and Anna Kendrick. The year ended with the announcement that his next feature, “Happy Christmas,” starring Kendrick & Lena Dunham, will play in competition at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
Blu-ray Review: Riveting ‘Prisoners’ Connects Even on Repeat Viewing
Submitted by BrianTT on December 17, 2013 - 4:32pmDenis Villeneuve’s “Prisoners” seems to have been lost in the awards season conversation and that’s a shame. Not only is Richard Deakins’ cinematography some of the best in his career but Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman’s emotional work here deserves more credit than it’s been getting. Newly released on a gorgeous Blu-ray (with, sadly, scant special features), “Prisoners” is the kind of adult drama that seems certain to pick up more fans on the home market. It’s really worth your time.
Film Review: ‘Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues’ Defies Pattern of Comedy Sequels
Submitted by BrianTT on December 17, 2013 - 1:49pmComedy sequels are SO rarely worthwhile. Most good comedy is dependent on being fresh, new, and unpredictable – words not commonly uses to describe sequels. For every “Wayne’s World 2,” there are a dozen films of the caliber of “Ghostbusters 2,” “Arthur 2,” and “Caddyshack II” – movies that are so bad that they almost diminish the legacy of their predecessors.
Film News: ‘12 Years a Slave’ Leads 2013 Chicago Film Critics Winners
Submitted by BrianTT on December 16, 2013 - 11:45pmSteve McQueen’s harrowing “12 Years a Slave” was the big winner at an awards dinner held on December 16, 2013 by the Chicago Film Critics Association, of which HollywoodChicago.com writer Brian Tallerico is the Vice President and HC film critics Adam Fendelman & Patrick McDonald are voting members.
Film Feature: The Best Films of 2013
Submitted by BrianTT on December 16, 2013 - 1:06pmIt was too good a year for ten. The best year in cinema since 2007 saw such a diverse, fascinating array of art that included amazing works from some of our most well-known directors (Joel & Ethan Coen, Martin Scorsese, Alexander Payne, Hayao Miyazaki) alongside its newer voices (Shane Carruth, Destin Cretton, Joshua Oppenheimer, James Ponsoldt).
Film Feature: The Best Lead Performances of 2013
Submitted by BrianTT on December 13, 2013 - 2:30pmA fictional folk singer who feels real, a real moneymaker who feels fictional, a young woman dealing with her own wounds by helping to heal those of others, and a student discovering her sexuality through the first passionate relationship of her life — 2013 was one of the best years for lead performances in decades.
Film News: ‘12 Years a Slave’ Leads 2013 Chicago Film Critics Nominees
Submitted by BrianTT on December 13, 2013 - 10:03am- 12 Years a Slave
- American Hustle
- August: Osage County
- Awards
- Blue is the Warmest Color
- Blue Jasmine
- Brian Tallerico
- Captain Phillips
- CFCA
- Chicago Film Critics Association
- Dallas Buyers Club
- Gravity
- Her
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Inside Llewyn Davis
- Nebraska
- Spring Breakers
- The Act of Killing
- The Wind Rises
- The Wolf of Wall Street
Steve McQueen’s harrowing “12 Years a Slave” leads the 2013 nominations from the Chicago Film Critics Association, announced this morning, with a stunning 11 nominations, including Best Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress.
Film Feature: The Best Supporting Performances of 2013
Submitted by BrianTT on December 12, 2013 - 3:03pmA divorced father looking for new love, a woman dealing with a relationship that turned from romance to routine years ago, a charismatic drug dealer who spies something new in his web, half of the most fascinating cinematic relationship of the year, and a slave & her brutal owner — 2013 featured numerous memorable performances but these are just a few of the ones that will stand the test of time.
What to Watch: Dec. 10-16, 2013
Submitted by BrianTT on December 11, 2013 - 1:07pmWhat to Watch prides itself on often offering a wide variety of material from TV seasons to On Demand exclusives to remasters of classic flicks. Not this week. All six of the New Releases that you may be drawn to in your favorite store or on your favorite service are movies, and all released in the last 18 months. But the variety within those movies is remarkable. A Best Picture winner, action flicks, a superhero, and two indie drams that waste talented casts. Pick your favorites. Here’s how we would rank ‘em.
What to Watch: Nov. 24-Dec. 9, 2013
Submitted by BrianTT on December 2, 2013 - 5:35pmSorry, What to Watch took a turkey day break as last week was really light on new product worth mentioning. This week? Pretty much the same but we don’t want you to miss us too badly. Here’s five recent Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming releases that may have caught your attention on new release shelves lately, ranked in the order we’d add them to our holiday wish list.