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.
China
Film News: Asian Pop-Up Cinema SEASON 15 Begins Sept. 10, 2022
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 8, 2022 - 10:03amCHICAGO – Out of the gate for Fall film fest time is the milestone 15th Season of the Asian Pop-Up Cinema (APUC). This season is taking “the show on the road” with screenings around Chicagoland and their diverse communities. APUC opens on September 10th with the U.S. Premiere of “I Am What I Am” (From China, CLICK HERE).
Event News: Anita Hill & John Waters Highlight Chicago Humanities Festival on May 7, 2022
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 4, 2022 - 11:24amCHICAGO – The Spring Season continues on Saturday, May 7th, 2022, as the Chicago Humanities Festival presents an amazing day of forums and speakers. Kicking off the day will be a woman of history … in a week where we need her … as Anita Hill speaks on the topic of “Believing Women,” the subject of her new book. Ending the day will be mondo film director John Waters, speaking on his new book, “Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance.” In between, the full day will have many other forums and discussions, click CHF MAY 7TH for schedule, details and ticket information.
Film News: Season 14 Final Weekend of Asian Pop-Up Cinema Features Taiwan, April 9-10, 2022
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 9, 2022 - 9:46amCHICAGO – Season 14 of Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema (APUC) … the 2022 Spring Season … wraps up this weekend with two films from Taiwan. “Increasing Echo” is a tense relationship drama about husband and wife trust (April 9th, click here).
Film News: Asian Pop-Up Cinema Presents the Filipino ‘Islands’ to Stream April 1-3, 2022
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 31, 2022 - 12:34pmCHICAGO – Season 14 of Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema (APUC) continues with the Midwest Premiere of “Islands” – written and directed by Martin Edralin – streaming on APUC’s website from April 1st-3rd, 2022, and featuring a post-film Q&A from Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com.
Oscar Day: 2022 Best Picture & Best Documentary Interviews
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 27, 2022 - 11:48amCHICAGO – Happy Oscar Day! The 94th Academy Awards takes place on March 27th, and Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com conducted two major interviews connected to nominees. Actor David Dastmalchian for “Dune” (Best Picture) and Director Jessica Kingdon for “Ascension” (Best Documentary).
Film News: Asian Pop-Up Cinema Season 14 Begins March 13, 2022
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 8, 2022 - 7:21pmCHICAGO – The 2022 local film festival scene is picking up steam as the Spring Season 14 of Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema (APUC) kicks off on March 13th at AMC Niles (Illinois). The South Korean film “Heaven: To the Land of Happiness” has its Midwest Premiere, beginning nearly a month of APUC through April 10th.
Film Review: Ass Kicker of the Wrong Kind is Downfall of ‘The 355’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 7, 2022 - 8:57amCHICAGO – There’s something to be said for a well done ass kicker in January that provides an entertaining distraction from the ice and snow outside. “The 355” is not it, offering a typical quick cutting action thriller that plods along in the most formulaic and least exciting manner possible. There’s nothing in this movie that hasn’t been done to death already.
Via Zoom: Director Jessica Kingdon on China’s ‘Ascension’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 28, 2021 - 9:32amCHICAGO – China sits across the sea as a country of sprawling expansion … economically, socially and governmentally. There is a new documentary that tries to understand all this proliferation and at the same time is a work of film art. “Ascension” is created and directed by Jessica Kingdon.
Via Zoom: Sophia Wong Boccio on Hong Kong Films in October 2021 for Asian Pop-Up Cinema
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 2, 2021 - 3:00pmCHICAGO – The Season 13 “second half” of Chicago’s Asian Pop Up Cinema (APUC) will focus on several Hong Kong films, leading up to the Season 13 Closing Night (“Limbo”). Click each film to link for more info and tickets.
Film News: Chicago's Asian Pop-Up Cinema Opening Night, Sep. 15, 2021
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 14, 2021 - 8:17pmCHICAGO – Season 13 of Chicago’s Asian Pop Up Cinema (APUC) is about to launch on Wednesday, September 15th, 2021, at the AMC River East in Chicago. The Opening Night film is “Ascension” – directed by Jessica Kingdon – an artistically cinematic documentary on the new Chinese Dream. For ticket information, click here.