Christian Slater

CHICAGO – These are the times that try a film critic’s soul. Right after the awards season, and the lofty artistic films, comes the dump zone of January and the rejected reel orphans of the “industry.” Sylvester Stallone, once an Oscar winner, now “entertains” us with with harsh violence in the ‘Bullet to the Head.’

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 50 pairs of movie passes up for grabs to the advance screening of the highly anticipated “Bullet to the Head” with Sylvester Stallone!

CHICAGO – Warner Brothers has been unleashing catalog titles on Blu-ray at a rate that would strain the bank account of pro athletes. Every week lately sees a wave of movies that have never been on Blu-ray before joining the HD revolution. This quartet is particularly varied with one timeless classic, an underrated performance from an underrated actor, and two moderate action movies. Pick your favorite. My order of preference is as follows:

CHICAGO – Networks have long attempted four consecutive comedies on one night but it’s not a common thing to find on FOX (at least not live-action). So when it was announced that FOX would try to replicate what CBS has on Mondays, ABC has on Wednesdays, and NBC has on Thursdays with their own four-in-a-row on Tuesday nights, TV watchers were curious.

CHICAGO – Fans who enjoyed the new comedy series “Breaking In” and feared the show wouldn’t last longer than the seven episode first season need not worry. FOX officially announced this afternoon that they would be renewing the show for a second season of production, even after announcing a few months ago that it was canceled.

CHICAGO – One of the vital criterion for any new TV comedy is a strong personality, acting as a catalyst for the stories and other characters. “Breaking In,” premiering on Fox, has Christian Slater in full “Christian Slater” mode.

CHICAGO – In the United States, the remains of 40,000 people remain unidentified.