Daniel Day-Lewis

CHICAGO – The first Steven Spielberg film to win an acting Oscar (look it up…amazing, I know), “Lincoln” was recently released on Blu-ray and DVD in a lavish 4-disc combo pack that does service to the great film it brings to a wider audience. A commentary track would have been nice but the special features are informative and the transfer is stellar. The continuing trend of major studios offering multiple options to watch a film — BD, DVD, & digital — is a great one. Now you can take Honest Abe anywhere.

CHICAGO – With Seth McFarlane as host, the 86th Academy Awards had more fun, and culminated with “Argo” winning Best Picture. Other major awards went to Daniel Day-Lewis (Best Actor, “Lincoln”), Jennifer Lawrence (Best Actress, “Silver Linings Playbook”) and Ang Lee (Best Director, “Life of Pi”).

CHICAGO – Hollywood’s favorite night of self-congratulations commences this Sunday, finally putting an end to the awards season and allowing us to get on with the new year in film. One last look back at 2012. Will it be “Argo” or “Lincoln”? Spielberg or the field? What the heck wins Best Original Screenplay?

CHICAGO – The 70th Annual Golden Globes, hosted by Tina Fey & Amy Poehler, were given away on Sunday, January 13, 2013 and we have our continuously updated list of winners for your persual below. Keep refreshing for the latest winners and enjoy!

CHICAGO – I worked my way through the best supporting performances of 2012 earlier today and I’m back with the much-stronger array of actors and actresses who challenged themselves with great leading performances in film this year.

CHICAGO – There is an argument that Steven Spielberg is the most “American” of directors, at least in his generation. He deftly and brilliantly teams up with playwright Tony Kushner and actor Daniel Day-Lewis to humanize and realize our 16th president in “Lincoln.”

CHICAGO – History will be kind to “Nine”. Due to wildly extreme expectations caused by the pedigree of the film’s cast, many critics and audiences dismissed Rob Marshall’s musical on its release in late 2009. “Nine” falls short of perfection but the Blu-ray release proves that it gets a lot closer than most people thought the first time they saw it.

CHICAGO – Rob Marshall’s highly anticipated “Nine” isn’t quite the complete piece that it could have been, but its flaws are easy to overlook in favor of old-fashioned, pure entertainment.

CHICAGO – The trailer for the highly anticipated musical “Nine” was released today and you really must take a look. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Fergie, and Sophia Loren, and directed by Rob Marshall (“Chicago”), “Nine” feels like the first trailer for a likely major Oscar candidate for 2009.

HOLLYWOOD – What better way to wrap up a series of film columns on the Irish (earlier reading: part one; part two) than with an ode to the ultimate Irish storyteller? Dublin-born Jim Sheridan has brought some of the most influential Irish films to the big screen.