HollywoodChicago.com Arts & Entertainment News

Blu-Ray Review: Hilarious ‘South Park: The Complete Fourteenth Season’

South Park 14

CHICAGO – If you haven’t kept up with Eric, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny, fear not TV fans — “South Park” can still be DAMN funny. I’ll admit that I don’t keep up consistently during the regular season and so sometimes wonder if the quality has dipped. With the 15th season having premiered this week on Comedy Central, the 14th was just released on Blu-ray and DVD and it’s pretty great, especially in HD.

Blu-Ray Review: Fantastic Release For ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1’

CHICAGO – It has all come to this. Well, almost this. It’s remarkable to think about how far the Harry Potter series has come since the film debut of the boy who lived. There have been incredible creative highs and only a few lows, mostly plateauing in the David Yates films (#5-7).

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Somewhere’ Paints Haunting Portrait of Celebrity Ennui

Somewhere Blu-Ray

CHICAGO – Sofia Coppola’s films are intriguing in a way that’s often difficult to put into words. I often find my attention drifting during my initial viewing of them, and yet they somehow manage to linger in my mind long after others have faded. Her problematic costume drama, “Marie Antoinette,” has become one of my favorite films to leave on in the background of a room, simply for the pleasure of dwelling in its subtly nuanced atmosphere.

Exclusive Portrait: Susan Lucci of Recently Canceled ‘All My Children’

Susan Lucci, photo by Joe Arce

CHICAGO – Earlier this month ABC-TV announced that the daytime soap opera “All My Children” would end its 41 year run in September. This also is the end of the villainess character Erica Kane, who is portrayed by Susan Lucci. Her journey with that show is chronicled in her new memoir “All My Life.”

Blu-Ray Review: Awesome Criterion Edition of ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

CHICAGO – I have a love-hate relationship with Terry Gilliam’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” but it’s a lot easier to fall on the former side of that dynamic with the simply amazing Criterion Collection release of the Johnny Depp & Benicio Del Toro drug epic, recently released on Blu-ray. With a stunning transfer enhanced by some of the best special features of the year to date, this is the kind of Blu-ray release that makes the actual movie better.

DVD Review: ‘Bonnie & Clyde vs. Dracula’ Misses Chance at B-Movie Fun

Bonnie & Clyde vs. Dracula

CHICAGO – B-movie and horror fans (like yours truly) have to perk up when they hear a title like “Bonnie & Clyde vs. Dracula,” recently released on DVD (and even more when they see that awesome cover below). It’s too clever a concept not to be fun, right? Sadly, no. Despite a strong performance from one of the title characters, the movie doesn’t live up to its promise at all. It’s the last thing that a B-movie with such an intentionally ludicrous title should be — boring.

DVD Review: Spike Lee’s ‘If God is Willing and da Creek Don’t Rise’

If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise DVD

CHICAGO – Perhaps no American artist has chronicled a modern disaster with as much passion and meticulous attention to detail as Spike Lee. His 2006 documentary about the struggles of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts,” was television at its most vital, provocative, wrenchingly powerful and resoundingly humanistic.

Film Feature: The 10 Most Anticipated Films of Summer 2011

CHICAGO – It’s the most wonderful time of the year as moviegoers shake off the doldrums of winter weather, awards season snoozers, and a truly horrendous first trimester of 2011 and finally get to see something blow up for their hard-earned dollars. There’s something about the warm months of the year that allows for critical faculties to fall away as we relax and simply embrace cinematic chaos. What will we get out of Summer 2011? What are the movies that look the most promising? Let us guide the way.

TV News: CW Announces Five Early Pick-Ups Including ‘90210,’ ‘Gossip Girl’

Gossip Girl

CHICAGO – In advance of the upcoming announcements of the Fall 2011 season, The CW has announced the renewal of five of their most beloved programs — “90210,” “America’s Next Top Model,” “Gossip Girl,” “Supernatural,” and “The Vampire Diaries.” They also announced that the Fall edition of “America’s Next Top Model” would be a first for the reality program, an all-star version with contestants to be announced later.

TV News: Chicago Auditions For Simon Cowell’s ‘The X Factor’ on April 27, 2011 With $5 Million Prize

CHICAGO – While Simon Cowell has outgrown “American Idol,” he’s got the itch again. Now the nation’s meanest music critic is scouring cities large and small to unearth the singer with “The X Factor”.

Video Game Review: Brutal ‘Mortal Kombat’ Wins Fight For Your Time

CHICAGO – Everybody loves a comeback. One of the most notable comebacks of 2011 will be by a group of characters who you may have boxed away in the attic in your mind years ago — Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Raiden, Kung Lao, Sonya Blade, and many more. “Mortal Kombat” is back and even better than you remember.

Blu-Ray Review: Claire Denis’ ‘White Material’ Creates Nightmarish Imagery

White Material Blu-Ray

CHICAGO – Africa has routinely played a major role in the work of Claire Denis, a French writer/director deservedly hailed as one of the greatest living filmmakers. Her upbringing in colonial Africa certainly proved to be an influence on her 1988 directorial debut, “Chocolat,” as well as 1999’s equally evocative “Beau travail.” Both films centered on protagonists re-connecting with their deep-seated memories of life on the continent.

Blu-Ray Review: Another Great Pixar Release in ‘The Incredibles’

The Incredibles

CHICAGO – Pixar continued their line of excellent Blu-ray releases a couple of weeks ago by adding “The Incredibles” to their line. As new Pixar flicks have come out or hit Blu-ray, the company has usually reached into the vault to offer one of their past hits as a companion. With only one Pixar film left to be released in HD (“Finding Nemo”), your collection is nearly complete.

User Login

Free Giveaway Mailing

TV, DVD, BLU-RAY & THEATER REVIEWS

  • Manhunt

    CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.

  • Topdog/Underdog, Invictus Theatre

    CHICAGO – When two brothers confront the sins of each other and it expands into a psychology of an entire race, it’s at a stage play found in Chicago’s Invictus Theatre Company production of “Topdog/Underdog,” now at their new home at the Windy City Playhouse through March 31st, 2024. Click TD/UD for tickets/info.

Advertisement



HollywoodChicago.com on Twitter

archive

HollywoodChicago.com Top Ten Discussions
referendum
tracker