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CHICAGO – In our latest fantasy edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 25 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicagoland screening of “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief”!

CHICAGO – It seems downright sad that “Amelia,” a movie that was so widely predicted to be a part of the 2009 awards season, would be released on Blu-ray and DVD on the same day as the Oscar announcements. On paper, “Amelia” seemed like Oscar bait through and through with important subject matter headlined by one of the few women to have more than one Oscar. On Blu-ray, it’s easy to see why this cinematic plane crashed and burned.

CHICAGO – I know what you’re thinking: What do “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” and “Mystic River” have in common? Nothing at all other than a Blu-ray release date of February 2nd, 2010. Oh, and they’re two films you should probably own if you have a Blu-ray player.

CHICAGO – For film lovers unable to attend international film festivals, “Paris, je t’aime” provided an irresistible glimpse at world cinema. Eighteen celebrated filmmakers were each recruited to make a short subject set in the City of Love, thus allowing audiences to view the same town from different cultural perspectives. Some shorts worked better than others, but the resounding majority of them were utterly captivating.

CHICAGO – The Universal release of “The Bourne Trilogy” was not only one of the best Blu-ray titles of 2009 but it’s still one of the best box sets on the HD market twelve months later. The question is how does Universal continue to make a dime on the Matt Damon juggernaut of a franchise while we wait for the latest drama regarding the potential fourth film. Welcome to the Bourne flipper discs.

CHICAGO – Love stories are as common at the movies as popcorn and sticky floors. Despite this, rising stars Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried add their own spin to the timeworn plot theme in “Dear John.”

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The Beaming Prince, Ozzy Osbourne

CHICAGO – Ozzy Osbourne, the famous “Prince of Darkness” rocker and MTV reality-show legend, stopped by the area on Jan. 30, 2010 with a book signing appearance at the Skokie, Ill. Barnes & Noble to promote his new autobiography “I Am Ozzy”.

CHICAGO – In the realm of lazy date movies, “Love Happens” achieves a sort of morbid grandeur. There isn’t a single original or authentic moment in all 109 minutes of the picture, which is so devoted to its formulaic structure that it often doesn’t make a lick of sense. People say and do things for no conceivable reason other than to create “crises” leading to “resolutions” leading to audience exasperation.

CHICAGO – When the Oscar nominations were announced earlier this week one of the more unfamiliar titles was probably “The Last Station,” a historical drama nominated for Best Actress (Helen Mirren) and Best Supporting Actor (Christopher Plummer).

CHICAGO – Demetri Martin and Sarah Silverman are now back-to-back on Thursday nights on Comedy Central with “Important Things With Demetri Martin” and “The Sarah Silverman Program” and the two incredibly talented comedians make for a perfect fit as both shows have similar strengths and weaknesses.