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CHICAGO – The world of video game development can be oddly cyclical. There was a time when the creators of the “Call of Duty” games looked to the success of the “Medal of Honor” games and now the coin has flipped as the reboot of “MOH” has been clearly-inspired by the success of games like “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” and “Battlefield: Bad Company 2.”

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Clint Eastwood

CHICAGO – This 20-image slideshow contains a selection of the official press images for the highly anticipated “Hereafter,” starring Matt Damon, Cecile De France, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Jay Mohr. The film was written by Peter Morgan and directed by Clint Eastwood. It was released on October 15th, 2010 in some markets, opens on October 20th, 2010 in Chicago, and expands nationwide on October 22nd, 2010.

CHICAGO – With the breakthrough Best Director win for Kathryn Bigelow (”The Hurt Locker”) at the most recent Academy Awards, women in film are creating their own inroads. Three examples from the 2010 Chicago International Film Festival are Carmen Marron, Naghmeh Shirkhan and Kristin Kaza.

CHICAGO – One of the most anticipated games of the next several months has to be EA’s sequel “Dead Space 2,” a title that promises more incredible action and sci-fi scares. To prime audiences for that title, EA has released a DLC prologue to the game called “Dead Space Ignition” that can be purchased or activated with a pre-order of the January title. An odd mini-game, “Ignition” feels only loosely-related to the “Dead Space” universe and a missed opportunity at something that would truly remind players knee-deep in mega-titles of the season like “Fallout: New Vegas” and “Fable III” that there’s another great game coming soon.

CHICAGO – Several major summer 2010 films have been released on Blu-ray recently which could have easily allowed minor titles to go unnoticed if not for HollywoodChicago.com’s beloved Blu-Ray Round-Up. Here are a few of the smaller October HD releases worth a look.

CHICAGO – I’ve seen over a hundred films since seeing Nicole Holofcener’s “Please Give” and the movie has somehow lingered in the back of my mind. It’s what happens when characters are this well-drawn and believable. If a movie feels genuine, it has a much longer staying power and writer/director Holofcener (“Lovely and Amazing,” “Friends With Money”) makes dramedies about people that almost instantly feel completely genuine. “Please Give,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD, is one of the best dramedies of the year.

CHICAGO – Having written about DVDs for years, I’ve been lucky enough to receive and buy dozens of star-centered box sets: collections of films based around an actor or director ranging from Bette Davis to Mel Brooks. More often than not, the set is missing an essential film or two, features lackluster video/audio transfers, or includes bare-bones DVDs without bonus material. None of that is true about “Humphrey Bogart: The Essential Collection,” one of the best DVD box sets ever released.

CHICAGO – Clint Eastwood’s twilight career might become his greatest period as his latest film, “Hereafter,” hits theaters.

CHICAGO – “How to Train Your Dragon” is one of the best mainstream animated films of the last several years. After years of watching Pixar deservedly take home most of the critical acclaim in the medium, DreamWorks has produced a film that deserves mention in the same breath as the Pixar greats. With gorgeous visuals, strong voice work, and confident storytelling, “How to Train Your Dragon,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD, works for all ages and will surely become one of the most highly-desired and purchased titles of the upcoming season.

CHICAGO – One of the most surprisingly-accomplished and well-executed titles of the season has to be “Enslaved: Odyssey of the West,” a gorgeously-rendered blend of combat, puzzle solving, and climbing that gets a bit repetitive but stays entertaining due to its incredibly high production values and beautiful graphics.