Julie Benz

CHICAGO – There is such a unique array of DVD titles this week that we couldn’t just let them get buried on our desk like so many minor titles do over the year. At least one of these has to be of interest to you. Maybe even the Dane Cook movie.

CHICAGO – Ensemble films, with their multiple stories and characters, can be a challenging delicate balance. Emphasize one story over another and an audience starts to wonder why the neglected subplot is even in the film. “Answers to Nothing” generates this reaction with all their narrative threads, in a movie that lacks any kind of cohesion.

CHICAGO – CBS’s new Friday night drama “A Gifted Man” has the kind of cheesy plot designed to appeal to fans who miss “Highway to Heaven,” “Touched by an Angel,” or “The Ghost Whisperer”.

CHICAGO – ABC’s “No Ordinary Family” features two of the better TV actors of the last decade in the great Michael Chiklis (“The Shield”) and Julie Benz (“Angel,” “Dexter”) and their remarkable charm carries a show that could be must-see viewing if it doesn’t fall into the same traps as similar high-concept shows like “Heroes” and “FlashForward.”

CHICAGO – Very, very few programs hit their creative peak in their fourth season but that was the surprising turn of events that took place on Showtime last fall with the amazing “senior year” of “Dexter,” a dark horse to win the upcoming Emmy for Outstanding Dramatic Series. The fourth season is now available on Blu-ray and it’s a must-see for everyone, even if you haven’t kept up with this award-winning program over the years. It’s spectacular, riveting drama.

CHICAGO – The first “Boondock Saints” was so over-the-top that its abundance of style actually became substance. While I certainly don’t bow to the film like so many of its devoted fans, I totally get the obsession with it that led to a surprising sequel and even a comic book. The movie is fun. And that’s where the sequel fails. “Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day” is bloated and boring, missing the spark that made the first a surprising cult hit.

CHICAGO – “There’s not a bigger ‘f*ck you!’ from Hollywood than when they say: ‘Eh, we’re not going to release this film.’”

CHICAGO – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 25 admit-two run-of-engagement Chicago passes up for grabs to “The Boondock Saints” cult-classic sequel “The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day”!

CHICAGO – Everyone’s favorite serial killer and family man, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) is back in tonight’s excellent fourth season premiere of the award-winning “Dexter”.

CHICAGO – Sony sent over the brand-new preview for “The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day,” the highly anticipated sequel that opens on October 30th, 2009. The sequel to the massive cult hit was one of the biggest properties at Comic-Con this year and the preview is pretty cool. Stay tuned to HollywoodChicago.com for more coverage.