Kyle Gallner

CHICAGO – Everyone who told me about “Red State” prefaced it with the disclaimer that I would be stunned that it was directed by Kevin Smith. Sure, it’s a departure from his indie comedies like “Clerks” and “Mallrats” but I feel like people who are amazed he made a dark thriller like “Red State” must have never really given the writer/director enough credit. I have some serious issues with how Smith behaved regarding critics after “Cop Out” but I was a fan of every single one of his works before then and I’m happy that he chose to do something different with his talent. I think the result is a bit more sloppy than it needs to be but there’s a lot to like here, including a stellar performance from Michael Parks.

CHICAGO – In our latest drama edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 25 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of the new film “Beautiful Boy” with Oscar nominee Michael Sheen and Maria Bello!

CHICAGO – The irony of Samuel Bayer’s remake of the Wes Craven classic, “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” is that most viewers will have more trouble staying awake than combatting actual fear. The saddest thing about this failed effort is that it could tarnish the reputation of Wes Craven’s brilliant original for a new generation. Ignore the new film. Just go rent the original.

CHICAGO – Samuel Bayer’s remake of Wes Craven’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street” may be about repressed memories coming back in horrific ways, but it ironically ends up one of the least memorable films of 2010 to date. Not as abrasive as the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” remakes and not as dumb as “The Amityville Horror,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street” is merely forgettable; something never said about the influential original.

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Katie Cassidy as Kris

CHICAGO – This 26-image slideshow contains all of the official press images for Samuel Bayer’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street” with Jackie Earle Haley, Rooney Mara, Kyle Gallner, Katie Cassidy, Thomas Dekker, Kellan Lutz, Clancy Brown, Connie Britton, and Lia D. Mortensen. It was written by Wesley Strick and Eric Heisserer. The film opens on April 30th, 2010.

CHICAGO – For Oscar-winning “Juno” writer Diablo Cody, writing “Jennifer’s Body” with “Transformers” star Megan Fox and “Mamma Mia!” star Amanda Seyfried as the two lead women was as much of an out-of-body experience as Charlize Theron’s against-type role in 2003’s “Monster”.

CHICAGO – On September 18th, Megan Fox, the star of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” will star in a comedy/horror hybrid called “Jennifer’s Body” and we’ve got two new pics and the official poster for this Twentieth Century Fox film.

CHICAGO – The 2010 reboot of “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” which will be directed by Samuel Bayer with characters from Wes Craven and Jackie Earle Haley (Rorschach in the recent “Watchmen” film) starring as Freddy Krueger, is filming in Chicago.