Maggie Q

CHICAGO – Every year from about February to May, TV pundits play the cancellation game. We look at the ratings, read about picked-up pilots, and try to figure out what the networks will renew and cancel. Two of the biggest question marks of this past season were The CW’s “Hart of Dixie” and “Nikita,” but they were both spared the sharp end of the axe and are returning this month to the air. Why? What did the networks and fans see in them? Check out the first season of “Hart of Dixie” on DVD and the second season of “Nikita,” available on Blu-ray and DVD, to find out.

CHICAGO – Friday, May 18th, marks the season finale of The CW Network’s “Nikita,” the series focusing on a rogue assassin portrayed by Maggie Q. Co-star Shane West and Producer Craig Silverstein previewed the end of the Season Two at Chicago’s C2E2.

CHICAGO – The CW is an interesting story for a TV critic. If you just look at their numbers, they shouldn’t even be able to pay the electricity bill to transmit a signal. And yet numbers no longer tell the entire tale. The CW attracts loyal viewers through new delivery systems including On Demand, iTunes, and DVD/Blu-ray. Two of their most notable shows, “Nikita” and “The Vampire Diaries,” hit the market last week. Catch up before they return for new seasons.

CHICAGO – “Priest,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD, is one of those films which suffers greatly by comparison to the works that clearly inspired it. On the level of character and storytelling, this thing is a derivative mess. You’ll never once give a damn about anything that’s happening, especially when the action slows down and the paper-thin dialogue kicks in. On the other hand, the film is surprisingly stylish and has a visual aesthetic that’s greatly enhanced by Blu-ray. It looks great on the surface. Just don’t examine it too closely.

CHICAGO – The cure for the Recovering Catholic may be obtained in the new film “Priest.” Both symbolic and kick-ass, Priest has a parallel universe that includes the ubiquitous vampire, but with the bonus of their opponents being highly trained Catholic priests.

CHICAGO – There are certain programs that are easy for a critic to defend on the strength of their ensemble, the brilliance of their writing, or other easily identifiable elements that make them “work.”

CHICAGO – As someone who has often gone home with a straight-to-DVD action movie that I hadn’t heard of before entering the video store, I know how easy it is to get drawn into something that looks a little bit left-of-center. “Operation: Endgame” is undeniably unusual but that doesn’t mean it’s any good.

CHICAGO – In our latest romance/drama edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 35 admit-two passes up for grabs to the Chicago screening of the new film “New York, I Love You” from an eclectic group of some of today’s most imaginative filmmakers.

CHICAGO – Despite its timid title, “Deception” has all the right ingredients for a decent tale of mystery: a strong premise, sound acting and the famous femme fatale. It even starts with a promising conviction: How does a background player in life deal with initiation into a secret society?