CHICAGO – Excelsior! Comic book legend Stan Lee’s famous exclamation puts a fine point on the third and final play of Mark Pracht’s FOUR COLOR TRILOGY, “The House of Ideas,” presented by and staged at City Lit Theater in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. For tickets/details, click HOUSE OF IDEAS.
Movie Review
Interview: Directors David Siegel, Scott McGehee of ‘What Maisie Knew’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 27, 2013 - 8:39amCHICAGO – The story of “What Maisie Knew” may be unusual, but the reflection of the subject matter fits perfectly within the patterns of contemporary family culture. Directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel create a scenerio in which a custody battle for a little girl named Maisie becomes more about the parent’s egos than her care.
Film Review: Greta Gerwig Lights Up the Life of ‘Frances Ha’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 24, 2013 - 9:48pmCHICAGO – Greta Gerwig is a gift to the type of film acting that dominates the screen. This beautiful, versatile actor gives poignant energy to her latest title character, “Frances Ha,” a collaboration with indie director Noah Baumbach (“Greenberg”).
Film Review: Lauren Ambrose Shines in Heartbreaking Indie ‘About Sunny’
Submitted by mattmovieman on May 24, 2013 - 9:31amCHICAGO – In the annals of bad parenting portrayed on film, the heroine of Bryan Wizemann’s 2011 indie drama is a special case indeed. Though we watch helplessly as she makes countless bad decisions guaranteed to send her young daughter to intensive therapy, we don’t regard her a sinister figure on the order of Monique’s monstrous matriarch in “Precious.” Our gaze is one of empathy.
Film Review: Sins of Modern Parenting Are ‘What Maisie Knew’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 24, 2013 - 8:50amCHICAGO – When mixing parenting responsibility, the separation of those parents and a legal system that cannot address the farce of human retaliation, the results become “What Maisie Knew.” Julianne Moore portrays a rock star, and the mother to the title character.
Film Review: Gorgeous Visuals Lift Mediocre Script of ‘Epic’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 23, 2013 - 11:05pm“Epic” is the best-looking 3D animated film since “How to Train Your Dragon”. From the very first scenes, it has a mesmerizing visual palette as the natural world comes to life in a way reminiscent of “The Lord of the Rings” and “Avatar.” It’s gorgeous. Sadly, the lurching, generic script doesn’t live up to the look of the film but it’s worth seeing just for the memorable visuals.
Film Review: Formula Takes Another Lap in ‘Fast & Furious 6’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 23, 2013 - 12:57pmCHICAGO – “How did you know the car would be there to break my fall?” Everything you need to know about the current tone of the “Fast & Furious” franchise exists in that line. Not only are these people superhero enough to leap through the air from one vehicle to another but this is a world in which automobiles are designed to BREAK falls. It’s ridiculous, insane escapist entertainment, and while the bloated running time and less-exciting setting makes “Fast & Furious 6” a slight step down from the more well-paced “Fast Five,” it’s still a damn fun ride that’s sure to please the audience out to see a sixth installment of vehicular man-sanity.
Film Review: Worse Than a Real One, ‘The Hangover Part III’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 23, 2013 - 8:03amCHICAGO – With a lazy, over-plotted story, and a cast that are desperately going through the motions, “The Hangover Part III” is the latest example of a contract obligation disguising itself as a movie. Writer/director Todd Phillips sluggishly pounds out another one, with simply no originality.
Film Review: ‘Alyce Kills’ Takes Viewers Down Rabbit Hole to Horror
Submitted by BrianTT on May 21, 2013 - 9:58amCHICAGO – Long-delayed stateside, premiering On Demand, stupidly retitled (it was and still should be just “Alyce”), Jay Lee’s twisted trip down the rabbit hole of sanity, “Alyce Kills,” was not high on my list of anticipated films. Much to my surprise, “Alyce Kills” is a riveting slice of weird, a tale that reminds me of great films like “Repulsion” and “May” more than most of the junk that falls through the genre cracks and ends up in a similar launch pattern.
Film Review: Visual Excess Dims ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 17, 2013 - 5:42pmCHICAGO – The anticipation of experiencing the rebooted crew of the starship Enterprise now may overwhelm any creative team’s ability to deliver to that anticipation. “Star Trek Into Darkness” piles on the space war excess, while lessening the savory humanity and memorable characters.
Film Review: Fashionistas Will Swoon for ‘Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 17, 2013 - 8:31amCHICAGO – Watch out folks, the one percenters are fighting back. After the rabble of the 99 forced their way into Occupy Wall Street territory, the true rulers of America are pushing back in the only way they know how…by shopping. “Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s” is a gloriously vain documentary about a legendary shopping experience in Manhattan. What, The Gap wasn’t available?