Sarah Paulson

CHICAGO – You may be surprised by the angle taken by HBO’s controversial “Game Change,” a film already being summarily dismissed by conservative pundits who probably haven’t even seen the piece and merely assume that it’s another liberal Hollywood hatchet job. It’s not that at all.

CHICAGO – You’d never know it from the Academy Awards this past weekend but Sean Durkin’s “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD, was one of the best movies of 2011, a better overall film than at least half of this year’s Oscar winners. It features my choice for the best actress performance of 2011 and won the CFCA Award for Most Promising Filmmaker and Most Promising Performer. It’s absolutely a must-see.

CHICAGO – With a striking lead performance and assured direction from a debut filmmaker, “Martha Marcy May Marlene” has been one of the most acclaimed films of 2011 since its debut at Sundance many months ago.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Frank Miller’s “The Spirit” is far-from-perfect. The attempts at goofy humor fall flat, the script is wildly uneven, and Gabriel Macht is deadly dull in the title role, but there’s way more to like here than I expected after missing it in theaters and hearing all the horrendous buzz from its initial release. It may not be great, but “The Spirit” could surprise you too. It’s a mess, but it’s kind of a beautiful mess, especially in HD.

Television Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – I am completely unashamed to admit to being a hopeless romantic and someone easily manipulated by cheesy, sudsy, heartfelt tales of love. I say this because even this loyal fan of movie musicals was pushed over the edge by the goofy romantic dramedy “Cupid,” the new tale of love in the big city debuting on ABC on Tuesday, March 31st.

CHICAGO – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have an extra-unique 20 VIP grand-prize packs up for grabs for Frank Miller’s “The Spirit”.

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Samuel L. Jackson as The Octopus in The Spirit.

CHICAGO – This 18-image slideshow contains official press images for “The Spirit,” which stars Gabriel Macht, Eva Mendea, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johannson, Sarah Paulson, Jamie King, Pax Vega, Stana Katic, and Louis Lombardi from director-writer Frank Miller. The film opens on Dec. 25, 2008.