The Fighter

CHICAGO – In much the same way that current movie goers are surprised to learn that a film as beloved as “The Shawshank Redemption” only made $28 million on its initial run in theaters or that a drama that everyone can quote like “Fight Club” only made $37 million, the box office gross for Gavin O’Connor’s incredible “Warrior” will shock future generations. It pulled in a measly $14 million domestically (and only about $9 more worldwide), meaning that most of you haven’t seen it. You must. You will eventually. And you’ll be stunned that Lionsgate couldn’t get it to more people. This is a great film, one of my choices for the best of 2011, and it was recently released on Blu-ray and DVD.

CHICAGO – Gavin O’Connor’s “Warrior” is such a powerful, unusual film that we’re doing something we don’t typically do at HollywoodChicago.com – giving you an early warning that an incredible piece of filmmaking hits theaters in a few weeks on September 9th, 2011.

CHICAGO – One of the strongest ensembles of 2010 worked together to create the crowd-pleasing “The Fighter,” a film with multiple Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, that walked home with two major trophies for Best Supporting Actor (Christian Bale) and Best Supporting Actress (Melissa Leo). Sometimes it’s hard to tell if a film will stand the test of time (the jury is still out on how history will judge “The Social Network” and “The King’s Speech”) but there is little doubt that “The Fighter” will be satisfying audiences for decades. A great Blu-ray release from Paramount doesn’t hurt.

CHICAGO – If you watched the Oscars on Sunday night and ran to your local Redbox or whatever you use to watch Blu-rays and DVDs in 2011, you may have been struck by a bit of a shock — none of the acting winners are currently available on Blu-ray and DVD. Get your calendar. We’ll let you know when to expect the 2011 Oscar winners.

CHICAGO – Film buffs broke out the coffee and energy drinks the morning before the 83rd Academy Awards as AMC Theatre River East Chicago hosted the 2010 Best Picture nominee screenings, part of a nationwide AMC Theatre promotion.

CHICAGO – Have you filled out your Oscar pool ballot yet? Let us guide the way. The film think-tank at HollywoodChicago.com (Matt Fagerholm, Patrick McDonald, and, myself, Brian Tallerico) has convened to break down the major eight categories with their picks for who will win, who should win, and who should have been nominated.

CHICAGO – “The King’s Speech,” “The Fighter,” and “Black Swan” were the big film winners at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, while “Boardwalk Empire,” “Modern Family,” “30 Rock,” “The Good Wife,” and “Hot in Cleveland” won awards on the TV side of the presentation. Ernest Borgnine won the Lifetime Achievement Award.

CHICAGO – The nominees for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards were announced this morning, Jan. 25, 2011 and “Inception,” “The King’s Speech,” “The Social Network,” “True Grit,” “The Fighter,” and “Black Swan” led the way with a majority of the nominations.

CHICAGO – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will finally announce their nominations for the Oscars tomorrow morning, January 25th, 2011. But why wait? Want to know the nominees now?

CHICAGO – Two 2010 films, “The Social Network” and “The Kids Are All Right,” plus TV’s “Glee” and “Boardwalk Empire” were multiple winners at the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards.