300 HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 20 VIP Grand-Prize Packs For ‘The Spirit’ With Scarlett Johansson

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:20:03 -0700

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”.

Frank Miller is the “300” graphic novel writer and director of “Sin City,” “Sin City 2” in 2010 and “Sin City 3” in 2011. “The Spirit” stars Gabriel Macht, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes and Jaime King. Each VIP grand-prize pack includes the following items:

1) “The Spirit” T-shirt
2) “The Spirit” trading cards
3) “The Spirit” miniature poster
4) “The Spirit” tattoos
5) “The Spirit” stickers
6) Other “The Spirit” surprise items!

To win your free “The Spirit” VIP grand-prize pack courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is be one of the first 20 people to submit a nomination in this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup. That’s it! Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

“The Spirit” from director Frank Miller stars Gabriel Macht, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Mendes.
Image credit: Lionsgate

Here is “The Spirit” plot description:

Adapted from Will Eisner’s comic-book series, “The Spirit” is a classic action-adventure-romance genre twister written for the screen and directed by Frank Miller.

It is the story of a former rookie cop who returns mysteriously from the dead as the Spirit (Gabriel Macht) to fight crime from the shadows of Central City. His arch enemy, the Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson), has a different mission: to wipe out Spirit’s beloved city as he pursues his own version of immortality.

The Spirit tracks this cold-hearted killer from Central City’s rundown warehouses to the damp catacombs to the windswept waterfront all the while facing a bevy of beautiful women who either want to seduce, love or kill the masked crusader.

Surrounding him at every turn are Ellen Dolan (Sarah Paulson), the whip-smart girl next door; Silken Floss (Scarlett Johansson), a punk secretary and frigid vixen; Plaster of Paris (Paz Vega), a murderous French nightclub dancer; Lorelei (Jaime King), a phantom siren; and Morgenstern (Stana Katic), a sexy young cop.

Then there’s Sand Saref (Eva Mendes): the jewel thief with dangerous curves.

She’s the love of his life turned bad. Will he save her or will she kill him? In the vein of “Batman Begins” and “Sin City,” “The Spirit” takes us on a sinister, gut-wrenching ride with a hero who is born, murdered and born again.

To secure your free “The Spirit” VIP grand-prize pack, you must be logged into your HollywoodChicago.com account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having an account with a valid e-mail address is required to win this Hookup.

Next, simply nominate the one person or thing that best embodies the spirit of Chicago or your city. You must submit your nomination using this confidential Web-based submission form. Please do not comment in this Hookup and only submit your nomination there.

You must include your e-mail address and physical mailing address in your submission. Your personal information will be kept strictly confidential and is for us to mail winning prize packs only. Your personal information will not be sold or shared elsewhere.

Submit your “The Spirit” nomination now!

Like all Hookups here, this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film is simple: The first 20 people to submit a nomination win! The 20 VIP grand-prize packs will be mailed to the winners at our expense.

The official Web site for “The Spirit” is at http://www.mycityscreams.com. “The Spirit” is also tied to a service that’s offering you the ability to recycle your cell phone for free using a postage-paid mailing label. “The Spirit” opens in theaters everywhere on Dec. 25, 2008.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Slideshow: Nine-Image Gallery of New ‘Watchmen’ Banners, Posters From ‘300’ Director Zack Snyder

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:28:30 -0700

CHICAGO – Warner Bros. recently released new posters and banner artwork for the highly anticipated 2009 film “Watchmen” from “300” director Zack Snyder. We present to you a nine-image slideshow of the new, high-quality “Watchmen” images for your viewing pleasure.

“Watchmen,” which is slated to open on March 6, 2009, stars Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Carla Gugino, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Malin Akerman.

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All image credits for this “Watchmen” slideshow belong to Warner Bros.

watchmen1: Silk Spectre
watchmen2: Manhattan
watchmen3: Nite Owl
watchmen4: Rorschach
watchmen5: Ozymandias
watchmen6: Comedian
watchmen7: A “Watchmen” poster
watchmen8: A “Watchmen” poster
watchmen9: The “Watchmen” button

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Despite Jet Li’s Would-Be Resurrection, ‘The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor’ Still Flops

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:23:17 -0600

CHICAGO – The threequel that culminates with “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” is so hackneyed that even the main star of the previous two films – Brendan Fraser – wasn’t enough to sell audiences on a third return. Universal Studios needed to enlist co-star Jet Li to stand a fighting chance and take the mood the Asian way.

Rating: 2.0/5.0

If there’s a single success this may have, “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” may finally be the only film that can vanquish the epic, two-week reign of “The Dark Knight” at the box office. Projections target approximately $50 million for its opening weekend.

Read Adam Fendelman’s full review of “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”.

View our full, high-resolution “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” image gallery.

Brendan Fraser’s Hollywood dossier is currently most memorable for these three films, which progress from mediocre all the way to 2008’s tragedy.

Likewise, Fraser in the Indiana Jones-like role (but not nearly as well-scripted as Harrison Ford’s character) is a surefire recipe for mediocrity.

It’s no mystery why the evolution from “The Mummy” in 1999 ($43.4 million opening; $155.4 million total) and then “The Mummy Returns” ($68 million opening; $202 million total) only two years later in 2001 took seven years to yield “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”.

The filmmakers, studio and production companies clearly spent seven years flailing about a single question: Do we really want to make a third or should we just let this one go at two?

In the decision to green-light the threequel, Jet Li’s star power and villainous character clearly was the film’s attempt for rejuvenation.

“The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” which stars Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Maria Bello and Michelle Yeoh, opened everywhere on Aug. 1, 2008.

Continuing reading for Adam Fendelman’s full “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” review.

Jet Li as the vicious emperor comes back to life in “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” which races from the catacombs of ancient China high into the spectacular Himalayas.
Photo credit: Digital Domain, copyright Universal Studios

Explorers Rick (Brendan Fraser) and Evelyn O’Connell (Maria Bello) in “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” which races from the catacombs of ancient China high into the spectacular Himalayas.
Photo credit: Digital Domain, copyright Universal Studios

Continuing reading for Adam Fendelman’s full “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” review.