Julie Benz

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 25 Passes to Sequel ‘The Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day’ in Chicago

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:14:53 -0700

CHICAGO – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 25 admit-two run-of-engagement Chicago passes up for grabs to “The Boondock Saints” cult-classic sequel “The Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day”!

From writer and director Troy Duffy, “The Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day” stars Sean Patrick Flanery, Billy Connolly, Julie Benz, Clifton Collins Jr., Peter Fonda, Norman Reedus, Paul Johansson, Judd Nelson and David Della Rocco.

To win your free pass to “The Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day” in Chicago courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is answer our question in this Web-based submission form. That’s it! “The Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day” opens in Chicago on Nov. 13, 2009. Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

“The Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day” stars Sean Patrick Flanery.
Image credit: Stage 6 Films

Here is the plot description for “The Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day”:

“The Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day” is the much-anticipated sequel to the indie cult classic “The Boondock Saints”. The film is the continuation of writer/director Troy Duffy’s tough, stylized and cutting-edge saga of the MacManus brothers (Norman Reedus, Sean Patrick Flanery).

The two have been in deep hiding with their father, Il Duce (Billy Connolly), in the quiet valleys of Ireland. They’ve been far removed from their former vigilante lives. When word comes that a beloved priest has been killed by sinister forces from deep within the mob, the brothers return to Boston to mount a violent and bloody crusade to bring justice to those responsible.

With a new partner in crime (Clifton Collins Jr., “Star Trek”) and a sexy FBI operative (Julie Benz, TV’s “Dexter”) hot on their trail, the saints are back!

The movie trailer for “The Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day” can be viewed now below.

To secure your free “The Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day” pass, you must be logged into your HollywoodChicago.com Web site account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having a free Web site account with a valid e-mail address is required to win this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup.

Next, simply answer our question below. You must submit your answer using this confidential, Web-based submission form. Please do not comment in this Hookup. Your entry will be invalid if you only comment here and don’t submit into our Web-based form. Please only submit your answer using this submission form.

You must include your first and last name, e-mail address and physical mailing address in your submission. Your personal information will not be sold or shared, will be kept strictly confidential and is only for awarding winning entries. Please answer our question below.

What do you love or dislike about indie cult classics?

This HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film is simple: 25 HollywoodChicago.com readers will be randomly selected as the winners of our “The Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day” Hookup! The winners will be mailed the movie passes at our expense. These passes can be used in Chicago on the date of your choice during the film’s run. Good luck!

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

TV Review: Showtime’s ‘Dexter’ Opens Fourth Season With Amazing Episode

BrianTT — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:25:52 -0600

CHICAGO – Everyone’s favorite serial killer and family man, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) is back in tonight’s excellent fourth season premiere of the award-winning “Dexter”. Last season was good-not-great when compared to the first two installments but the opening arc of the fourth season hints at a creatively reinvigorated program that’s clicking on all levels. “Dexter” looks like one of the best shows of the fall.

Television Rating: 4.5/5.0

“I kill people - not exactly the perfect husband.” “Dexter” has always been about how a man with a monstrously dark and deadly habit conforms to normal society and deals with domesticity. In the opening episode of season four, Dexter is constantly being pulled in opposite directions by his life as a new father. Blood pools have been replaced by car pools and swimming pools.

Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan (Season 4, episode 2)
Photo credit: Randy Tepper/Showtime

And exhaustion. As any new father will tell you, sleep becomes an uncommon commodity and Dexter was a busy man before he became a daddy. It takes effort to be that good a serial killer. And an exhausted serial killer is not a good thing. Dexter has always been the one-man army that stops evil people from falling through the cracks due to poor police work. The premiere plays with the clever idea of making the crack-falling due to Dexter’s error. And it’s far from the worst exhaustion-based mistake that Mr. Morgan makes in episode one.

Julie Benz as Rita Morgan and Michael C. Hall as Dexter (Season 4)
Photo credit: Jim Fiscus/Showtime

Of course, no season of “Dexter” is complete without a guest star and this one has two. The great Keith Carradine returns as Detective Lundy and might rekindle what he had with Deborah Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter). Lundy is tracking The Trinity Killer (guest star #2 John Lithgow), a sick individual who may be the most successful serial killer of all time, having evaded capture or identification for thirty years. Lithgow has limited screen time in the first two episodes but will almost certainly make a riveting guest star this season.

No, the first two episodes of “Dexter” belong to Michael C. Hall, one of the best actors on television who continues to add depth and believability to one of the best characters of the ’00s. Hall is very good, as usual, but he’s reinvigorated by some of the best writing in the history of the show.

What’s so great about the premiere is the return to a hilarious blend of jarring tones that was a bit lost in season three. “Dexter” can be a very funny, very dark show. When Dexter sings “America the Beautiful” to his newborn son to get him to sleep while he looks at crime scene photos of the guy he’s going to kill that night, you’re supposed to laugh. This is jet black comedy that has always been part of the foundation of “Dexter” but seems to return to the forefront more at the start of season four.

It’s not all laughs. The premiere of “Dexter” features two brutal murders and the show continues to push the boundaries of how comfortable you’re supposed to feel watching a mass murderer with a happy family. Are we supposed to root for Dexter to get his sh*t together or does he deserve to have it all fall apart?

The premiere of this season of “Dexter” also features roughly a dozen plot threads starting to spin. Lundy returns, the Trinity Killer debuts, Dexter tries to be a father and a killer, and even Laguerta, Angel, and Quinn have subplots. This is dense, confident writing that stands with the best on television. Deb’s relationship with Anton and her search for her dad’s mysterious C.I. lover return from season three and even those recurring threads feel more confidently written. Everything from the writing to the acting to the pacing to the mystery feels more confident.

Once again, I’m not saying that the third season of “Dexter” was “bad,” it just didn’t live up to the stellar first two and I was naturally concerned that the show probably never would again. After watching the first two episodes of season four, I’m very happy to report that the concern is gone, replaced by that same adoration for the show from the first two years. There’s a chance this could be the best season of “Dexter” to date.

‘Dexter,’ which airs on Showtime, stars Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, Lauren Velez, David Zayas, C.S. Lee, James Remar, Desmond Harrington, Keith Carradine, and John Lithgow. The season four premiere airs on Sunday, September 27th, 2009 at 9PM CST.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Video: Trailer For ‘The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day’

BrianTT — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:35:52 -0600

CHICAGO – Sony sent over the brand-new preview for “The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day,” the highly anticipated sequel that opens on October 30th, 2009. The sequel to the massive cult hit was one of the biggest properties at Comic-Con this year and the preview is pretty cool. Stay tuned to HollywoodChicago.com for more coverage.

Synopsis: “THE BOONDOCK SAINTS II: ALL SAINTS DAY is the continuation of writer/director Troy Duffy’s tough, stylized cutting edge saga of the MacManus brothers played by Norman Reedus (American Gangster, Pandorum) and Sean Patrick Flanery (Powder, Suicide Kings). While in hiding with their father, Il Duce (Billy Connolly), the brothers learn that a beloved priest has been killed by sinister forces from deep within the mob and return to Boston to mount a violent and bloody crusade to bring justice to those responsible. Rounding out the cast is a new partner in crime (Clifton Collins Jr., Star Trek, Extract) and a sexy FBI operative (Julie Benz, TV ’ s “Dexter”, Rambo).”

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: Third Season of ‘Dexter’ With Michael C. Hall, Jimmy Smits

BrianTT — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:20:22 -0600

CHICAGO – The buzz around “Dexter” seems to grow louder with each passing season. With the fourth chapter of this dark, demented, delightful drama about to debut on Showtime, catch up with the third season, now available on Blu-Ray and DVD, starring Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, Jimmy Smits, Julie Benz, David Zayas, and Lauren Velez.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

Being a hardcore fan of “Dexter” since the series premiere and someone who has already written extensively about how amazing I think Michael C. Hall is on the program, I can feel comfortable being a little tough on season three only in that I don’t believe this dozen episodes stands next to the first two seasons in terms of quality. The first two seasons of “Dexter” are so good that a let-down was inevitable.

Dexter: Season Three was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on August 18th, 2009.
Photo credit: Showtime/Paramount

The entire series arc of “Dexter” has been about the title character moving closer and closer to “normal”. Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) is still pretty far from normal. He’s a serial killer with a moral code, someone who murders the people who fall through the cracks of the legal system. The first season saw him come to terms with the questions of his past and the second with the addiction that keeps him from his own version of happiness.

The third season of “Dexter” is about friendship and secrets. Dexter meets Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits), a District Attorney who is known for cutting a few corners in the courtroom, and the two form an unusual friendship. The best scenes of season three beautifully balance the fiery passion of Smits with the cool, calm demeanor of Hall. They’re a remarkable pair.

Dexter: Season Three was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on August 18th, 2009.
Photo credit: Showtime/Paramount

While Miguel and Dexter form a crimefighting, dynamic duo, Deborah (Jennifer Carpenter) deals with falling for her C.I., Angel (David Zayas) falls in love with a cop, La Guerta (Lauren Velez) unravels the truth about her old friend, and Rita (Julie Benz) comes to terms with being a mother and a wife again.

“Dexter” is still one of the best shows on television but there’s a tension missing from season three for at least the first half of the twelve episodes. Dexter needs an adversary at all times. Season one delivered The Ice Truck Killer and season two featured Dexter against the world as his crimes came back to haunt him. Season three eventually delivers the action, but there’s a driving tension to the first two seasons missing from this one. Even the supporting character arcs aren’t quite as rich as the first two seasons.

Having said that, if you enjoyed seasons one and two, you have to take a look at season three. Hall has arguably never been better (and was nominated for an Emmy yet again, along with the show’s nomination for Best Drama). He is consistently mesmerizing, making one of the most interesting anti-heroes in TV history fully three-dimensional. As much as I love Gabriel Byrne and Jon Hamm, I’ll smile if Hall walks home with his first Emmy next month. After what he brought to “Six Feet Under” and how he’s topping it with “Dexter,” Hall should have at least one by now.

The Blu-Ray release of the third season of “Dexter” is nearly perfect from a technical standpoint but disappointing when it comes to special features. Showtime/Paramount has taken to using Blu-Ray and DVD special features on their series mostly to advertise for other properties. So, on “Dexter,” you’ll find the first two episodes of “United States of Tara” and the first two episodes of the third season of “The Tudors,” but no commentaries, deleted scenes, or detailed looks at the show itself. Other BD-Live features include book excerpts and interviews with some of the cast, but it feels like a scant collection for such a beloved show.

Luckily, the show itself looks remarkable. This is one of the best video transfers for TV on Blu-Ray to date, presented in crystal clear 1080p High Definition and accompanied by an English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track.

Nominated for major Emmys, including Best Drama and Best Actor, for the second straight year, the cult of “Dexter” continues to grow. Jump on the bandwagon before the fourth season starts.

‘Dexter: Season Three’ is released by Showtime/Paramount and stars Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, C.S. Lee, Lauren Velez, David Zayas, James Remar, and Jimmy Smits. It was created by James Manos, Jr.. The Blu-Ray and DVD were released on August 18th, 2009. It is not rated.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Dexter: The Second Season’ is Killer in HD

BrianTT — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:01:10 -0600

CHICAGO – When “Dexter: The Second Season” was originally released on standard DVD, I lamented the fact that it wasn’t released on HD Blu-Ray and barely had any special features. I hoped that CBS/Paramount would come around to the Blu-Ray craze by season three and they’ve done just that by catching up with the first two seasons of “Dexter,” now in HD.

Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0

I have bad news for those of you with standard-definition versions of the excellent second season of “Dexter” - this is a pretty mandatory upgrade. If you thought the sophomore slump-defying season of this Showtime series was worth buying, the new video/audio and new special features are worth the trade-up.

This season of “Dexter” was nominated for several major Emmys including Best Dramatic Series, Best Actor, and more. And it arguably deserved more. Jennifer Carpenter and Keith Carradine certainly deserved consideration for supporting nominations in a season that arguably surpassed the first.

Dexter: The Second Season was released on Blu-Ray on May 5th, 2009.
Photo credit: Paramount/Showtime

If you’re completely unfamiliar, start with the first season and if you worried about how that season could be topped, just trust me and dive into season two. The second season of “Dexter” asks even more daring questions than the first, as Dexter’s serial killer past becomes the focus of the show and the creators paint a riveting portrait of a monster dealing with domesticity.

The DVD for season two of “Dexter” disappointingly included no special features and a purely average technical treatment. It was enough to send Mr. Morgan out himself for some vengeance. Apparently, CBS/Paramount heard the complaints because they correct the era with a very solid Blu-Ray release.

The video and audio on “Dexter” are notable enough with 1080p video and English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD tracks that probably match the way most people watched the show on Showtime. That’s the problem with non-HD TV sets. Most of us are watching the programs in HD the first time. And now we have to watch them in standard on DVD? It doesn’t make sense. The Showtime picture for “Dexter” in its original broadcast is one of the best and now the home release finally matches.

Even more remarkably, CBS/Paramount took the chance to add special features to a season that had none the first time around. There is still no commentary track, which is disappoint, but now there’s a featurette called “Blood Fountains,” podcasts about the show and the “Dark Defender Series”. Fans can also catch up with the first two episodes of “United States of Tara”.

Season three of “Dexter” will probably be released on Blu-Ray this fall and the show will return to Showtime. With the two Blu-Ray releases of the first two seasons (the first dropped in January), 2009 really is the year of “Dexter”. Just submit. Don’t make him come after you.

‘Dexter: The Second Season’ is released by Paramount Home Video and stars Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, Erik King, Lauren Velez, David Zayas, James Remar, and David Carradine. It was developed by James Manos, Jr. based on the novel by Jeff Lindsay. The Blu-Ray was released on May 5th, 2009. It is not rated.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: Marvel Character Strikes Out Swinging With ‘Punisher: War Zone’

BrianTT — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:22:49 -0600

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – It’s officially a strikeout for Marvel’s The Punisher, a character now featured in not one, not two, but three bad movies of his very own. Dolph Lundgren swung wildly and missed with his “The Punisher” and Thomas Jane nearly connected but went foul with his reboot of the franchise. Now, Ray Stevenson is the latest actor to fail to connect with this legendary character in “Punisher: War Zone,” now available on Blu-Ray.

There’s at least one thing that director Lexi Alexander and writers Nick Santora and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway get right with “War Zone” - they’re not kidding around. Gone is the attempt at a PG-13 like the Thomas Jane & John Travolta version and the hero is finally the dark, relentless killer that he should be.

Punisher: War Zone was released on Blu-Ray on March 17th, 2009.
Photo credit: Lionsgate Home Video

The problem with “War Zone” is that gore does not equal dark. Yes, there’s extreme violence in “War Zone,” but it’s never allowed to be effective because Alexander and his cast play the whole thing as broad as can be. Dominic West (“The Wire”) as the villain Jigsaw should be terrifying, but he comes off cartoonish, like a twisted, deformed version of Paulie Walnuts from “The Sopranos”.

Punisher: War Zone was released on Blu-Ray on March 17th, 2009.
Photo credit: Lionsgate Home Video

Ray Stevenson of “Rome” (it’s sad to watch two great actors from HBO in Stevenson and West reduced to paper-thin parts like these) plays ex-Special Forces officer Frank Castle, still seeking revenge for the murder of his wife and child. The Punisher is the target of both the mob he’s been decimating in vigilante crimes and the police forces trying to bring him down. After an undercover agent is killed in a Castle shoot-out and Jigsaw is born, The Punisher’s problems multiply.

Stevenson brings a chiseled, nearly-silent strength to the title role that I would actually just barely choose as the best of the three if I had to compare Ray, Thomas, and Dolph. And the action is appropriately R-rated. But the script for “War Zone” is horrendous and I could never shake the feeling that I was watching a relic, a film closer to the mindless action more prevalent in the ’80s.

Ultimately, “Punisher: War Zone” suffers from too many tone shifts, not enough interesting characters, and some of the worst dialogue in the history of Marvel movies. Hardcore action junkies may be satisfied but this is merely proof that this character doesn’t work on the big screen like he does on the page.

The 2-Disc Special Edition of “Punisher: War Zone” is an impressive release from Lionsgate, a company that always knows how to treat their action fans well. First and foremost, movies like “War Zone” depend on a great audio track. If the film works for you, it could only possibly work LOUD and the English 7.1 DTS HD Master Audio will rock your “Punisher”-loving world. The video isn’t particularly notable but also doesn’t register as flat.

Special features include a digital copy of the film, a commentary by Alexander and director of photography Steve Gainer, and the following featurettes - “Training to Become the Punisher,” “The Making of Punisher: War Zone,” “Creating the Look of Punisher: War Zone,” “Meet Jigsaw,” and “Weapons of the Punisher”. It’s a more-than-adequate collection for the film.

‘Punisher: War Zone’ is released by Lionsgate Home Video and stars Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Julie Benz, Colin Salmon, Doug Hutchison, Dash Mihok, and Wayne Knight. It was written by Nick Santora and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway and directed by Lexi Alexander. It was released on March 17th, 2009. It is rated R.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Saw V’ Delivers Exactly What Fans Expect

BrianTT — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:59:47 -0700

Blu-Ray Rating: 2.0/5.0

CHICAGO – The latest entry in the neverending Saw franchise, “Saw V” hit Blu-Ray this week and, well, it’s a little difficult to review. The video and audio are better-than-average, but the features are sub-par at best and, the movie, well, it’s basically exactly what you’d expect it to be. There’s a reason they hold these movies back from critics. Reviews of the actual film barely seem to matter.

After covering each “Saw” release on its theatrical and home market release, what more is there to say? You know by now if you like “Saw” movies or not. If you do, the Blu-Ray release of “Saw V” will satisfy.

If you’re blissfully unaware of the work of Tobin Bell and Darren Lynn Bousman and wondering what this “Saw” thing is all about, watch the underrated first movie but leave the sequels to the fans. None of them are any good and they grow increasingly useless in the overall horror scene with every installment.

Saw V is released by Lionsgate Home Video on January 20th, 2009.
Photo credit: Lionsgate

Luckily, fans do seem to be slightly recognizing the trajectory of the franchise. Since the second “Saw” film, not only has the domestic gross of each entry been a little lower but the IMDB rating for each has also slowly eroded, as has each film’s Rotten Tomatoes score.

Saw V is released by Lionsgate Home Video on January 20th, 2009.
Photo credit: Lionsgate

Like the “Friday the 13th” and “Halloween” franchises before it, horror produced this quickly and this ineptly has an unavoidable law of diminishing returns. It’s clearly only a matter of time before we get to “Saw VIII: Jigsaw Takes Manhattan” and then the franchise can finally come to a conclusion. (At least until the Rob Zombie of 2030 revives the “Saw” movies with a gory, new version.)

As for “Saw V,” I actually didn’t hate it as much as the last two entries. Maybe I’m numb to the routine by now. At least the traps are mildly inventive once again, something they haven’t been in a while. The opening, an homage to both “The Pit and the Pendulum” and the original film, as a murderer who escaped on a technicality faces being cut in half unless he crushes his own hands, is the perfect twisted puzzle for the franchise. And a self-tracheotomy that shortly follows is a little nifty.

“Saw V” tries to tie together the entire franchise and follow two plotlines at the same time. At the end of “Saw IV,” Agent Peter Strahm (Scott Patterson) shot Jeff Reinhart (Angus Macfadyen) and found himself in a room with the body of the Jigsaw killer (Tobin Bell) and a tape. Strahm barely survives what comes next and begins to suspect that perhaps Jigsaw didn’t act alone. He realizes that the only person who made it out from the night that almost killed him was Lieutenant Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) and becomes suspicious. Meanwhile, Hoffman has to tie up loose ends.

At the same time, five strangers (including Meagan Good and Julie Benz) wake up in a sewer trapped in a situation like the poor souls from “Saw II,” trying to figure out why they’re there while being presented with a series of deadly traps that they will be forced to solve together, whether they like it or not.

There are things to like about “Saw V” - the way it tries to link all of the films and a more intriguing series of traps - but it still reeks of a quickie attempt to cash in on a franchise before it loses steam completely. And the performances are of the caliber you would expect for a straight-to-video quickie, which is especially sad considering the great work Patterson and Benz have done on television. No one is memorable here.

Saw V is released by Lionsgate Home Video on January 20th, 2009.
Photo credit: Lionsgate

Ultimately, “Saw V” is a little better than this critic who has hated the last three films expected, but that bar could not possibly have been any lower. However, I recognize that I’m not the audience for this film and believe that people who enjoyed the first four will almost certainly be satisfied.

“Saw V” is presented in 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The video is excellent with a very rich color palette and crystal clear picture, even in the darker scenes. With just the right amount of grain and a great level of detail, “Saw V” completely satisfies visually. The audio, presented in a DTS-HD MA 7.1 mix, is a perfect fit. It’s the best technical presentation for a “Saw” film to date.

The special features, however, are a little bland and clearly incomplete. There are two commentaries, one with Director David Hackl and First Assistant Director Steve Webb and one with Producer Oren Koules and Mark Burg and Executive Producers Peter Block and Jason Constantine. Both are for hardcore fans only.

Two commentaries is nice, but no deleted scenes and lackluster featurettes sink “Saw V” on Blu-Ray. By now, fans expect featurettes on Blu-Ray releases to be in HD as well and the standard definition, five-minute ones are shockingly lackluster. Three of the major traps in the film - “The Pendulum,” “The Cube,” and “The Coffin” - have their design and execution examined. It would have been more interesting to see them all in one behind-the-scenes featurette in HD.

Finally, “The Fatal Five” is a 12-minute look at the strangers in the sewer and “Slicing the Cube: Editing the Cube Trap” is pretty self-explanatory.

After the film’s initial release, director David Hackl made a few comments about 14 minutes worth of deleted scenes and alternate takes that he would reincorporate into a director’s cut. The “Unrated Director’s Cut” in this version runs four minutes longer than the theatrical, but it feels like that’s primarily just more gore shots and not what Hackl was talking about. Clearly, something is being held back for a future release, probably when “Saw VI” hits theaters later this year.

What’s funny is that even the boring special features should be routine to “Saw” fans by now. The idea that this release of “Saw V” is just holding fans over until a more elaborate edition is released with the next film in the franchise is something Jigsaw junkies are used to. Lionsgate has been doing it for years. Everything about “Saw V” on Blu-Ray, from the movie to the special features, should be exactly what fans expect.

‘Saw V’ is released by Lionsgate Home Video and stars Scott Patterson, Costas Mandylor, Tobin Bell, Meagan Good, and Julie Benz. It was written by Patrick Melton & Marcus Dunstan and directed by David Hackl. It was released on January 20th, 2009.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Slideshow: 18-Image Gallery For ‘Punisher: War Zone’ With Ray Stevenson

BrianTT — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:21:43 -0700

CHICAGO – This 18-image slideshow contains official press images for “Punisher: War Zone,” which stars Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Doug Hutchinson, and Julie Benz from director Lexi Alexander. The film opens on Dec. 5, 2008.

“Punisher: War Zone” features the return of vigilante-hero Frank Castle, who aims his vengeance on mob moss Billy Russoti. The mobster is left horribly disfigured by Castle and turns into a deadly nemesis named ‘Jigsaw’. The Punisher’s enemy recruits an army to take down the hero and only one man can win the war. The film opens on Friday, December 5th, 2008.

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below.

punisher2_1: Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Lionsgate
punisher2_2: Ray Stevenson stars as Frank Castle — a/k/a The Punisher — in Punisher: War Zone, directed by Lexi Alexander. Photo credit: Lionsgate
punisher2_3: Billy “The Beaut” Russoti (Dominic West, second from right) and his crew in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_4: Det. Martin Soap (Dash Mihok), Paul Budiansky (Colin Salmon) and The Punisher Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_5: Angela (Julie Benz) and Grace (Stephanie Janusauskas) in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Takashi Seida
punisher2_6: Wayne Knight as Micro in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_7: The Punisher Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Takashi Seida
punisher2_8: Jigsaw (Dominic West, right) outside the Bradstreet Hotel in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_9: Loony Bin Jim (Doug Hutchison) in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Takashi Seida
punisher2_10: Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Takashi Seida
punisher2_11: Jigsaw (Dominic West) and his brother Loony Bin Jim (Doug Hutchison) in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_12: Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) is The Punisher in Punisher: War Zone, directed by Lexi Alexander. Photo credit: Takashi Seida
punisher2_13: Billy Russoti/Jigsaw (Dominic West, seated, left) in a scene from Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_14: The Punisher Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson, standing, right) and Paul Budiansky (Colin Salmon, left) in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_15: Loony Bin Jim (Doug Hutchison) and Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_16: Dominic West as Jigsaw in Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_17: Director Lexi Alexander and star Ray Stevenson on set during production of Punisher: War Zone. Photo credit: Jonathan Wenk
punisher2_poster: Theatrical Key Art.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Stallone Sports Aggrandized Violence, Weak Storyline in ‘Rambo’ Revival

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 10:32:28 -0700

CHICAGO – The best quality about the fourth “Rambo” is its “Rambo” authenticity. The worst quality about the fourth “Rambo” is its “Rambo” authenticity.

Unlike the previous three, which released every three years in the 1980s (“First Blood” in 1982, “Rambo: First Blood Part II” in 1985 and “Rambo III” in 1988), “Rambo” exactly two decades later featured some commonalties and also broke some new ground.

Sylvester Stallone – who’s now 61 years old, and though he shows it, still looks the buff part – of course starred in all of them as John Rambo. In addition to starring in the films in 1982, 1985 and 1988, Stallone was also a scribe. The films were all directed by other talents (Ted Kotcheff, George Cosmatos, Peter MacDonald, respectively).

Click here to read Adam Fendelman’s full review
of “Rambo” in our reviews section!

Click here for our full “Rambo” image gallery!

‘The Punisher: War Zone’ Director Lexi Alexander Posts Detail-Packed Filming Update

HollywoodChicago.com — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 18:07:03 -0700

“The Punisher: War Zone” director Lexi Alexander has just posted an update about the film, which is slated to open on Sept. 12, 2008, on her official site. Though you can tell she’s a director rather than a writer, she does shed some interesting details. It’s below in full.

From left to right: Lexi Alexander, Terence Jay,
Deborah Del Prete and Linda McDonough.
Photo credit: Lexi Alexander

All right, people. It’s done – well, except one exterior scene we couldn’t shoot because of the snowstorm, which we will have to shoot in the near future.

I’m sorry I haven’t been blogging, but trust me when I tell you every spare minute I had outside work was used to catch as much sleep as possible.

[We had] 40 nights of shooting in the freezing cold. I’m surprised my cast and crew showed up every single night. I was lucky. Everybody was great and really involved in the film.

There were a few surreal incidents that happened during the shoot. One was that for the first week of shooting every time Ray Stevenson stepped in front of the camera it started raining.

It gave us all goosebumps because Ray portrayed Frank Castle with all his pain and history so well that the rain was perfect for the dark mood and feeling of those scenes.

I’m sure everybody will think I used rain machines, but [I] cross my heart and hope to die there were no rain machines.

The other even more bizarre incident was during a scene we call the “alley fight”. The location looked beautiful and pretty much everybody was mesmerized by the colors and lights we had chosen for it.

It wasn’t until the next day when we watched dailies in my trailer that we realized there was a huge, lit-up skull – identical to the Punisher skull – glowing through the front door of a building in the background.

I immediately complimented my DP and the key gaffer on the great idea, but they were as stunned as I was. Nobody had planned that. It just appeared.

That’s pretty much how the whole movie went for us, and other than the two major snowstorms we had to endure, the movie gods were clearly on our side. The cast was fantastic and they all exceeded my expectations.

Ray was so intense and he really, really became the Punisher. Dominic [West] made Jigsaw so much more than he was on the page. I finally got to work with Doug Hutchinson and boy oh boy does he have some acting chops!

Colin Salmon and Dash Mihok were brilliant in their respective roles as agent Paul Budiansky and detective Martin Soap.

They also received a huge standing ovation from the crew when they wrapped because of their constant professionalism and kindness to every member of the crew. Julie Benz as Angela Donattelli was amazing and she is one of the sweetest people I have ever met.

There are two actors I cast once I was on location (Marc Camacho as Pittsy and Keram Malicki-Sánchez as Pittsy’s son) whom I haven’t introduced. I’m so glad they were available because they are both very, very special. I hope I get to work with them again.

In the new year, I will get back into it with refueled energy and enthusiasm. No time to waste with a [Sept. 12, 2008] release date. Stay tuned. I’m sure more stories about the shoot will pop back into my head that I’d like to share with you all.

Thank you for your support and Happy New Year!

~ Lexi