General Discussion

Rogert Ebert says Barack Obama isn't only our first black president but is 'the right president'

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:47:24 -0700

Chicago film critic Roger Ebert just wrote about Barack Obama’s election as our 44th president:

As the mighty tide swept the land on Tuesday night, I was transfixed. As the pundits pondered red states and blue states, projections and exit polls, I was swept with emotion. Not because America was “electing its first Black president.” That comes a little late in the day. It was because America was electing the right President.

Our long national nightmare is ending. America will not soon again start a war based on lies and propaganda. We will not torture. We will restore the rights of freedom of speech, freedom of privacy, and habeas corpus. We will enter at last in the struggle against environmental disaster. Our ideas will once again be more powerful than our weapons. During the last eight years, the beacon on the hill flickered out. Now the torch will shine again.

'Jurassic Park' author, 'ER' creator Michael Crichton dies at 66 of cancer

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:18:53 -0700

Sad news today. Michael Crichton has died at 66 of cancer. According to CBS News:

Michael Crichton
Image credit: AP

Best-selling author and filmaker Michael Crichton died unexpectedly in Los Angeles Tuesday, after a courageous and private battle against cancer, according to a statement released by his family. He was 66.

Crichton is best known as the author of “Jurassic Park” and the creator of “ER.” His most recent novel, “Next,” about genetics and law, was published in December 2006.

Crichton won an Emmy, a Peabody, and a Writer’s Guild of America Award for “ER.” In 2002, a newly discovered ankylosaur was named for him: Crichtonsaurus bohlini.

movie review blog sites

chicago-irishman — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:38:45 -0700

I was going through several blogs looking for movie reviews and I found one that seems like it should be more widely read. It is twogaysandamovie.blogspot.com. Read it and let me know what you think.

Donald Trump in Chicago: exclusive HollywoodChicago.com portrait greeting VIPs in Chicago

HollywoodChicago.com — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:46:15 -0700

HollywoodChicago.com recently photographed Donald Trump in Chicago when he was in town to comb over reporters and VIPs for the opening of his new Trump International Hotel & Tower. See the portrait here!

The Chicago Convergence ~ report from the Chicago New Media Summit

PatrickMcD — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:32:58 -0700

HollywoodChicago.com’s Patrick McDonald was there….

CHICAGO, IL: I volunteered yesterday at the Chicago New Media Summit, and it was an excitedly interesting day. If you were there I was the tall dude working the ushering at one of the doors.

The day began for me at about 5:30am. I am definitely not used to getting up at such a time, so kudos to whoever discovered the coffee/caffeine connection.

I arrive at the Museum of Contemporary Art at 6:45a, and found that I could not get in. I luckily found the security post, and they got me a personal escort from one of their employees (thanks, Jamie). We walked through the bowels of the MCA like Spinal Tap looking for the stage, but finally made it to the sign-in arena.

The volunteer coordinator, Erynne, was about as organized and effective as anyone I have ever worked with in such a situation. When she met me, she said she pictured me as a short black man. It was the highest compliment I could receive. It was the running gag throughout the day, but she was highly complimentary to all the volunteers and received appropriate thanks from the stage later in the day.

The highlights for me…

- Definitely meeting the community. My fellow usher, Erik, is a grad student at DePaul, in from his native Seoul, South Korea. We talked the cinema scene in that country, which is like the French New Wave now, providing a new distinct voice and mark.

Both Erik, and another volunteer, Brian, are students on the cutting edge of all this understanding of the media, with gaming, the internet, mobile devices and all the new electronic message deliverers. I give them credit for looking to expand their network capabilities.

- In a surprise, one of my Midwest Independent Film Festival colleagues, Malachi from Left Brain/Right Brain Productions, turned out to be one of the co-founders of the Summit. As I told him, “dude, you are everywhere.”

- The speakers were amazing. I was allowed to sit in on some of the sessions, as they broke down their presentations into digestible 20-30 minute chunks.

John from Bunnygraph Entertainment in Los Angeles spoke of the revolution in mobile television like it was the early days of 1940s home TV. I was impressed with his knowledge of media history in making these comparisons.

Greg from Comcast talked about Interactive TV, targeted consumers in their huge cable database with interactive features that will make the TV more like an email/internet experience, in the sense of being able to deliver specific information

Finally, Bruce from Technology Access Television, a Chicago New Media Summit co-founder, gave a rousing speech about the possibilities of the present talent pool in Chicago, preferring even to brush aside the term “new media.”

He even introduced the new name for it…

The Chicago Convergence

It was an inspiring and beneficial day for the speakers, participants and especially for me. Thanks to the organizers and mainly my crew chief Erynne.

For more information on the The Chicago Convergence, click here.

Hurricane Gustav: New Orleans evacuated, storm to hit on Sept. 1, 2008

HollywoodChicago.com — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 21:28:45 -0700

Though HollywoodChicago.com is a publication for all things entertainment, so are we a community of people.

As many of you may know by now (and especially for those of you who don’t), Hurricane Gustav is projected to hit New Orleans and neighboring areas on Monday, Sept. 1, 2008.

Its mayor just ordered a mandatory, 100 percent evacuation of the city and says people “should be scared” and “should get their butts out of New Orleans”. Read the latest on Gustav on CNN.

I’ve been following Rick Sanchez’s newscast on CNN and he has been Twittering live. This storm is projected to reach Category 4 or even 5 levels and is anticipated to be worse than Hurricane Katrina. It is currently being called the worst storm of the century.

Our best thoughts are with anyone affected by this tragedy.

In redesign test for Chicago Tribune, paper considers burying news, bringing entertainment features to front section

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:52:16 -0700

This just in from Crain’s Chicago Business:

The new face of the Chicago Tribune is taking shape, as staffers at the newspaper put the finishing touches on a prototype set for a test run in the next few weeks.

Crain’s has learned that Tribune Co. will try out some dramatic changes in the 161-year-old broadsheet in a Saturday edition by early August. A version under consideration devotes the paper’s front section to consumer-oriented and entertainment features.

Local, national, international and business news is consolidated in the second section. Weather leads the third section, which also includes comics and classifieds, while the sports section is converted to a tabloid format.

The Old School Rewind

erind — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:01:49 -0700

Get ready to rewind and unwind with visual and audio stimulation while kickin’ it Old School with music from the 80’s and 90’s @ Chicago’s BEST new Thursday night party!

Join in every Thursday night from 9pm-4am at the Underground, 56 W. Illinois

The Underground Chicago Awarded “BEST IN THE U.S.” Nightclub and Bar Magazine

Wizard World Chicago 2008 contest: How many superheroes/villains can you guess?

HollywoodChicago.com — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:48:28 -0700

We just published a 54-image slideshow of superheroes and villains from Wizard World Chicago 2008! How many can you guess?

Batman v. Batman v. Batman

Dustin — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:03:21 -0700