Music Box Theatre

Interview: Blind Man, Teens Literally Scale Mountains in Awe-Inspiring ‘Blindsight’

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:25:20 -0700

CHICAGO – Set in the humbling peaks of the Himalayas, the Robson Entertainment documentary “Blindsight” redefines the true meaning of inspiration. East confronts West in this film that captures the journey of six blind Tibetan teenagers led by blind mountain climber Erik Weihenmayer to a place higher than anyone could ever imagine.

Erik Weihenmayer (left) and Tashi in “Blindsight”.
Photo credit: Robson Entertainment

Filmed among the highest peaks in the world, director Lucy Walker examines the Weihenmayer’s pursuit – the only blind man to have climbed Mount Everest – along with teacher Sabriye Tenberken (the founder of a Tibetan school for the blind) in their pursuit toward solidarity.

RELATED IMAGE GALLERY
View our full, high-resolution “Blindsight” image gallery

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Read more film reviews from critic Allison Pitaccio

Together they lead six blind teenagers toward the 23,000-foot peak of Lhakpa Ri, which is next to Mount Everest. The team faces altitude sickness, endurance, injury, weather and the greatest challenge of their lives.

Backgrounds on each teenager are explored and the cruelty and hardships of being blind in Tibetan society are exposed throughout the film. Dachung, Gyenshen, Kyila, Tashi, Tenzin and Nguyen are the blind teens who accept Weihenmayer’s challenge and allow the filmmaker access into their lives.

While Walker explores each teenager’s personal life, the 19-year-old Tashi becomes the film’s mascot. Homeless when discovered by Tenberken, Tashi’s story of being sold by his family and the scars of physical abuse are major heartstrings plucked throughout the film.

Tenberken’s school for the blind – called Braille Without Borders – has given these children hope. Her amazing courage brings together Weihenmayer’s indestructible passion for achievement.

“Blindsight”.
Photo credit: Robson Entertainment

A team of expert climbers train the teens and guide them toward the peak of Lhakpa Ri in a grueling journey toward equality and solidarity. Walker keeps the fly-on-the-wall mentality and exposes various viewpoints.

Arguments build tension throughout the journey and the fine line between too much protection and letting go is challenged.

At times, there are scenes that are a bit tedious and full of extensive conversation. However, they often work in favor of building suspense among the rising tensions of the climbing party.

Enormous philosophical questions arise regarding camaraderie and togetherness versus how high they can be pushed. Ending with “the real blind summit,” the film closes and can’t help but make the viewer question his or her own journey in life.

“‘Blindsight’ is not a film about blindness. It’s about dreams.

There is life before ‘Blindsight’ and life after, but making this film has changed my life forever.”

~ Producer Sybil Robson

In interviewing producer Sybil Robson from Chicago, she revealed several difficulties that came with the film’s production. Each crew member not only had to carry a minimum of 40 pounds on their backs during the expedition but they also faced five days in a negative 40-degree blizzard where solar-powered batteries had to be kept warm with body heat so they could resume shooting.

Robson also described the obstacles of mandatory shot lists needed by the Chinese government and permits required for each religious building filmed. When asked if she would take on a project like this again, she humbly stated: “There is life before ‘Blindsight’ and there is life after ‘Blindsight,’ but making this film has changed my life forever.”

The film’s setting makes for unbelievable cinematic imagery and the sequences of ice sculptures and jagged peaks are truly breathtaking.

“Blindsight”.
Photo credit: Robson Entertainment

Director of photography Keith Partridge overcame incredible production feats throughout the filming of “Blindsight” from extreme weather and altitude issues. Still, he captured remarkable Tibetan scenes for the first time on in high definition.

Aside from the numerous heroes and heroines of the film, the major success of its production can be attributed to director Walker and producer Robson.

Robson added: “‘Blindsight’ is not a film about blindness. It’s a film about dreams. These kids have shown me that absolutely anything is possible.”

Maintaining an objective perspective, they have allowed each character to honestly express themselves and show the true nature of the human spirit. While taking a production team to the peaks of the Himalayas is an amazing feat in itself, actually creating an incredibly inspiring documentary in the process is nothing less than award worthy.

This is a film that not only every skeptical teen should be forced to swallow in the high school repertoire but also anyone in need of self-reflection in their lives should go and see.

In Chicago, “Blindsight” opens exclusively at the Music Box Theatre on April 11, 2008.
Producer Sybil Robson will in attendance on opening night for a Q&A
following the 7:20 p.m. show. Tickets are on sale now.

By ALLISON PITACCIO
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
allee@hollywoodchicago.com

Hookup: Pristine DVD Sets of Classic Films Up For Grabs For United Artists Film Festival in Chicago

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:13:54 -0700

CHICAGO – As our giveaways continue to grow in popularity, what we give away continues to sweeten, too. In this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, three lucky winners will be hooked up with our sweetest giveaway yet: a complete DVD set of 20 of the greatest classic films in recent memory.

These DVDs encapsulate some of the most uncontested and cherished films of the last several decades. Titles include “West Side Story,” “Raging Bull,” “Rain Man,” “Rocky,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Carrie,” “Some Like it Hot,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Die Another Day,” “In the Heat of the Night” and many more.

So why these now? On March 11, 2008, we announced a classic film celebration coming to Chicago called the United Artists 90th Anniversary Film Festival, which will take place at the historic Music Box Theatre at 3733 N. Southport Ave. from April 4 to 10, 2008 and then again from May 9 to 15, 2008.

Several of the films above and others of similar caliber are being brought back into the theater for this limited engagement on the occasion of 90 years of film for MGM and United Artists. United Artists says the Chicago festival, which will comprise the largest catalog event in video history, is leading up to the public release of many of these titles on DVD.

We have partnered with the festival to offer three lucky winners their own classic DVD package of all 20 films. They are all collector, special, decade or anniversary edition DVDs. The full list of these titles follows:

“Battle of Britain” (collector’s edition)
“The Apartment” (collector’s edition)
“A Bridge Too Far” (collector’s edition, two discs)
“Carrie” (25th anniversary edition)
“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (special edition, two discs)
“Die Another Day” (special edition)
“Fiddler on the Roof” (decade’s collection)
“Fistful of Dollars” (collector’s edition)
“For A Few Dollars More” (collector’s edition)
“Get Shorty” (collector’s edition, two discs)
“The Great Escape” (special edition, two discs)
“In the Heat of the Night” (40th anniversary edition)
“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (collector’s edition)
“Judgment at Nuremberg” (special edition)
“New York, New York” (30th anniversary edition)
“Raging Bull” (collector’s edition, two discs)
“Rain Man” (special edition)
“Rocky” (collector’s edition)
“Some Like it Hot” (collector’s edition)
“West Side Story” (special edition, two discs)

All you have to do for a chance to win is click “Add new comment” at the bottom of this article and respond with your favorite film among that list of 20 and a compelling reason why. That’s it! We’ll then randomly select a winner. To be eligible, you must be a registered HollywoodChicago.com user. If you don’t already have an account, create one quickly and easily here.

Also to be eligible, we must have your e-mail address. We have e-mail addresses on file once you’re an active user. When we randomly select the three winners for this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we will e-mail you to request your mailing address. We will then mail you your brand-spanking new classic DVD sets. This giveaway closes on April 7, 2008. Good luck!

The dates and films playing as part of the United Artists 90th Anniversary Film Festival at the Music Box follow.

United Artists 90th Anniversary Film Festival (part one): April 4 to 10, 2008
“Raging Bull”: April 4, 2008 (new print)
“Bananas”: April 4, 2008
“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”: April 5, 2008
“West Side Story”: April 6, 2008
“Kiss Me Deadly”: April 7, 2008
“Some Like it Hot”: April 7, 2008 (new print)
“The Killing”: April 8, 2008
“The Manchurian Candidate”: April 8, 2008
“The Night of the Hunter”: April 9, 2008
“Midnight Cowboy”: April 10, 2008
“Network”: April 10, 2008

“James Bond” series (part two): May 9 to 15, 2008
“Dr. No”
“Goldfinger” (new print)
“From Russia With Love”
“Thunderball”

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

Sundance Winner ‘Teeth’ Bites Right to Point of Men’s Greatest Sexual Fear

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:41:59 -0700

CHICAGO – In one of the great light bulb ideas that could only happen in association with making movies, along comes “Teeth” to bite us in the – well, to bite us hard. Writer and director Mitchell Lichtenstein has fashioned a one-of-a-kind horror epic (based, of course, on a Japanese film) that at the same time tangles with significant social and cultural issues.

Read Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Teeth” in our reviews section.

View our full “Teeth” image gallery.

Jess Weixler is Dawn: a bright and exceptional high school senior whose main charitable pursuit is called “Promise”. It’s an organization that promotes sexual abstinence for teens until marriage (complete with a ruby-red ring that’s to be replaced by wedding gold).

Her own virginity is in trouble, however, when hunky fellow Promise member Tobey (Hale Appleman) starts putting the moves on her. Dawn harbors a secret – a secret that even she knows nothing about. Her body possesses “vaginal dentata” (or a “toothed vagina”), which translates to having controllable biting teeth in her secret garden.

Jess Weixler in “Teeth”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Academy Award-Nominated ‘Beaufort’ Ponders Question of Why We Fight

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 21:41:55 -0700

CHICAGO – History eludes us. It’s what happens when we’re busy making other plans. In his new film “Beaufort,” director Joseph Cedar turns his lens toward the history and misery of a Mideastern soldier’s outpost eight years ago that was both defended and attacked while highlighting the human element that has to endure when protecting the territory of warfare.

Beaufort is an ancient castle area at the southern border of Lebanon. It has been an energy center for conflict and has been occupied by various armies for more than 1,000 years. The film is set in the year 2000 when Beaufort is occupied by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), which has held the position since the 1982 war in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah – the Islamic, anti-Israeli paramilitary organization – is bearing down on the outpost heavily with mortar shelling and guerilla tactics in anticipation of a planned IDF withdrawal.

Click here to read Patrick McDonald’s full review
of “Beaufort” in our reviews section!

Click here for our full, high-resolution “Beaufort” image gallery!

“Beaufort”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Ohad Knoller in “Beaufort”.
Image credit: IMDb

United Artists 90th Anniversary Film Festival Coming to Chicago’s Music Box Theatre in April

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:13:24 -0700

CHICAGO – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment (MGMHE) on Tuesday announced the launch of an 18-month global celebration that promises to culminate into the largest catalog event in video industry history. Some of the best films the world has seen are touching down in Chicago as part of the proceedings.

What has been coined the United Artists 90th Anniversary Film Festival will be featured at the Music Box Theatre at 3733 N. Southport in Chicago beginning in April 2008.

“West Side Story” in 1961.
Photo credit: United Artists

“Rich in history and devoted to creating powerful, quality films, United Artists was formed in 1919 by Mary Pickford, Charles Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith to encourage progressive filmmaking [and to give] each star the authority and autonomy to create the films about which they were most passionate,” the statement on Tuesday said.

“Goldfinger” in 1961.
Photo credit: United Artists

The statement continued: “The studio responsible for creating some of the finest films of all time including iconic film franchises ‘Rocky,’ ‘Pink Panther’ and ‘James Bond’ [along with] critically acclaimed and award-winning features ‘Raging Bull,’ ‘Some Like it Hot,’ ‘West Side Story,’ ‘Annie Hall,’ ‘Midnight Cowboy’ and ‘Rain Man’ contains a library of nearly 1,000 feature films and boasts more than 80 Academy Award-winning classics.”

“Raging Bull” in 1980.
Photo credit: United Artists

The films below will show on the following dates at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre:

United Artists 90th Anniversary Film Festival (part one): April 4 to 10
“Raging Bull”: April 4 (new print)
“Bananas”: April 4
“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”: April 5
“West Side Story”: April 6
“Kiss Me Deadly”: April 7
“Some Like it Hot”: April 7 (new print)
“The Killing”: April 8
“The Manchurian Candidate”: April 8
“The Night of the Hunter”: April 9
“Midnight Cowboy”: April 10
“Network”: April 10

“James Bond” series (part two): May 9 to 15
“Dr. No”
“Goldfinger” (new print)
“From Russia With Love”
“Thunderball”

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