General Film

Interactive, automatically updating Google calendar of upcoming movie, DVD releases

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:17:23 -0700

This is a dynamically updating and interactive Google calendar of upcoming movie and DVD releases. Enjoy!

Ending a 50-year ban, Oscars will now accept movie ads

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:36:33 -0700

This just in from the Los Angeles Times:

Looking to save its primary source of revenue, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has lifted its longtime ban on running commercials for movies during the Oscars.

Board members voted late Tuesday to ditch a tradition that stretches back more than 50 years and — in the eyes of some — was a relic from a simpler and less competitive era. The move comes amid concerns over the softening TV advertising market and lower ratings for Hollywood’s biggest event of the year.

Read the full story here.

HollywoodChicago.com founder Adam Fendelman interviewed by the Columbia Missourian

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:16:02 -0700

I have recently been interviewed by the Columbia Missourian. The full article can be found here. Here is the section in which I was quoted:

Adam Fendelman, a 2000 graduate from the MU School of Journalism who is now a film critic in Chicago, said that although technology “threatens the role of the accredited film critic” because anyone can express their opinions online, in the end, someone with a broad range of knowledge and experience stands out.

“I think (with) the rise of the Internet and the rise of bloggers, essentially anyone can be a film critic,” Fendelman said. “The film critic isn’t there to please the public. It’s to be an objective third party assessor of entertainment.”

Unlike Pride, who set out to be a film critic, Fendelman jumped quite unexpectedly into the suit of a film critic by founding HollywoodChicago.com in 2007. The Web site started as his blog but slowly gained momentum. Fendelman said he realized that to become a recognized film critic, he needed to establish certain guidelines in his work.

“At the beginning, I was just some guy with a blog,” he said. “I wanted more than that. I started learning what it takes to be accredited. I started researching what I needed to do. I transformed what was a blog into the publication and started making money on it and started hiring other freelancers.”

Paul Newman, Legendary Movie Star, is dead at 83

PatrickMcD — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:23:07 -0700

A sad day for admirers of the great Paul Newman, who lost his battle with cancer today. Here’s the take from Yahoo/AP

WESTPORT, Conn. - Paul Newman, the Academy-Award winning superstar who personified cool as an activist, race car driver, popcorn impresario and the anti-hero of such films as “Hud,” “Cool Hand Luke” and “The Color of Money,” has died. He was 83.

Here is the full story.

'In a world...' without the voice of the movie trailers, Don Lafontaine dies at 68

PatrickMcD — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:01:59 -0700

With a voice known to all, a sad note from the AP

LOS ANGELES — Don LaFontaine, the man who popularized the now loved-catch phrase, “in a world where…” and lent his voice to thousands of movie trailers, has died. He was 68. LaFontaine died Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from complications in the treatment of an ongoing illness, said Vanessa Gilbert, his agent.

Click here for the story.

'Watchmen' has sue-you-sue-me blues

PatrickMcD — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 07:20:13 -0700

Get the details at Geeks of Doom,

As you may have heard, some legal battles have arisen involving the much-anticipated movie adaptation of the comic book, Watchmen.

So what’s really going on?

Click here for the whole article.

New poster, stills for Toronto International Film Festival selection 'Young People Fucking'

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:51:53 -0700

We have just received new poster art and production stills for the new film “Young People Fucking,” which is an official selection of the Toronto International Film Festival. The production stills below are credited to Steve Wilkie.

Here’s the synposis:

“Young People Fucking” is a scathingly honest and hilarious portrayal of four couples, one threesome and a crazy night of sex by first-time feature film director Martin Gero.

Each of five stories traces a single sexual encounter between each couple, leading from “Foreplay” through to “Afterglow.” Each couple’s attempt to have sex is met with an endless stream of complications. The Couple, Abby (KRISTIN BOOTH) and Andrew (JOSH DEAN), try to spice up their stale love life, only to discover that things are worse than they thought. Matt (AARON ABRAMS) and Kristen (CARLY POPE) are The Friends, lifelong buddies, one sick and the other sick of love. Their plan to sleep together goes off the rails when romance rears its ugly head. The Exes, Mia (SONJA BENNETT) and Eric (JOSH COOKE), hook up again for old time’s sake, while trying to hide the feelings they still have for one another. In The First Date, world-class playboy Ken (CALLUM BLUE) comes clean about his history to his naïve young date Jamie (DIORA BAIRD), learning some of her secrets in the process. The Roommates, Dave (PETER OLDRING) and Gord (ENNIS ESMER) are normally at each other’s throats, but set aside their differences for a threesome with Gord’s girlfriend Inez (NATALIE LISINSKA). In each case, the couple (and trio) discovers that sex isn’t always simple.

An Official Selection of the Toronto International Film Festival, YOUNG PEOPLE FUCKING marks Martin Gero’s feature film directorial debut, the script co-written with Aaron Abrams has become one of the most talked about films of the year.

'Showgirls Gone Wild' to screen in Chicago on Aug. 23, 2008

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:22:26 -0700

I just received the following press release.

Camp Midnight Movie Series Presents a Hot, Sultry Sizzler for Summertime ‘Showgirls Gone Wild’!

CHICAGO, IL – Put on your pasties and practice your pole dancing! The Music Box Theatre re-teams with DICK O’DAY and HELL IN A HANDBAG PRODUCTIONS to present the third in their seasonal series focusing on the best (and worst) in camp movies - Camp Midnight.

“SHOWGIRLS Gone Wild” will showcase one of the most wretched, fantabulous films ever committed to celluloid – SHOWGIRLS. The 1995 camp classic (which ushered in the NC-17 rating) rips the pasties off the glittering Las Vegas striptacular revue “Goddess” and chronicles the battle for supremacy between white trash Nomi Malone (Elizabeth Berkley) and her nemesis, the champagne sippin’ Cristal Connors (Gina Gershon).

This example of celluloid wretched excess will screen Saturday, August 23rd at 10:30 pm.

Camp Midnight fans are invited to get out their acrylic nails, ice cubes, body glitter, and “leave their inhibitions at the door” for this special one show only presentation. Camp Midnight host Dick O’Day will again preside over a camptacular preshow (featuring Hell in a Handbag theatre company members) kicking off at 10:30 pm and including special entertainment, a stripper pole/lap dance contest, suitably sleazy prizes, and much more. The screening, complete with audience interactive guide, immediately follows.

Tickets for “SHOWGIRLS Gone Wild” are $12 and may be ordered in advance at Ticketweb.com. The Music Box Theatre is located at 3733 N. Southport Ave, Chicago. For more information, please go to www.musicboxtheatre.com and www.myspace.com/campmidnight

Bill Murray to jump out of a plane at Chicago Air & Water Show for upcoming film 'City of Ember'

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:57:46 -0700

From the New York Times:

Bill Murray is taking his sense of humor to new heights. The movie star and former “Saturday Night Live” cast member has agreed to jump out of a plane at the Chicago Air and Water Show on Aug. 15, The Associated Press reported. Mr. Murray, 57, a Chicago native (and star of the upcoming Fox Walden film City of Ember), will parachute from a plane on behalf of the U.S.O. of Illinois, a spokeswoman for the mayor’s office confirmed. He plans to tandem jump with the Golden Knights, a skydiving team, and hopes to land on North Avenue Beach.

Bernie Mac dies at 50 years old (Aug. 9, 2008)

PatrickMcD — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 06:58:40 -0700

This just in from the Chicago Tribune

CHICAGO, IL – Comedian and Chicago native Bernie Mac died early Saturday morning from complications due to pneumonia, his publicist confirmed.

Mac, 50, had been hospitalized for about a week at Northwestern Hospital, according to his spokeswoman. A few years ago, Mac disclosed that he suffered from sarcoidosis, a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in tissue, most often in the lungs.

Click here to read the full story.