J.K. Simmons

‘Jennifer’s Body’ a Bloody, Out-of-Body Dud For Oscar-Winning ‘Juno’ Scribe Diablo Cody

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:01:00 -0600

CHICAGO – For Oscar-winning “Juno” writer Diablo Cody, writing “Jennifer’s Body” with “Transformers” star Megan Fox and “Mamma Mia!” star Amanda Seyfried as the two lead women was as much of an out-of-body experience as Charlize Theron’s against-type role in 2003’s “Monster”. The difference? Theron nailed it; Cody bloodied this bold opportunity.

Rating: 1.5/5.0

Since our Nov. 2007 interview with Cody for the Oscar-winning “Juno,” she’s as quick with her wit in person as she is with her pen for the screen.

While an early reading of the “Jennifer’s Body” script showed promise, once it hit the screen Cody’s razor-sharp wit was blunted against the mismatched backdrop of two female leads who couldn’t sell the script and the overarching horror tone that the talented Cody hasn’t yet mastered.

Read Adam Fendelman’s full review of “Jennifer’s Body” in our reviews section.

Like “Juno,” you still hear Cody’s obscure and uniquely twisted pop-culture references. Like “Juno,” you once again travel with Cody as she deftly maneuvers the cliché without being so.

Like “Juno,” Cody has found another way to inject the importance of relationships into strong female roles. But “Jennifer’s Body” more than disappoints – and, in fact, offends considering the prodigy who wrote it – on three primal levels.

“Jennifer’s Body” from Oscar-winning “Juno” writer Diablo Cody and director Karyn Kusama stars Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris, Ryan Levine, Juan Riedinger, Colin Askey, Chris Pratt, Juno Ruddell, Kyle Gallner and Josh Emerson. The film, which was released nationwide on Sept. 18, 2009, is rated “R” for sexuality, bloody violence, language and brief drug use with a 102-minute running time.

Continuing reading for Adam Fendelman’s full “Jennifer’s Body” review.

The insatiable appetite of Jennifer (Megan Fox) takes her on the prowl for a meaty snack in “Jennifer’s Body”.
Photo credit: Doane Gregory, 20th Century Fox

Continuing reading for Adam Fendelman’s full “Jennifer’s Body” review.

Interview: From ‘Office Space’ to ‘Extract’ With Writer, Director Mike Judge

BrianTT — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:48:07 -0600

CHICAGO – Last week, the writer/director of “Extract,” Mike Judge, took some time with HollywoodChicago.com to discuss his many comedic creations from the characters of “Office Space” to “King of the Hill,” “Beavis and Butthead,” and, now, “Extract”.

In my role as a film critic, I’m regularly asked why there aren’t more good comedies out there. It feels like people want more quality laughs. And yet, the box office of the very good “Extract” this weekend, starring Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck, and J.K. Simmons is a massive disappointment. Go out and see it before it’s gone.

“Extract” is clearly the blue-collar response to the white-collar comedy of the cult hit “Office Space,” even if Judge seems more sympathetic to (and admits he’d rather work on) the factory floor than the cubicle world. In fact, Judge considered making it right after his breakthrough non-animated venture but studios thought it was too close to “Office Space”.

Mike Judge on the set of Extract.
Photo credit: Miramax/Sam Urdank

He says, “I thought about doing something that was sympathetic to the boss. I enjoy the making of something, steering the ship and seeing it through, but I don’t get off on the management part of it. So, to me, the managers in Office Space were the kind of people who just enjoy telling people what to do. And, you know, when you try to be a nice boss, you can get taken advantage of. I also wanted to do something with a blue-collar setting because I think that world has its own unique set of characters in the same way that cubicles do.”

Jason Bateman as Joel and Mila Kunis as Cindy in Extract.
Photo credit: Miramax/Sam Urdank

“I’d actually talked about the idea right after Office Space and Fox had another option for a screenplay. My agents and managers thought it would be too like Office Space. At that point it hadn’t come out. Then by the time Idiocracy came out…that was one where the studio was going “That’s commercial,” and the focus groups said “We liked it but we wanted something more like Office Space.” (Laughs.)”

The drastic mishandling of “Idiocracy” could have scared off a director, but Judge has a very zen-like approach to it all, understanding that he doesn’t have any control over what happens with a movie once he’s done with it. He also recognizes that “Office Space” took time to find its audience.

Judge says, “I think nowadays that if people really like something, they’ll find it and they’ll tell people about it. I didn’t worry about that part too much. What did scare me is that I knew that I didn’t want to do something again where I didn’t have complete control. It just makes people nervous when you get above a certain budget level. I wouldn’t put myself in that situation again. I ended up pretty much having control over Idiocracy but I had to fight hard battles for everything even if I won all the battles.”

You may have watched it a dozen times but Judge hadn’t even seen most of “Office Space” in years, recently seeing the first half-hour at a tenth anniversary screening in Austin. He laughs when he says, “I was actually like, “Hey, this is pretty good.””

Jason Bateman as Joel and Kristen Wiig as Suzie in Extract.
Photo credit: Miramax/Sam Urdank

As for what he would change in his films, nothing in “Office Space” and nothing in “Beavis and Butthead Do America” He says, “There are episodes of the show…we just cranked that thing out and no one knew what they were doing and sometimes it was just a train wreck. Some are just great and then there are some episodes where I just think, I wish I hadn’t done that. Little things like that. Not so much in the movie.”

As for whether or not Judge will make another Beavis & Butthead movie? Don’t get too excited. “I don’t know if it will happen again. There’s nothing in the works right now. Somebody always seems to announce it and there’s not really anything happening. Originally, it was…I think we made that movie faster than anyone has ever made an animated movie. We made it inside of a year. (Pauses.) I’ve got different ideas. I guess it takes…to really do it right, it’s going to take a few years.

“I like to leave the door open, but it seems like every time I do that someone announces it as happening. Right after the movie, I said, “No way I’m ever doing that again. Screw these people.” But then I end up missing the characters. When I was writing Idiocracy, the guy I was writing it with, Etan Cohen, and I kept coming up with ideas. I wanted them to just randomly end up working tech support. You have a computer problem and you end up getting Butthead. (Laughs.)

“Or something like that. Etan was buying a car at the time and we would talk about the tactics that car salesmen used and how Beavis and Butthead would be funny in that world. We could see how all those tactics would play on them. I also had an idea that was probably too quickly after September 11th where they would get involved with some group the government was looking for. The promise of 70 virgins would motivate them…the CIA would be after them… (Laughs.)”

Jason Bateman as Joel in Extract.
Photo credit: Miramax/Sam Urdank

After the series finale of “King of the Hill,” it will be the first time since 1992 that Judge hasn’t had something on the air. he’s ready to “See what it’s like. Might be kind of nice for awhile.”

Jason Bateman simply rocks in “Extract,” giving arguably the best comedy performance of the year. He’s the perfect straight man for Judge’s brand of lunacy.

Mike goes into more detail - “I guess it’s what I love about Bob Newhart in particular - Jason has that thing where it’s fun to watch him react to things. Jason can also be a great character actor but, seeing him in Arrested Development, it’s fun to watch him react. He’s good at letting other people be funny without getting so over-the-top. That’s part of the problem. I found that when I was looking for actors in Office Space…Jason Bateman has that thing where ridiculous things are happening around him, he reacts in a way that’s appropriate and doesn’t make the whole thing seem ridiculous. He’s also been doing this since he was five or something. I’m 46. I’m older than him but he’s been doing it WAY longer than me. He’s completely comfortable being an actor and being on-set. So you can get these inspired moments out of him just being in the scene.”

Judge admits that he’s always been fascinated by the human capacity for stupidity and bad decision-making. As for Bateman’s character in “Extract,” “He can run a factory and be smart but when it comes to his personal life….And Ben’s character, he’s one of those guys who can make a really bad idea sound good. You know the kind who lead you down a path and then later go, “Oh, no, that was a really bad idea.” Full authority about something and then go, “Oh, did I say that?””

Do your part for the institution of comedy and see what Jason and Ben say in “Extract,” now in theaters.

‘Extract’ stars Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck, Clifton Collins Jr., and J.K. Simmons. It was written and directed by Mike Judge. It opened on September 4th, 2009. It is rated R.

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

Slideshow: 10-Image Gallery For Diablo Cody’s ‘Jennifer’s Body’ With Megan Fox

BrianTT — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:39:04 -0600

CHICAGO – This 10-image slideshow contains the official press images for “Jennifer’s Body,” starring Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons, and Johnny Simmons. The film was written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama and opens on September 18th, 2009. It is rated R.

Synopsis: “A sexy horror film with a wicked sense of humor, JENNIFER’S BODY is about small town high school student Jennifer (Megan Fox), who is possessed by a hungry demon. She transitions from being “high school evil” - gorgeous (and doesn’t she know it), stuck up and ultra-attitudinal - to the real deal: evil/evil. The glittering beauty becomes a pale and sickly creature jonesing for a meaty snack, and guys who never stood a chance with the heartless babe, take on new luster in the light of Jennifer’s insatiable appetite. Meanwhile, Jennifer’s lifelong best friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried), long relegated to living in Jennifer’s shadow, must step-up to protect the town’s young men, including her nerdy boyfriend Chip (Johnny Simmons).”

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos credited to James Dittiger (#1), Doane Gregory (#2-10) and Fox. All Rights Reserved.

Jennifers_Body_01: After being possessed by a hungry demon, small town high school student Jennifer (Megan Fox) transitions from being high school evil - gorgeous (and doesnt she know it), stuck up and ultra-attitudinal - to the real deal: evil/evil.
Jennifers_Body_02: Jennifer (Megan Fox) goes on the prowl for her next meaty snack.
Jennifers_Body_03: The insatiable appetites of Jennifer (Megan Fox) take her on the prowl for a meaty snack.
Jennifers_Body_04: Jennifer (Megan Fox) takes flight in pursuit of a new victim.
Jennifers_Body_05: Needy (Amanda Seyfried) is worried about the imminent arrival of her best friend, who is now a demon.
Jennifers_Body_06: Needy (Amanda Seyfried) emerges the worse for wear after encountering her best friend, who has become a fearsome demon.
Jennifers_Body_07: Best friends Jennifer (Megan Fox, left) and Needy (Amanda Seyfried) enjoy an evening together at a local bar - unaware that it will forever change their lives.
Jennifers_Body_08: Jennifer (Megan Fox) prepares to feast on her best friends boyfriend Chip (Johnny Simmons).
Jennifers_Body_09: Director Karyn Kusama lines up a shot on the set.
Jennifers_Body_10: Nothing can water down the appetite of Jennifer (Megan Fox).

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

Blu-Ray Review: Paul Rudd, Jason Segel Shine in ‘I Love You, Man’

BrianTT — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:27:08 -0600

CHICAGO – John Hamburg’s comedy “I Love You, Man,” now on Blu-Ray and DVD, is a feature that thrives on the copious chemistry and comic timing of its amazingly well-cast leads, Paul Rudd and Jason Segel. The two actors are talented enough and the concept clever enough that “I Love You, Man” delivers the laughs that renters and Blu-Ray buyers will expect.

Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0

Not quite as memorable as the best of the genre over the last two years, “I Love You, Man” is most notable for being so consistently entertaining without really being overly memorable. It’s a “smile film” not a “knee-slapper,” a movie without big guffaws but one that’s likely to put a grin on your face for nearly two hours, a feat that’s nowhere near as easy as it looks. “I Love You, Man” will be a satisfactory rental for nearly everyone and a great Blu-Ray release makes it worth a purchase for fans of its stars or comedy collectors in general.

I Love You, Man was released on Blu-Ray on August 11th, 2009.
Photo credit: DreamWorks Home Video

One of the most consistent comedy actors alive, Paul Rudd, plays Peter Klaven, a recently engaged fella (to the lovely Rashida Jones) who realizes during wedding planning that he doesn’t really have a viable candidate for a Best Man. His brother (Andy Samberg) and dad (J.K. Simmons) are close, but he doesn’t have that best buddy to hold the rings as he walks down the aisle.

Peter’s brother suggests that he go on what are basically a series of man-dates. He goes to a soccer game with an annoying high-talker (Joe Lo Truglio), ends up in an awkward miscommunication with a date who wants more than friendship (Thomas Lennon), and eventually finds someone who perfectly balances his awkwardness with what some might call macho insanity in Sydney Fife (Jason Segel).

While Peter is generally shy, Sydney is often overly aggressive and out-going. Like any good friend pairing, the two aren’t exactly the same but bring out the best in each other. When Sydney rubs Peter’s bride-to-be the wrong way, will the “bromance” come to an end or are these two really friends for life?

It would have been easy to rely on Farrelly-esque gross-out humor in “I Love You, Man” (and there definitely is a bit of that including a bit with projectile vomiting), but John Hamburg, who co-wrote and directed, is more interested in character-based comedy than situation-based. I loved the chemistry between Rudd & Segel, two actors who honestly convey friendship by the end of the film. They have a more likable chemistry than most romantic comedy pairings nowadays.

The fact is that Rudd and Segel are two of the more talented comedians in the genre today and their perfect timing and wonderful on-screen friendship are the main reason to see “I Love You, Man” (a supporting cast isn’t bad either…they just naturally take a back seat to the dynamic duo). The script is merely so-so and almost feels a bit underdeveloped at times, but Rudd and Segel should make most audiences fall in “like” maybe even in “love” with this enjoyable comedy.

As most DreamWorks Blu-Rays do, “I Love You, Man” looks amazing in 1080p High Definition and sounds pretty great in an English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track. Special features include some fun deleted and extended scenes, a great gag reel, “The Making of I Love You, Man” and a commentary with Hamburg, Rudd, and Segel that proves an old axiom of filmmaking - fun had on set can be contagious. The three creative talents clearly had a blast making “I Love You, Man”.

Before you see the film, check out a very funny deleted scene, courtesy of DreamWorks:

‘I Love You, Man’ is released by DreamWorks Home Video and stars Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Jaime Pressly, Jon Favreau, Thomas Lennon, Andy Samberg, J.K. Simmons, Joe Lo Truglio, Rob Huebel, and Jane Curtin. It was written and directed by John Hamburg. The Blu-Ray and DVD were released on August 11th, 2009. It is rated R.

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

Two New Pictures of Megan Fox in Diablo Cody’s ‘Jennifer’s Body’

BrianTT — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 12:26:45 -0600

CHICAGO – On September 18th, Megan Fox, the star of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” will star in a comedy/horror hybrid called “Jennifer’s Body” and we’ve got two new pics and the official poster for this Twentieth Century Fox film.

The official synopsis from the studio reads: “When small-town high school hottie Jennifer (Megan Fox) is possessed by a hungry demon, guys who never stood a chance with her, take on new luster in the light of Jennifer’s insatiable appetite. From the Oscar-winning screenwriter of “Juno.””

“Jennifer’s Body” was Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris, Chris Pratt, Juno Ruddell, and Kyle Gallner. It was written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama (“Girlfight,” “Aeon Flux”).

Megan Fox in Jennifer’s Body.
Photo credit: Doane Gregory

(L to R) Johnny Simmons and Megan Fox in Jennifer’s Body.
Photo credit: Doane Gregory

Jennifer’s Body.
Photo credit: Fox

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

TV Review: Kyra Sedgwick Continues to Shine on TNT’s ‘The Closer’

BrianTT — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:23:34 -0600

CHICAGO – One of the best shows on basic cable returns this week with the fifth season premiere of “The Closer,” a dark, gut-wrenching episode that hints at a potentially series-altering summer for the beloved mystery series.

Television Rating: 3.5/5.0

Headed by one of the best performances on television from the excellent Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer” has always been a show that has been unafraid to go below the surface of its darkest stories and the fifth season premiere is a brutal and riveting one. The show has always expertly segued between dark humor and grisly murder, but there’s barely a smile, much less a chuckle, in tonight’s debut.

The Closer
Photo credit: Karen Neal

A woman and her children are gunned down in their own house. After the husband is interviewed and seems innocent, the Major Crimes unit and Brenda are lost for a suspect before stumbling on to something much darker than they ever expected.

Brenda won’t let a case, especially one with dead children, go unsolved. What separates “The Closer” is how expertly Sedgwick brings this character’s drive to life. She doesn’t just want to get the bad guys. She needs to get the bad guys.

The Closer
Photo credit: Andrew Eccles

Sedgwick brings every painful development of the case to life. She continues to give one of the best performances on television and if the season continues at the caliber of the premiere, it may be the BEST female performance all summer long.

And the end of the season premiere of “The Closer” is such a dark, foreboding epilogue to the episode that one has to wonder, especially given the TNT press release that says “it’s going to be a year of change,” if this isn’t the tone that the series will maintain all summer. It could be a dark one for Brenda and the Major Crimes Unit.

I have yet to make “The Closer” appointment television. As I wrote earlier this year, “What holds it back from jumping from a nice diversion when I happen to catch it to appointment programming is the lack of intriguing mysteries. I rarely find the actual crimes and their resolutions as intriguing as, say, “The Mentalist,” “Bones,” or “Life”. The characters on “The Closer” are fantastic, the mysteries are so-so.”

The premiere of season five is strong enough that I will definitely tune into the second episode and “The Closer” may finally become season pass material, as it is for so many other viewers. I’ve long thought that there was room and potential for “The Closer” to go from good to great. I think season five could be when that happens.

If you need to catch up with “The Closer” after tonight’s fifth season premiere, pick up the recently released “The Closer: The Complete Fourth Season” from Warner Brothers. Last year was certainly a season of change for the show as well as a journalist wrote a story about the Priority Homicide Division that brought Brenda’s group to a bitter end.

All fifteen episodes of season four (which aired last summer and returned earlier this year to finish out its run) are presented in widescreen with a Dolby Surround 5.1 track. Special feature include “Police Files: Unaired Scenes,” “To Catch a Lie: Observational Tips From an FBI Interrogator,” “A Day in the Life of a Homicide Detective: Series Star Corey Reynolds Rides Along With Retired LAPS Detective Mike Berchem,” and a gag reel.

‘The Closer,’ which airs on TNT, stars Kyra Sedgwick, Jon Tenney, J.K. Simmons, G.W. Bailey, Robert Gossett, Anthony John Denison, Michael Paul Chan, and Raymond Cruz. The fifth season premiere airs on Monday, June 8th, 2009 at 8PM CST.

‘The Closer: The Complete Fourth Season’ was released by Warner Brothers. The 4-disc set was released on June 2nd, 2009.

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

Blu-Ray Review: Romantic Comedy Stars Can’t Save ‘New in Town’

BrianTT — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 07:25:20 -0600

CHICAGO – Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr.’s “New in Town,” now on DVD and Blu-Ray, was a massive bomb in theaters, opening in 8th place and grossing only $17 million, less than any widely-released Zellweger film in her entire career.

Blu-Ray Rating: 2.5/5.0

I only mention this because so few people have seen the film that they may be drawn to it at Blockbuster or in their Netflix queue. “New in Town” isn’t nearly as painful as I expected it to be but the horrendous script sink all the best efforts of the reasonably charming Renee and always-good Harry.

New in Town was released on Blu-Ray on May 26th, 2009.
Photo credit: Lionsgate

On paper, “New in Town” sounds promising. Zellweger plays Lucy Hill, a tough-as-nails executive who takes on an assignment at a manufacturing plant in Minnesota. Transplanted from the sunny beaches of Miami to the frozen tundra of the great North, Lucy struggles with small-town personalities.

New in Town was released on Blu-Ray on May 26th, 2009.
Photo credit: Lionsgate

After butting heads with her workers and local residents, Lucy doesn’t just learn that small-town life has something to offer but finds love with the union representative named Ted (Harry Connick Jr.). Of course, Lucy eventually has to find a way to balance her upwardly mobile career and her new friends in northern Minnesota.

“New in Town” is more forgettable than awful. Zellweger and Connick Jr. have decent chemistry and every romantic comedy would be better with talented character actors like Frances Conroy and J.K. Simmons in the supporting ensemble. The characters aren’t anywhere near as annoying as the recent slate of unlikable romantic heroes and heroines in junk like “What Happens in Vegas” or “Fool’s Gold”.

Ultimately, “New in Town” doesn’t work for the main reason that most bad romantic comedies falter - poor writing. Predictable, generic, and somewhat demeaning to both small-town life and working women, the script for “New in Town” just isn’t as clever, interesting, or believable as it needed to be to work. “New in Town” may be a reasonably cute rental, but you’ll forget about it before you even have to put it back in the mail to get the next Blu-Ray or DVD in your Netflix queue.

New in Town was released on Blu-Ray on May 26th, 2009.
Photo credit: Lionsgate

Perhaps recognizing that they had a forgettable film to market that would probably be a rental more than a purchase item, Lionsgate has done just about the minimum with “New in Town” on a technical scale. The video is average at best, sometimes even falling below that line and the average is exactly what you’d expect.

The special features are a little more impressive than the technical transfer and do include Lionsgate’s increasingly interesting interactive Blu-Ray features like MoLog, a feature that allows users to insert and animate shapes, text, audio, and other graphics right into the film.

Other special features include a picture-in-picture cast & crew commentary, “Making New in Town in Winnipeg, Canada,” “Pudding’s Delicious Role in New in Town,” and deleted scenes. It’s more than anyone could ask for to accompany such a low-grossing film and should leave Zellweger and romantic comedy fans very satisfied.

‘New in Town’ is released by Lionsgate Home Video and stars Renee Zellweger, Harry Connick Jr., J.K. Simmons, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, and Frances Conroy. It was written by Kenneth Rance and C. Jay Cox and directed by Jonas Elmer. The Blu-Ray and DVD were released on May 26th, 2009. It is rated PG.

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

Slideshow: 46-Image Gallery For ‘I Love You, Man’ With Andy Samberg, Paul Rudd, Jason Segel

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:40:20 -0700

CHICAGO – This 46-image slideshow contains official press images for the comedy “I Love You, Man,” which stars Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, Jaime Pressly, Jon Favreau, J.K. Simmons, Thomas Lennon, Lou Ferrigno (of “The Incredible Hulk”), Joe Lo Truglio, Jane Curtin, Rob Huebel and Sarah Burns from director and screenwriter John Hamburg.

“I Love You, Man” opens on March 20, 2009. These press images were released by Paramount Pictures on Tuesday. Here is the “I Love You, Man” plot description:

Friendless Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) goes on a series of man dates to find a best man for his wedding. But when his insta-bond with his new B.F.F.(Jason Segel) puts a strain on his relationship with his fiancée (Rashida Jones), can the trio live happily ever after?

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this 46-image “I Love You, Man” slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photo credits for this slideshow belong to Scott Garfield and DW Studios LLC.

iloveyouman1: Paul Rudd (left) and Jason Segel in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman2: Rashida Jones (left) and Paul Rudd in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman3: Paul Rudd in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman4: Jason Segel in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman5: Left to right: Jaime Pressly, Sarah Burns and Rashida Jones in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman6: Jason Segel (left) and Paul Rudd in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman7: Jason Segel (left) and Paul Rudd in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman8: Rashida Jones in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman9: Andy Samberg (left) and Paul Rudd in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman10: Jason Segel (left) and Sarah Burns in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman11: Paul Rudd (left) and Jason Segel in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman12: Left to right: Jason Segel, Jon Favreau, Jaime Pressly and Rashida Jones in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman13: Jason Segel (right) in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman14: Left to right: Paul Rudd, Andy Samberg and J.K. Simmons in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman15: Jason Segel in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman16: Jason Segel (center left), Paul Rudd (center right) and Rashida Jones (bottom right) in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman17: Sarah Burns in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman18: Jason Segel (left) and Paul Rudd in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman19: Left to right: Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Jane Curtin and J.K. Simmons in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman20: Rashida Jones (left) and Paul Rudd in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman21: Left to right: Lou Ferrigno (of “The Incredible Hulk”), Rob Huebel, Jason Segel and Paul Rudd in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman22: Left to right: J.K. Simmons, Lou Ferrigno, Joe Lo Truglio, Paul Rudd, Thomas Lennon, Andy Samberg in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman23: Jon Favreau in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman24: Jaime Pressly in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman25: Jason Segel in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman26: Jason Segel (left) and Paul Rudd (far right) in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman27: Paul Rudd in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman28: Left to right: Paul Rudd, Jason Segel and Rashida Jones in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman29: Andy Samberg in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman30: Left to right: Jaime Pressly, Rashida Jones and Sarah Burns in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman31: Paul Rudd in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman32: Jason Segel (left) and Paul Rudd in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman33: Paul Rudd (far left) and Jon Favreau (far right) in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman34: Lou Ferrigno in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman35: Rashida Jones in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman36: Paul Rudd (left) and Joe Lo Truglio in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman37: Jane Curtin (left) and J.K. Simmons in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman38: Left to right: Jaime Pressly, Rashida Jones and Sarah Burns in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman39: Paul Rudd (left) and Rob Huebel in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman40: Rashida Jones (left) and Paul Rudd in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman41: Jaime Pressly (left) and Jon Favreau in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman42: Jason Segel (front) and Paul Rudd (rear) in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman43: Rashida Jones (left) and Sarah Burns in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman44: Jason Segel (left) and Paul Rudd in “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman45: Director, screenwriter and producer John Hamburg on the set of “I Love You, Man”.
iloveyouman46: Director, screenwriter and producer John Hamburg (left) with producer Donald De Line on the set of “I Love You, Man”.

Read about “I Love You, Man” opening the 2009 SXSW Film Festival.

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

Exclusive Portrait: ‘New in Town’ Star Harry Connick Jr. in Chicago

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:03:08 -0700

CHICAGO – Actor Harry Connick Jr. flashed the HollywoodChicago.com lens a welcoming smile while signing autographs for fans in the name of his new film “New in Town” on Jan. 28, 2009 at the Shops of North Bridge mall on downtown Chicago’s Michigan Avenue.

The romantic comedy “New in Town” stars Harry Connick Jr. with Renée Zellweger, J.K. Simmons and Siobhan Fallon. Harry Connick Jr. has also appeared in “P.S. I Love You,” “Will & Grace,” “Basic,” “Mickey,” “My Dog Skip,” “Life Without Dick,” “Hope Floats,” “Copycat” and “Independence Day”. Our exclusive portrait of Harry Connick Jr. can be found below.

Actor Harry Connick Jr. flashed the HollywoodChicago.com lens a welcoming smile
while signing autographs for fans in the name of his new film “New in Town” on
Jan. 28, 2009 at Chicago’s Shops of North Bridge mall on Michigan Avenue.
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Here’s the plot summary for “New in Town,” which opens on Jan. 30, 2009:

A high-powered consultant in love with her upscale Miami lifestyle is sent to a middle-of-nowhere town in Minnesota to oversee the restructuring of a-blue collar manufacturing plant.

After enduring a frosty reception from the locals, icy roads and freezing weather, she warms up to the small town’s charm and eventually finds herself being accepted by the community.

When she’s ordered to close down the plant and put the entire community out of work, she’s forced to reconsider her goals and priorities and finds a way to save the town.

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

Kyra Sedgwick, Ensemble Cast Continue to Bring it Home on ‘The Closer’

BrianTT — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:25:12 -0700

Television Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – TNT’s “The Closer” has an easy-going charm that rarely gets the critical praise it deserves but has turned the show into one of the most highly rated scripted program on basic cable. “The Closer” beats most network programs and is, cable or not, one of the bigger hits on TV. The mid-season premiere, “Good Faith,” airing Monday, January 26th, 2009, makes it easy to see why.

Fritz and Brenda Leigh share a moment
Photo credit: Alan Markfeld

What separates “The Closer” from a lot of similar programming is the ease with which the writers smoothly segue between family humor and grisly murder. The kind of tonal juggling that can make a wedding cake tasting at a precinct while they discuss the latest case both believable and humorous is harder to pull off than it looks.

Brenda Leigh interviews Beth Gibson as Lt. Provenza and Det. Daniels look on
Photo credit: Alan Markfeld

“The Closer” is a program about a woman who can read and predict human behavior, a detective, and it’s a better-than-average crime drama because its creators work to create believable human behavior themselves. And it doesn’t hurt to have one of the best actresses on television in your lead role.

Kyra Sedgwick is simply perfect and her supporting cast, particularly the great J.K. Simmons and G.W. Bailey, never miss a beat. Sedgwick will always be the face of the show. Bailey himself once told me that the series will end when she wants it to. But the value of a supporting ensemble on a show like “The Closer” can sometimes be under-valued. Everyone on the show is good.

Having made my critical respect for the ensemble of “The Closer” and the skilled tone shifts by the writers, the mid-season premiere suffers from the same problem I usually have with the series. What holds it back from jumping from a nice diversion when I happen to catch it to appointment programming is the lack of intriguing mysteries. I rarely find the actual crimes and their resolutions as intriguing as, say, the ones on “The Mentalist,” “Bones,” or “Life”. The characters on “The Closer” are fantastic, the mysteries are so-so.

The mid-season premiere, “Good Faith,” is another episode about Brenda juggling a personal life - this time getting ready for a marriage - with solving a new case, a suicide that doesn’t add up. The Medical Examiner believes it’s a cut-and-dry suicide but Brenda and her team know better. In another case of bad timing, Brenda’s hysterical parents continue to take her away from the case as they try to plan their daughter’s wedding.

The mystery is never that interesting and the ending is abrupt. Far more interesting is a shocking and painful personal twist in Brenda’s life. “The Closer” needs to work to make the cases in Brenda’s life as interesting as the character herself.

Well, to be fair, “The Closer” doesn’t need to do anything. They’re doing everything right for legions of fans. I think there’s still room for the show to go from good to great, but it’s hard to even find series as consistently entertaining as this one. And nothing has changed significantly between last summer and the mid-season premiere. No, the only bad news we have for fans is that there are only six episodes left in the fourth season.

‘The Closer,’ which airs on TNT, stars Kyra Sedgwick, Jon Tenney, J.K. Simmons, G.W. Bailey, Robert Gossett, Anthony John Denison, Michael Paul Chan, and Raymond Cruz. The mid-season premiere airs on Monday, January 26th, 2009 at 8PM CST.

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