Joe Arce

Slideshow: Rapper 50 Cent in Chicago For ‘Power By 50’ Fragrance Launch

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:58:01 -0700

CHICAGO – Rapper 50 Cent greeted the HollywoodChicago.com lens on Nov. 9, 2009 before meeting and taking photos with hundreds of fans at the Chicago launch of his new fragrance “Power by 50” at Macy’s on State Street in downtown Chicago.

50 Cent has also appeared in the following films: “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” “Home of the Brave,” “Righteous Kill,” “Streets of Blood and “Dead Man Running”.

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos are credited to Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto and HollywoodChicago.com. All rights reserved.

50cent1: Rapper 50 Cent greets the HollywoodChicago.com lens on Nov. 9, 2009 before meeting and taking photos with hundreds of fans at the Chicago launch of his new fragrance “Power by 50” at Macy’s on State Street in downtown Chicago.
50cent2: Rapper 50 Cent greets the HollywoodChicago.com lens on Nov. 9, 2009 before meeting and taking photos with hundreds of fans at the Chicago launch of his new fragrance “Power by 50” at Macy’s on State Street in downtown Chicago.

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

Slideshow: Formerly of Destiny’s Child, Michelle Williams in Chicago For Macy’s Tree Lighting

HollywoodChicago.com — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:45:13 -0700

CHICAGO – This three-image slideshow contains our exclusive photography of Michelle Williams (formerly of the band Destiny’s Child) in Chicago for a Macy’s tree lighting on Nov. 7, 2009. Born in Rockford, Ill., Michelle Williams has also been seen on TV’s “Half & Half”.

michellewilliams1: Michelle Williams (formerly of Destiny’s Child) serenades the crowd with a carol at the annual Macy’s State Street Christmas tree-lighting ceremony on Nov. 7, 2009 in Chicago.
michellewilliams2: Michelle Williams welcomes the HollywoodChicago.com lens at the annual lighting of the Macy’s State Street Christmas tree on Nov. 7, 2009 in Chicago.
michellewilliams3: Michelle Williams, Terry J. Lundgren (chairman, president and CEO of Macy’s) and four lucky little helpers push the button to light up the Macy’s State Street Christmas tree to launch the 2009 holiday season on Nov. 7, 2009 in Chicago.

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

Slideshow: Hollywood Collectors Show Chicago Portraits of Tia Carrere, Mickey Rooney, Jonathan Frakes, More

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:51:51 -0600

CHICAGO – This 14-image slideshow contains our exclusive portraits from the Oct. 2009 Hollywood Collectors Show in Chicago.

We also have the following celebrity portraits on file from their appearances at the Oct. 2009 Hollywood Collectors Show in Chicago: Ernest Borgnine, Charles Martin Smith, Paul Le Mat, Cindy Williams, Tippi Hedren, Sally Kellerman, Candy Clark, Eddie Mekka, Barbara Luna, Bo Hopkins, Joan Severance, Elliott Gould and Sally Kellerman.

hollywoodcollectors1: Tia Carrere of “True Lies”
hollywoodcollectors2: Tia Carrere
hollywoodcollectors3: Tia Carrere (left) and HollywoodChicago.com’s Patrick McDonald
hollywoodcollectors4: Julie McCullough of “Breast Men”
hollywoodcollectors5: Julie McCullough
hollywoodcollectors6: Genie Francis of TV’s “General Hospital”
hollywoodcollectors7: Gregory Harrison of “Razorback”
hollywoodcollectors8: HollywoodChicago.com’s Patrick McDonald (left) and Gregory Harrison
hollywoodcollectors9: Left to right: Jennilee Harrison of TV’s “Dallas,” Larry Hagman of “Primary Colors” and Claudia Wells
hollywoodcollectors10: James Tolkan of “Back to the Future” (left) and Claudia Wells
hollywoodcollectors11: Claudia Wells of “Back to the Future”
hollywoodcollectors12: Jonathan Frakes of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”
hollywoodcollectors13: HollywoodChicago.com’s Patrick McDonald (left) and Mickey Rooney
hollywoodcollectors14: Mickey Rooney of, well, everything

View our 16-image Hollywood Collectors Show gallery from March 2009!

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

Slideshow: Oscar-Winning Chicago Director Robert Zemeckis For ‘A Christmas Carol’

HollywoodChicago.com — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:51:53 -0600

CHICAGO – This three-image slideshow contains our ribbon-cutting photography for Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” train tour at Chicago’s Union Station with Oscar-winning Chicago director Robert Zemeckis.

Robert Zemeckis has directed “Romancing the Stone,” “Back to the Future,” “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” “Back to the Future Part II,” “Back to the Future Part III,” “Death Becomes Her,” “Forrest Gump,” “Contact,” “What Lies Beneath,” “Cast Away,” “The Polar Express,” “Beowulf” and “A Christmas Carol”.

“A Christmas Carol” opens everywhere on Nov. 6, 2009. You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos are credited to Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto and HollywoodChicago.com. All rights reserved.

robertzemeckis1: Chicago’s own Academy Award-winning director Robert Zemeckis smiles for the HollywoodChicago.com lens at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” train tour at Chicago’s Union Station on July 24, 2009.
robertzemeckis2: Former Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook strikes a casual pose for the HollywoodChicago.com camera at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” train tour at Chicago’s Union Station on July 24, 2009.
robertzemeckis3: Left to right: Amtrak chief marketing officer David Lim, “A Christmas Carol” director Robert Zemeckis and former Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook cut the ribbon to officialy open Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” train tour to the public at Chicago’s Union Station on July 24, 2009.

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

Interview: Willem Dafoe on Lars von Trier’s Controversial ‘Antichrist’

BrianTT — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:32:06 -0600

CHICAGO – The legendary Willem Dafoe, star of modern classics like “Platoon” and “Shadow of the Vampire,” is still one of the hardest working men in Hollywood. He has two films opening this week, a cameo role in “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant” and a lead in the controversial “Antichrist,” which he brought to the 45th Chicago International Film Festival and took time for an interview with HollywoodChicago.com.

Lars von Trier’s “Antichrist” has been stirring up controversy since it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. With graphic violence, nudity, and themes not often seen in movies, “Antichrist” has been polarizing audiences. One thing commonly agreed upon is the quality of the performances at the center of the piece. Gainsbourg won an acting award at Cannes and Dafoe has been receiving unanimous praise.

Willem Dafoe on the red carpet for the Chicago International Film Festival premiere of Antichrist.
Photo credit: Joe Arce/HollywoodChicago.com

Dafoe stars as “He” to Gainsbourg’s “She”. The unnamed pair are the only characters in a dark drama about a couple suffering through unimaginable grief after their child falls out a window. They retreat to a cabin the woods to analyze their depression and end up traveling deeper down the rabbit hole of obsession, pain, and, ultimately violence.

Antichrist.
Photo credit: IFC Films

The more graphic elements of “Antichrist” have provoked walk-outs in some markets and even at the CIFF screening. To Dafoe, it’s not just the horror elements of the piece that is dividing audiences.

“It’s a film that’s hard to account for,” says Dafoe. “And there are some very extreme things that you’re not used to seeing in films. People react to that and sometimes they’re very literal. They think the movie is about that. I think the strong reaction is people hanging their hat on the extremeness of it. When they’re lazy, they put very simple politics on it. I think what makes it difficult is the unrelenting examination of depression, despair, guilt. People really have a hard time with, although they admire Charlotte’s performance, they have a hard time accepting what she’s thinking.”

With a film so deep in symbolism and subtext, one might think that getting under the skin of these characters might be difficult, but Dafoe describes the process of making “Antichrist” as something closer to therapy.

Dafoe says, “For me, I had a very specific task. It was scripted. This wasn’t true improvisation. But we weren’t rehearsed. So, we would learn our dialogue and, because the shooting style is very loose and we weren’t rehearsed, it felt a little like improvisation. You only have your task and this dialogue as a way to get you to your task but there were so many things that you couldn’t factor in because they weren’t figured out in rehearsal. It sounds simple. Conventionally, in a scene like those early scenes that are quite talky, you knew where they started and where they ended, but how you got from point A to point C was a big question mark.

As part of the preparation, I studied and sat in on behavioral therapy sessions. So, I knew some of the language because has Lars has taken that therapy and knew some of the language. So, some of the situation, we knew the structure. When you say, “Is it difficult to be real?” No. Because I had real things to do. And, also, the terrifying and the vulnerable part is that, in rehearsal, you haven’t blocked out movement, set expectation, tone.

Antichrist.
Photo credit: IFC Films

So, on one hand, you’re scared to death and feel very insecure because you have nothing to root for. On the other hand, because you don’t and because the camera is very fluid and the lights are set with very few technical obligations…he doesn’t work with a traditional cutting pattern. He believes anything can cut to anything. You’re not doing coverage in a traditional way. So, you’re also very free. What you’re doing is what’s happening.”

Naturally, something this dark can be hard for an actor to leave behind on the set. Dafoe has long objected to the theory, saying that he often thought that the camera “activated” the character and that when it was off, the character was left there. But “Antichrist,” a film that the actor has seen three times himself, And he admits, “As I get older, I find that when I do a role like this and I have a lot of responsibility, it becomes harder and harder to shake.”

He later expands on the idea - “I never think of what I do as therapy but what I do is very personal, so how can you not take it personally. That’s the only way you don’t become cynical about what you do. It has to stay personal. You’re exploring how you feel, seeing how your brain works, your relationship to other people, challenge what you think about who you are, the myth of personality, etc. You’re playing with a lot of things that aren’t intended as therapy but bringing your life into your work. These are things I think about anyway but they’re focused in a constructive way.”

When von Trier approached Dafoe with “Antichrist,” even he wasn’t sure what the final product would look like. He says, “I read a script and some of it is so shocking that I think “How are we going to do these things?” I mean literally. “Lars, do you REALLY mean this? Am I gonna do this? Are we gonna do this? How are you going to shoot it?” So, I knew. But he’s considered…look, his movies are always arthouse movies. Having said that, it had horror film elements that kind of made it more popular obviously and I still think that’s a possibility, but it’s not really a horror film. It borrows from horror language. But it doesn’t satisfy if you go into it expecting a horror film. I think it’s too demanding. Horror films are usually about titillation and playing a game with the audience. This film is a little too demanding for your average horror film.”

Antichrist.
Photo credit: IFC Films

Dafoe goes in-depth about what “Antichrist” means to him and what it could mean to you when he says, “It gets under your skin and it’s very much….When I see a movie like this, it gets me in touch with certain dark parts of me that allow me to kind of embrace a bottom line. If you can embrace that darkness, it can be kind of exhilarating. It’s when we can’t think about those things that we feel the repression; we feel the boredom; we feel the tedium. This film is very rough but in its more lyrical moments I feel oddly exhilarated. Like the very enigmatic epilogue. I feel inexplicably moved by that.”

A good place to see demanding film is at a film festival and Dafoe recognizes the importance of events like the 45th Chicago International Film Festival, noting, “I just think it’s a broader thing about film and an exchange of ideas and taking stuff, particularly international elements, and bringing them locally. It’s very important. It’s a quality of life thing. Americans have always entrusted the marketplace to give them their culture. That works for the most part. Because of that we have very strong popular culture.

But the entertainment and art that is a little more difficult or a little more cutting edge can’t be sustained economically by itself and so it needs a little help. And one of the ways that you give films a good forum and allow people to speak about them and get people interested in something they may be unfamiliar with is a film festival. At its best, it represents an exchange of ideas and also just a cross-fertilization.”

Hopefully, you experienced the cross-fertilization of the 45th Chicago International Film Festival. If not, check out our extensive coverage and don’t miss “Antichrist,” opening in theaters this Friday, October 23rd, 2009.

Before you go, check out the preview for “Antichrist,” courtesy of IFC Films:

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

Exclusive Portrait: Julie Andrews of ‘The Sound of Music’ at Chicagoland Book Signing

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:36:36 -0600

CHICAGO – Film icon Julie Andrews greeted the HollywoodChicago.com lens before meeting fans and signing copies of her new book “Julie Andrews’ Collection of Poems, Songs & Lullabies” on Oct. 14, 2009 at the Borders in Schaumburg, Ill.

Julie Andrews has starred in “Mary Poppins,” “The Sound of Music,” “The Princess Diaries,” “Shrek 2,” “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement,” “Shrek the Third,” “Enchanted” and more. Our exclusive portrait of Julie Andrews is below.

Like a spoon full of sugar, film icon Julie Andrews greets the HollywoodChicago.com lens
before meeting fans and signing copies of her new book “Julie Andrews’ Collection of
Poems, Songs & Lullabies” on Oct. 14, 2009 at the Borders in Schaumburg, Ill.
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

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

Red Carpet: Willem Dafoe at the 2009 Chicago International Film Festival in Lars von Trier’s ‘Antichrist’

PatrickMcD — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:50:22 -0600

CHICAGO – Willem Dafoe, the intense and excitable actor in so many classic films, walked the red carpet at the Chicago International Film Festival October 12th, representing the premiere of his new film with director Lars von Trier, “Antichrist.”

HollywoodChicago.com was on the scene, and spoke briefly with Willem Dafoe.

Neither Hero nor Villain: Willem Dafoe at the Chicago International Film Festival, October 12, 2009.
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com: What was the most pleasant thing about working with Lars Van Trier?

Willem Dafoe: I’ve worked with him before and although he has the reputation as a bit of a monster, but for me he is a sweetheart. The most surprising thing is that he is really sincere, he really gives himself to the work without condition. I met few people who really do it as he does, which really goes against his reputation as a an intellectual, sly and glib.

This was a very passionate, personal and sincere project, and whether you like it or not, it’s nice to be around someone who is smart and knows how to make films. It gives your job more importance because you’re entrusted with this precious thing.

HC: You seem to be pursuing roles of variety and depth. How would you describe the way you control your own destiny in your career path?

WD: I don’t, nobody does. Everyone that thinks they do, it’s an illusion. Even the 20 million dollar guys. Projects find you and you find projects. You can say no and you do say no. It’s always a combination of flukey things.

I do cultivate relationships. And once I like someone, I go towards them. And once I have a good time working with them, if it makes sense, I will work with them again.

HC Which type of character do you find personally more interesting and why – the hero or the villain?

WD: I don’t know what hero and villain is. I like to think I play heroic bad guys and villainous heroes (laughs). I think the most interesting characters are the ones that don’t share my take on life. It’s a perspective you have to go towards, and inhabit. If you can connect with someone else’s point of view it’s a thrilling thing that happens. You leave yourself behind, and I don’t know how deep it runs, but it feels like transformation.

HollywoodChicago.com’s Brian Tallerico has a full interview with Willem Dafoe next week, in anticipation of the release of “Antichrist” on October 23rd. The Chicago International Film Festival runs until October 22th. Click here for details.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Slideshow: Chicago Premiere of Documentary ‘I Know a Woman Like That’ With Virginia Madsen

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:13:28 -0600

CHICAGO – This three-image slideshow contains our red-carpet photography for the Chicago premiere of the documentary “I Know a Woman Like That” as part of the 2009 Chicago International Film Festival.

“I Know a Woman Like That” stars the Oscar-nominated Virginia Madsen. The film is produced by Virginia Madsen, Elaine Madsen and Karly Meola and directed by Elaine Madsen (Virginia Madsen’s mother). Virginia Madsen has been featured in “The Haunting in Connecticut,” “Diminished Capacity,” “The Number 23,” “The Astronaut Farmer,” “Sideways” and more.

virginiamadsen1: Chicago actress and producer Virginia Madsen smiles for the HollywoodChicago.com camera following the Chicago International Film Festival premiere and audience Q&A of the documentary “I Know A Woman Like That” (which was directed by her mother, Elaine Madsen) on Oct. 13, 2009 at Columbia College.
virginiamadsen2: Actress Virginia Madsen and her mother, Elaine Madsen, pose for the HollywoodChicago.com lens following the premiere of “I Know A Woman Like That”.
virginiamadsen3: Actress Virginia Madsen and her mother, Elaine Madsen, join a panel of accomplished film and TV makers for a audience Q&A following the premiere of Elaine Madsen’s documentary “I Know A Woman Like That” as part of the Chicago International Film Festival.
The panel (from left to right) included filmmakers Sharon Zurek, Wenhwa Ts’ao, Diana Fabianova, Elaine Madsen (above), TV producer Annie Porter, moderator and Columbia College dean of media arts Doreen Bartoni as well as Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen.

Read our interview with Virginia Madsen on “The Astronaut Farmer”.

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

Slideshow: Chicago Premiere of ‘Motherhood’ With Uma Thurman, Director Katherine Dieckmann, Mayor Daley

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:10:43 -0600

CHICAGO – This five-image slideshow contains our ace photographer Joe Arce’s shots from the red carpet for the Chicago premiere of “Motherhood” on Oct. 8, 2009.

Star Uma Thurman walked the red carpet for the opening night of the 45th-annual Chicago International Film Festival along with director Katherine Dieckmann, festival panelist Paula Wagner, actress and jury head Jacqueline Bisset and Chicago mayor Richard Daley.

“Motherhood” stars Uma Thurman, Minnie Driver, Anthony Edwards, David Schallipp, Matthew Schallipp, Jackie Stewart, Stephanie Szostak, Daisy Tahan and Jake M. Smith from writer and director Katherine Dieckmann. The film opens in Chicago on Oct. 23, 2009.

umathurman: Uma Thurman strikes a smoldering pose for the HollywoodChicago.com lens as she walks the red carpet on Oct. 8, 2009 at the premiere of her new film “Motherhood” for the opening night of the 45th-annual Chicago International Film Festival. Uma Thurman was honored with a career achievement award.
katherinedieckmann: “Motherhood” director Katherine Dieckmann.
paulawagner: Chicago International Film Festival panelist Paula Wagner.
jacquelinebisset: Actress and Chicago International Film Festival jury head Jacqueline Bisset.
richarddaley: Chicago mayor Richard Daley.

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

Exclusive Portrait: Emmy-Winning Chicago Comedian Kathy Griffin For ‘Official Book Club Selection’ Signing

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:07:38 -0600

CHICAGO – Chicago comedian and self-described Emmy-winning D-lister Kathy Griffin bit her tongue and beamed for the HollywoodChicago.com lens on Oct. 7, 2009. She was signing her memoir “Official Book Club Selection” for hundreds of waiting fans at Borders on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

Griffin is performing four shows at the Chicago Theater from Oct. 8 to Oct. 11, 2009. She has been on 92 episodes of “Suddenly Susan,” 15 episodes of “Dilbert” and has been featured in “Pulp Fiction” and “The Cable Guy”. Our exclusive portrait of Kathy Griffin is below.

Chicago comedian and self-described Emmy Award-winning D-lister Kathy Griffin bites her
tongue and beams for the HollywoodChicago.com camera on Oct. 7, 2009 prior to signing
her memoir “Official Book Club Selection” at Borders on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

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