Tom Berenger

Blu-ray Review: Impressive Scope of Mini-Series ‘Hatfields & McCoys’

BrianTT — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 16:05:51 -0400

CHICAGO – The History Channel waited years to debut their first narrative property but the wait seemed to be worth it both for fans and for the network that’s probably still counting their profits from one of the biggest TV events of 2012 and one of the year’s most notable Emmy nominees. I had my doubts going into the recent Blu-ray release of “Hatfields & McCoys” but this is an impressive mini-series of the type they don’t really make any more. It’s not surprising it was huge in the ratings and I expect the Blu-ray to sell for years (especially around Father’s Day and the holidays).

Rating: 3.5/5.0

They really spared no expense with this 290-minute production that has as impressive technical elements as most major Hollywood motion pictures. Honestly, Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton haven’t gotten roles this juicy on the big screen in years and it’s great to see actors like Tom Berenger, Powers Boothe, and Mare Winningham — three others not being given roles up to their talents by Hollywood — given a chance to shine. I don’t mean to imply that “Hatfields” is merely a project by former A-list stars but it does lead one to hope that more actors who can’t find the right parts in blockbusters turn to television.

It’s also an impressive Blu-ray given the production values of the mini-series and how they shine in HD. This is a typically-for-Sony stellar video transfer and the audio matches it. The special features are a bit slight but fans of this epic tale will be happy just to have their favorite TV event in HD. With the success of “Hatfields & McCoys,” we can expect a lot more epic TV mini-series over the next few years. Own the one that proved to the industry there was more than just a little life left in this former staple of the TV schedule.

Hatfields and McCoys was released on Blu-ray and DVD on July 31, 2012
Photo credit: Sony

Synopsis:
Bonded by their oath to the same flag, two confederate soldiers, “Devil” Anse Hatfield (Kevin Costner) and Randall McCoy (Bill Paxton), return home seeking peace after tireless months of battle. Their expectations are quickly shattered when a murder based on misunderstandings and an illicit love affair trigger warfare between former comrades and their clans. This historic feud teeters on the brink of an all out civil war as friends and neighbors join opposing sides in a rivalry that would ultimately shape American History.

Click here to buy “Hatfields & McCoys”

Special Features:
o The Making of “Hatfields & McCoys”
o “I Know These Hills” music video featuring Kevin Costner & Modern West

“Hatfields & McCoys stars Kevin Costner, Bill Paxton, Tom Berenger, Powers Boothe, Mare Winningham, Sarah Parish, Matt Barr, Jena Malone, and Andrew Howard. It was directed by Kevin Reynolds and released on Blu-ray and DVD on July 31, 2012.

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

Film Review: Stephen Dorff Gets Trapped in Deeply Flawed ‘Brake’

BrianTT — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:57:48 -0400

Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – With obvious comparisons to “24” and “Buried,” Gabe Torres’ “Brake” comes with a bit of referential baggage in its trunk. Also in there is Secret Service Agent Jeremy Reins (Stephen Dorff), a man trapped in a nightmarish kidnapping situation in the trunk of a car. He wakes up there and it’s where the vast majority of “Brake” takes place as he’s tortured physically and mentally by a group of terrorists trying to find the Executive Branch’s secret bunker.

Much like “Buried,” “Brake” is a one-man, real-time, claustrophobic location piece. Instead of “Ryan Reynolds in a trunk,” this one is “Stephen Dorff in a coffin,” although it does carve out enough of its own personality to stand apart from the comparisons and not feel like the rip-off that you might expect from the previews. Dorff is stellar and the film builds some tension but a bit too much required suspension of disbelief, some plot holes, weak dialogue, and two increasingly silly twist endings ultimately sink the piece. It’s only opening in major cities, however, so it will be essentially straight-to-DVD for most audiences in a few months and, judged on that standard, it’s a decent rental.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Brake” in our reviews section.

Agent Jeremy Reins is about to have a VERY bad morning. He wakes up in the aforementioned trunk and finds himself staring at a series of numbers…a ticking countdown. Every time it hits zero, something major happens like a new phone call, movement by the car, or bees. Yes, bees. Reins is being tortured. He has a ham radio and eventually has a phone. He begins talking to a man in another trunk with his own countdown and mental and physical torture. He also eventually communicates with his wife Molly (Chyler Leigh) and learns that she’s having a bad day as well. What do Jeremy’s captors want? Will he give it to them? Will he get out of the trunk? What kind of car has that kind of space?

Continue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Brake” review.

“Brake” stars Stephen Dorff, Chyler Leigh, Tom Berenger, and Pruitt Taylor Vince. It was written by Timothy Mannion and directed by Gabe Torres. It opens in New York on March 23rd, 2012.

Brake
Photo credit: IFC Films

Blu-Ray Review: 25th Anniversary of Oliver Stone’s Devastating ‘Platoon’

BrianTT — Thu, 26 May 2011 16:59:54 -0400

CHICAGO – Oliver Stone’s “Platoon” is easily one of the most important films in my life. It came out in theaters when I was eleven and I saw it not long after that on VHS. My parents decided that, despite the intensity of the film, its subject matter was important enough that I could handle it even at a young age. I remember being simply blown away by the movie for numerous reasons.

Blu-Ray Rating: 4.5/5.0

The film is a technical masterpiece with a personal touch. Not only did it open a chapter of history for me in new ways but it showed me how film could be used to deal with personal demons, as Stone so clearly does with this work. Winning several Oscars, including Best Picture, the movie stands as one of the best war films ever made and it makes its HD debut this week in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack.

The 25th anniversary of “Platoon” includes hours of special features and a stellar transfer. Sometimes Fox can be a bit hit-and-miss with their catalog titles (a few recent releases have been disappointing), but this one is strong. There’s just the right amount of grain, the line detail is consistent, and the colors aren’t overly polished or too muted. The memorable score (which has been used in previews for the quarter-century since) has also been very nicely mixed.

Platoon was released on Blu-Ray on May 24, 2011
Photo credit: Fox Home Video

As for special features, the commentaries by Stone and the great Dale Dye are both fantastic. Sure, most of this material has been available before and so it’s hard to give this edition too much praise, but the fact that the film has been well-supplemented in the past shouldn’t be a demerit on a new version of a great piece of work. Having said that, if you own “Platoon” already on standard DVD and are happy enough with the transfer, then you probably don’t need to upgrade right now simply because you may be disappointed by the lack of new material.

“Platoon” doesn’t get the love of some of its ’80s peers like “Raging Bull,” “Blue Velvet,” or the works of Steven Spielberg, but this is unquestionably one of the best works of that decade. Don’t miss the war movie that could change your life.

Synopsis:
PLATOON tells the extraordinary journey of Private Chris Taylor (Sheen), a young, naive American who arrives in Vietnam and quickly discovers he must battle the Viet Cong alongside the gnawing fear, physical exhaustion and intense anger growing within him. His two commanding officers (Oscar-nominated Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe) draw a fine line between the war they wage against the enemy and the one they fight with each other. Meanwhile, the conflict, chaos and hatred permeate Taylor, suffocating his realities and numbing his feelings to man’s highest value: life.

Special Features:
o Audio Commentary with Director Oliver Stone
o Audio Commentary with Military Advisor Dale Dye
o Deleted & Extended Scenes
o Flashback to Platoon
o Creating the ‘Nam
o Raw Wounds: The Legacy of Platoon
o One War, Many Stories
o Preparing for ‘Nam
o Caputo & The 7th Fleet
o Dye Training Method
o Gordon Gekko
o Action
o Critical Acclaim
o The Director
o Theatrical Trailer

“Platoon” stars Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, and Willem Dafoe. It was written and directed by Oliver Stone. It was released on Blu-ray on May 24th, 2011.

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

Blu-Ray Review: Christopher Nolan’s ‘Inception’ Rewards Repeat Viewing

BrianTT — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:52:55 -0500

CHICAGO – Summer 2010 was filled with some of the laziest mainstream product in the history of the blockbuster season. Creative bankruptcy ruled almost every weekend and audiences wisely turned away from most of it. And yet the one film that will be most-remembered from the warm months of this year is the one that stood out like a black swan. “Inception,” now on Blu-ray and DVD, is the most ambitious and daring big budget summer blockbuster ever released.

Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0

Whether or not “Inception” is a masterpiece has already been widely-debated and will continue to be as more people catch up with it on Blu-ray and DVD, but it is incredibly rewarding to see that an original concept like Christopher Nolan’s can compete with sequels and blockbusters based on other properties. There’s still some work to do (“Inception” is the only non-sequel and/or non-family film in the top ten of 2010) but it’s incredibly rewarding to see that a project as completely original as this one can find a massive audience. They don’t all need to be sequels.

Inception was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on December 7th, 2010.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

“Inception” seems like a film tailor-made for Blu-ray. You can pause the action and discuss your theories on the dream-within-a-dream-within-a-dream (within a dream?) story of Nolan’s intellectually-challenging enterprise or you can just turn up the volume and bask in the HD experience. In theaters, if you left the story to get some popcorn or use the bathroom, you were probably lost when you came back in. It’s nice to have a pause button with “Inception.”

Inception was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on December 7th, 2010.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

The video and audio on the WB release of “Inception” are stunning and the way they enhance the film is key to the release, but the special features reek of a placeholder, something for people to buy this holiday season while they wait for a more Special Edition coming down the road. Here’s a hint — When there’s no commentary and no deleted scenes on a film that made as much money as “Inception,” you can be virtually guaranteed that there’s material being held for a double dip. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

At its core, “Inception” is about a man trying to deal with tragedy. The man is Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a soul forever changed by his travels through the mind. In the first scene, his partner in crime Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) admonishes him for bringing his dead wife Mal (Marion Cotillard) into the action of the subconscious. Cobb is a man who can’t let go of what he has lost and has a job where he can literally manifest that loss in physical form. He has to face down the demons of his mind literally to survive “Inception.”

Cobb and his team are hired by businessman Saito (Ken Watanabe) to perform the task of inception. Cobb has made a living stealing ideas from people’s dream states but he now must perform the opposite maneuver and implant something deep enough in someone’s brain that the mark thinks that the idea is actually his own. Said idea is for the son (Cillian Murphy) of a recently-passed mega-mogul to break up his father’s company. Cobb gathers a team that includes an “Architect” named Ariadne (Ellen Page), a chameleonic muscle man named Eames (Tom Hardy), and a master of sedatives named Yusuf (Dileep Rao). They will make up the group that essentially performs an elaborate heist. It’s not unlike “Ocean’s 11” or other heist movies in the sense that Cobb needs to complete one last amazing job before he retires. Call it “Cobb’s 6.”

Inception was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on December 7th, 2010.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Maybe. That’s one reading of “Inception.” There are others. In fact, it’s possible that the first half of the film is just as dream-based as the second. Whatever your interpretation, Nolan and his insanely-talented production team are constantly trying to keep the viewer slightly left-of-center. Even in the “real world,” it’s hard to find your bearings. Cobb notes that most dreams start in the middle as you can never remember how you got there. Almost every scene in “Inception” starts in the middle. And Nolan uses his score in an unusual way, not beginning or ending scene breaks and adding to the sense that something’s just not right even before Cobb and his crew take their dream journey. “Inception” is about dreams within dreams that is ultimately a film within a film within a film. Who is more of the architect of a dream world than Nolan himself?

Technically, “Inception” is jaw-dropping. Wally Pfister’s cinematography is a stunning blend of shadow and light while Lee Smith’s editing is as essential to the overall piece as any editor’s work this entire year. The visual effects are unbelievable, including an action sequence between Arthur and some security guards in which gravity becomes a non-factor that is one of the most impressive ever filmed.

In theaters, some criticized the lack of an emotional through line in the piece, but that criticism falls away on second viewing at home. Now that you know all the twists and turns, watch the movie again and focus on just Cobb and Mal. The emotion is there. Both DiCaprio and Cotillard are spectacular. They break the film down to its essentials in that it’s about trust, obsession, and loss.

Sadly, the Blu-ray release of “Inception” could be considered a bit of a disappointment. The commercials have touted “90 minutes of special features.” 90 minutes?!?! In today’s market, that’s nothing, not with a 3-disc, multi-hour version of “Avatar” sitting on the shelf. People talked about “Inception” for longer than 90 minutes in coffee shops after seeing it. What is here is interesting, especially the piece about dreams, and the behind-the-scenes material is well-organized and interesting, there just isn’t quite enough of it. Maybe next summer.

Special Features:
o Extraction Mode
o Dreams: Cinema of the Subconscious
o Inception: The Cobol Job
o 5.1 Soundtrack Selections From Hans Zimmer’s Versatile Score
o Conceptual Art, Promotional Art and Trailer/TV Spot Galleries
o BD-Live: Project Somnacin: Confidential Files
o DVD Version
o Digital Copy

“Inception” stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Marion Cotillard, Pete Postlethwaite, and Michael Caine. It was written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It was released on Blu-ray and DVD on December 7th, 2010.

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

Film Review: Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton Are Redemptive in ‘Faster’

PatrickMcD — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 09:24:05 -0500

CHICAGO – The Action Film is getting a bit creaky, relying more on computer generated eye candy than character or plot. It is refreshing to experience a film like “Faster,” featuring Dwayne Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton, because it is an action film that means something, and puts its inhabitants on a path to their own salvation.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Dwayne Johnson is Driver, a mysterious hulk of a man who is introduced on his last day of a prison sentence. He has served 10 years for a crime he did commit, and throughout that sentence remained an independent operator, shunned by all in the lock-up hellhole. He is bent on revenge upon the persons who have put him there, and killed his brother. Someone has left a Detroit muscle car for him to use (naturally) with plenty of weaponry firepower therein.

The Driver has had a Bakersfield, California, private investigator (Mike Epps) track down where all of his prey lives. He takes the list and kills the first perpetrator. This begins a couple of main cat and mouse chases. The local police get involved, including detectives Cicero (Carla Gugino) and Cop (Billy Boy Thornton). The Cop is going through a bad stretch, estranged from his wife and kid, feeding a bad drug habit and trying to make it ten days until retirement (ha!).

The other pursuer is Killer (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), a creatively original action character who is a software millionaire that can’t jack up his life large enough, so he becomes a killer for hire. He is assigned to dispatch Driver, and has the fast foreign cars, superior weaponry and curvaceous associate to inspire him.

Can Driver get his revenge before the law and the lawless catch up to him? Given that he is virtually unstoppable (natch) and he has the power of retribution on his side, don’t count him out. It may take another power to defuse this explosive situation, and it needs to get here faster.

”Faster” opens everywhere on November 24th. Featuring Dwayne Johnson, Billy Boy Thorton, Carla Gugino, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Tom Berenger, Mike Epps, Moon Bloodgood and Buzz Belmondo. Screenplay by Tony Gayton and Joe Gayton, directed by George Tillman, Jr. Rated “R”

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Faster”

The Killers: Dwayne Johnson as Driver and Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Killer in ‘Faster’
Photo credit: © CBS Films

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Faster”

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 25 Chicago Passes to ‘Faster’ With Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 02:08:59 -0500

CHICAGO – In our latest action/thriller edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 25 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of the new film “Faster” with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton!

“Faster” also stars Mike Epps, Tom Berenger, Maggie Grace, Jan Hoag, Courtney Gains, Michael Irby, Josh Clark, Carla Gugino, Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Sidney S. Liufau from director George Tillman Jr. and writers Tony Gayton and Joe Gayton. The film opens on Nov. 24, 2010.

To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “Faster” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This screening is on Monday, Nov. 22, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

The movie poster for “Faster” with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton.
Image credit: CBS Films

Here is the plot description for “Faster”:

After 10 years in prison, Driver (Dwayne Johnson) has a singular focus: to avenge the murder of his brother during the botched bank robbery that led to his imprisonment.

Now a free man with a deadly to-do list in hand, he’s finally on his mission. But he has two men on his trail: a veteran cop (Billy Bob Thornton) just days from retirement and a young, ego-centric hitman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) with a flair for the art of killing. The hunter is also the hunted. It’s a do-or-die race to the list’s finish as the mystery surrounding his brother’s murder deepens and new details emerge along the way hinting that Driver’s list may be incomplete.

Dwayne Johnson (“Gridiron Gang,” “The Scorpion King,” “The Mummy Returns”), Billy Bob Thornton (“Eagle Eye,” “Monster’s Ball”) and newcomer Oliver Jackson-Cohen star with Carla Gugino (“Watchmen”), Maggie Grace (“Taken”) and Moon Bloodgood (“Terminator Salvation”) in “Faster”: a co-production between CBS Films (the film division within CBS Corp.) and TriStar Pictures (a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment).

George Tillman Jr. (“Notorious,” “Men of Honor,” “Soul Food”) directs from a screenplay by Joe Gayton and Tony Gayton. “Faster” wrapped principal photography in April 2010 and will hit U.S. theaters on Nov. 24, 2010. The film is produced by Castle Rock Entertainment’s Martin Shafer and Liz Glotzer along with Tony Gayton and State Street Pictures’ Robert Teitel. Joe Gayton and Dara Weintraub are executive producers.

The movie trailer for “Faster” can be watched now below.

To secure your free tickets now, make sure you’re logged into your HollywoodChicago.com account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having an account with a valid e-mail address is required. Then, simply add a new comment in the form below. In your comment, include an answer to this question:

What’s the best way to achieve ultimate revenge?

Like all Hookups here, this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup is simple: Just submit your comment below and we will award 25 admit-two tickets randomly via e-mail for our “Faster” Hookup. Winners need to arrive early as seats are consumed on a first-come, first-served basis. Good luck!

Tell Your Friends About HollywoodChicago.com on Facebook & Twitter!

Along with entering yourself in this Hookup, tell your friends you’ve found the best source for regular entertainment giveaways by liking HollywoodChicago.com on Facebook and following us on Twitter! The more people who follow us, the better giveaways we can offer you!

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

Film Review: Following ‘The Dark Knight,’ Nolan’s ‘Inception’ is a Mind-Stupefying Masterpiece

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:11:21 -0400

CHICAGO – After thinking it’d take “a couple months” to ink, director Christopher Nolan (of “The Dark Knight” fame) took eight years to painstakingly write the “Inception” script. And you can tell. It’s his first pure masterpiece.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

The curiously cast film stars the I’m-trying-to-be-badass Brody as he attempts to fill the more authentic shoes of Arnold Schwarzenegger from 1987’s “Predator”. “Inception” is a rare summer blockbuster that lives up to the hype and bucks the typical formula. Like “The Usual Suspects,” you can’t miss a second or you’ll fall behind.

Still, considering the hype for his “The Dark Knight” in 2008 (which arguably featured the most aggressive and successful viral networking campaign of all time), “Inception” went beneath the hype radar as compared to that monolithic blockbuster.

Read Adam Fendelman’s full review of “Inception”.

Almost exactly two years after “The Dark Knight” hit theaters and obliterated box-office records, the film has now grossed more than a whopping $1 billion on a production budget of $185 million. And while “Inception” is piggybacking off of the success from “The Dark Knight” by selling it as coming “from the director that brought you ‘The Dark Knight,’” there’s little comparison.

That said, it’s no surprise why the cinematography looks similar – and similarly masterful – in the two films. Veteran Wally Pfister was again enlisted as cinematographer for “Inception” after shooting other Nolan films including “The Prestige,” “Batman Begins,” “Insomnia” and “Memento”.

“Inception” from writer and director Christopher Nolan stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine, Dileep Rao, Pete Postlethwaite, Lukas Haas, Tai-Li Lee, Claire Geare and Magnus Nolan. The film, which is rated “PG-13” for sequences of violence and action throughout, has a running time of 148 minutes. “Inception” opened nationwide on July 16, 2010.

Continue reading for Adam Fendelman’s full “Inception” review.

Ken Watanabe (back) in “Inception”.
Image credit: Steven Vaughan, Warner Bros.

Continue reading for Adam Fendelman’s full “Inception” review.

Slideshow: 23-Image Gallery For ‘Inception’ Starring Leonardo DiCaprio

BrianTT — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:25:51 -0400

CHICAGO – This 23-image slideshow contains a selection of the official press images for the highly anticipated “Inception,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, and Michael Caine. The film was written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It will be released on July 16th, 2010.

Synopsis: “Acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan directs an international cast in “Inception,” an original sci-fi actioner that travels around the globe and into the intimate and infinite world of dreams.

Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled thief, the best in the dangerous art of extraction: stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb’s rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible—inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse; their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime.

But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming.”

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos courtesy of Warner Brothers Pictures and photos #1-14 credited to Steven Vaughan with photos #15-23 credited to Melissa Moseley. All Rights Reserved.

Inception_01: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Leonardo DiCaprio
Inception_02: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Inception_03: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cillian Murphy
Inception_04: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Inception_05: Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard
Inception_06: Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy, Leonardo DiCaprio
Inception_07: Leonardo DiCaprio
Inception_08: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page
Inception_09: Tom Hardy
Inception_10: Dileep Rao, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe
Inception_11: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Inception_12: Leonardo DiCaprio
Inception_13: Ken Watanabe
Inception_14: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy
Inception_15: Leonardo DiCaprio, Christopher Nolan
Inception_16: Leonardo DiCaprio
Inception_17: Ken Watanabe, Marion Cotillard
Inception_18: Leonardo DiCaprio
Inception_19: Ellen Page, Leonardo DiCaprio
Inception_20: Leonardo DiCaprio
Inception_21: Leonardo DiCaprio
Inception_22: Christopher Nolan
Inception_23: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page

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

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 40 Chicago Passes to VIP ‘Inception’ Screening With Dinner, Drinks

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:38:14 -0400

CHICAGO – Exclusive! In our latest VIP edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 40 admit-one passes up for grabs for our own movie theater screening of “Inception,” which is one of the most-anticipated films of 2010 from the director of “The Dark Knight”! Even more, these VIP passes even come with a free dinner at the theater and free drinks, too!

“Inception” from writer and director Christopher Nolan stars a star-studded cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy, Magnus Nolan, Claire Geare, Tai-Li Lee, Lukas Haas, Pete Postlethwaite and Dileep Rao.

This screening is on Monday, July 12 in the west suburbs of Chicago. From 6 to 7 p.m., winners will be treated to a reception with complimentary cocktails and passed appetizers. At 7 p.m., local winners will be the first to see “Inception” and will be treated to complimentary in-theater shared dinner plates, drinks and dessert! Winners need to arrive by 6 p.m. on July 12.

Please do not enter this Hookup if you can’t make it at this time or on the date to the west suburbs of Chicago. Since this is our own movie theater screening and it’s an exclusive offering, we are requesting 100 percent attendance for those who RSVP and win. If you win and later find out you can’t make it, please tell us ASAP using this e-mail address.

To win your free VIP “Inception” pass courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just refer a few friends to the HollywoodChicago.com mailing in this secure, Web-based submission form. That’s it! Directions to enter this Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

The movie poster for “Inception” with Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page.
Image credit: Warner Bros.

Here is the plot synopsis for “Inception”:

Acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan directs an international cast in “Inception”. It’s an original sci-fi actioner that travels around the globe and into the intimate and infinite world of dreams.

Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled thief. He’s the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction. He steals valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb’s rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved.

Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back, but only if he can accomplish the impossible: inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse. Their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime.

But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. It’s an enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming. This summer, your mind is the scene of the crime.

“Inception” stars three-time Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio (“Blood Diamond,” “Aviator”), Academy Award nominee Ken Watanabe (“The Last Samurai”), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“500 Days of Summer”), Oscar winner Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose”), Academy Award nominee Ellen Page (“Juno”), Tom Hardy (“RocknRolla,” “Bronson”), Cillian Murphy (“Batman Begins”), Tom Berenger (“Training Day”), Dileep Rao (“Avatar”) and two-time Oscar winner Michael Caine (“Hannah and Her Sisters,” “The Cider House Rules”).

“Inception” is written and directed by Christopher Nolan. He also produced the film with Emma Thomas. Chris Brigham and Thomas Tull served as executive producers with Jordan Goldberg co-producing.

The movie trailer for “Inception” can be viewed now below.

To secure your free VIP pass, you must be logged into your HollywoodChicago.com Web site account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having a free Web site account with a valid e-mail address is required to win this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup.

Next, simply refer a few friends to the HollywoodChicago.com mailing. You must submit your referrals using this confidential, Web-based submission form. Please do not submit your referrals in this Hookup. Your entry will be invalid if you only submit here and don’t submit into our Web-based form. Please only submit your referrals using this secure submission form.

You must include your first and last name, e-mail address and friend referrals in your submission. Your personal information will not be sold or shared, will be kept strictly confidential and is only for awarding winning entries. The e-mail address referrals of your friends will not be sold or shared elsewhere. They will be added to our mailing list only.

The more e-mail addresses you submit, the better your chances of winning! Your assistance in helping us grow our mailing list brings you bigger and better giveaways. Your friends will receive a friendly e-mail from us notifying them of your referral before they begin receiving our non-annoying mailing, which isn’t sent too often. Our mailing adheres to all laws required by the CAN-SPAM Act and always provides an unsubscribe link. Please submit your referrals at the link below.

Submit the e-mail address referrals of your friends here!

This HollywoodChicago.com Hookup is simple: 40 lucky HollywoodChicago.com readers will be randomly selected as the VIP winners for our “Inception” Hookup! Winners will be added to our guest list and must bring a valid ID to the theater. Good luck!

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