Tim Curry

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 25 Pairs of Passes to ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ in 35-Millimeter

HollywoodChicago.com — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 23:26:00 -0400

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 25 pairs of movie passes up for grabs to the Music Box Theatre’s 35-millimeter showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”!

The film stars Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Meat Loaf, Richard O’Brien, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell, Jonathan Adams, Peter Hinwood, Charles Gray, Jeremy Newson, Hilary Labow, Perry Bedden, Christopher Biggins and Gaye Brown from writer and director Jim Sharman based on the original musical play by Richard O’Brien.

To win your “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” passes courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our unique Hookup technology below. This showing is on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012 at 10 p.m. at the Music Box Theatre at 3733 N. Southport in Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning!

Before entering, make sure you allow pop-ups.
If viewing this on your phone, click “Go to Full Site” at the bottom of the page to enter.
Deadline: Entries can continue being submitted through Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012
at 5 p.m. CST. These Hookup winners will be awarded via e-mail that night.
If necessary: To see your entry count on a repeat visit, submit your name and e-mail again.

Here is the synopsis for “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”:

This notorious horror parody – a fast-paced potpourri of camp, sci-fi and rock ‘n roll – tracks the exploits of naïve couple Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon) after they stumble upon the lair of transvestite Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry). The film – a bizarre musical co-starring Meat Loaf and Richard O’Brien – bombed in its initial release but later gained a cult following at midnight showings.

The poster for “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” with Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon.
Image credit: 20th Century Fox

The movie trailer for “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” can be watched now below.

This HollywoodChicago.com Hookup is simple! Just get interactive in our unique Hookup technology above. We will award 25 admit-two movie tickets based on social entry numbers and/or randomly via e-mail for our “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” Hookup. Good luck!

Disclaimer
Winners need to arrive early as seats are consumed on a first-come, first-served basis. Since showings are overbooked to ensure a full house, winners are not guaranteed entrance and must arrive early. We recommend arriving 45 minutes before the showing’s scheduled start time. HollywoodChicago.com LLC is a promotional partner with the studio and its partners and doesn’t assume any liability for this giveaway. Note: Comments are closed in this Hookup.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Publisher
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-ray Review: ‘Clue: The Movie’ Wastes Game Cast with Fatally Unfunny Script

mattmovieman — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:36:04 -0400

CHICAGO – Sometimes it’s difficult to determine why a film retains its cult status over the years. Jonathan Lynn’s adaptation of the Parker Brothers board game may be fondly remembered as a cult favorite simply because its source material was so unusual (at least back in 1985). Yet unlike “Battleship,” the game of “Clue” has a built-in plot and colorful ensemble that could easily inspire an entertaining script.

Alas, “Clue: The Movie” fails to provide a worthy showcase for its spectacularly overqualified actors, who are mainly required to stand around while Tim Curry (as cunning butler Wadsworth) gabs and gabs like Albert Finney in “Murder on the Orient Express.” Curry is such an exuberant performer that he nearly saves the picture, but the tedious gobs of exposition in Lynn’s uninspired script eventually do him in. There are few things less funny than a silly gag that is over-explained to death.

Blu-ray Rating: 2.0/5.0

The action commences on a typically dark and stormy night as a group of eccentric characters turn up at a mansion for a mysterious dinner party. Through a series of sly double takes, it appears that a few of the alleged strangers may have been previously acquainted. Dotty old Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan) awkwardly attempts to break the ice, while gloomy Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn), clumsy Mr. Green (Michael McKean), perverted Professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd), dim-witted Colonel Mustard (Martin Mull) and salacious Miss Scarlet (Lesley Ann Warren) look on in bewilderment. Wadsworth reveals to the partygoers that they have all been victims of blackmail at the hands of Mr. Body (played by the wonderfully named Lee Ving of the punk band Fear). It’s not long before Mr. Body becomes a dead body, thus begging the question, “Whodunit?” Was it Mrs. Peacock with the candlestick in the library? Or Professor Plum in the study with the rope? It’s unfortunate that Lynn’s script is more concerned with answering these questions than it is in exploring any shred of comic potential. Like a really bad Mel Brooks comedy, “Clue” simply retells a familiar story while replacing substance with vulgar silliness. It’s little wonder why this picture is so popular among 11-year-olds, since that’s the age group most prone to embracing broad pratfalls. My junior high class quoted “Clue” nearly as often as “Spaceballs” and “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” I remember the film being a whole lot funnier back then.

Clue: The Movie was released on Blu-ray on August 7, 2012.
Photo credit: Paramount Home Entertainment

After helming this inauspicious directorial debut, Lynn went on to have far greater success with the crime comedies “My Cousin Vinny” and “The Whole Nine Yards,” which both provided more screen time for actors to deliver the goods. “Vinny” star Marisa Tomei surely wouldn’t have snagged the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress if the film hadn’t granted her the opportunity to deliver her biological clock speech, which serves no plot function apart from deepening her character. The banter in “Clue” is too clipped and insipid to build any comic momentum, thus forcing the actors to resort to low-rent mugging. Anytime a glimmer of hilarity materializes, the film quickly abandons it. Consider the exquisite Kahn, decked out in funeral garb and carrying an expression grim enough to suit any member of the Tenenbaum family. When she attempts to explain her overpowering hatred for an old foe, Kahn remains uproariously deadpan as she incoherently mumbles about the flames encircling her head. Lynn only allows for about ten seconds of this diversion before Curry cuts her off, but I wouldn’t have minded a full ten minutes of Kahn’s incoherent mumbling—anything to interrupt this dud of a script. Only on a few sporadic occasions does Lynn devise a legitimately funny dialogue exchange, the best of which occurs when Wadsworth interrogates Mrs. White about her past husbands.

Wadsworth: “Your first husband also disappeared!”

Mrs. White: “That was his job—he was an illusionist.”

Wadsworth: “But he never reappeared!”

Mrs. White: [pause] “He wasn’t a very good illusionist.”

“Clue: The Movie” is presented in 1080p High Definition (with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio), accompanied by English, French, Spanish and Portuguese audio tracks, and includes all three alternate endings that were randomly attached to prints during the film’s theatrical release. Viewers can choose to watch the film with one of the three endings, or all three stitched together (as they were in the film’s VHS release). All of them are beyond ludicrous, though it must be said that “Ending A” is by far the most inventive. If you are determined to watch “Clue,” I highly suggest watching it with all three endings intact, since the film isn’t nearly funny enough to make repeat viewings worth the effort…unless you happen to be 11.

‘Clue: The Movie’ is released by Paramount Home Entertainment and stars Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, Colleen Camp and Lee Ving. It was written and directed by Jonathan Lynn. It was released on August 7, 2012. It is rated PG.

By MATT FAGERHOLM
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
matt@hollywoodchicago.com

Interviews: Barry Bostwick, Patricia Quinn of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’

PatrickMcD — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:03:14 -0500

CHICAGO – Let’s do the time warp again. Never have those words been truer than at the “Hollywood Celebrities & Memorabilia Show,” where two of the prominent cast members of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” – Barry Bostwick (Brad) and Patricia Quinn (Magenta) – reunited 36 years after the film was made.

Both Bostwick and Quinn went on to have careers outside the midnight show cult classic, but that unforgettable film lives on still in theaters around the country. Bostwick, Susan Sarandon (Janet) and Meatloaf (Eddie) were the only Americans in the cast, director Jim Sharman took a smaller budget so he could use the players from the original London stage production, which included Tim Curry (Frank-N-Furter), Richard O’Brien (Riff-Raff), Quinn and Nell Campbell (Columbia).

HollywoodChicago.com got the opportunity to interview Barry Bostwick and Patricia Quinn, with Joe Arce providing his unique Exclusive Portraits.

The “Hollywood Celebrities & Memorabilia Show” is being retooled as “The Hollywood Show,” coming to Chicago in March of 2012. This biannual event is where attendees can meet TV and movie stars, plus get pictures and collect autographs. Click here for details about the show.

Barry Bostwick, of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Spin City”

Barry Bostwick is a character actor supreme, having brought himself up through the ranks of 1970s TV, film and the Broadway stage (he was the original Danny Zuko in “Grease”). Besides making a splash as Brad in RHPS, he did a distinctive turn as George Washington in two miniseries in the 1980s. In 1996, he became Mayor Randall M. Winston Jr. in the Michael J. Fox sitcom, “Spin City,” even surviving a transition on that show to Charlie Sheen. Recently he made a guest appearance on “The Rocky Horror Glee Show” and plays Roger Frank on TV’s “Cougar Town.”

Barry Bostwick at the Hollywood Celebrities & Memorabilia Show, Chicago, October 2011
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com: You were a California boy, having been born in San Mateo. What were your parent’s reaction when you first began to make a living as an actor? Did they encourage your pursuit?

Barry Bostwick: They were the first ones that paid me. I was a singer as a teenager, and we’d play our guitars and sing Kingston Trio and stuff like that. So my parents asked us to play at a neighbor’s house, and I told them yes, if they paid us. [laughs] We were only 13 or 14-years-old, and I think it was my parents who actually ponied up the cash.

HollywoodChicago.com: What do you miss most about the stage when you are away from it for a period of time and what was the longest you’ve stayed from it?

Bostwick: I don’t miss much about the stage, to me it’s a real hard job. It’s all-encompassing, 24-hour-a-day, anxious-making profession. The last real run that I did, which was ‘Nick & Nora’ in the 1990s, I said to myself that the minute I left the stage door after each performance was the happiest moment of the day. It was a problematic production, and I wish it were different. It could change, if someone came up with a project that excited me.

HollywoodChicago.com: You became known in your mid career for the exceptional interpretation of George Washington in a couple of miniseries. What element of putting together the character made you most understand him as a man?

Bostwick: There was one historical moment that was written in somebody’s diary. The diarist was attending a public function with Washington, and he observed that someone had come up and put a hand on Washington’s shoulder. And apparently he turned and gave the greeter a cold stare, and the person slowly removed their hand. They realized they had trespassed the man’s personal space and privacy. That was very telling for me, for at that point he was instinctively trying to make the role of the presidency something special, different and something to be looked up to. Yet he was a very private person. It was about his image. If he let people get too close to him, it would diminish his role.

HollywoodChicago.com: I think one of the most successful renderings of the great George Kaufman and Lorenz Hart play “You Can’t Take it With You” was the TV version done in the late 1970s. What do you remember about that set and how that incredible cast put together that classic?

Bostwick: I remember Art Carney [Grandpa] had this theatrical cough, that he was famous for, he would cough like his guts were coming up. He would do that occasionally, and everyone would fall on the floor. [laughs] Blythe Danner played opposite me, we were so young and I was a fan of hers, it was a real pleasure to work with her and see her daughter Gwyneth [Paltrow] grow up as lovely as she is. I’ve always felt close to Gwyneth because of my relationship with her mother that came from the play.

HollywoodChicago.com: What was the most difficult thing about the transition between Michael J. Fox and Charlie Sheen in the TV show ‘Spin City’? Was it hard holding onto the show once the transition was made?

A*shole!: Barry Bostwick as Brad
Photo credit: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Bostwick: The hardest thing for us was to let go of Mike. Mike had a hard time letting go of us as well, he would come back and do an episode here or there. In a way, it took Charlie a lot longer to get his feet under him, because he wasn’t handed the show on one day, there was that long, drawn-out transition. It was necessary in the public’s eye to do it that way, instead of just Mike-to-Charlie, boom that’s it. Charlie was a real team player, and enthusiastic about learning the genre. He was very focused and understood the opportunity he had in front of him.

HollywoodChicago.com: What can you tell us about Richard Kind that the rest of the world doesn’t know?

Bostwick: Richard Kind, he’s a one off, an unique human being. [laughs] He knows everybody in Hollywood. On his cellphone, he probably has everyone. There is not one night where Richard Kind can’t find a party, or a dinner date with somebody famous. And he takes advantage of it, and is a helluva guy. He hangs with the right people, I’ve got to tell you.

Patricia Quinn, Magenta in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”

Patricia Quinn is a brassy, beautiful “lady” of the British realm – her late husband Robert Stephens was knighted. As a close friend of Rocky Horror creator Richard O’Brien, Quinn originated the role of Magenta in the original London stage production. She made the stage-to-screen transition flawlessly, and is also significant in that history, because it was her “LIPS!” in the film that are seen in the opening credits (story below). She also went on to a notable acting career, appearing in the legendary BBC/PBS production of “I, Claudius’ (1976), creating a character in the “Doctor Who” series and was recently in director Stephen Frears comedy, “Tamara Drewe.’

Patricia Quinn at the Hollywood Celebrities & Memorabilia Show, Chicago, October 2011
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com: Is it true you were a Playboy Bunny in London when it first opened in the 1960s? What do you remember about about that particular era?

Patricia Quinn: It is true, and I actually was there when it opened, one of the first Bunnies. I did a documentary about it in London, and it was wonderful, but I was only there for three months, a kind of filler. When I met up with the other Bunnies in that documentary, it was like a school reunion. We all ended up at a pub on the Thames owned by Barbara Bunny, and we became rather a raucous lot. It was brilliant, I loved being a Bunny.

HollywoodChicago.com: I see you’re wearing the famous lips from Rocky Horror, which are actually your filmed lips. What is the story behind your lips being some of most famous in cinema history? Was it accidental?

Quinn: No accidents in that film. In the original stage show, an usherette sings the song ‘Science Fiction’ [the ‘Lips’ song] and that was my part and my song, and the usherette also plays Magenta. When it came to the film they couldn’t have an usherette, but I asked if I could do my song. They said ‘No, Pat,’ and my reaction was to tell them to take the film and shove it. [laughs] I actually didn’t want to do the film because I wasn’t singing ‘Science Fiction.’ I didn’t care about Magenta.

But they took me to look at the sets, the Translyvanians, and all the design. And when I saw it all, I was in again. So on the last day of the shoot, director Jim Sharman came to me and asked if I had ever seen ‘Ballet Méncanique’ by Man Ray, a close-up of woman’s lips projected over Paris. I’d told him I hadn’t, and he told me that he had this idea that I could be like that mouth, and ‘Science Fiction’ would be sung by Richard O’Brien, because he recorded it. I was furious, saying ‘my mouth and his voice?!? Okay, how much?’ [laughs] They had to pay for that one.

Patricia Quinn’s Famous Lips
Photo credit: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

I ended up at Elstree Studios [UK] on the lot, just me. And they had no special effects planned for the mouth, they just blacked out my face, I sat in the sun with this blacked-out face. And then they filmed it with a cloth over the camera with a little hole cut out. My head kept moving during the filming and the lips went out of focus, so they got one of the arc lamps, took the light out and screwed my head into the lamp to keep it from moving, and I sang. I never thought it was special until later, that it was an added bonus it was my lips, and of course he wanted my lips for a certain reason, I think. I do have a Cupid’s Bow. [laughs]

HollywoodChicago.com: Did you and the other cast members of ‘I,Claudius’ have a feeling that the atmosphere was creating something very special, or were you all shocked when it opened to overwhelming success in the UK and America?

Quinn: I wasn’t thinking about America, but we knew we were wonderful, because it was fantastic to do it. I really believed I was in Rome, even though we were in the studios at the BBC. Those costumes were so magnificent, right down to how they dyed them. They ended up in a museum. When one was traipsing around in those costumes, and lying around in vomitoriums and eating grapes, it was hilarious. I think why it was so successful, it was like a soap opera in Rome. It was a sensation in London, the streets were empty when Claudius was on. From the dustman, to the milkman, to the lord and lady, everyone was watching Claudius.

I was in New York City for a Rocky Horror convention, and this guy selling newspapers on the street shouted at me, ‘Hey you!’ And I said, ‘Yeah?’ He answered ‘You’re a terrible woman, a terrible woman.’ I said, ‘Sorry?’ He replied ‘You killed your husband, you killed your daughter, you killed them all! You are a dreadful woman in I, Claudius.’ Isn’t that wonderful? [laughs]

HollywoodChicago.com: You recently had a role in Stephen Frears’s ‘Tamara Drewe.’ What did you like about the ensemble feel of that film, and working with Frears?

Quinn: Actually, Frears goes way back with me, and we begin at the beginning, unfortunately he never damn well employed me. But he was casting a play for the Royal Shakespeare Company back then, and I went to see him about a part. He asked me what I was doing, and I told him I was starting a film version of Rocky Horror in two weeks. He looked at me and said, ‘well, you won’t be doing this play then.’ I never heard from that geezer again until the damn ‘Tamara Drewe’ came up! And they said, would Pat be in it, but there were no lines for me. I counted two lines. And they told me that Stephen would understand if I didn’t want to do it, but he’d very much like me to do it. So I did.

HollywoodChicago.com: What is the weirdest or oddest request that has been made by a fan in association with your connection to Rocky Horror?

Quinn: They are very funny people. I opened the Belfast Film Festival this year, and it was such an honor because I’m from Belfast and I was overwhelmed. Fame at last in my hometown! Bob Geldolf once said that the Irish are resentful if you go away and become successful. And I said to the guy interviewing me that the Irish can become quite mean about any kind of success. He told me, ‘well Pat, we like to cut down tall tulips.” I told him, ‘I’m glad you said that and not me.’ [laughs]

I opened the festival with Rocky Horror, and this guy came dressed as the Usherette, a big Belfast fellow with his beehive hairdo. There was a journalist who was trying to interview him and he told me, ‘Pat, I don’t want to be interviewed because I’m a lecturer and also I’m running for an elective seat in politics.’ Of course, the next day he was in the newspaper with his name and everything. [laughs] They gave me four stars, just for the interview.

HollywoodChicago.com: Finally, what can you tell us about Rocky Horror creator Richard O’Brien that the rest of the world doesn’t know?

Quinn: That I adore him. I went to his last birthday, and I bought him a wonderful present. I found this basket with a wonderful handle, planted with these flowers. I asked the girl in the shop if it was a basket of Narcissus Flowers? She said yes, and I bought it for Richard. I took this massive basket of flowers and went to his table and said [in a sexy voice], ‘Happy Birthday Richard.’ He simply replied, ‘Perfect, Pat.’

The “Hollywood Celebrities & Memorabilia Show” is now “The Hollywood Show” and will be in Chicago on March 24th and 25th, 2012. Click here for details.

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

Blu-Ray, DVD Review: Alternate Versions of ‘Alice’ to Coincide With Tim Burton’s

BrianTT — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:27:31 -0500

CHICAGO – As a character in Syfy’s version of “Alice” says, “Does this look like a kid’s story to you?” Excepting, of course, the beloved Disney version, there have actually been a number of takes on “Alice in Wonderland” arguably made more for adults than children. Two such versions from very different eras have been released on Blu-ray and DVD to coincide with the theatrical dominance of Johnny Depp & Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland”. Can’t get enough of Alice and The Mad Hatter? Pick up one or both of these.

“Alice” Blu-Ray Rating: 2.0/5.0

“Alice” (2009)

Syfy’s take on “Alice” is, of course, going to be untraditional. I’m all for reimaginings of classic tales but this one never quite comes together despite adding elements of science fiction to the oft-told tale. It’s not for lack of effort. Caterina Scorsone is a charming lead as a twenty-something version of Alice who chases her boyfriend to the other side of the looking glass.

Alice was released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 2nd, 2010.
Photo credit: Lionsgate Home Video

There she finds a new Wonderland, a world similar to Lewis Carroll’s but decades after the original Alice’s visit. The Queen of Hearts (Kathy Bates) controls her people through a casino and the White Rabbit kidnaps people from the real world to populate the Queen’s twisted vision. The people of Wonderland feed off the emotions of the people of the real world.

The new Alice comes to Wonderland with a ring that the Queen of Hearts needs for continued domination. The Hatter (Andrew-Lee Potts) has been reimagined as a trusty sidekick, while Tim Curry plays a resistance leader named Dodo and Matt Frewer plays the White Knight. Harry Dean Stanton and Colm Meaney co-star.

This mini-series version of “Alice” is stale. Too many of the new elements like the casino come off as forced and the piece feels way too long at 184 minutes. The film is not helped by one of the most lackluster HD transfers I’ve ever seen. The video quality on the Lionsgate release is embarassing, not even looking as sharp as most upconverted standard DVDs. And the complete lack of special features makes it clear how little the company thought of this venture. It’s for hardcore sci-fi, Alice, or Tim Curry junkies only.

“Alice in Wonderland” DVD Rating: 3.0/5.0

“Alice in Wonderland” (1966)

The BBC TV version of “Alice in Wonderland” from the era of free love and rampant drug use is so clearly a product of its era that it’s nearly a spoof of what one would expect from a ’60s take on Lewis Carroll’s legendary tale. To use a somewhat outdated phrase, it’s trippy, man.

Alice in Wonderland was released on DVD on March 2nd, 2010.
Photo credit: BBC Home Video

Sadly, it’s also surprisingly dull. This version of “Alice in Wonderland” only really works if the viewer is as stoned as those who made it. The shockingly blank-faced Anne-Marie Mallik stars as Alice in a Victorian era retelling of the classic tale highlighted with music by Ravi Shankar and purposefully not very fantasy oriented. It’s an interesting film without ever being truly entertaining. Without the involvement of some of its more notable supporting players and the Disney revival of the legendary character, it probably never would have ended up on DVD.

This Alice wanders through Victorian settings and meets plenty of weird characters, but one would barely recognize its origin if they only saw a few minutes. It’s SO far removed from the Disney animated version of Burton’s 3D one. It’s more of a satire of the British social structure and a trippy visual experience than what most would expect from “Alice”.

The main draw of this version of “Alice in Wonderland” is the supporting cast, highlighted by several of the greatest British actors of all time including Peter Sellers, Sir John Gielgud, Sir Michael Redgrave, Michael Gough, Alan Bennett, and Peter Cook. It’s for serious “Alice” fans or collectors of classic British television only.

The DVD release of “Alice in Wonderland” includes a director’s commentary, Cecil Hepworth’s 1903 silent film version of “Alice in Wonderland,” Dennis Potter’s 1965 biopic “Alice” about Alice Liddell - the inspiration of Carroll’s creation, “Ravi Shankar Plays for Alice,” and a Behind-the-scenes photo gallery by renowned photographer Terence Spencer.

‘Alice’ is released by Lionsgate Home Video and stars Caterina Scorsone, Andrew-Lee Potts, Matt Frewer, Philip Winchester, Tim Curry, Harry Dean Stanton, Colm Meaney, and Kathy Bates. It was written and directed by Nick Willing. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 2nd, 2010. It is not rated.

‘Alice in Wonderland’ is released by BBC Home Video and stars Ann-Marie Mallik, Peter Sellers, John Gielgud, Michael Redgrave, Peter Cook, and Leo McKern. It was directed by Jonathan Miller. It was released on DVD on March 2nd, 2010. It is not rated.

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

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: One ‘Brütal Legend’ PlayStation 3 Video Game With Jack Black

HollywoodChicago.com — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:06:45 -0400

CHICAGO – In our latest extra-special edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Video Games, we have one PlayStation 3 video game up for grabs to the new video game “Brutal Legend” with Jack Black! This video game retails for $60!

“Brutal Legend,” which is written and directed by Tim Schafer, features Jack Black, Tim Curry, Jennifer Hale, Zach Hanks, Richard Steven Horvitz, Courtenay Taylor, Alex Fernandez, Rebecca Corry, Josh Robert Thompson, Rob Halford, Taylor M. Dooley, David Boat and David Sobolov.

“Brutal Legend” was released by Electronic Arts and developed by Double Fine. It is rated “M” for mature. While the version being given away in this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup is for PlayStation 3, the title is also available for Xbox 360. “Brutal Legend” was released on Oct. 13, 2009.

To win your free “Brutal Legend” video game for PlayStation 3 courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is tell us what you like or dislike about heavy metal in this Web-based submission form. That’s it! Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

A screen capture from EA’s “Brutal Legend” with Jack Black for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Image credit: Electronic Arts

Here is the synopsis for “Brutal Legend”:

From the mind of Tim Schafer and Double Fine Productions comes “Brütal Legend”: a third-person action game rich in combat, imagery and storytelling that delivers lighter-flicking fun sure to melt your face clean off.

“Brütal Legend” tells the tale Eddie Riggs: the ultimate roadie. The “roadie’s roadie,” Eddie is the first person anyone calls when they need guitars tuned or stages rigged. With a love for hot rods and a photographic memory for every heavy metal album cover (and the lyrics those albums contained committed to memory), Eddie has always felt out of place (like he should have been born earlier when the music was real).

One night, a stage accident knocks Eddie unconscious. With his blood dripping into the belt buckle he wears (a gift from his father), his blood quenches an ancient thirst. This sucks him into a world that looks very strange yet oddly familiar. It’s a world where every heavy metal album cover and lyric Eddie knows has come to life.

It’s a world where the evil emperor Doviculus and his demon army, The Tainted Coil, have enslaved the last remaining humans. Led by Lars Halford alongside his sister, Lita, and the mysterious Ophelia, the human resistance is far from helpless.

However, what they lack is someone to bring them all together – someone who can organize them and lead them into battle. What they need is a roadie. Under Eddie’s command, this barbaric force of hot rods, Marshall stacks, leather and chrome will bring this ancient world into the age of metal.

The video game trailer for “Brutal Legend” can be viewed now below.

To secure your free “Brutal Legend” video game for PlayStation 3, 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 tell us what you like or dislike about heavy metal. You must submit your answer using this confidential, Web-based submission form. Please do not comment in this Hookup. Your entry will be invalid if you only comment here and don’t submit into our Web-based form. Please only submit your answer using this submission form.

You must include your first and last name, e-mail address and physical mailing address in your submission. Your personal information will not be sold or shared, will be kept strictly confidential and is only for awarding winning entries. Please answer our question below.

What you like or dislike about heavy metal?

This HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Video Games is simple: One lucky HollywoodChicago.com reader will be randomly selected as the winner of our “Brutal Legend” Hookup! The winner will be mailed the video game at our expense. Good luck!

Read our “Brutal Legend” video game review for PlayStation 3.

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