February 2010

Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Horror remakes are almost never a good idea but there seems to be something about George A. Romero’s work that defies that expectation. Zack Snyder delivered with his version of “Dawn of the Dead” and now Breck Eisner has shocked genre fans with his effective take on the low budget classic “The Crazies”.

CHICAGO – The classic film “Back to the Future” celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and the original cast – including Claudia Wells as Jennifer – will be introducing the film this weekend at the Hollywood Palms and Hollywood Blvd Cinema in suburban Chicago.

CHICAGO – Most filmmakers are content in recycling ideas. Richard Kelly strains to come up with new ones every time he steps behind a camera. It’s difficult to think of him ever becoming a commercial commodity (thoughts of David Lynch directing “Return of the Jedi” come to mind). Yet Kelly’s boundless ambition has often far exceeded his abilities.

CHICAGO – As we wait for the imminent release of “God of War III,” it seems that a few developers are trying to beat Kratos to the punch with their own “GOW”-esque titles. January produced the very good “Darksiders” and now we have the buzzed arrival of EA’s “Dante’s Inferno,” a game with remarkable moments but significant flaws that dampen the flame just as it starts to heat up.

CHICAGO – When Max Ophuls’s “Lola Montes” was released in theaters in France in December of 1955, it caused an international scandal. Much to the dismay of its director, the producers of the film mangled it, pulling and going to town in the editing bay like a bull in a china shop. They cut out some scenes, translated German dialogue into French, remixed the sound, and even re-edited the film’s chronology.

CHICAGO – It’s now official: the Weitz brothers have proven that they are the wrong people to make vampire movies. While Chris got tangled in the turgid melodrama of “Twilight: New Moon,” Paul tried to inject irreverent humor into the first installment of another gloomy franchise, based on Darren O’Shaughnessy’s book series detailing the adventures of adolescent vampire Darren Shan.

CHICAGO – When’s the last time you finished a game and didn’t merely feel like you had successfully gone through the animated motions as needed but had actually contributed to a story that felt uniquely your own? In other words, when was the last time you were emotionally invested and intellectually satisfied instead of just entertained?

CHICAGO – Before you go and check out Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell in Breck Eisner’s remake of George A. Romero’s “The Crazies” this weekend, pick up the original on Blu-ray from the great indie horror house Blue Underground. “The Crazies” is a fantastic example of low budget horror filmmaking and ’70s paranoia from one of the genre’s best directors.

CHICAGO – “Shutter Island” is a riveting trip through a cinematic funhouse led by one of the best filmmakers of all time in Martin Scorsese, who fully employs the copious skills of his most talented collaborators including star Leonardo DiCaprio.

CHICAGO – In a year where commercial products and prefabricated award bids are being celebrated, it’s refreshing to see two Oscar categories uncorrupted by popular taste. While the short film nominees of 2010 are a mixed bag at best, they offer a splendid variety of fresh artistic visions from around the world. There isn’t a Pixar film in the bunch, though a certain beloved British comedy duo make a welcome return to the category they’ve won twice before.

CHICAGO – People who have been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, which is on the autistic spectrum, are sometimes described as being “mind blind”. In other words, they often don’t understand what people are thinking.

CHICAGO – Even casual fans of the martial arts genre would be blown away by the action of the legendary Tony Jaa in “Ong Bak 2: The Beginning”. The drama of the piece is a little disappointing, but the action is ridiculously consistent and entertaining. The sequel along with the original 2005 “Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior” are now available on Blu-ray.

CHICAGO – Very, very few movies are as immensely rewatchable as Martin Scorsese’s masterful “GoodFellas,” now released on Blu-ray in a twentieth anniversary edition timed to coincide with the theatrical release of “Shutter Island” this Friday. One of the most influential films of the ’90s is one of those rare works that has lost absolutely none of its power.

CHICAGO – HollywoodChicago.com’s regular Round-Up column returns this week with another collection of recently released DVDs that may have slid just a bit below your radar while you were busy buying Valentine’s Day cards and candy. We’re not necessarily recommending these titles, merely presenting their details for your awareness. You’re welcome.