September 2012

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 50 Pairs of Passes to ‘Argo’ From Director Ben Affleck

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 50 pairs of movie passes up for grabs to the advance screening of the highly anticipated “Argo” from “The Town” director Ben Affleck!

Film News: ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ Added to 48th Chicago International Film Festival

Silver Lining CIFF News Brief

CHICAGO – The 48th Annual Chicago International Film Festival has announced four new additions to this year’s schedule, including David O. Russell’s “Silver Linings Playbook.” The comedic drama has garnered immense praise on the festival circuit and is currently one of the top Oscar contenders. It will screen at 7pm Wednesday, October 24 at the AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois St.

TV Review: Sunday Nights on FOX Showing Serious Creative Fatigue

Family Guy 2012

CHICAGO – With shows like “Archer” and a still-creative “South Park” leading the way in TV animation along with all of the fascinating risks being taken by Adult Swim, what are we to make of a Sunday night lineup on FOX that feels more creatively stagnant than ever?

TV Review: ‘Homeland’ Starts Second Season with Perfect Episode

CHICAGO – We’ve all had creative buyer’s remorse. You recommend a band to your friend and their new album sucks. You post about your love for a TV show and the next episode jumps the shark.

TV Review: Twisted Guilty Pleasures of ABC’s ‘666 Park Avenue’

CHICAGO – It is far from the new TV season’s most creative or engaging show (both “Last Resort” and “Vegas” are notably better) but there’s something about ABC’s “666 Park Avenue,” debuting tonight, that could make it the year’s most delightful guilty pleasure.

Slideshow: Exclusive Portraits of Tim Gunn at Chicagoland Book Signing

| Image 1 of 3 |

CHICAGO – Fashion guru Tim Gunn is dispensing his wisdom yet again. As the 10th season of “Project Runway” winds down, Gunn has released a new book, “Tim Gunn’s Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in your Closet.” He was recently in Naperville, Illinois, signing books at Anderson’s Bookshop.

TV Review: ‘Dexter’ Displays Signs of Creative Blood Loss

CHICAGO – Did “Dexter” die when The Trinity Killer murdered Rita? It was such a daring, brilliant move for what was one of TV’s greatest shows at the time. But that was three seasons ago now, and while I personally liked the 5th season quite a bit, audiences seemed to turn off a bit.

Film Review: ‘Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel’ is Fabulous, Dahling

Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel

CHICAGO – Biography documentaries often are the most creative of that film genre. Over the past few years some notable general releases have included “The Kid Stays in the Picture” (2002) and the George Harrison treatment by Martin Scorsese. Add “Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel” to that list – bio docs that present a life in style and substance.

‘Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel’ is Fabulous, Dahling

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Biography documentaries often are the most creative of that film genre. Over the past few years some notable general releases have included “The Kid Stays in the Picture” (2002) and the George Harrison treatment by Martin Scorsese. Add “Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel” to that list – bio docs that present a life in style and substance.

Film Review: ‘Won’t Back Down’ is an Agenda Disguised as a Film

CHICAGO – There is an interesting trend in the financing of films, actual partisan organizations are fostering their points-of-view through the movies. This is nothing new in documentaries, but now it appears in a fictional film called “Won’t Back Down,” featuring Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis.

‘Won’t Back Down’ is an Agenda Disguised as a Film

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 2.0/5.0
Rating: 2.0/5.0

CHICAGO – There is an interesting trend in the financing of films, actual partisan organizations are fostering their points-of-view through the movies. This is nothing new in documentaries, but now it appears in a fictional film called “Won’t Back Down,” featuring Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis.

TV Review: Charismatic Janet Montgomery Can’t Acquit ‘Made in Jersey’

Made in Jersey

CHICAGO – Sometimes a strong cast can save weak writing but such is not the case with CBS’s “Made in Jersey,” a show with one of the most charismatic leading ladies of the new season but also some of its weakest plotting. The legal drama of the premiere is so ridiculous, manipulative, and just silly that it’s almost remarkable how watchable the beautiful Janet Montgomery makes the proceedings but she can’t stop the TV jury from convicting for bad writing.

TV News: CBS Wins Thursday Nights, Audiences Check Out ‘Elementary,’ ‘Last Resort’

Elementary

CHICAGO – Two of our most promising new shows of 2012 were respectably sampled last night on the first Thursday of the Fall season as viewers turned “Elementary” into a solid first-week hit and enough people checked out “Last Resort” opposite the #1 show of the evening to call that a success as well. CBS won the night easily while ABC has plenty to be happy about. FOX should be more concerned and NBC may just want to go dark on the night that they used to own in the ratings.

Film Review: Eye-Opening Cost of Playing Sports in ‘Head Games’

Head Games
HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – A father speaks through tears about the teammates for his deceased son standing at the funeral in the balcony paying honor to their lost captain and it’s impossible not to ask the daunting question at the core of “Head Games,” the new documentary from the great Steve James (“Hoop Dreams,” “The Interrupters”) that opens this weekend at the Siskel Film Center – how much longer can this go on?

Eye-Opening Cost of Playing Sports in ‘Head Games’

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – A father speaks through tears about the teammates for his deceased son standing at the funeral in the balcony paying honor to their lost captain and it’s impossible not to ask the daunting question at the core of “Head Games,” the new documentary from the great Steve James (“Hoop Dreams,” “The Interrupters”) that opens this weekend at the Siskel Film Center – how much longer can this go on?

Film Review: ‘Pitch Perfect’ Succeeds By Making Fun of Itself

CHICAGO – When we last saw Anna Kendrick, she was the mid-twentysomething girlfriend of cop Jake Gyllenhaal in “End of Watch.” This week, she reverts back to freshman year in college, portraying a rebellious D.J. and songstress in the not-taking-themselves-seriously “Pitch Perfect.”

‘Pitch Perfect’ Succeeds By Making Fun of Itself

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – When we last saw Anna Kendrick, she was the mid-twentysomething girlfriend of cop Jake Gyllenhaal in “End of Watch.” This week, she reverts back to freshman year in college, portraying a rebellious D.J. and songstress in the not-taking-themselves-seriously “Pitch Perfect.”

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 25 Pairs of Passes to Sequel ‘Taken 2’ With Liam Neeson

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 advance screening of the highly anticipated “Taken” sequel “Taken 2,” which stars Liam Neeson!

DVD Review: Chris Elliott’s ‘Get a Life: The Complete Series’ is Finally Here

Get a Life

CHICAGO – Charlie Kaufman (“Adaptation,” “Being John Malkovich”) once wrote for a TV sitcom so odd that its network and most of the U.S. had no idea what to make of it. Without question, “Get a Life” was ahead of its time. So much of the twisted comedy of 2012 owes a debt to this true oddity from two decades ago, a unique gem that is finally getting a complete series release years after fans started clamoring for it.

Blu-ray Review: Amazing Gift Set For ‘Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection’

Harry Potter Wizard's Collection

CHICAGO – Do you have a diehard “Harry Potter” fan in your family? No, I don’t mean someone who likes Harry Potter. I’m talking someone who is DEVOTED to the world created by J.K. Rowling. Because it takes some serious devotion to commit to the “Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection,” a new Blu-ray box set from Warner Bros. that includes a stunning THIRTY-ONE DISCS along with numerous physical collectibles, new special features, and a marvelous case. It’s incredibly expensive but also incredibly cool.

Film Review: Wonderful ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ Captures Teenage Life with Grace

CHICAGO – Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” based on his hit book of the same name, is the most pleasant and accomplished surprise of the year, a delightful, sweet, funny, and moving examination of teenage life that merits comparison to John Hughes and Cameron Crowe.

Wonderful ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ Captures Teenage Life with Grace

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 4.5/5.0
Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” based on his hit book of the same name, is the most pleasant and accomplished surprise of the year, a delightful, sweet, funny, and moving examination of teenage life that merits comparison to John Hughes and Cameron Crowe.

Film News: Matt Fagerholm Chats About Indie Film on Vocalo 89.5

The Wise Kids on Vocalo

CHICAGO – HollywoodChicago.com critic Matt Fagerholm will chat about the latest independent films on Chicago’s Vocalo 89.5 station from 9am to 9:30am on Friday, September 28th. Topics will include Stephen Cone’s acclaimed indie drama, “The Wise Kids,” which is scheduled to have a week-long run at the Gene Siskel Film Center beginning Friday, October 26th.

TV Review: Jonny Lee Miller, Lucy Liu Carry CBS’s ‘Elementary’

CHICAGO – “Elementary,” starring Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu and debuting tonight on CBS at 9pm CST, is a tough show to review. Yes, it’s another procedural mystery show and I wouldn’t blame you if you’re just not interested in one of those. Who has time for all the fictional crimes being solved on TV every week?

TV News: NBC Struggles on Wednesday Nights, CBS Wins Close Ratings War

The Neighbors

CHICAGO – The first new Wednesday of the Fall 2012 season told a predictable story — CBS and ABC are doing well, FOX is still under-delivering, and NBC is in dire shape. As for new shows, “The Neighbors” was well-sampled out of mega-hit “Modern Family” but we’ll see if that lasts while “Animal Practice” and “Guys with Kids” can practically feel the blade of the cancellation axe already.

TV Review: ABC’s Tense ‘Last Resort’ Delivers on Amazing Set-up

CHICAGO – It may not look as post-apocalyptic as “Revolution” or “The Walking Dead,” but Shawn Ryan’s excellent “Last Resort,” debuting tonight, is just as much about the end of the world as those programs. It’s about what happens when training fails, structure collapses, and human emotion betrays.

Film Review: Deftly Lensed ‘Snowman’s Land’ Leaves Audience in the Cold

Snowman's Land Film Review

CHICAGO – The art of deadpan humor looks deceptively simple to the untrained eye. It’s fairly easy to say ridiculous things while maintaining a straight face. What separates the amateurs from the professionals is a mastery of timing as well as a keen understanding of a character’s interior life. The best deadpan laughs are the ones that allow an inside peek into the human psyche.

Deftly Lensed ‘Snowman’s Land’ Leaves Audience in the Cold

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 2.5/5.0
Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – The art of deadpan humor looks deceptively simple to the untrained eye. It’s fairly easy to say ridiculous things while maintaining a straight face. What separates the amateurs from the professionals is a mastery of timing as well as a keen understanding of a character’s interior life. The best deadpan laughs are the ones that allow an inside peek into the human psyche.

Interview: Rian Johnson Crafts a Sci-fi Masterpiece with ‘Looper’

CHICAGO – Rian Johnson’s “Looper” is going to blow your mind. The third film from the director of “Brick” and “The Brothers Bloom” (as well as episodes of “Terriers” and “Breaking Bad”) is a highwire act of time travel action and human drama.

Blu-ray Review: Tanya Wexler’s ‘Hysteria’ Celebrates Female Sexuality

Hysteria Blu-ray

CHICAGO – Tanya Wexler’s “Hysteria” is a feel-good movie about the dawn of an invention that redefined the meaning of “feel-good.” As America continues to harbor simultaneously puritanical and adolescent attitudes toward sex, films like “Hysteria” continue to be as vital as they are entertaining. In a way, the picture is as old-fashioned as any Hollywood crowd-pleaser, aside from its eyebrow-raising subject matter.

User Login

Free Giveaway Mailing

TV, DVD, BLU-RAY & THEATER REVIEWS

  • Manhunt

    CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.

  • Topdog/Underdog, Invictus Theatre

    CHICAGO – When two brothers confront the sins of each other and it expands into a psychology of an entire race, it’s at a stage play found in Chicago’s Invictus Theatre Company production of “Topdog/Underdog,” now at their new home at the Windy City Playhouse through March 31st, 2024. Click TD/UD for tickets/info.

Advertisement



HollywoodChicago.com on Twitter

archive

HollywoodChicago.com Top Ten Discussions
referendum
tracker