Top 5 movies filmed in Chicago

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Chicago has been home to countless movie filmings. Many of the works filmed in the Windy City have gone on to win awards, while many others have taken their places in the hearts and minds of movie lovers as instant and timeless classics. Premium movie channels via directstartv.com show popular movies filmed in Chicago on a weekly, if not daily basis. Here are the top 5 to watch for:

1. The Blues Brothers (1980) – John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd star in a musical comedy about a former convict who gets out of prison and reorganizes his old blues band after learning that the Archdiocese will sell their childhood boarding school if a tax of $5000 isn’t paid within 11 days. Most of The Blues Brothers was filmed in Chicago and its suburbs.
2. The Dark Knight (2008) – The box office record setter stars Christian Bale, Heath Ledger and an ensemble cast in the sequel to Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (2005) and the second installment of the his Batman Trilogy. Chicago is portrayed as Gotham City in this gritty, dark interpretation of the popular superhero comics.
   
   
3. The Fugitive (1993) – In a film loosely based on the Sheppard v. Maxwell Supreme Court case, Harrison Ford plays Richard Kimble, a Chicago surgeon who is wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife. Kimble escapes custody and sets out to prove his innocence whilst being pursued by the U.S. Marshals, led by Tommy Lee Jones’ character Deputy Samuel Gerard.
   
   
4. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) – Matthew Broderick stars as Ferris Bueller, a high school student known for being sly and playing hooky. This film outlines his day off with friends Cameron and Sloane, as they borrow Cameron’s dad’s Ferrari and avoid getting caught. The Chicago suburbs and cityscape are featured throughout the movie.
   
   
5. Risky Business (1983) – Tom Cruise stars as a suburban Chicago teenager whose parents leave to go on vacation. When he decides to take his father’s Porsche for a spin, things end badly and he has to enact a clever plan to raise money rectify the situation. Filming locations include O’Hare International Airport, Drake Hotel and Niles East High School.