CHICAGO – It began with a boy and his dream (nightmare?). John LaFlamboy, to be exact, as he took an idea he had in college and made it his life’s work. He owns and operates the HellsGate Haunted House in Lockport (Illinois), which was designed, built and put together by Haunted House experts expressly for the spookiest month of the year. For info on how to purchase tickets, click HellsGate.
Sam Raimi
Mechanical ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 6, 2022 - 12:40am Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” proves that more Doctor Stranges do not necessarily equal more fun. And more so than other comic book adventures, this seems like a cog in the Marvel machine first, and an adventure in its own right a very distant second.
‘The Jungle Book’ is a Technical Marvel Missing Some Magic
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 15, 2016 - 7:57am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – While Disney Studios’ new live action version of “The Jungle Book” is an improvement over the 1967 animated version, it’s more of a technical marvel than magical fable. And it’s unable to completely transcend the earlier version’s limitations.
‘Poltergeist’ Remake Has a Soul of Its Own
Submitted by NickHC on May 22, 2015 - 5:22pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Whether it’s the 1982 original or the remake just released in theaters today to the wrath of numerous fans, the lesson of “Poltergeist” remains the same: Don’t do a half-assed job when relocating skeletons for corporate greed, or suffer the supernatural consequences. Fear not, however, as this is one remake that doesn’t just dress up a nostalgic skeleton for the modern horror crowd, but one that reminisces, and looks forward, with a mostly intelligent, genuine heart.
Story Dims Visionary ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 8, 2013 - 9:35amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Oz the Great and Powerful” is a great and powerful visual and 3D experience. It expands the landscape of what cinema can produce in a visceral and evolutionary way. But a great film also needs a great story, and this Land of Oz tale is not equivalent to the awe-inspiring imagery.
Real-Life Backstory of ‘The Possession’ More Titillating Than Cinematic Dybbuk Dramatization
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on September 2, 2012 - 10:33pm Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – A film marketing itself as being “based on a true story” doesn’t hold the same teeth it once did. With truly original stories a financial high risk for Hollywood and many films leaning toward being based on a best-selling novel, the genre that is based on a true story or “inspired by true events” has increasingly taken creative liberties.
Sam Raimi Returns to Horror Genre With Thrilling ‘Drag Me to Hell’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 29, 2009 - 12:49pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The gleefully gory Sam Raimi who made “Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn” and “Darkman” is back in close to prime form with this week’s thoroughly enjoyable “Drag Me To Hell,” a horror thrill ride almost certain to satisfy any audience member willing to choose a movie with “Hell” in the title over the latest Pixar offering.
Ellen Page’s ‘Smart People’ Only as Scholarly as Zealous Senior in High School
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on April 11, 2008 - 2:05am
CHICAGO – I’m flummoxed. I know “Smart People” was supposed to be comedic drama with a splash of romance. Instead, I have been misled. It’s not a comedy. It’s not a tragedy. It’s not even a tragicomedy.
Tobey Maguire ‘Black’ in Action in Venomously Conflicted ‘Spider-Man 3’
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 3, 2007 - 4:08am
CHICAGO – At the heart of every great film is a good conflict. In Spidey’s third advent, his heart is venomously conflicted and so is the film.
The film gets gargantuan props on its special effects. Of course, the entertaining visual acuity is expected and is no surprise.
