HollywoodChicago.com Arts & Entertainment News

Blu-Ray Review: Romantic Comedy Stars Can’t Save ‘New in Town’

New in Town

CHICAGORenee Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr.’s “New in Town,” now on DVD and Blu-Ray, was a massive bomb in theaters, opening in 8th place and grossing only $17 million, less than any widely-released Zellweger film in her entire career.

TV Review: HBO’s ‘Into the Storm’ With Brendan Gleeson, Janet McTeer

Into the Storm

CHICAGOHBO’s “Into the Storm” is a different kind of WWII movie than audiences have recently become accustomed to seeing. This excellent drama is not about the people on the ground but about the powerful men that made the decisions that determined their fates.

Sam Raimi Returns to Horror Genre With Thrilling ‘Drag Me to Hell’

Drag Me To Hell
HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 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.

Moving on ‘Up’: Disney, Pixar Score Another Masterpiece in 3-D

CHICAGO – There is an art to music. There is an art to writing a story and an art to telling that story. There is art in a great drawing, a great painting and a great photograph. There is an art to communication. And it may only be a matter of time before museums expand to include a whole new category of modern art: the animated film from Disney and Pixar.

Blu-Ray Review: Tom Cruise’s ‘Valkyrie’ a Disappointing Film, Excellent Blu-Ray

Valkyrie

CHICAGO – The Blu-Ray release of “Valkyrie” is another case of a disappointing movie being elevated by an excellent home release. With its miscast lead and mediocre screenplay, “Valkyrie” was a near-miss in theaters, but the film looks and sounds great on Blu-Ray and comes accompanied by informative commentaries and featurettes. If you’re a fan, you won’t be disappointed.

Blu-Ray Review: Pixar Continues HD Dominance With ‘A Bug’s Life’

A Bug's Life

CHICAGO – If you have yet to jump on the Blu-Ray bandwagon or are new to the HD revolution and have yet to see a Pixar film in 1080P, the new edition of “A Bug’s Life” would be a great place to start. With releases like the great one for “WALL-E” and now this gorgeous transfer for “A Bug’s Life,” Disney/Pixar produces HD video clarity that really must be seen to be believed.

Blu-Ray Review: Prequel ‘Underworld: Rise of the Lycans’ With Michael Sheen

Underworld 3

CHICAGO – “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” is easily one of the weirdest movies of 2009. It’s a werewolf movie that plays like a variation on “Gladiator” or “Spartacus” with the foundation of “Romeo & Juliet”. Solid work by the excellent Michael Sheen nearly redeems the film but an awful screenplay, dull design, and plodding direction sink this bizarre prequel.

Blu-Ray Review: 3D Rocks in HD Version of ‘My Bloody Valentine’

My Bloody Valentine

CHICAGO – 3D still doesn’t look nearly as impressive at home as it does in a crowded theater, but “My Bloody Valentine,” now on Blu-Ray and DVD, is easily the best-looking attempt to bring that experience into your living room to date.

DVD Round Up, May 27, 2009: ‘Eden Log,’ ‘El Dorado,’ ‘Yonkers Joe’

Liberty Valance

CHICAGO – Welcome back to the Round-Up, a safety net to catch the DVD titles that fell off the mainstream tightrope. The titles this week have virtually nothing in common other than coming in two waves from two studios - a pair of classics from Paramount’s Centennial Collection and a trio of indie films from the great Magnolia Pictures.

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy’

Cavalcade of Comedy

CHICAGO – Fans of “American Dad!” and “Family Guy” should definitely take a look at “Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy,” a Blu-Ray release of short animated films in the same style as the random, tangential asides that helped make Stewie Griffin a household name.

Father’s Day Blu-Ray Round Up, May 26, 2009: ‘Fletch,’ ‘Field of Dreams,’ ‘Seabiscuit’

Fletch

CHICAGO – Universal Home Video is releasing a wave of titles timed for Father’s Day gifts. Some of their choices - “Field of Dreams,” “Fletch” - seem like logical picks for a better HD daddy day than another striped tie while others seem chosen purely because they have the word “Men” or “Man” in the title - “Children of Men,” “Cinderella Man,” “Inside Man”.

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TV, DVD, BLU-RAY & THEATER REVIEWS

  • Michael Shannon and Travis A. Knight, Red Orchid's TURRET

    CHICAGO – When in the presence of a powerful acting force like Michael Shannon, the depth of performance is emotional and passionately essential. He co-leads with Travis A. Knight in Red Orchid Theatre’s World Premiere of Levi Holloway’s “Turret,” just extended to June 22nd at the Chopin Theatre.

  • Joe Turner's Come and Gone Goodman Theatre

    CHICAGO – The late playwright August Wilson left a gift to the world in the form of his “American Century Cycle,” a series of plays each individually set in a decade of the 20th Century, focusing on the black experience. Chicago’s Goodman Theatre presents Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” now through May 19th, 2024 (click here).

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