Grindhouse

Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – If the word Troma means nothing to you, then you may want to avoid “Father’s Day,” a truly twisted and sadistic slice of horror-comedy that makes other recent attempts at grindhouse insanity (“Machete,” “Hobo with a Shotgun”) look “The Help.” It’s a bit inconsistent (especially in the first act) but the sheer balls-to-the-wall (literally) approach to filmmaking here is so far over-the-top that one has to admire the audacity of the filmmakers, a quintet that goes by the name Astron-6.

Video Game Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – As “Shadows of the Damned” began to kick into high gear, I was pumped up. I thought that after numerous disappointments this season like “Shadows of the Damned” and “Duke Nukem Forever” that we finally had our first real gem of the summer. So, it’s a bit frustrating to report that “Shadows” doesn’t quite fulfill on the potential of its amazing opening act, but I can safely say that it’s worth a look for the target audience.

CHICAGO – The Weinstein Company (QTC) announced that Quentin Tarantino’s recent film “Inglourious Basterds” passed “Pulp Fiction” at the box office and is now his highest grossing film ever. “Basterds” has now grossed more than $108 million in North American box office sales since the film was released on August 21, 2009.

CHICAGO – “It’s the difference between hunting a lion and a deer.”