CHICAGO – Excelsior! Comic book legend Stan Lee’s famous exclamation puts a fine point on the third and final play of Mark Pracht’s FOUR COLOR TRILOGY, “The House of Ideas,” presented by and staged at City Lit Theater in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. For tickets/details, click HOUSE OF IDEAS.
Richard Jenkins
Interview: Peter Farrelly, Pete Jones Issue Comedy ‘Hall Pass’
Submitted by BrianTT on February 24, 2011 - 3:43pmCHICAGO – After a brief hiatus, Bobby and Peter Farrelly are back with the comedy “Hall Pass,” starring Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer, and Christina Applegate. Wilson and Sudeikis play a pair of married men longing for some time off from their marriages when they’re handed a week without repercussions. What would you do with a week-long hall pass?
Blu-Ray Review: Great Horror Movie ‘Let Me In’ Gets Special-Edition Treatment
Submitted by BrianTT on February 2, 2011 - 5:39pmCHICAGO – Matt Reeves’ “Let Me In” was one of the most divisive choices on my ten best of 2010. I stand by it in every way, especially after checking out the great Blu-ray from Overture and Anchor Bay. With a spectacular HD transfer and some great special features, this is the best horror release of a season packed with them as the Halloween 2010 films start to hit the home format.
Film Review: Harrowing ‘Let Me In’ Stands Tall Next to Original
Submitted by BrianTT on October 1, 2010 - 8:40amCHICAGO – Believing all remakes are pointless is as narrow-minded as suggesting that they’re all worthwhile. It’s not an all-or-nothing proposition. Like a fantastic cover version of an amazing song, there can be room for more than one cinematic interpretation of the same story.
Film Review: Julia Roberts Learns How to ‘Eat Pray Love’
Submitted by BrianTT on August 13, 2010 - 3:32pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Despite its flaws, the often-beautiful “Eat Pray Love,” starring Julia Roberts, works because it refuses to talk down to its audience. This is the rare “chick flick” that treats its demographic with respect, never becoming the sentimental or manipulative dreck that so many other filmmakers would have delivered from Elizabeth Gilbert’s bestselling memoirs.
Blu-Ray Review: Stars Click, But ‘Dear John’ Doesn’t Deliver
Submitted by BrianTT on June 2, 2010 - 4:37pmCHICAGO – A romantic drama like “Dear John” relies SO much on the chemistry between the two leads that if it’s not there, the whole thing falls apart. No one wants to watch an ill-fated romance if they don’t believe the love story that drives it. Luckily, Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried have instant, palpable chemistry and that mostly carries the relatively generic and extremely cliched “Dear John” over some serious rough spots.
Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried Can’t Quite Deliver ‘Dear John’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 5, 2010 - 9:29amCHICAGO – Love stories are as common at the movies as popcorn and sticky floors. Despite this, rising stars Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried add their own spin to the timeworn plot theme in “Dear John.”
Interviews: Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried Talk Twosome in ‘Dear John’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 3, 2010 - 4:21pmCHICAGO – Hot young stars are always welcome on the playground of popular culture. Prime examples are Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried, whose charming insights highlight their up-and-coming status in promoting their new film, “Dear John.”
DVD Review: 'After Dark Horrorfest III: 8 Films to Die For'
Submitted by BrianTT on April 23, 2009 - 10:58amOverall DVD Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Lionsgate and After Dark Films’ recently released their third collection of “8 Films to Die For” and this year proved to be the most uninspiring octet to date. With fewer risks taken than the last two years and less extreme failures or successes, “After Dark Horrorfest III” is terrifyingly dull.
Interviews With 2009 Oscar Nominees: Melissa Leo, Richard Jenkins, Taraji P. Henson
Submitted by BrianTT on January 23, 2009 - 10:14amCHICAGO – In 2008, HollywoodChicago.com was lucky enough to speak to several of of this year’s lucky Oscar nominees, including Melissa Leo of “Frozen River,” Richard Jenkins of “The Visitor,” Taraji P. Henson of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” and Darren Aronofsky of “The Wrestler,” who may have missed out Best Director but saw his two stars, Marisa Tomei and Mickey Rourke, land major nominations.
2008 in Review: The Top 5 Film Interviews of HollywoodChicago.com
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 17, 2009 - 10:19pmCHICAGO – After participating in close to 25 interviews in 2008 for HollywoodChicago.com, the mechanics of each sit down are interestingly similar. The reporters gather at a pre-determined spot (usually a Chicago downtown hotel).