Ron Perlman

CHICAGO – The third season of “Sons of Anarchy” was an absolute mess, the kind of misguided, repetitive disaster that can sometimes kill a great show. And yet the creators and team behind this hit FX series completely bounced back in season four, recently released on Blu-ray and DVD. With more emphasis on the dark family secrets of Clay (Ron Perlman), Gemma (Katey Sagal), and Jax (Charlie Hunnam), “Sons of Anarchy” arguably reached its peak this season and I expect the upcoming fifth season (come back Tuesday for a review) to top even this one. Catch up before getting back on your ride.

CHICAGO – “Drive” will surely be one of the most remembered and beloved films of 2011, no matter what Academy members (who notoriously snubbed the film except for one lone tech nod) may think. And so it is disappointing that the Blu-ray edition from Film District and Sony is surprisingly light on special features. The film itself looks (and especially sounds) incredible and, considering it was my #2 for 2011, is well worth a pick-up, but you can presume that this is a placeholder for a Special/Ultimate/Collector’s Edition inevitably down the road.

CHICAGO – In our latest trilogy edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Blu-ray, we have 5 Blu-rays up for grabs for the home entertainment release of “The Scorpion King 3: Battle For Redemption”!

CHICAGO – There were a disturbing number of remakes in 2011 that failed to justify their existence, including “The Thing,” “Footloose,” and, perhaps worst of all, Marcus Nispel’s “Conan the Barbarian.” The man behind the equally worthless remakes of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Friday the 13th” has carved out his own niche of dubious filmmaking decisions that make the original look like a masterpiece in comparison. The first “Conan” worked almost entirely because of the star power brought to it by Ah-nuld. The words star power and Jason Momoa have never been used together in a sentence before now.

CHICAGO – FX’s hit series “Sons of Anarchy” has become the most watched program in the history of the network. The season four premiere of the show had 6.5 million viewers watching when it premiered and added another 3 million in its encore plays. The 9.5 million total viewers for the one episode included 6.3 million adults from 18-49 years old.

CHICAGO – Nicholas Winding Refn’s “Drive” is an amazing thriller, a modern examination of heroism filtered through the fairy tale culture of the underbelly of the movie machine that is easily one of the most memorable and effective films of not just this year but the last several.

CHICAGO – Nicholas Winding Refn is a name you’re going to need to remember. The stellar director of “Bronson” and “Valhalla Rising” will go from cult icon to cinematic hero with the release of this weekend’s “Drive,” one of the best films of 2011. Starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Bryan Cranston, and Ron Perlman, “Drive” is a stunning modern fairy tale that is going to have a loyal, devoted audience.

CHICAGO – In our latest action/crime/drama edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 40 admit-two movie passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of the new film “Drive” starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan and Bryan Cranston!

CHICAGO – Sword and sandal epics are almost expected to have wooden acting and absurd dialogue. The new film “Conan the Barbarian” meets those expectations, and doesn’t offer any action or originality to counteract the anticipated flaws.

CHICAGO – In our latest 3D action/adventure edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 40 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of “Conan the Barbarian” in 3D with Jason Momoa!