Sarah Shahi

CHICAGO – These are the times that try a film critic’s soul. Right after the awards season, and the lofty artistic films, comes the dump zone of January and the rejected reel orphans of the “industry.” Sylvester Stallone, once an Oscar winner, now “entertains” us with with harsh violence in the ‘Bullet to the Head.’

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 50 pairs of movie passes up for grabs to the advance screening of the highly anticipated “Bullet to the Head” with Sylvester Stallone!

CHICAGO – USA and TNT have battled for Summer dominance and they’re both set to bring back several of their biggest hits in the coming weeks. Timed to get fans even more excited for the USA stable, Universal and Fox have released the most recent seasons of hits “Burn Notice,” “White Collar,” and “Fairly Legal” today and all should satisfy hardcore fans even if it is a bit surprising that none of them are being released in HD.

CHICAGO – Two of USA’s hits return tonight with the second-season premiere of “Fairly Legal” and the fifth-and-final-season premiere of “In Plain Sight.” Both shows work largely because of the talent brought to them by their lead actresses, a welcome change of pace for a network that can often feel a little bit testosterone-heavy (“Psych,” “White Collar,” “Burn Notice” — all driven by their male protagonists). Sadly, the writing could still use some work on both dramas but no one can deny the charismatic skill of the women at their centers.

CHICAGO – “I Don’t Know How She Does It” could have been just another misogynistic (you would never see “I Don’t Know How HE Does It”…the very title implies sexism) alleged comedy but it goes well beyond that partially because it features one of the worst screenplays of 2011 but also because it is easily one of the most miscast movies ever made.

CHICAGO – The second wacky legal show debut of the week (after NBC’s awful “Harry’s Law”) is the fairly good “Fairly Legal,” a show that works largely due to the incredible charm of its lead, Sarah Shahi (“Life”).