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.
Starz
TV News: Kelsey Grammer to Be Honored in Chicago at Hugo Television Awards
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 9, 2012 - 8:06amCHICAGO – Cinema/Chicago and the Chicago International Film Festival will be honoring television icon Kelsey Grammer at their 48th Hugo Television Awards, in Chicago on April 19th. Grammer portrayed Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcom “Cheers” and the spin-off “Frasier” for 20 years, tying a record for playing the same TV character continuously.
TV Review: B-Movie Take on Legendary Hero Thrills in Starz’s Bloody Hit ‘Spartacus: Vengeance’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 27, 2012 - 11:53amCHICAGO – “Let us split darkness with the cries of Romans.” Boobs, blood, and betrayal — “Spartacus” must be back. Following up on the action of the beloved “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” and coming on the heels of the most critical acclaim in the history of the network (“Boss”), Starz hopes to keep momentum going with the well-made if ridiculous “Spartacus: Vengeance.”
TV Review: Chicago-Set ‘Boss’ Begins With Shaky First Term
Submitted by BrianTT on October 21, 2011 - 10:02amCHICAGO – A television premiere is not unlike the first term of an elected candidate in that advertisements give way to actuality and constituents are forced to decide whether or not they want the candidate to be a part of their lives a second time.
Blu-Ray Review: STARZ Originals ‘Camelot,’ ‘Spartacus: Gods of the Arena’
Submitted by mattmovieman on September 15, 2011 - 7:22amCHICAGO – One of the most popular opinions among modern audiences is the notion that television shows have become consistently better than films. This is partly because many of the year’s best movies are relegated to urban art houses, while shows like “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad” are available on small screens nationwide. Yet I’d argue that there’s just as much derivative dreck on TV as there is in mainstream multiplexes.
TV News: ‘Spartacus’ Actor Andy Whitfield Passes Away at 39
Submitted by TimBMartens on September 12, 2011 - 11:16amCHICAGO – “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” star Andy Whitfield passed away yesterday morning after battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma since March 2010. Whitfield was 39 years old.
TV Review: ‘Torchwood: Miracle Day’ Builds Up Steam With Second, Third Episodes
Submitted by BrianTT on July 15, 2011 - 12:38pmCHICAGO – We didn’t get the screener in time to give you a heads up about the series premiere of Starz’s “Torchwood: Miracle Day” but we have seen episodes two and three and have some good news to end this long week — if you liked the first episode, don’t worry. It definitely doesn’t drop in quality. And if you worried a bit after that premiere that this wasn’t the same “Torchwood” you knew and loved, fret not, the program starts to really get into gear by the end of the third chapter and there’s little reason to be concerned.
Slideshow: Oprah, Paris Hilton Highlight 20-Portrait Gallery at ‘The Cable Show 2011’ in Chicago
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 10, 2011 - 7:40pmCHICAGO – The excitement was in Chicago last month as ‘The Cable Show 2011” gathered at the McCormick Place Convention Center. Many celebrities associated with the cable industry, including Oprah Winfrey, Paris Hilton and Kelsey Grammer, participated in the event and provided meet-and-greet opportunities.
TV Review: Eva Green, Joseph Fiennes Anchor Escapist ‘Camelot’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 1, 2011 - 1:25pmCHICAGO – Starz Channel’s “Camelot” is an attempt to cash in on the same success that the network found with “Spartacus” and it almost works to provide a similar level of Friday night escapism, mostly delivering just that with an adult version of Arthur, Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table.
TV Review: ‘Spartacus: Gods of the Arena’ Delivers Bloody Goods
Submitted by BrianTT on January 21, 2011 - 9:50amCHICAGO – It’s mere minutes into “Spartacus: Gods the Arena” before men are being decapitated and women are flashing their breasts. With all the self-serious junk on right now, it’s nice to have Starz’s biggest hit back.
Blu-Ray Review: Guilty Pleasures of ‘Spartacus: Blood and Sand’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 30, 2010 - 3:07pmCHICAGO – “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” is a ridiculous program, a mix of pretentious dialogue that thinks its more important than it is, elaborate battle sequences shot in slo-mo to hide the show’s budget, and historical inaccuracies on an epic scale. And yet it’s also remarkably enjoyable. It’s a guilty pleasure program that has developed a rabid following on Starz and should put the network on the map when it comes to original series with the help of an excellent Blu-ray release for the first season.