CHICAGO – Society, or at least certain elements of society, are always looking for scapegoats to hide the sins of themselves and authority. In the so-called “great America” of the 1950s, the scapegoat target was comic books … specifically through a sociological study called “The Seduction of the Innocent.” City Lit Theater Company, in part two of a trilogy on comic culture by Mark Pracht, presents “The Innocence of Seduction … now through October 8th, 2023. For details and tickets, click COMIC BOOK.
Yuletide
Film Review: Die Hard is a Christmas Movie in ‘Violent Night’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 1, 2022 - 10:44amCHICAGO – David Harbour is part Bad Santa, part John McClane in this yuletide spin on Die Hard which never takes itself the slightest bit seriously. It’s a spiked Christmas cocktail that’s surprisingly light on its feet. So Here comes Santa Claus with a sledge hammer ready to dispatch some North Pole justice to bad guys on his naughty list.
Podtalk: Filmed-in-Chicago ‘Solstice’ with ‘Home Alone’ at Chi-Town Drive-In, Dec. 20, 2020
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 18, 2020 - 9:41pmCHICAGO – If you’re itching for some safe holiday cheer outside the confines of home for an evening, a drive-in Christmas film double feature is just the ticket.
Podtalk: Director Dana Nachman Puts Her Stamp on ‘Dear Santa’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 30, 2020 - 10:14amCHICAGO – Now that the socially distanced Thanksgiving is past us, it’s time to turn to Christmas and the films that are associated with that holiday. Documentary director Dana Nachman has a series of emotional and true stories in her latest film “Dear Santa,” an overview of a gift-giving charity that starts with a child’s letter.
Digital Review: Amazon Prime for Chicago-Based Christmas Film ‘Solstice’ on Nov. 27, 2019
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 26, 2019 - 12:47pmCHICAGO – It’s that time of year, and many gatherings use the spare time on Thanksgiving weekend to start the holiday movie tradition of the season. Although not many people know it, Chicago was the location used for the first Lifetime Christmas movie in the 1990s. “Solstice” was written and directed by Jerry Vasilatos, and premiered on Lifetime in 1994.
Podtalk: Cassidy Russell on ‘It’s Christmas, Goddamnit!’ at Chicago’s Annoyance Theatre
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 22, 2019 - 8:54pmCHICAGO – With a goal to put some poignancy and “fun” in a dysfunctional family holiday story, Cassidy Russell directs the annual “It’s Christmas, Goddamnit!” at Chicago’s Annoyance Theatre, Saturdays from November 23rd through December 28th, 2019. Click here for more details and tickets.
Podtalk: Jerry Vasilatos Presents ‘Solstice’ at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre on Dec. 18, 2018
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 18, 2018 - 8:31amCHICAGO – In a bit of a Christmas miracle, a film that was shot in Chicago in the early 1990s will see the light of screen again in the same theater – the historic Music Box Theatre – where a key scene was filmed. Writer/Director Jerry Vasilatos presents the 25th Anniversary restoration of his holiday film “Solstice” on December 18th, 2018, with a post screening Q&A moderated by Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com. For details and ticket info, click here.
