Chicago – One of the hottest films from the first half 2019 festival season was an emotional story about family, and scored the Best Picture at the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards on February 8th. “The Farewell” is a breakout for both the lead actor Awkwafina (“Crazy Rich Asians”), Zhao Shuzhen (who won the Indie Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress) and their director Lulu Wang. Wang’s story of her grandmother became a universal spirit about our relative connections.
Awkwafina portrays Billi, a fictional realization of Lulu Wang’s screenplay, a Chinese American who grew up in Western culture and lives in New York City. But she does have one connection back in China, her beloved grandmother Nai Nai (Zhao Shuzhen). When her parents find out that Nai Nai has terminal cancer, the whole clan throws a fake wedding for her cousins to get together and visit her, and Billi goes along for the ride.
Awkwafina portrays Billi, a fictional realization of Lulu Wang’s screenplay, a Chinese American who grew up in Western culture and lives in New York City. But she does have one connection back in China, her beloved grandmother Nai Nai (Zhao Shuzhen). When her parents find out that Nai Nai has terminal cancer, the whole clan throws a fake wedding for her cousins to get together and visit her, and Billi goes along for the ride.
- 2/9/2020
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Gratefully, we live in a post-Weinstein environment of #metoo, and one of the first films to comment upon it is “The Assistant,” written and directed by Kitty Green. Coming off its run at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, the film explores a low level female production assistant (Pa) as she navigates an office overwhelmed by a successful-but-abusive bossman.
Day After Day: Julia Garner is ‘The Assistant’
Photo credit: Bleecker Street Media
Interestingly, writer/director Green creates a mundane atmosphere for Pa Jane (Julia Garner), who has been on the job for five weeks at the film company. What she observes and experiences is appalling conduct from the powerful head of the company, both in his sexual manipulation and anger-addicted abuse. What is unique about the film’s statement is that the whole office is complicit, as to excuse the behavior means holding onto their highly sought-after jobs, and staying quiet about mistreatment.
Day After Day: Julia Garner is ‘The Assistant’
Photo credit: Bleecker Street Media
Interestingly, writer/director Green creates a mundane atmosphere for Pa Jane (Julia Garner), who has been on the job for five weeks at the film company. What she observes and experiences is appalling conduct from the powerful head of the company, both in his sexual manipulation and anger-addicted abuse. What is unique about the film’s statement is that the whole office is complicit, as to excuse the behavior means holding onto their highly sought-after jobs, and staying quiet about mistreatment.
- 2/5/2020
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – When we last talked to Kevin Pollack, Chicago’s answer to the Sultan of Swing, he was embarking on his once-a-month song reveal for the fall of 2019. The whole thing culminated in the release of “Holiday,” a feeling-the-vibe celebration of taking a break.
Kevin Pollack is a fixture around Chicago with his acting and singing, especially through his role as Jake in The Blues Brothers tribute act The Blooze Brothers. Lately he’s been writing and performing his own music, beginning in 2018 with “Something Good (Is Coming Down),” a song he wrote as a gift to his wife at their wedding. After getting some local traction for that single, including some radio and stadium play, he put together his once-a-month strategy for 2019, and kicked it off with “Man About Town.” To watch the video for that single, click here.
Kevin Pollack and His New Single, ‘Holiday’
Photo credit: Kevin...
Kevin Pollack is a fixture around Chicago with his acting and singing, especially through his role as Jake in The Blues Brothers tribute act The Blooze Brothers. Lately he’s been writing and performing his own music, beginning in 2018 with “Something Good (Is Coming Down),” a song he wrote as a gift to his wife at their wedding. After getting some local traction for that single, including some radio and stadium play, he put together his once-a-month strategy for 2019, and kicked it off with “Man About Town.” To watch the video for that single, click here.
Kevin Pollack and His New Single, ‘Holiday’
Photo credit: Kevin...
- 1/30/2020
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – July 20th, 2019, will mark the 50th Anniversary that a human being – astronaut Neil Armstrong – first stepped on the moon. All month in July/August, PBS station Wttw is featuring its “Summer of Space,” with special programming dedicated to both the Apollo 11 moon landing/walk and other space-themed shows. Participating are Chicago media personalities Bob Sirott and Marianne Murciano, in “Jim Lovell in Booth One with Sirott and Murciano.” For a schedule of showings, click here.
Bob Sirott and Marianne Murciano, besides being married, are a media power couple in Chicago, having co-hosted TV’s “Fox Thing in the Morning,” and had radio shows on Wgn and Wls. Before their collaborations, Bob Sirott was a Top 40 style disk jockey on Wls-am during the heyday of that format in the 1970s. He went on to network television, as one of the correspondents of CBS-tv’s “West 57th,”a newsmagazine show that...
Bob Sirott and Marianne Murciano, besides being married, are a media power couple in Chicago, having co-hosted TV’s “Fox Thing in the Morning,” and had radio shows on Wgn and Wls. Before their collaborations, Bob Sirott was a Top 40 style disk jockey on Wls-am during the heyday of that format in the 1970s. He went on to network television, as one of the correspondents of CBS-tv’s “West 57th,”a newsmagazine show that...
- 7/11/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – The story of auto impresario John DeLorean is definitely one of truth is stranger than fiction, but also has a basis in “what ifs?” The fascinating new documentary of his life tells that story, breaking down the vagueness of how a former General Motors superstar got involved in a drug deal to save his own car company. As always, a situation like that has more loopholes.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
There is an strange homage, in a sense, to re-creating scenes in documentaries, with actor Alec Baldwin portraying John DeLorean. But Baldwin also participates in telling the story, often in his DeLorean makeup, and this meta approach is a definite mixed bag. The most interesting participant is DeLorean’s son Zach, now living a middle class life after being the boy who had it all. His coarseness and directness is the most refreshing part of Jd’s past, told from the point...
Rating: 3.5/5.0
There is an strange homage, in a sense, to re-creating scenes in documentaries, with actor Alec Baldwin portraying John DeLorean. But Baldwin also participates in telling the story, often in his DeLorean makeup, and this meta approach is a definite mixed bag. The most interesting participant is DeLorean’s son Zach, now living a middle class life after being the boy who had it all. His coarseness and directness is the most refreshing part of Jd’s past, told from the point...
- 7/10/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – The Windy City is off to see the Wizard again, as the Grant Park Music Festival celebrates the 80th Anniversary of “The Wizard of Oz” at the Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park. The festivities include a costume party, hosted by Linda Kollmeyer (“The Lottery Lady”), followed by the presentation with a live orchestra accompaniment – on the Park’s giant Led screen – of the classic 1939 film.
The event is free and open to the public in both the “seating bowl” area and lawn, and begins at 6:30pm with the costume party, with the screening at 8pm. For more information, click here.
Follow the Yellow Brick Road to ‘The Wizard of Oz’ at Millennium Park
Photo credit: Warner Home Video
At the time of the late 1930s filming of “The Wizard of Oz,” the idea of an event children’s film was brand new. The film stars Judy Garland in...
The event is free and open to the public in both the “seating bowl” area and lawn, and begins at 6:30pm with the costume party, with the screening at 8pm. For more information, click here.
Follow the Yellow Brick Road to ‘The Wizard of Oz’ at Millennium Park
Photo credit: Warner Home Video
At the time of the late 1930s filming of “The Wizard of Oz,” the idea of an event children’s film was brand new. The film stars Judy Garland in...
- 7/9/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Professor Harold Hill has come back to River City, and that means trouble right here. Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man” is now in major revival at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.
.. and its satiric view of small town life in Iowa still provides some fun illumination. Directed by Tony Award winning director Mary Zimmerman, the play was just extended to August 18th, 2019, at various times. For more information and tickets, click here.
Play Rating: 4.0/5.0
The straightforward adaptation of the story a con artist traveling salesman first saw the lights of Broadway in 1957, on its way to a four year run. The Goodman version doesn’t try to reinvent the the show (surprisingly) and the coy optimism and gentle humor evokes a different time in America. The ensemble cast, led by Geoff Packard as the Professor, handles the 2 hour and 15 minute show with a languid grace, and the open...
.. and its satiric view of small town life in Iowa still provides some fun illumination. Directed by Tony Award winning director Mary Zimmerman, the play was just extended to August 18th, 2019, at various times. For more information and tickets, click here.
Play Rating: 4.0/5.0
The straightforward adaptation of the story a con artist traveling salesman first saw the lights of Broadway in 1957, on its way to a four year run. The Goodman version doesn’t try to reinvent the the show (surprisingly) and the coy optimism and gentle humor evokes a different time in America. The ensemble cast, led by Geoff Packard as the Professor, handles the 2 hour and 15 minute show with a languid grace, and the open...
- 7/9/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – The rumors of a series stoppage were just rumors, as Dr. Michelle Oakley is in the midst of production on Season Seven of her popular “Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet,” which airs on the Nat Geo Wild Channel. Soon the continuing story of an animal enthusiast turned Canadian Yukon veterinarian will have new adventures.
Michelle Oakley grew up in Munster, Indiana (of all places), and loved animals at an early age, which crystalized when she worked on her uncle’s dairy farm. She focused her interests during her undergrad years at the University of Michigan while studying zoology, and first visited the Yukon through a program at Um. After college, she married her husband Shane and pursued her doctorate in veterinary medicine.
Dr. Michelle Oakley and Friend in ‘Dr Oakley, Yukon Vet’
Photo credit: Nat Geo Wild
In 2014, “Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet” was launched on the Nat Geo Wild Channel,...
Michelle Oakley grew up in Munster, Indiana (of all places), and loved animals at an early age, which crystalized when she worked on her uncle’s dairy farm. She focused her interests during her undergrad years at the University of Michigan while studying zoology, and first visited the Yukon through a program at Um. After college, she married her husband Shane and pursued her doctorate in veterinary medicine.
Dr. Michelle Oakley and Friend in ‘Dr Oakley, Yukon Vet’
Photo credit: Nat Geo Wild
In 2014, “Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet” was launched on the Nat Geo Wild Channel,...
- 7/6/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – “Midsommar” is beautifully composed, disturbing in nature and very very Swedish. Writer/Director Art Aster creates a stunning sophomore effort (after his brilliant debut “Hereditary”) that is pure cinema, and weaves a fantastical tale of humanity stripped to its bare bones. It moves a bit slow, but it also builds to something completely original and unexpected.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
With more than a nod to the Swedish master Ingmar Bergman, Aster starts with the horribly emotional wreckage of a triple suicide, and morphs into a Swedish Midsommar fest, which becomes more and more unimaginable. There is also the contrast between the ugly American superficiality and the older European culture, which narrows the vision of the guests in witnessing the events of the ritual – and you’ll understand why once you see the film. Like religion, the Swedish commune that is depicted relies on myth, but their myth is rooted into a...
Rating: 4.5/5.0
With more than a nod to the Swedish master Ingmar Bergman, Aster starts with the horribly emotional wreckage of a triple suicide, and morphs into a Swedish Midsommar fest, which becomes more and more unimaginable. There is also the contrast between the ugly American superficiality and the older European culture, which narrows the vision of the guests in witnessing the events of the ritual – and you’ll understand why once you see the film. Like religion, the Swedish commune that is depicted relies on myth, but their myth is rooted into a...
- 7/4/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Season Three of “Stranger Things,” one of the hottest TV series in the last couple of years, is launching on Netflix on July 4th, 2019. The series is going back to the world of Indiana and the “Upside Down,” and joining the cast – which includes Dacre Montgomery as Billy Hargrove – is veteran actor Cary Elwes.
Set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the 1980s, the series – created by twin brothers Matt and Ross Duffer – first focused (Season One) on the investigation into the 1983 disappearance of a young boy named Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) amid supernatural events occurring around the town, including the appearance of a girl (Millie Bobby Brown) with psychokinetic abilities who helps the missing boy’s friends in their own search.
Billy (Dacre Montgomery) & Mayor Kline (Cary Elwes) of ‘Stranger Things 3’
Photo credit: Netflix
The second season – which introduced Dacre Montgomery’s character of Billy Hargrove – was...
Set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the 1980s, the series – created by twin brothers Matt and Ross Duffer – first focused (Season One) on the investigation into the 1983 disappearance of a young boy named Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) amid supernatural events occurring around the town, including the appearance of a girl (Millie Bobby Brown) with psychokinetic abilities who helps the missing boy’s friends in their own search.
Billy (Dacre Montgomery) & Mayor Kline (Cary Elwes) of ‘Stranger Things 3’
Photo credit: Netflix
The second season – which introduced Dacre Montgomery’s character of Billy Hargrove – was...
- 7/3/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – She calls her style of grindhouse and gore films “Tex Mex,” and you won’t find a better femme fatale producing a better debut film in that genre. Director Gigi Saul Guerrero makes her feature film debut with “Culture Shock,” which will premiere for the Hulu streaming service on July 4th, 2019, part of their “Into the Dark” series of horror films through Blumhouse Television.
Ain’t That America: Martha Higareda in ‘Culture Shock’
Photo credit: Hulu
Marisol (Martha Higareda) has no choice but to make the arduous crossing from Mexico to the USA, to give her unborn child a better life. After paying off several go-betweens to get the task done, she finds herself still captured by U.S. border guards. She blacks out, only to wake up clean, no longer pregnant and safe within an American utopia this side of Pleasantville. Is this a new weigh station for incoming expatriates,...
Ain’t That America: Martha Higareda in ‘Culture Shock’
Photo credit: Hulu
Marisol (Martha Higareda) has no choice but to make the arduous crossing from Mexico to the USA, to give her unborn child a better life. After paying off several go-betweens to get the task done, she finds herself still captured by U.S. border guards. She blacks out, only to wake up clean, no longer pregnant and safe within an American utopia this side of Pleasantville. Is this a new weigh station for incoming expatriates,...
- 7/2/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – As a Beatles fanatic who has a band because of their existence, the premise of “Yesterday” was can’t miss. A man wakes up after an accident to discover he’s the only person to know that The Beatles existed? Sign me up and buy me popcorn. It’s unfortunate that the story went in a direction that did miss.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
There is joy in the discovery … the early days of Jack, the musician who is awoken to his only-man-on-earth status, is goofy fun. His early renderings of the songs, and their bare bones recordings, have a special quality that harken back to their origins. However, story creator/screenwriter Richard Curtis (“Love Actually”) couldn’t help but wrap a rather lame love story around it, and having Ed Sheeran bring the proceedings to a halt every time he appeared on screen was painful. And while Himesh Patel gave it the old college try,...
Rating: 3.0/5.0
There is joy in the discovery … the early days of Jack, the musician who is awoken to his only-man-on-earth status, is goofy fun. His early renderings of the songs, and their bare bones recordings, have a special quality that harken back to their origins. However, story creator/screenwriter Richard Curtis (“Love Actually”) couldn’t help but wrap a rather lame love story around it, and having Ed Sheeran bring the proceedings to a halt every time he appeared on screen was painful. And while Himesh Patel gave it the old college try,...
- 6/28/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – The theater initiative “Nothing Without a Company” (NWaC) has a reputation for breaking the barriers between audience and actor, creating mystery in the far-flung Chicago locales they use as performance space. On Saturday, June 1st, 2019, they will bring this alchemy to their “Wonder Ball: Celebrate Your Inner Superhero” event, at Chicago Theater Works, 1113 West Belmont, Chicago. For details and tickets, click here.
NWaC Presents ‘Wonder Ball: Celebrate Your Inner Superhero’
Photo credit: NothingWithoutaCompany.org
The ball will feature live performances, special guests, treats from around the world, libations, a raffle, and a silent auction. All proceeds from the ball will help NWaC continue planting theatre around Chicago. Dress as your inner super hero, whatever that means to you. There are various levels of ticket packages and perks. Nothing Without a Company plants theater around Chicago to empower the self and the community through immersive/revolutionary acts of art in places you don’t expect.
NWaC Presents ‘Wonder Ball: Celebrate Your Inner Superhero’
Photo credit: NothingWithoutaCompany.org
The ball will feature live performances, special guests, treats from around the world, libations, a raffle, and a silent auction. All proceeds from the ball will help NWaC continue planting theatre around Chicago. Dress as your inner super hero, whatever that means to you. There are various levels of ticket packages and perks. Nothing Without a Company plants theater around Chicago to empower the self and the community through immersive/revolutionary acts of art in places you don’t expect.
- 5/31/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – As a wee lad, one of the first records I bought was Elton John’s Greatest Hits. The album was magnficent, each song expressing the very emotion it sought to deliver. With that basis in mind, I approached John’s biopic “Rocketman” with a hope of deliverance. It felt flatter than a pancake under a steam roller.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
Everything was off. The casting of Taron Egerton as the title character, although he gave it the old college try, never felt like Elton. The use of John’s music as fantasy elements (as if it were a movie musical) would have been fine if the film had followed through with that particular magic. The part time use was jarring, and the numbers had a “Mamma Mia” (not a compliment) quality to them … director Dexter Fletcher (“Eddie the Eagle”) bit off more than we could digest. And finally, the focus on Ej’s numbing drug use.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
Everything was off. The casting of Taron Egerton as the title character, although he gave it the old college try, never felt like Elton. The use of John’s music as fantasy elements (as if it were a movie musical) would have been fine if the film had followed through with that particular magic. The part time use was jarring, and the numbers had a “Mamma Mia” (not a compliment) quality to them … director Dexter Fletcher (“Eddie the Eagle”) bit off more than we could digest. And finally, the focus on Ej’s numbing drug use.
- 5/31/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – The final episode of the FX Network’s miniseries “Fosse/Vernon” airs on Tuesday, May 28th, 2019, concluding one of the more fascinating explorations of a historic show business couple. Bob Fosse and Gwen Vernon were titans of Broadway, and one of Bf’s collaborators was Stephen Schwartz, the composer of Pippin, which Fosse directed and choreographed.
Stephen Schwartz was a young wunderkind when he collided with Bob Fosse. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon in 1968 he worked in the music business, and in 1971 he wrote the music and lyrics for the classic “Godspell” musical. For his next project, he re-explored a college project named “Pippin, Pippin.” a musical fantasy based the 8th Century Prince Pepin/King Charlemagne legend. Retitled “Pippin,” the musical was assigned to director/choreographer Bob Fosse, who helped Schwartz (with a book by Roger O. Hirson) create a smash hit. The original Broadway run was 1,944 performances from...
Stephen Schwartz was a young wunderkind when he collided with Bob Fosse. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon in 1968 he worked in the music business, and in 1971 he wrote the music and lyrics for the classic “Godspell” musical. For his next project, he re-explored a college project named “Pippin, Pippin.” a musical fantasy based the 8th Century Prince Pepin/King Charlemagne legend. Retitled “Pippin,” the musical was assigned to director/choreographer Bob Fosse, who helped Schwartz (with a book by Roger O. Hirson) create a smash hit. The original Broadway run was 1,944 performances from...
- 5/28/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – A fiery phoenix rising from grunge and punk rock ashes, Skating Polly brings youthful hope to anyone looking for in-your-face, high energy, furious live performances. The talented trio alternate instruments and create a new form of music they call “Ugly Pop.” They performed at Schuba’s in Chicago on May 2nd, 2019.
Jeff Doles of HollywoodChicago.com recently attended that show. He caught up with Peyton Bighorse, the bass guitarist, sometimes drummer, sometimes singer of Skating Polly. In addition to talking about the origins of the band, Peyton discusses a wide array of topics, including the songwriting process, the local scene in their native Oklahoma (which includes a famous local venue) and how the band continues to evolve and grow.
Peyton Bighorse of Skating Polly
Photo credit: Jeff Doles for HollywoodChicago.com
HollywoodChicago.com: How did the music scene in Oklahoma, and the local venue The Conservatory [now 89th Street] influence the band’s music and style?...
Jeff Doles of HollywoodChicago.com recently attended that show. He caught up with Peyton Bighorse, the bass guitarist, sometimes drummer, sometimes singer of Skating Polly. In addition to talking about the origins of the band, Peyton discusses a wide array of topics, including the songwriting process, the local scene in their native Oklahoma (which includes a famous local venue) and how the band continues to evolve and grow.
Peyton Bighorse of Skating Polly
Photo credit: Jeff Doles for HollywoodChicago.com
HollywoodChicago.com: How did the music scene in Oklahoma, and the local venue The Conservatory [now 89th Street] influence the band’s music and style?...
- 5/25/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – The opening to the 1950s “Adventures of Superman” TV series includes the words “strange visitor from another planet.” But because Supes had used his subsequent powers for good, he eventually was found not so strange. What if, however, he had been evil, and used his powers destructively? The new film “Brightburn” speculates on such a phenomenon.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
The premise is simple, yet could have been so easy to mess up. The creators – producer James Gunn (“The Avengers” series), director David Yarovesky, with writers Brian and Mark Gunn (James’ brother and cousin) – take care to use the situation as symbolism for adolescent emergence and emphasis an outside force (puberty?) as changing the power dynamic within this “superman.” There is so much to unpack in a tight story, there could be a new cinema wing built just to analyze it. It’s powerfully absorbing as well, never shying away from its thesis,...
Rating: 4.5/5.0
The premise is simple, yet could have been so easy to mess up. The creators – producer James Gunn (“The Avengers” series), director David Yarovesky, with writers Brian and Mark Gunn (James’ brother and cousin) – take care to use the situation as symbolism for adolescent emergence and emphasis an outside force (puberty?) as changing the power dynamic within this “superman.” There is so much to unpack in a tight story, there could be a new cinema wing built just to analyze it. It’s powerfully absorbing as well, never shying away from its thesis,...
- 5/25/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – The Walt Disney Studio (cash) obsession with turning their animated film hits to live action movies continues this Memorial Day weekend with “Aladdin,” which adapts the 1992 classic. What worked in 2018 with “Beauty and the Beast” falls flat with this title, because the animated version plays better.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
And lest anyone forgets, the first film relied heavily on the improvisation skills of the late Robin Williams (as Genie), so without his take – and Will Smith attempting the impossible as a live-action replacement – the film was destined for mediocrity. The odd choice of Guy Ritchie as director, who has spent the last ten years making action heroes out of King Arthur and Sherlock Holmes, added problems with generating that “Disney feel.” And this film also had a slack pacing … adding a whole half hour to the original film’s running time, without creating any energy for those extra minutes. However, it is “Aladdin” after all,...
Rating: 3.0/5.0
And lest anyone forgets, the first film relied heavily on the improvisation skills of the late Robin Williams (as Genie), so without his take – and Will Smith attempting the impossible as a live-action replacement – the film was destined for mediocrity. The odd choice of Guy Ritchie as director, who has spent the last ten years making action heroes out of King Arthur and Sherlock Holmes, added problems with generating that “Disney feel.” And this film also had a slack pacing … adding a whole half hour to the original film’s running time, without creating any energy for those extra minutes. However, it is “Aladdin” after all,...
- 5/23/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – The discovery of rising stars is among the many things the Chicago Critics Film Festival (Ccff) does best, and that continued on May 19th, 2019, at the 7th annual fest. Aisling Franciosi is the lead actress of “The Nightingale,” a new film from Jennifer Kent (“The Babadook”), and she appeared on behalf of the film.
“The Nightingale” is a meditation on the consequences of violence and the price of seeking vengeance. Set during the colonization of Australia in 1825, the film follows Clare (Aisling Franciosi), a 21-year-old Irish convict. Having served her sentence, she is desperate to be free of her abusive master, Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Clafin), who refuses to release her from his charge. Clare’s husband Aidan (Michael Sheasby) retaliates and she then becomes the victim of a unspeakable and graphically depicted crime at the hands of the lieutenant and his cronies.
Aisling Franciosi at the 7th Chicago Critics...
“The Nightingale” is a meditation on the consequences of violence and the price of seeking vengeance. Set during the colonization of Australia in 1825, the film follows Clare (Aisling Franciosi), a 21-year-old Irish convict. Having served her sentence, she is desperate to be free of her abusive master, Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Clafin), who refuses to release her from his charge. Clare’s husband Aidan (Michael Sheasby) retaliates and she then becomes the victim of a unspeakable and graphically depicted crime at the hands of the lieutenant and his cronies.
Aisling Franciosi at the 7th Chicago Critics...
- 5/23/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – It has been a week of spectacular cinema treats at the 7th Chicago Critics Film Festival, and tonight it wraps up with “Light from Light,” a 2019 multi-festival recognized film. Write/director Paul Harrill and lead actor (and comedian) Jim Gaffigan will appear on behalf of the film, at 8:30pm on Thursday, May 23rd, 2019 at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre. For more details and tickets, click here.
Jim Gaffigan (right) Will Appear on Behalf of ‘Light from Light’
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com
Single mom Shelia (Marin Ireland), gifted with sometimes prophetic dreams, moonlights as a paranormal investigator while working at a car-rental service counter and raising her teenage son, Owen (Josh Wiggins). After her appearance on a local radio program, she’s contacted by Richard (Jim Gaffigan), a recent widower who thinks his departed wife may be “haunting” his East Tennessee farmhouse. Agreeing to help, Shelia brings along Owen...
Jim Gaffigan (right) Will Appear on Behalf of ‘Light from Light’
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com
Single mom Shelia (Marin Ireland), gifted with sometimes prophetic dreams, moonlights as a paranormal investigator while working at a car-rental service counter and raising her teenage son, Owen (Josh Wiggins). After her appearance on a local radio program, she’s contacted by Richard (Jim Gaffigan), a recent widower who thinks his departed wife may be “haunting” his East Tennessee farmhouse. Agreeing to help, Shelia brings along Owen...
- 5/23/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – It’s time for the gals to party down. The new film “Booksmart” is the story of two best friends who are outside their popular group in high school, and decide to blow it out on the last day of Senior Year. Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein are the dynamic duo, and the film is a funny expansion on breaking down barriers.
The film is also the directorial debut of actress Olivia Wilde, and was written by Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel and Katie Silberman. It involves Molly (Beanie Feldstein), a high achieving academic but clueless when it comes to connecting to high school hijinks, except for her personal connection to her best friend Amy (Kaitlyn Dever). Molly decides that before both of them go to college, it’s important that they have a typical high school party experience, which leads to a night they’ll never forget.
The film is also the directorial debut of actress Olivia Wilde, and was written by Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel and Katie Silberman. It involves Molly (Beanie Feldstein), a high achieving academic but clueless when it comes to connecting to high school hijinks, except for her personal connection to her best friend Amy (Kaitlyn Dever). Molly decides that before both of them go to college, it’s important that they have a typical high school party experience, which leads to a night they’ll never forget.
- 5/22/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Previous | Image 1 of 9 | NextIn this Moment, photo by Jeff Doles. Chicago Open Air 1 of 9
Bridgeview, Ill. - Chicago Open Air is an annual concert held in Bridgeview, Illinois, that features several rock and metal acts. After not happening in 2018, the festival returned for weekend of rock at SeetGeek Stadium. 2019 headliners included System of a Down, Tool, Ghost and The Cult. Photographers Jeff and Isabella Doles of HollywoodChicago.com were there.
The following photo gallery captures In This Moment, Fever 333, The Black Dahlia Murder and Alien Weaponry at the Chicago Open Air on May 18th and 19th, 2019. Click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through the slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos © Jeff and Isabella Doles for HollywoodChicago.com.
COA1: In this Moment, photo by Jeff Doles. Chicago Open Air 1 of 9 COA2: Fever 333, photo by Jeff Doles. Chicago Open Air 2 of 9 COA3: Alien Weaponry,...
Bridgeview, Ill. - Chicago Open Air is an annual concert held in Bridgeview, Illinois, that features several rock and metal acts. After not happening in 2018, the festival returned for weekend of rock at SeetGeek Stadium. 2019 headliners included System of a Down, Tool, Ghost and The Cult. Photographers Jeff and Isabella Doles of HollywoodChicago.com were there.
The following photo gallery captures In This Moment, Fever 333, The Black Dahlia Murder and Alien Weaponry at the Chicago Open Air on May 18th and 19th, 2019. Click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through the slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos © Jeff and Isabella Doles for HollywoodChicago.com.
COA1: In this Moment, photo by Jeff Doles. Chicago Open Air 1 of 9 COA2: Fever 333, photo by Jeff Doles. Chicago Open Air 2 of 9 COA3: Alien Weaponry,...
- 5/21/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – One of the great movie character actors is hale and hearty at age 85. Tom Skerritt has over 50 years of roles, and has appeared in such film classics as “M*A*S*H,” “Harold and Maude,” “Up in Smoke,” “Top Gun” and “Steel Magnolias.” Skerritt was at the 7th Chicago Critics Film Festival for the 40th Anniversary of “Alien.”
Thomas Roy Skerritt was born in Detroit, and after the Air Force and college developed a fascination for acting. He made his film debut in “War Hunt” (1962), which was also the debut for Robert Redford, who would later direct Skerritt in “A River Runs Through It” (1992). He spent most of the 1960s doing episodic TV, and began to get film notice around the time of “M*A*S*H” (1970), where he portrayed a southern doctor named Duke, as well as a small-but-crucial appearance in “Harold and Maude” (1971).
Tom Skerritt at the 7th Chicago Critics...
Thomas Roy Skerritt was born in Detroit, and after the Air Force and college developed a fascination for acting. He made his film debut in “War Hunt” (1962), which was also the debut for Robert Redford, who would later direct Skerritt in “A River Runs Through It” (1992). He spent most of the 1960s doing episodic TV, and began to get film notice around the time of “M*A*S*H” (1970), where he portrayed a southern doctor named Duke, as well as a small-but-crucial appearance in “Harold and Maude” (1971).
Tom Skerritt at the 7th Chicago Critics...
- 5/21/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Tonight what heights we’ll hit. The 7th Chicago Critics Film Festival (Ccff) begins on Friday, May 17th, 2019, and offers a week of 2019 film greatness, selected by Chicago Film Critics from the major festivals so far. This will be a whole week at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre, Click here for the schedule.
7th Chicago Critics Film Festival
Photo credit: Ian Simmons for ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com
Patrick McDonald (Pm) and Jon Lennon Espino (Jle) of HollywoodChicago.com has previewed some films, and anticipate others. We’ve divided this overview into Films We’Ve Seen, Films We Want To See (Based On Title Or Description) and Films We Must See. We hope to See You there.
Films We’Ve Seen
Saint Frances
The Opening Night film is a statement of sorts … a statement regarding the pressures on women to manifest certain obligations within their lives in our current world. It is...
7th Chicago Critics Film Festival
Photo credit: Ian Simmons for ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com
Patrick McDonald (Pm) and Jon Lennon Espino (Jle) of HollywoodChicago.com has previewed some films, and anticipate others. We’ve divided this overview into Films We’Ve Seen, Films We Want To See (Based On Title Or Description) and Films We Must See. We hope to See You there.
Films We’Ve Seen
Saint Frances
The Opening Night film is a statement of sorts … a statement regarding the pressures on women to manifest certain obligations within their lives in our current world. It is...
- 5/17/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – One of the most successful ongoing film festivals is Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema (Apuc). Facilitated by founder and veteran film programmer Sophia Wong Bocchio, the fest anticipates Season Eight with another amazing line-up of films from Japan, Mongolia, Singapore, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Indonesia and South Korea.
The format for the Spring 2019 Apuc is going through a change … instead of spreading films out to once a week, there will be multiple films each week, equalling a shorter calendar season. Many of the weeks will focus on one country, and as always there will be opportunities to meet the filmmakers and participate in post screening discussions (Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com is on board to host Q&As March 27th and 28th). And besides the Chicago screenings taking place at AMC River East 21, the Heritage Museum of Asian Art, the Alliance Francaise de Chicago, the Joffrey Ballet studio...
The format for the Spring 2019 Apuc is going through a change … instead of spreading films out to once a week, there will be multiple films each week, equalling a shorter calendar season. Many of the weeks will focus on one country, and as always there will be opportunities to meet the filmmakers and participate in post screening discussions (Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com is on board to host Q&As March 27th and 28th). And besides the Chicago screenings taking place at AMC River East 21, the Heritage Museum of Asian Art, the Alliance Francaise de Chicago, the Joffrey Ballet studio...
- 2/27/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – He moved deftly from British matinee idol to formidable movie star to reliable character actor, and was nominated four times for an Academy Award (no wins). Albert Finney had a nearly 50 year stage and screen career that encompassed virtually all types and genres of acting. He died in London on February 7th, 2019. He was 82.
He was born Albert Finney Jr., and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating at age 20 in 1956. He became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company shortly thereafter, and appeared on the stage throughout the late 1950s, and throughout his career. His debut film role was “The Entertainer” in 1960. He was the title character in the Oscar Best Picture “Tom Jones” (1963), and other films in that decade included “Night Must Fall” (1964), “Two for the Road” (1967) and “Charlie Bubbles”.
An Early Career Albert Finney
Photo credit: File Photo
His most fruitful film era was arguably the 1980s and ‘90s,...
He was born Albert Finney Jr., and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating at age 20 in 1956. He became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company shortly thereafter, and appeared on the stage throughout the late 1950s, and throughout his career. His debut film role was “The Entertainer” in 1960. He was the title character in the Oscar Best Picture “Tom Jones” (1963), and other films in that decade included “Night Must Fall” (1964), “Two for the Road” (1967) and “Charlie Bubbles”.
An Early Career Albert Finney
Photo credit: File Photo
His most fruitful film era was arguably the 1980s and ‘90s,...
- 2/26/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Connecting to the theater collective Nothing Without a Company means a couple of things. One, you may visit parts of Chicago you’ve never seen before – in this case a plant store in an industrial area south of Humboldt Park – and two, you will see some daring and outside-the-box stagings. “The Soccer Player in the Closet” is their latest production – a World Premiere – and it provides what the title implies and beyond. The play runs through March 17th, 2019. Click here for more details, including ticket information.
Play Rating: 4.0/5.0
The loft above a plant shop is the setting, and the audience sits within what is the title character’s apartment. The vibe is odd as the play commences, with the occupation and motivations of the main character not entirely clear. Once those explanations come, the story works on a couple levels, and is delivered by a diverse and talented cast.
Play Rating: 4.0/5.0
The loft above a plant shop is the setting, and the audience sits within what is the title character’s apartment. The vibe is odd as the play commences, with the occupation and motivations of the main character not entirely clear. Once those explanations come, the story works on a couple levels, and is delivered by a diverse and talented cast.
- 2/25/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Hey, hey, he (was) a Monkee, and Peter Tork liked Monkee-ing around. The eternally optimistic-but-doofus character of the “Pre-Fab Four” 1960s pop group The Monkees was also a consummate musician, and was one the first members of the made-for-tv band that protested the false backing tracks to their playing and singing. Tork died on February 21st, 2019. He was 77.
Peter Halsten Thorkelson was born in Washington, D.C., and was cast perfectly into the era of the baby boomer 1960s, when he moved to New York City after a stint in college to join the burgeoning folk scene in Greenwich Village. He became a Monkee accidentally, when his friend Stephen Stills suggested that Tork could fulfill the look that the producers wanted for the TV show. He got the gig, and along with fellow band mates Mike Nesmith, Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones, romped on the TV series, released several...
Peter Halsten Thorkelson was born in Washington, D.C., and was cast perfectly into the era of the baby boomer 1960s, when he moved to New York City after a stint in college to join the burgeoning folk scene in Greenwich Village. He became a Monkee accidentally, when his friend Stephen Stills suggested that Tork could fulfill the look that the producers wanted for the TV show. He got the gig, and along with fellow band mates Mike Nesmith, Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones, romped on the TV series, released several...
- 2/25/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – After all the controversies that beset the 91st Academy Awards, the actual event continued to surprise, with the stunning upset of Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”) as the Best Actress honoree – besting heavily favored Glenn Close – to the naming of “Green Book” as Best Picture, which overcame a backlash regarding the liberties of its based-on-truth story.
The ceremony, which took place on February 24th, 2019, was a breezy affair (compared to the length of other Oscar ceremonies), coming in under three and half hours, and was the first to take place without a host since 1989. To celebrate the band Queen and the film “Bohemian Rhapsody,” singer Adam Lambert and the surviving members of the band opened the show with “We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions” to blast everything off. The awards themselves were then given out in an efficient pace, interrupted only by the performances of the Best Songs...
The ceremony, which took place on February 24th, 2019, was a breezy affair (compared to the length of other Oscar ceremonies), coming in under three and half hours, and was the first to take place without a host since 1989. To celebrate the band Queen and the film “Bohemian Rhapsody,” singer Adam Lambert and the surviving members of the band opened the show with “We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions” to blast everything off. The awards themselves were then given out in an efficient pace, interrupted only by the performances of the Best Songs...
- 2/25/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – The Best Animated Film category at the 91st Academy Awards honor both these visual treats and their status in the new Golden Age. The visual density of today’s animation reaches a new height in a rare Walt Disney Studio sequel, “Ralph Breaks the Internet.” This is a follow-up to “Wreck-It Ralph,” a huge animated hit film. Returning to guide the sequel, which has Wreck-It Ralph “inside” the internet, are co-directors Phil Johnston and Rich Moore.
Also returning for the sequel are a number of the voice actors and characters from the first film, including the saucy-tongued Vanellope (voiced by Sarah Silverman), Felix (Jack McBrayer), Calhoun (Jane Lynch) and John C. Reilly as Ralph. Joining them in this new outing is the new character of Shank (Gal Gadot). The story involves the arcade that Ralph and Vanellope live at (in their respective video games) and an accident that changes everything.
Also returning for the sequel are a number of the voice actors and characters from the first film, including the saucy-tongued Vanellope (voiced by Sarah Silverman), Felix (Jack McBrayer), Calhoun (Jane Lynch) and John C. Reilly as Ralph. Joining them in this new outing is the new character of Shank (Gal Gadot). The story involves the arcade that Ralph and Vanellope live at (in their respective video games) and an accident that changes everything.
- 2/22/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago –All fiery things must come to an extinguishing point, and the “How to Train Your Dragon” animated film series concludes with its third entry, subtitled “Hidden World.” To finish things up the creators turn on the Dragon power, there are literally thousands of them flamed up and ready to go.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
The series is notable for the connection that the hero Hiccup creates with his dragon pal Toothless, and that theme is carried through to an appropriate and emotional conclusion, which is the biggest selling point of the film. The atmosphere is mind-bogglingly rendered into a significant created universe, including the so-called “hidden world” of Dragonland, which turns up the volume on psychedelic color schemes … the film is available in 3D, IMAX & Rpx options. As it is said, if you have followed the first two films, you’ll be properly satisfied as it comes to an end.
Hiccup (voice...
Rating: 3.5/5.0
The series is notable for the connection that the hero Hiccup creates with his dragon pal Toothless, and that theme is carried through to an appropriate and emotional conclusion, which is the biggest selling point of the film. The atmosphere is mind-bogglingly rendered into a significant created universe, including the so-called “hidden world” of Dragonland, which turns up the volume on psychedelic color schemes … the film is available in 3D, IMAX & Rpx options. As it is said, if you have followed the first two films, you’ll be properly satisfied as it comes to an end.
Hiccup (voice...
- 2/22/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Before everything else happened, Jussie Smollett was an actor from the TV series “Empire” and portrayed Langston Hughes in the film “Marshall” … featuring Chadwick Boseman of “Black Panther” as young Thurgood Marshall. Smollett walked the Red Carpet for the film in 2017, at the 53rd Chicago International Film Festival.
In this extraordinary Flashback interview, Jussie talks about “truth,” being a temporary child actor and connecting to Langston Hughes. Smollett was born in Santa Rosa, California, and began his career as a child actor, appearing in “The Mighty Ducks” (1992) and Rob Reiner’s notorious “North” (1994), and was in a TV series with his five siblings called “On Our Own” (1994-95).
Jussie Smollett in 2017, on the Red Carpet at the 53rd Chicago International Film Festival
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
He stopped acting to focus on music, but he was able to combine acting and his new...
In this extraordinary Flashback interview, Jussie talks about “truth,” being a temporary child actor and connecting to Langston Hughes. Smollett was born in Santa Rosa, California, and began his career as a child actor, appearing in “The Mighty Ducks” (1992) and Rob Reiner’s notorious “North” (1994), and was in a TV series with his five siblings called “On Our Own” (1994-95).
Jussie Smollett in 2017, on the Red Carpet at the 53rd Chicago International Film Festival
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
He stopped acting to focus on music, but he was able to combine acting and his new...
- 2/22/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Director Adam McKay has come to the meatiest part of his long and successful career. He began with comedy in TV and film, and was first known for hilarious movies like “Anchorman,” “Talledega Nights,” and “Step Brothers.” Recently, he has moved into more complex filmmaking, like the highly touted (and Oscar nominated for Best Picture and Director) “The Big Short” in 2015, and this year’s “Vice,” nominated again for Best Picture, Best Director and for his Best Original Screenplay.
“Vice” is a biography of U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, who used arcane law to maximize his power as “second in command” in the George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell) administration, and forever altered foreign policy power and abused the definition of American exceptionalism. McKay used the same cinematic techniques as the “The Big Short” (which was about banking) to explain the intricate power moves that Cheney perpetuated, and the...
“Vice” is a biography of U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, who used arcane law to maximize his power as “second in command” in the George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell) administration, and forever altered foreign policy power and abused the definition of American exceptionalism. McKay used the same cinematic techniques as the “The Big Short” (which was about banking) to explain the intricate power moves that Cheney perpetuated, and the...
- 2/21/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the notorious “Rbg,” has been a steady and abiding voice on that high court since 1993. But how much do we really know about this unassuming and highly admired jurist? Co-directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen answer this question in their documentary “Rbg.” The film is one of five nominees competing for gold in the Feature Documentary category, to be given on Sunday at the 91st Academy Awards.
The documentary spans the career of Rbg, from her modest roots in Brooklyn to the heights of the highest court in the land. Throughout the journey, the intently modest Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a fierce fighter/advocate in her own life, especially in hurdling the obstacles of women in her early era, and her relationship with her late husband Martin Ginsburg. We learn of the very few women that were in Harvard Law School at the...
The documentary spans the career of Rbg, from her modest roots in Brooklyn to the heights of the highest court in the land. Throughout the journey, the intently modest Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a fierce fighter/advocate in her own life, especially in hurdling the obstacles of women in her early era, and her relationship with her late husband Martin Ginsburg. We learn of the very few women that were in Harvard Law School at the...
- 2/20/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Stephen Merchant is well known for his hilarious takes on über-tall (he’s six-foot-seven) and awkward comedy. He helped create the British “The Office” TV series with longtime collaborator Ricky Gervais, and HBO shows like “Extras” and “Hello Ladies.” He writes and directs his first major feature, the pro wrestling film “Fighting with My Family.”
The film is produced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who also makes an appearance in this based-on-truth story of “Paige” (Florence Pugh), a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) mainstay who came from a pro wrestling family in Britain. It’s an insider’s view of the preparation and sacrifice it takes to make the big time, as well as a family story about the odds being stacked against it. You’ll hear the origin of Merchant’s involvement in the Podtalk, told in his unique dry style.
Stephen Merchant with Dwayne Johnson, On Set for...
The film is produced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who also makes an appearance in this based-on-truth story of “Paige” (Florence Pugh), a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) mainstay who came from a pro wrestling family in Britain. It’s an insider’s view of the preparation and sacrifice it takes to make the big time, as well as a family story about the odds being stacked against it. You’ll hear the origin of Merchant’s involvement in the Podtalk, told in his unique dry style.
Stephen Merchant with Dwayne Johnson, On Set for...
- 2/20/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – All through the 2019 Oscar Week, HollywoodChicago.com will rerun significant articles from 2018 that feature the nominees associated with Sunday’s Academy Award ceremony. Today is a Podtalk with director Bing Liu, who was the filmmaker behind a Best Documentary Feature nominee, “Minding the Gap.” The film seems to be a nostalgic profile of Liu’s youth in Rockford, Illinois, as he goes back to his hometown to explore the skateboarding culture that kept him balanced while growing up in a difficult home environment. What he found out about himself was an organic reveal in the film, both shocking and cathartic.
The film, available on the online Hulu Network, will also have a free TV broadcast on Monday, February 18th, 2019, on Chicago’s PBS Station Wttw. Besides Liu featuring himself in the documentary, he also profiles fellow Rockford skateboarders Zack Mulligan and Keire Johnson, and finds commonality in their family lives.
The film, available on the online Hulu Network, will also have a free TV broadcast on Monday, February 18th, 2019, on Chicago’s PBS Station Wttw. Besides Liu featuring himself in the documentary, he also profiles fellow Rockford skateboarders Zack Mulligan and Keire Johnson, and finds commonality in their family lives.
- 2/18/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – The relationships in our lives affect who we are, whether they are momentary or long term. Interestingly, like the Oscar nominated Live Action shorts, the Animated Short Film nominees have that similar connective themes in four of the five stories. Family relationships, son-to-mother, mother-to-daughter, daughter-to-father and parents-to-child, are explored in poignant and expressive ways. The Landmark Century Centre Cinema in Chicago are currently showing all the shorts in one program. Click here for more information.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
One of the nominees, “Animal Behavior” (Canada), is not so much about relationships, but is a comic overview of the law of nature in the context of a psychotherapy group session. The other nominees – “Bao” (USA), “Late Afternoon” (Ireland), “One Small Step” (USA/China) and “Weekends” (USA) – are about our relationships, and the influential nature of them. The trend of animation is to communicate different subjects in this flexible and reverential art form,...
Rating: 4.0/5.0
One of the nominees, “Animal Behavior” (Canada), is not so much about relationships, but is a comic overview of the law of nature in the context of a psychotherapy group session. The other nominees – “Bao” (USA), “Late Afternoon” (Ireland), “One Small Step” (USA/China) and “Weekends” (USA) – are about our relationships, and the influential nature of them. The trend of animation is to communicate different subjects in this flexible and reverential art form,...
- 2/17/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – The creation of new worlds has always been a mainstay of the cinema, virtually since it was invented. And whether you love or are indifferent to the films of James Cameron (“Titanic”), he remains one of the prime movers in advancing the creative tools of films. His influence is all over “Alita: Battle Angel.”
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Cameron co-wrote the screenplay, based on a Japanese manga graphic novel, and the film used the advancing technology invented for Cameron’s “Avatar,” which re-creates human beings into digital characters that are partially based in reality and partially computer-generated art. “Alita” is wholly an innovation of this application, as the actress provides the voice and movements, but the character is a product of digital design. The result is entertaining eye candy, as the action sequences combine martial arts power with super heroics, as interpreted by veteran director Robert Rodriguez (“Sin City” series). Add the...
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Cameron co-wrote the screenplay, based on a Japanese manga graphic novel, and the film used the advancing technology invented for Cameron’s “Avatar,” which re-creates human beings into digital characters that are partially based in reality and partially computer-generated art. “Alita” is wholly an innovation of this application, as the actress provides the voice and movements, but the character is a product of digital design. The result is entertaining eye candy, as the action sequences combine martial arts power with super heroics, as interpreted by veteran director Robert Rodriguez (“Sin City” series). Add the...
- 2/14/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Penny Marshall was somewhat of an enigma, and admittedly not comfortable in the spotlight. The 1970s sitcom legend who evolved into a top American film director never seemed quite sure of her legacy, but she left behind a superior body of work that defined her as a filmmaker. Ms. Marshall died from complications due to diabetes on December 17th, 2018, at the age of 75.
Carole Penny Marshall was born in the Bronx, and lived in the same building that also housed the childhood residences of Neil Simon, Paddy Chayefsky, Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. She was a tap dancer as a child, and graduated from the Walton High School in New York City. After a two year stint in college, she married and had a daughter in the early 1960s, but was divorced soon thereafter. She eventually moved to Los Angeles later that decade on the encouragement of brother Garry Marshall,...
Carole Penny Marshall was born in the Bronx, and lived in the same building that also housed the childhood residences of Neil Simon, Paddy Chayefsky, Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. She was a tap dancer as a child, and graduated from the Walton High School in New York City. After a two year stint in college, she married and had a daughter in the early 1960s, but was divorced soon thereafter. She eventually moved to Los Angeles later that decade on the encouragement of brother Garry Marshall,...
- 12/26/2018
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Many heroes of America toiled long behind the scenes to break the chains of oppression. For every Susan Anthony or Martin Luther King Jr. there were the activists, legal experts and volunteers who sought the justice denied to them by the archaic patriarchal society. One such hero is Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the film “On the Basis of Sex.”
Rating: 5.0/5.0
Ginsburg is now on the Supreme Court, but before she got there it was a long climb through the mountain of male dismissal in a society that – according to those males – was not equipped for the equality of gender. Director Mimi Leder creates a step by step journey for the legend, who was one of nine women in her Harvard law class of 500 in the 1950s, who married an essential fellow traveler to her work and who had the guts to follow her conviction to the high court. If you have always admired Ginsburg,...
Rating: 5.0/5.0
Ginsburg is now on the Supreme Court, but before she got there it was a long climb through the mountain of male dismissal in a society that – according to those males – was not equipped for the equality of gender. Director Mimi Leder creates a step by step journey for the legend, who was one of nine women in her Harvard law class of 500 in the 1950s, who married an essential fellow traveler to her work and who had the guts to follow her conviction to the high court. If you have always admired Ginsburg,...
- 12/26/2018
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – The dripping sound of water you will hear this upcoming weekend will be the tears of DC Comics fans, as they cry from frustration over the latest cinema hit job on one of the Super-Friends. The tepid and overlong “Aquaman” is another hero movie that tries to combine origin story and “first case” adventure, and fails at both.
Rating: 2.0/5.0
Making the so-called “King of the Oceans” a more aquatic looking man beast – Jason Momoa fulfills the role succinctly – is fine (Aquaman looks like a blonde frat boy in the early comics), but the formula of these overblown DC Comic films… origin story, first adventure and sprinkle in some celebrity supporting roles… are like a satire now. If this film were done with bad special effects of the 1950s, instead of the beautifully visual undersea atmosphere rendering of now, it would qualify for riffing on Mystery Science 3000. Yeah, it’s that overblown and weird.
Rating: 2.0/5.0
Making the so-called “King of the Oceans” a more aquatic looking man beast – Jason Momoa fulfills the role succinctly – is fine (Aquaman looks like a blonde frat boy in the early comics), but the formula of these overblown DC Comic films… origin story, first adventure and sprinkle in some celebrity supporting roles… are like a satire now. If this film were done with bad special effects of the 1950s, instead of the beautifully visual undersea atmosphere rendering of now, it would qualify for riffing on Mystery Science 3000. Yeah, it’s that overblown and weird.
- 12/20/2018
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – They did it. Walt Disney Studios took one of their most beloved live action/animated films and rebooted it for a new millennium. “Mary Poppins Returns” is a song-filled, emotional and magical celebration of all things Mary P, combining the elements that made it great the first time with the modern movie strengths of today.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Credit goes first and foremost to veteran director Rob Marshall (“Chicago”). Given all the legacy he had to deal with, he chose to create his own version by not borrowing one familiar song (except for incidental background instrumentals) from the 1964 film and mixing the right chemistry of current performers and wily veterans to retell the story of Mary Poppins. Emily Blunt portrays the title nanny, and understands the mystery of the character by going back to the source storybooks (by author P.L. Travers) for characterization, while formulating a character that conjures enchantment and...
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Credit goes first and foremost to veteran director Rob Marshall (“Chicago”). Given all the legacy he had to deal with, he chose to create his own version by not borrowing one familiar song (except for incidental background instrumentals) from the 1964 film and mixing the right chemistry of current performers and wily veterans to retell the story of Mary Poppins. Emily Blunt portrays the title nanny, and understands the mystery of the character by going back to the source storybooks (by author P.L. Travers) for characterization, while formulating a character that conjures enchantment and...
- 12/19/2018
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – 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.
“Solstice” involves a Chicago man named Nick (Michael Kelley), who is facing a number of transitions on Christmas Eve. He has just broken up with his girlfriend Kristine (Mary McCloud) and he feels his dreams of becoming a filmmaker slipping away. Distraught and somewhat lonely, he walks the streets of a pre-gentrified Chicago – making a stop at the Music Box Theatre during their Christmas double feature singalong – and gradually finds moments of solace along the way.
“Solstice” involves a Chicago man named Nick (Michael Kelley), who is facing a number of transitions on Christmas Eve. He has just broken up with his girlfriend Kristine (Mary McCloud) and he feels his dreams of becoming a filmmaker slipping away. Distraught and somewhat lonely, he walks the streets of a pre-gentrified Chicago – making a stop at the Music Box Theatre during their Christmas double feature singalong – and gradually finds moments of solace along the way.
- 12/18/2018
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – In the frozen emotional landscape of America, where mass shootings have become as regular as the sunrise, what better symbol for this madness is there than a pop star? Natalie Portman is that singer in “Vox Lux,” a victim and a perpetrator in the sin of mass death, and the soundtrack of gunfire.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Using a worshipped singer as a metaphor for lost cause USA is a brilliant stroke, created by writer/director Brady Corbet, an actor and filmmaker. Portman is proficient as usual, imbuing the singer Celeste with a bitter edge of desperation, augmented with the unadvised escapism in trying to erase a sordid past. Jude Law continues his chameleon-like foray in character acting, playing Celeste’s manager as both moral center and creep. The whole she-bang is narrated with expressive calm by Williem Dafoe, adding another layer to the killing joke of fantasy (pop music) and the real world.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Using a worshipped singer as a metaphor for lost cause USA is a brilliant stroke, created by writer/director Brady Corbet, an actor and filmmaker. Portman is proficient as usual, imbuing the singer Celeste with a bitter edge of desperation, augmented with the unadvised escapism in trying to erase a sordid past. Jude Law continues his chameleon-like foray in character acting, playing Celeste’s manager as both moral center and creep. The whole she-bang is narrated with expressive calm by Williem Dafoe, adding another layer to the killing joke of fantasy (pop music) and the real world.
- 12/12/2018
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – “Wild Honey” is a film of transition and redemption, and features a stellar cast anchored by veteran character actress Rusty Schwimmer. The Wilmette Theatre in that Chicagoland suburb is screening the film – partially set locally – on December 12th and 14th, 2018, and Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com will host the Q&A with Schwimmer and writer/director Francis Stokes at the 12/12 presentation. For details and to purchase tickets, click here.
Rusty Schwimmer as Gabby in ‘Wild Honey’
Photo credit: FrancisStokes.com
“Wild Honey” is the story of Gabby (Rusty Schwimmer), a 49 year-old who leaves her dead end relationship with Vince (Todd Stashwick) and moves back in with her mother (Paulette Cary). She also has no job prospects, so reluctantly she makes ends meet as a phone sex operator. This strange profession is interrupted by a caller named Martin (Timothy Omundson), who only wants Gabby’s counsel, and they begin to develop a friendship.
Rusty Schwimmer as Gabby in ‘Wild Honey’
Photo credit: FrancisStokes.com
“Wild Honey” is the story of Gabby (Rusty Schwimmer), a 49 year-old who leaves her dead end relationship with Vince (Todd Stashwick) and moves back in with her mother (Paulette Cary). She also has no job prospects, so reluctantly she makes ends meet as a phone sex operator. This strange profession is interrupted by a caller named Martin (Timothy Omundson), who only wants Gabby’s counsel, and they begin to develop a friendship.
- 12/12/2018
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – In the history of “Reality TV” there has been periods of up-and-down popularity, shows that have been around seemingly forever and spinoffs to new styles like “documentary series” as networks like the National Geographic Channel emerged. In all those permutations, producer Stephanie Buxbaum has experienced it all, and has the career and stories to prove it.
Buxbaum began her career as a performer, transferring from classical acting training to the nuts-and-bolts of the show business industry through the University of Southern California. After graduation, she worked in musical theater, but always was challenging herself by learning other dynamics of the film and television business. This led to an associate producer gig on “Big Brother” in 2000, which began her (as she calls it) “unscripted TV show” career.
Executive Producer Stephanie Buxbaum
Photo credit: Sunday Brunch Productions
Since then, she has had many level of producer titles – through her Sunday Brunch...
Buxbaum began her career as a performer, transferring from classical acting training to the nuts-and-bolts of the show business industry through the University of Southern California. After graduation, she worked in musical theater, but always was challenging herself by learning other dynamics of the film and television business. This led to an associate producer gig on “Big Brother” in 2000, which began her (as she calls it) “unscripted TV show” career.
Executive Producer Stephanie Buxbaum
Photo credit: Sunday Brunch Productions
Since then, she has had many level of producer titles – through her Sunday Brunch...
- 12/10/2018
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – The personal, emotional essence of Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” – a memory film set in the Mexico City neighborhood in the early 1970s – took home the Best Picture honor at the 2018 Chicago Film Critics Association annual dinner. “Roma” also was honored as Best Foreign Film, Director, Cinematography and Editing.
Other major awards included the Best Supporting Actress for Olivia Coleman in “The Favourite,” as the insecure Queen Anne caught between two ladies in waiting. Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed” had Ethan Hawke taking Best Actor honors as a guilt-plagued preacher. Toni Collette, as a horrified mother in a collapsing family dynamic, was Best Actress for “Hereditary,” and Richard E. Grant was honored as Best Supporting Actor for “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” as a partner in crime.
‘Roma’ is the Cfca Best Picture
Photo credit: Netflix
Other honors bestowed were Best Animated Feature for “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” and the...
Other major awards included the Best Supporting Actress for Olivia Coleman in “The Favourite,” as the insecure Queen Anne caught between two ladies in waiting. Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed” had Ethan Hawke taking Best Actor honors as a guilt-plagued preacher. Toni Collette, as a horrified mother in a collapsing family dynamic, was Best Actress for “Hereditary,” and Richard E. Grant was honored as Best Supporting Actor for “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” as a partner in crime.
‘Roma’ is the Cfca Best Picture
Photo credit: Netflix
Other honors bestowed were Best Animated Feature for “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” and the...
- 12/10/2018
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – In one of the most arresting and beautiful films of the year, writer/director Alfonso Cuarón transports us back to 1970s Mexico City, to his childhood and his appreciation of memory. He also creates a human story around all the nostalgia, that all takes place in the neighborhood of “Roma.”
Rating: 5.0/5.0
The film is connectively expressive, from its hard look at domestic breakdown, its moments of relatable life emotions and its scenes of street fighting/anarchy. It was set in a time of difficult attitude and change, and the characters reflect that evolution. But the centerpiece is a domestic maid named Cleo, who slaves away for an upper middle class couple while at the same time embedding herself into that family. The understanding that Cuarón – who is known for his dramas, fantasy and Oscar recognized films (“Gravity”) – is interpreting his inner consciousness, and that conjures the same feeling as...
Rating: 5.0/5.0
The film is connectively expressive, from its hard look at domestic breakdown, its moments of relatable life emotions and its scenes of street fighting/anarchy. It was set in a time of difficult attitude and change, and the characters reflect that evolution. But the centerpiece is a domestic maid named Cleo, who slaves away for an upper middle class couple while at the same time embedding herself into that family. The understanding that Cuarón – who is known for his dramas, fantasy and Oscar recognized films (“Gravity”) – is interpreting his inner consciousness, and that conjures the same feeling as...
- 12/6/2018
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – When your first major role was as the title character in ‘Napoleon Dynamite,’ the way through the rest of your career is paved with gratitude. Actor Jon Heder portrays another title character in his latest film, “When Jeff Tried to Save the World” – co-written and directed by Kendall Goldberg – and creates another memorable role. Heder and Goldberg will make an appearance on behalf of the film on Thursday, December 6th, 2018, at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago. For more information and tickets, click here.
Jeff (Jon Heder) is a creature of habit, with an obsessive/compulsive attachment to his job as a bowling alley manager. He has a menagerie of odd co-workers, including owner Carl (Jim O’Heir), Carl’s wife Sheila (Candi Milo), alley gopher Stanford (Brendan Meyer) and handyman Frank (Steve Berg). When Carl decides to sell the alley, Jeff becomes desperate to save it, without realizing...
Jeff (Jon Heder) is a creature of habit, with an obsessive/compulsive attachment to his job as a bowling alley manager. He has a menagerie of odd co-workers, including owner Carl (Jim O’Heir), Carl’s wife Sheila (Candi Milo), alley gopher Stanford (Brendan Meyer) and handyman Frank (Steve Berg). When Carl decides to sell the alley, Jeff becomes desperate to save it, without realizing...
- 12/6/2018
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Previous | Image 1 of 3 | NextSean Hayes of ‘Will and Grace,’ co-author of ‘Plum!’.
Chicago – Tis the season for a holiday children’s book, and actor Sean Hayes (“Will & Grace”) and husband Scott Icenogle have co-written “Plum!,” the story of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the quest to get her wings. The couple appeared at Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville (Illinois) to sign books and greet admirers.
Sean Hayes will always be Jack on “Will & Grace,” especially as it has been recently rebooted on NBC-tv. He was born right here in Chicago, and grew up in the nearby suburb of Glen Ellyn. After leaving Illinois State University, he took his training as a classical pianist and improv at The Second City and moved to Los Angeles, where he was featured in a Doritos Super Bowl commercial and as the lead in “Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss,” both in 1998. Remarkably, he...
Chicago – Tis the season for a holiday children’s book, and actor Sean Hayes (“Will & Grace”) and husband Scott Icenogle have co-written “Plum!,” the story of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the quest to get her wings. The couple appeared at Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville (Illinois) to sign books and greet admirers.
Sean Hayes will always be Jack on “Will & Grace,” especially as it has been recently rebooted on NBC-tv. He was born right here in Chicago, and grew up in the nearby suburb of Glen Ellyn. After leaving Illinois State University, he took his training as a classical pianist and improv at The Second City and moved to Los Angeles, where he was featured in a Doritos Super Bowl commercial and as the lead in “Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss,” both in 1998. Remarkably, he...
- 12/5/2018
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
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