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Interview: Director Roger Spottiswoode Captures Spirit of China?s Past in ?
2008-06-07 23:32:00
CHICAGO ? The second Chinese/Japanese war, which was a 1937 prelude to the great conflict of World War II, is notable today mostly because modern China rose from its ashes. Largely forgotten except for the survivors, it is a backdrop for ?The Children of Huang Shi,? which is a new film from veteran director Roger Spottiswoode. Rating: 2.0/5.0 HollywoodChicago.com recently interviewed Spottiswoode to speak about the challenges of Chinese location and period shooting along with his admiration for the real-life legacy of his main character: George Hogg. ?I thought George Hogg was a fascinating character. He was very young to come to China after having been through Japan,? Spottiswoode said. ?He then becomes ingrained in China and bumps into these orphans. But he doesn?t necessarily want that life.? ?The Children of Huang Shi? director Roger Spottiswoode in Chicago on May 23, 2008.Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com Portrayed by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Hogg was p...
More About: Interview , Past , Spirit , Director

Interview: Director Steve Conrad Elevates Chicago Setting, Sean William Sco
2008-06-07 03:41:00
CHICAGO ? Barring extreme wealth or hermetics, everyone uses the grocery store. It is the great equalizer ? the marketplace where all socioeconomic groups can co-exist side by side ? in pursuit of daily bread. Inspired by this reality, writer and director Steve Conrad turned it into his feature directorial debut. Rating: 4.5/5.0 It?s a notable comedy that was shot in Chicago with the definitive title of ?The Promotion?. Hollywood Chicago.com recently interviewed Conrad to glean his take on the dynamics of this unusual movie subject and to offer the lowdown on shooting the film in the city where he also lives. ?Well, it?s home,? Conrad said. ?To me, doing a movie in Chicago means putting Chicago natives in a part of town where they live.? ?The Promotion? writer and director Steve Conrad in Chicago on April 22, 2008.Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com Conrad added: ?Buildings convey stories, settings convey stories and in order to tell the story right I want to...
More About: Jenna Fischer , Interview

Interview: Directors Mark Osborne, John Stevenson Create Balance Between Ac
2008-06-06 07:01:00
CHICAGO ? In this summer movie season of old men with whips, gals in stilettos and superheroes a go-go, you may ask: ?Where?s the cartoon?? (?Speed Racer? doesn?t count.) Indeed, the most highly anticipated animation event of the summer is ?Kung Fu Panda?. Rating: 5.0/5.0 Filled with the voices of ?A?-list Hollywood stars and featuring a classic combination of well-choreographed action, laugh-out-loud comedy and feel-good philosophy, ?Panda? doesn?t pander and works on all levels. HollywoodChicago .com recently interviewed ?Kung Fu Panda? co-directors Mark Osborne and John Stevenson about putting together a major animated project for the first time and how their lead actor, Jack Black , helped shaped the destiny of the final product. After having spent 20 years in the inescapable Chorh-Gom Prison, Tai Lung (Ian McShane) makes his daring escape in DreamWorks? ?Kung Fu Panda?.Photo credit: Paramount Pictures ?There was a general desire to return to that classic, timeless sense o...
More About: Angelina Jolie , Jackie Chan

Adam Sandler is White Ladies Man in Judd Apatow?s ?You Don?t Mess With the
2008-06-06 07:01:00
CHICAGO ? In the relatively anemic anthology of recent Adam Sandler flops, ?You Don?t Mess with the Zohan? hangs above with comedic charm and a nonsensically amusing plotline. The story is divisively intermingled with racial and ethnic sensitivities between the Israelis and Palestinians. Rating: 3.5/5.0 At first, it even feels like a scribe sat down for a few weeks, slammed back a few brewskies and toked daily on the good ganja while attempting to ink a forcefully novel plot. Surprisingly, its idiosyncratic nature tends to work as you build esteem for the libidinous man Adam Sandler has transformed into. While Sandler has played the full gamut of roles in recent memory, this time he?s actually a Thor who beckons women to his sexual mercy. Read Adam Fendelman?s full review of ?You Don?t Mess with the Zohan? in our reviews section.View our huge, high-resolution ?You Don?t Mess With the Zohan? image gallery. Sandler as Zohan is the white version of the legendary Tim Meadows cha...
More About: Hollywood , Emmanuelle Chriqui , Saturday Night Live , Chicago

New Millennium Theatre?s ?Villains? Scores Originality With Anti-Hero Plotl
2008-06-04 10:23:00
CHICAGO ? In an unrevealed abandoned warehouse in the seedy underbelly of Chicago ?s north side that is the Uptown neighborhood, a group of super villains met last Saturday night to plot and scheme their next attack against law-abiding society. Well, maybe not quite, but the overlooked adversaries of America?s superheroes did crack wise, bicker and whine in New Millennium Theatre ?s production of ?Villains? at Chicago?s National Pastime Theater. The result? Imagine if ?F Troop? tried to pull off a diamond heist. A scene from New Millennium Theatre?s ?Villains?.Photo credit: New Millennium Theatre This quintessential brotherhood of evil morons includes prototypes from all your typical, testosterone-packed, four-color comic books. First we have the heavy ?Slab? with superhuman strength and a love for Poppycock. Unfortunately, his powers are ineffective whenever he?s around a substance known as ?solarbrinite?. It seems (according to Slab) that stuff is everywhere. Then there is ?Heat...
More About: Hollywood , Content , Marvel Comics

Relax, Float Upstream With Mike Judge?s ?The Animation Show 4?
2008-06-04 08:34:00
CHICAGO ? This modern golden age of animation proceeds to entertain and astound with each passing year. Mike Judge ? the preeminent creator of cartoon legends ?Beavis & Butt-Head? and ?King of the Hill? ? presents his latest compilation of the worldwide best in animated short films. ?The Animation Show 4? isn?t your daddy?s Bugs Bunny comfort food. It?s more like a banquet for sensory perception. In more than 20 unique world views that are disguised as animated shorts, a compendium of the absurd and the surreal nature of ourselves are exposed in hilarious and even touching ways. A scene from an animated short in ?The Animation Show 4?.Image credit: ?The Animation Show 4? Using stop-motion, line-drawing and computer-animation techniques, the creators of these shorts get inside the core of humanity?s foibles and often do more in seven minutes than many 120-minute, feature-length films can accomplish. Read the full review for a rundown of our 10 honorable mentions and what not ...
More About: Relax

Set in Tel Aviv, New Israeli Film ?Jellyfish? Shines With Virtue, Veracity
2008-06-03 09:34:00
CHICAGO ? It has been a banner year so far for the Israeli film industry. Following the American debuts of ?The Band?s Visit? and ?Beaufort,? we now have the stunningly composed and heart-rending ?Jellyfish?. Unwinding like a Tel Aviv version of Paul Thomas Anderson?s ?Magnolia? ? but warmer ? ?Jellyfish? follows several lives steeped in moral crisis and offers redemption like an elusive brass ring. Read Patrick McDonald?s full review of ?Jellyfish? in our reviews section.View our full ?Jellyfish? image gallery. An underachieving wedding waitress with career and mother issues searches for answers while staring at the sea. An unusual 5-year-old child approaches her in a bathing suit and life-preserver ring. Since the little girl seems separated from her parents and circumstances, she adopts the other lost soul as her temporary guardian. Meanwhile, a wedding that the waitress was working at has gone wrong after the reception. The bride suffers a broken leg, which forces honeymoon ...
More About: Hollywood , Film , Chicago , Movie Review , Content

Actors Awkwardly Impersonate Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin in ?Mister Lon
2008-06-02 03:51:00
CHICAGO ? The wonder of a filmmaker?s art and perspective is the ability to challenge and reflect the absurdity of our own nature back to us. Few filmmakers have done more to add provocation to that sensibility than Harmony Korine. In his first full-length feature film since ?Julien Donkey-Boy,? Korine explores the hope of miracles and the sorrow of celebrity impersonation in ?Mister Lonely?. Read Patrick McDonald?s full review of ?Mister Lonely? in our reviews section.View our full ?Mister Lonely? image gallery. Diego Luna portrays Michael Jackson as an impersonator in Paris. While performing his act, he meets a Marilyn Monroe impersonator (Samantha Morton). Monroe convinces Jackson to join her commune of other celebrity impersonators including the pope, Madonna , Queen Elizabeth, The Three Stooges, Sammy Davis Jr., Abraham Lincoln, James Dean and Charlie Chaplin (Monroe?s husband). In a separate story, a priest is bringing food to nearby villagers via airplane. While tossing ou...
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Chicago Native, Legendary Comedian Harvey Korman Passes Away at 81
2008-05-30 23:06:00
CHICAGO ? Legendary comedian and Chicago native Harvey Korman passed away on Thursday. He is best remembered from films such as ?Blazing Saddles? and ?High Anxiety? as well as a performer on the ?The Carol Burnett Show?. Korman was 81. Legendary comedian and Chicago native Harvey Korman passed away on May 29, 2008.Photo credit: BroadwayWorld.com A statement released by his family through the University of California at the Los Angeles Medical Center gives the cause of death as complications from the rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm four months ago. ?Everything he did on ?The Carol Burnett Show? ? especially the Mother Marcus character ? was a special favorite,? his daughter, Katherine Korman, said in a published interview on Thursday. Mother Marcus was a Yiddish grandmother played by Korman in drag. He based the character on his own real-life grandmother. Harvey Herschel Korman was born in Chicago in 1927. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he studied dra...
More About: Hollywood , Family , Comedian , Content

Despite its Title, ?The Strangers? Actually a Familiar Repeat of Horror Fil
2008-05-30 10:29:00
Poor Liv Tyler . She?s stuck in a remote vacation home with nothing but the blank-stare acting of Scott Speedman to ?save? her. What?s a rock daughter who becomes an actress to do? First, she shouldn?t sign onto yet another version of the couple-in-terror cliché. ?The Strangers? is a scary movie that has been there and done that with a few style points thrown in to distract from the ripoff. Read Patrick McDonald?s full review of ?The Strangers? in our reviews section.View our full ?The Strangers? image gallery. Tyler is Kristen McKay: a single gal who?s on the precipice of the big engagement. Speedman is James Hoyt. He?s her potential fiancé: a boorish chap who thinks the big rock is a slam dunk. After they both attend a wedding, Hoyt sets up his uncle?s remote cabin (cue ominous music) to celebrate what he figured would be his betrothal. Surprisingly, though, Kristen has rejected his promise. For some reason, they?re still completing their depressing journey to the cabin. The he...
More About: Hollywood , Horror , Chicago , Movie Review

?Sex and the City: The Movie? a Frilly University For Understanding the Hum
2008-05-30 08:46:00
CHICAGO ? To its voracious universe of cult-following fans, it feels like a television marathon that spans an entire season. To everyone else who bats an indifferent eye at the religion that is ?Sex and the City ,? it may surprise you to find that all the glam and glitz has something even for you to learn, too. The thorniest proposition for ?Sex and the City: The Movie ,? though, is opening the minds of all the anti-fashionistas (such as yours truly) and those who habitually bottle up their emotions for safekeeping. After all, ?Sex and the City? is often about a word that hurls the masses off in a scurry: feeling. For those who embrace all that is ?love and labels,? though, the film begins by succinctly flashing back on plotlines avid followers know all too well. Season watchers are nearly forced and relatively brainwashed into securing a theater seat, and unfortunately, followers and non-followers alike arrive to the theater with having already been told much too much from the traile...
More About: University , The Movie

Hookup: 30 Admit-Two Early Passes to ?The Promotion? With John C. Reilly, S
2008-05-28 22:22:00
CHICAGO ? In our latest edition of Hollywood Chicago .com Hookup: Film , we?re giving away 30 admit-two passes to the new film ?The Promotion ? with John C. Reilly and Seann William Scott. The screening will take place on June 2, 2008 at 7 p.m. in Chicago. To win, just submit a comment! The first 30 people to do so are guaranteed free passes. The movie poster for ?The Promotion? with John C. Reilly and Seann William Scott.Image credit: The Weinstein Company Here?s a description of the new film, which is scheduled to open on June 6, 2008. Oscar-nominated actor John C. Reilly (?Chicago,? ?Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby?) and Seann William Scott (?American Pie?) lend their deft comedic touch to the story of two mid-level Chicago supermarket employees ? Doug and Richard (a dubious new guy from Canada) ? who compete ruthlessly for a coveted managerial post. Doug and Richard couldn?t be more different, but going head to head in a contest of wits and will reveals how they have...

Hookup: 30 Admit-Two Early Passes to ???The Promotion??? With John C. Reill
2008-05-28 22:22:00
CHICAGO ??? In our latest edition of Hollywood Chicago .com Hookup: Film , we???re giving away 30 admit-two passes to the new film ???The Promotion ??? with John C. Reilly and Seann William Scott. The screening will take place on June 2, 2008 at 7 p.m. in Chicago. To win, just submit a comment! The first 30 people to do so are guaranteed free passes. The movie poster for ???The Promotion??? with John C. Reilly and Seann William Scott.Image credit: The Weinstein Company Here???s a description of the new film, which is scheduled to open on June 6, 2008. Oscar-nominated actor John C. Reilly (???Chicago,??? ???Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby???) and Seann William Scott (???American Pie???) lend their deft comedic touch to the story of two mid-level Chicago supermarket employees ??? Doug and Richard (a dubious new guy from Canada) ??? who compete ruthlessly for a coveted managerial post. Doug and Richard couldn???t be more different, but going head to head in a contest of wit...

Interview: Joachim Trier?s Debut Explores Young Angst With Exceptional Feel
2008-05-28 00:32:00
CHICAGO ? When combined with the responsibilities of making the rent or making your way in the relationship landscape, early adulthood is often more challenging (and in different ways) than adolescence. Writer and director Joachim Trier?s new Norwegian film ?Reprise? explores the lives of two writers in their early 20s ? through sanity and insanity ? addled with feelings of love so bad it can hurt. Hollywood Chicago recently interviewed the filmmaker and learned that his reflections match the philosophical objectives of his passionate and unique film. Anders Danielsen Lie (left) as Phillip and Viktoria Winge as Kari in ?Reprise?.Photo credit: Nils Vik and Miramax Films ?There is a wonderful energy to that time of life,? Trier told HollywoodChicago.com. ?I found that in my own life there was an enthusiasm and fascination to discovers things. At the same time, what I couldn?t return to was the naiveté regarding the romantic notions of love and the future.? ?Reprise? director Jo...
More About: Interview , Content , Young

Interview: Joachim Trier???s Debut Explores Young Angst With Exceptional Fe
2008-05-28 00:32:00
CHICAGO ??? When combined with the responsibilities of making the rent or making your way in the relationship landscape, early adulthood is often more challenging (and in different ways) than adolescence. Writer and director Joachim Trier???s new Norwegian film ???Reprise??? explores the lives of two writers in their early 20s ??? through sanity and insanity ??? addled with feelings of love so bad it can hurt. Hollywood Chicago recently interviewed the filmmaker and learned that his reflections match the philosophical objectives of his passionate and unique film. Anders Danielsen Lie (left) as Phillip and Viktoria Winge as Kari in ???Reprise???.Photo credit: Nils Vik and Miramax Films ???There is a wonderful energy to that time of life,??? Trier told HollywoodChicago.com. ???I found that in my own life there was an enthusiasm and fascination to discovers things. At the same time, what I couldn???t return to was the naivet?? regarding the romantic notions of love and the future.?...
More About: Interview , Content , Young

?Avenue Q? Bases Musical Self on ?Cheap Laugh is Better Than No Laugh? Adag
2008-05-27 08:40:00
CHICAGO ? In the tradition of recent Broadway productions where touristy and crowd-pleasing scenery reigns over any type of theater substance, along comes the 2004 Tony Award-winning best musical ?Avenue Q,? which is now in a touring version at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago . Despite any plea that this musical has nothing to do with ?Sesame Street? or Jim Henson, ?Avenue Q? uses similar puppets to recall the lessons of the iconic PBS series in a pleasant, adult-style sensibility. Rod and John Tartaglia in ?Avenue Q?.Photo credit: Carol Rosegg Avenue Q is a run-down street in New York City that?s ranked accordingly by its place in the alphabet. The puppet character of Princeton (who recently graduated from college) comes upon the street in search for his purpose? and an affordable apartment. There he meets human neighbors Christmas Eve and Brian and takes an apartment supervised by child actor Gary Coleman. In the building next door, there are puppet roommates Nicky and R...
More About: Hollywood , Musical , Content , Donald

???Avenue Q??? Bases Musical Self on ???Cheap Laugh is Better Than No Laugh
2008-05-27 08:40:00
CHICAGO ??? In the tradition of recent Broadway productions where touristy and crowd-pleasing scenery reigns over any type of theater substance, along comes the 2004 Tony Award-winning best musical ???Avenue Q,??? which is now in a touring version at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago . Despite any plea that this musical has nothing to do with ???Sesame Street??? or Jim Henson, ???Avenue Q??? uses similar puppets to recall the lessons of the iconic PBS series in a pleasant, adult-style sensibility. Rod and John Tartaglia in ???Avenue Q???.Photo credit: Carol Rosegg Avenue Q is a run-down street in New York City that???s ranked accordingly by its place in the alphabet. The puppet character of Princeton (who recently graduated from college) comes upon the street in search for his purpose??? and an affordable apartment. There he meets human neighbors Christmas Eve and Brian and takes an apartment supervised by child actor Gary Coleman. In the building next door, there are puppet...
More About: Hollywood , Musical , Content , Donald

Exclusive: HollywoodChicago.com Photographs Biograph Set For John Dillinger
2008-05-25 03:12:00
CHICAGO ??? The Biograph Theater on Lincoln Avenue is an iconic and historical Chicago landmark. As has been well documented in our active ?????Public Enemies????? discussion thread, the area is currently made over by the production team for the film ?????Public Enemies????? to how it looked the night of July 22, 1934. See our exclusive slideshow here. ???Public Enemies??? filming in Chicago on May 23, 2008 at the Biograph Theater.Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, Hollywood Chicago.com It was the night when John Dillinger (played by Johnny Depp in the film) was killed by the FBI. The film that was showing at the theater that evening was the classic 1934 film ???Manhattan Melodrama??? with Clark Gable.?? The Biograph is still in use for stageplays. These HollywoodChicago.com pictures were photographed on May 23, 2008. Thanks to reader Gerry Bakker for the tip. See the exclusive HollywoodChicago.com ???Public Enemies??? slideshow. By PATRICK McDONALDStaff WriterHollywoodChicago.comp...
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Exclusive: HollywoodChicago.com Photographs Biograph Set For John Dillinger
2008-05-25 03:12:00
CHICAGO ? The Biograph Theater on Lincoln Avenue is an iconic and historical Chicago landmark. As has been well documented in our active “?Public Enemies?” discussion thread, the area is currently made over by the production team for the film “?Public Enemies?” to how it looked the night of July 22, 1934. See our exclusive slideshow here. ?Public Enemies? filming in Chicago on May 23, 2008 at the Biograph Theater.Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, Hollywood Chicago.com It was the night when John Dillinger (played by Johnny Depp in the film) was killed by the FBI. The film that was showing at the theater that evening was the classic 1934 film ?Manhattan Melodrama? with Clark Gable.” The Biograph is still in use for stageplays. These HollywoodChicago.com pictures were photographed on May 23, 2008. Thanks to reader Gerry Bakker for the tip. See the exclusive HollywoodChicago.com ?Public Enemies? slideshow. By PATRICK McDONALDStaff WriterHollywoodChicago.compat@hollywoodch icago.com © 2...
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After 19 Years, ?Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? Phenom
2008-05-22 07:00:00
CHICAGO ? After such a long respite from the beloved film progression, I was initially just as skittish about seeing Harrison Ford back in the Indy saddle as I was watching Sylvester Stallone back in the ring in ?Rocky Balboa? in his 2006 comeback and then again in 2008 in his ?Rambo? return. Ultimately, though, I had faith in director Steven Spielberg not to royally torpedo the monolithically anticipated ?Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,? which resurrects the Chicago -born, 65-year-old Harrison Ford as one of my favorite film characters of all time. Spielberg delivers. Thank the heavens. In grappling with Ford?s real-life age, David Koepp?s screenplay comically writes in subtle jabs to wrangle with the reality. Just like Stallone didn?t try to hide it in ?Rocky Balboa? and he instead decided to honestly portray it, so did Ford?s character grow older. Read Adam Fendelman?s full review of ?Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? in our reviews section....
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After 19 Years, ???Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull??? Ex
2008-05-22 07:00:00
CHICAGO ??? After such a long respite from the beloved film progression, I was initially just as skittish about seeing Harrison Ford back in the Indy saddle as I was watching Sylvester Stallone back in the ring in ???Rocky Balboa??? in his 2006 comeback and then again in 2008 in his ???Rambo??? return. Ultimately, though, I had faith in director Steven Spielberg not to royally torpedo the monolithically anticipated ???Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,??? which resurrects the Chicago -born, 65-year-old Harrison Ford as one of my favorite film characters of all time. Spielberg delivers. Thank the heavens. In grappling with Ford???s real-life age, David Koepp???s screenplay comically writes in subtle jabs to wrangle with the reality. Just like Stallone didn???t try to hide it in ???Rocky Balboa??? and he instead decided to honestly portray it, so did Ford???s character grow older. Read Adam Fendelman???s full review of ???Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal ...
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?The Witnesses? Bear the AIDS Burden of a Time Less Remembered
2008-05-20 06:22:00
CHICAGO ? While Paris, France in 1984 probably wasn?t as romantic as the Paris in several of its other lionized eras, it existed just the same. As portrayed in ?The Witnesses,? it was an age that may have been more uncertain than the others based on a melting pot of inhabitants who immigrated to the City of Lights in search for a new life. But it was also an age where the co-mingling of that particular generation produced some unintended consequences. The story of who survived and who didn?t defined our nature for several years to come. Read Patrick McDonald?s full review of ?The Witnesses? in our reviews section.View our full, high-resolution ?The Witnesses? image gallery. Portrayed by Emmanuelle Béart, Sarah is a writer of children?s books who has just had her first child. She is married to a police officer, Mehdi (Sami Bouajila), and has several loyal friends. One of her best friends is a gay, middle-aged doctor named Adrien (Michel Blanc). He?s thrilled to introduce her to h...
More About: Hollywood , Chicago , Movie Review , Time , Content

???The Witnesses??? Bear the AIDS Burden of a Time Less Remembered
2008-05-20 06:22:00
CHICAGO ??? While Paris, France in 1984 probably wasn???t as romantic as the Paris in several of its other lionized eras, it existed just the same. As portrayed in ???The Witnesses,??? it was an age that may have been more uncertain than the others based on a melting pot of inhabitants who immigrated to the City of Lights in search for a new life. But it was also an age where the co-mingling of that particular generation produced some unintended consequences. The story of who survived and who didn???t defined our nature for several years to come. Read Patrick McDonald???s full review of ???The Witnesses??? in our reviews section.View our full, high-resolution ???The Witnesses??? image gallery. Portrayed by Emmanuelle B??art, Sarah is a writer of children???s books who has just had her first child. She is married to a police officer, Mehdi (Sami Bouajila), and has several loyal friends. One of her best friends is a gay, middle-aged doctor named Adrien (Michel Blanc). He???s thril...
More About: Hollywood , Chicago , Movie Review , Time , Content

Hookup: 10 Passes to VIP Chicago Party, Screening For ???The Bill Engvall S
2008-05-20 05:09:00
CHICAGO ??? In the inaugural edition of Hollywood Chicago .com Hookup: TV, 10 admit-two VIP passes will be given away to the exclusive Chicago opportunity to meet Tim Meadows (???Saturday Night Live ,??? ???Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,??? ???Semi-Pro???) for the return of ???The Bill Engvall Show??? on TBS. ???The Bill Engvall Show??? on TBS is back this summer with all-new episodes.Image credit: ???The Bill Engvall Show??? This giveaway is for an invitation-only, VIP party and screening of two episodes of ???The Bill Engvall Show???. The event will take place at the Hollywood Blvd. Cinema in the Chicago suburb of Woodridge on May 29, 2008 beginning at 7 p.m. Winners are strongly advised to arrive early as the event will be overbooked and seating is not guaranteed. This is a description of the TV series: Tim Meadows is featured in the second season of ???The Bill Engvall Show??? on TBS.Image credit: IMDb The TBS hit family comedy ???The Bill Engvall Show??? (No. 1 among hous...
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Hookup: 10 Passes to VIP Chicago Party, Screening For ?The Bill Engvall Sho
2008-05-20 05:09:00
CHICAGO ? In the inaugural edition of Hollywood Chicago .com Hookup: TV, 10 admit-two VIP passes will be given away to the exclusive Chicago opportunity to meet Tim Meadows (?Saturday Night Live ,? ?Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,? ?Semi-Pro?) for the return of ?The Bill Engvall Show? on TBS. ?The Bill Engvall Show? on TBS is back this summer with all-new episodes.Image credit: ?The Bill Engvall Show? This giveaway is for an invitation-only, VIP party and screening of two episodes of ?The Bill Engvall Show?. The event will take place at the Hollywood Blvd. Cinema in the Chicago suburb of Woodridge on May 29, 2008 beginning at 7 p.m. Winners are strongly advised to arrive early as the event will be overbooked and seating is not guaranteed. This is a description of the TV series: Tim Meadows is featured in the second season of ?The Bill Engvall Show? on TBS.Image credit: IMDb The TBS hit family comedy ?The Bill Engvall Show? (No. 1 among households and people 25 to 54) is back th...
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???Body of War??? Confronts Grisly Realities of U.S. War Mistakes in Iraq
2008-05-19 08:17:00
CHICAGO ??? They are invisible in the current war, which has lasted longer than World War II. It???s the soldier in Iraq who fights on ??? in the face of public apathy at home ??? and who carries out the decisions of an administration that has chosen to hide their caskets in death. The face of this soldier is represented in the new documentary ???Body of War,??? which is produced and directed by former talk-show host Phil Donahue. He???s now an activist and filmmaker. Read Patrick McDonald???s full review of ???Body of War??? in our reviews section.View our full, high-resolution ???Body of War??? image gallery. Donahue aims his camera at two subjects: the U.S. Congress events in Oct. 2002 (recounting the vote that gave the Bush administration the authorization to invade Iraq) and the journey of American soldier Tomas Young. He???s paralyzed from the chest down after being injured in the early days of the war, which is now at five years and counting. Using a narrative technique t...
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‘Body of War’ Confronts Grisly Realities of U.S. War Mistakes in Iraq
2008-05-19 08:17:00
CHICAGO – They are invisible in the current war, which has lasted longer than World War II. It’s the soldier in Iraq who fights on – in the face of public apathy at home – and who carries out the decisions of an administration that has chosen to hide their caskets in death. The face of this soldier is represented in the new documentary “Body of War,� which is produced and directed by former talk-show host Phil Donahue. He’s now an activist and filmmaker. Read Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Body of War� in our reviews section.View our full, high-resolution “Body of War� image gallery. Donahue aims his camera at two subjects: the U.S. Congress events in Oct. 2002 (recounting the vote that gave the Bush administration the authorization to invade Iraq) and the journey of American soldier Tomas Young. He’s paralyzed from the chest down after being injured in the early days of the war, which is now at five years and counting. Using a narrative technique t...

Packed With Picturesque Majesty, ???The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspia
2008-05-16 20:51:00
CHICAGO ??? For the life of me, I couldn???t exorcise it from my head. Amid all the splendor of such a picturesque film, this one question was like a gnat I couldn???t swat: ???Is this really rated ???PG??????? Indeed, ???The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian??? is rated ???PG???. But that didn???t come without great scrutiny and much editing. For starters, Walt Disney Pictures contractually required the filmmakers for the epic film to achieve a ???PG??? rating. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) granted it following a wide array of amendments. For example, director Andrew Adamson (who also directed ???The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe??? in 2005, ???Shrek 2??? in 2004 and ???Shrek??? in 2001 and wrote ???Shrek the Third??? in 2007) changed a scene with a fallen helmet to make certain it didn???t contain a decapitated head, according to the Los Angeles Times on May 4, 2008. Read Adam Fendelman???s full review of ???The Chronicles of Na...
More About: Hollywood , Anna Popplewell , Chicago , Movie Review , Content

Packed With Picturesque Majesty, ?The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian?
2008-05-16 20:51:00
CHICAGO ? For the life of me, I couldn?t exorcise it from my head. Amid all the splendor of such a picturesque film, this one question was like a gnat I couldn?t swat: ?Is this really rated ?PG??? Indeed, ?The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian? is rated ?PG?. But that didn?t come without great scrutiny and much editing. For starters, Walt Disney Pictures contractually required the filmmakers for the epic film to achieve a ?PG? rating. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) granted it following a wide array of amendments. For example, director Andrew Adamson (who also directed ?The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? in 2005, ?Shrek 2? in 2004 and ?Shrek? in 2001 and wrote ?Shrek the Third? in 2007) changed a scene with a fallen helmet to make certain it didn?t contain a decapitated head, according to the Los Angeles Times on May 4, 2008. Read Adam Fendelman?s full review of ?The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian? in our reviews section.View ...
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Wide Release of Divisive Film ?Postal? From Controversial Director Uwe Boll
2008-05-16 03:13:00
CHICAGO ? In response to our negative review of the divisive new film ?Postal ? from controversial director Uwe Boll, Boll e-mailed us with these simple words: Uwe Boll wrote:?You should ask yourself: Who gave me my moral rules? Question yourself. Too bad you didn?t like the movie.? Uwe Boll’s ?Postal?.Photo credit: MovieSet We responded requesting an interview and he?s amenable. Before we had the chance, Boll at 7:43 p.m. on May 15, 2008 issued to us a statement announcing the cancellation of his film?s wide theatrical release by U.S. theater exhibitors. Unless the boycott lifts, Boll says it?s his latest film that many audiences won?t see at most theaters. ?Theatrical distributors are boycotting ?Postal? because of its political content,? Boll said in the Thursday statement. ?We were prepared to open on 1,500 screens all across America on May 23, 2008. Any multiplex in the U.S. should have space for us, but they?re afraid.? Boll continued: ?We have even tried to buy a few...
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