☛ GAPERS BLOCK FIFTH ANNIVERSARY PARTY! Friday, May 30, 2008 ✧ The Hideout ✧ 1354 W. Wabansia Ave. ✧ 9PM-1AM ✧ More details »
If you can't wait until the July 18th opening of "The Dark Knight, you can attempt to get tickets to the Chicago International Film Festival's special screening of the film at the Navy Pier IMAX on July 16th (where they'll be honoring Director Christopher Nolan). Tickets go on sale on 5/16, call 312.683.0121 x154 or go to the website.
Only two days remain in the Dance Movie Blogathon! Learn yourself all about David Bowie's footwork in Labyrinth, Kevin Bacon's prototypical Angry Young Dancer ("I'm so angry I'm dancing up against backlit silo walls") -- and so very much more. [via]
I know you just got back to your desk after a long lunch, but you should really take five minutes and watch this... uh, thing.
The next Sound Opinions movie night is coming on Friday, May 9th, and it's a good one: Rock'n'Roll High School, which pits The Ramones against an evil principal played by Mary Woronov. Amazingly, Ms. Woronov will be in attendance at the screening for Q&A about the film (how DID they get that paper airplane in Paul Bartel's ear?). Tickets available at the Chicago Public Radio Website.
Roger Ebert's 2008 Film Festival begins tonight in Urbana, IL but the film critic won't be attending this year. He explains in his Sun-Times blog that he decided not to make the journey after recently fracturing his hip. Get well soon, Roger!
The Electronics Visualization Lab at UIC has a YouTube channel with videos of their many computer graphics and video experiments. One in particular is worth checking out: a making-of video from 1977 describing how animator Larry Cuba created those Death Star simulations in Episode IV. (via)
Movie fans would be wise to get in on Schadenfreude's Summer 2008 Movie Blockbuster Brackets.
Beverly area natives and Matrix creators Andy and Larry Wachowski are bringing their cutting-edge movie special effects post-production gizmos to a vacant Ravenswood building. If they reprise the Matrix series, will we finally see Neo at Neo?
If you want to geek out about the Blues Brothers, and I mean really geek out, then check out this site. It has a google map that places all of the filming locations along with a history of what has happened to the site since then. (Don't forget to scroll up and see the scene that was filmed in Milwaukee.)
New York Tims film critic A.O. Scott presents an appreciation of Roger Ebert's career as a film critic. (via)
Roger Ebert still needs further surgery to permit him to speak, but still plans to continue reviewing movies. He's taking a break right now, but will resume reviews after his annual film fest on April 23-27.
Local filmmaker Darryl Roberts screens his latest work, America The Beautiful, concerning the country's apparent obsession with beauty, tonight, 7:30pm, at the latest installment of the Midwest Indepent Film Festival. In an interview, Roberts talks about what prompted the examination.
On Friday the line-up of films for Roger Ebert's 10th annual film festival was announced. Unfortunately you latecomers won't be able to get festival passes for the event, but individual tickets for each of the films will go on sale this Friday, April 4.
An unusual movie begins shooting in Chicago today. The thriller Helix is set to be filmed in ONE TAKE beginning today, with several locations around town scheduled to be shut down to accomodate the unusual endeavor.
The marketing whizzes for the upcoming The Dark Knight (read: Batman) movie thought it would be a cool idea to promote the film's fictional district attorney Harvey Dent as a real candidate here in Chicago. The early returns weren't too good: police gave them the boot.
The New York Times tells us how Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan crafted his vision for the film, how "the messiness of reality can't be faked" and how cool it was to shut down Chicago streets on command.
The Sun-Times has a story on Inquiring Nuns, a 1968 film that follows two nuns around the streets of Chicago, asking people that very question. Think of it as a 1968 version of "You Are Beautiful". Inquiring Nuns screens this Sunday at the Chicago History Museum; details in Slowdown.
The Trib offers an article and some video features about the movie Floored, which is currently documenting the lives of the open-outcry traders on the CME.
Sure, reveling in beer-soaked festivities on St. Patrick's Day is one way to recognize Irish culture. For those of you who prefer a more low-key, cinematic celebration, the 9th annual Chicago Irish Film Festival opens tonight at the Beverly Arts Center. The showcase of new and old Irish feature films, shorts and documentaries runs through March 5.
A documentary on the inimitable Chicago-based artist and rocker Wesley Wills debuts tomorrow (Friday) at the Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco. The late Willis was known for his headbutts and requests for fans to "say rawr."
Johnny Depp will be in Wisconsin later this year for the filming of the Michael Mann-produced John Dillinger biopic Public Enemies. Joining him will be Christian Bale, who is no stranger to the area from filming Batman here last summer.
At 7pm tonight only, catch Jaque Tati's masterpiece Playtime (it's the Reader's Rosenbaum's favorite movie) at U of C's Doc Films. Tickets are just $5. (Thanks, Brandy!)
Mon Congrats to Lemont-born Diablo Cody who took home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay at last night's 80th Annual Academy Awards. Of course, now that all the excitement's over, all that's left is a myriad of odd hollywood gossip stories about the stripper turned blogger turned screenwriter.
Fans of scantily clad Internet star Tila Tequila are invited to a casting call being held on Saturday, March 1 from 4-8 p.m. at a Loop location TBA. E Oh Productions is conducting the talent search on behalf of a documentary project about the Tequila phenomenon; contact them here.
If you can't have Johnny Depp in your arms, you can at least try to get him into your car. The producers of Public Enemies, a Michael Mann-directed flick starring Depp as John Dillinger, want your vintage cars, trucks and buses for the film. If you have a ride that fits the bill (circa 1930-35), bring a photo of it to the Hyatt Regency Woodfield in Schaumburg between 9am and 4pm this Saturday. You can also e-mail your pictures to pechicago@gmail.com.
Iconic horror film magazine Fangoria is teaming up with the normally erudite Music Box Theater to present a "Winter Massacre Horror Film Festival" February 22-23 in conjunction with the magazine's local convention. Highlights include a showing of "Friday The 13th" with a live cast reunion and a "A Nightmare on Elm Street" introduced by Robert (Freddy Kreuger) Englund. Admission is free for convention attendees, otherwise you have to pony up at the door or buy tickets online.
Chicago's own Common has been chosen to play Green Lantern in the coming Justice League of America film.
More big names have been added to the cast of Humboldt Park, a holiday movie set in (you guessed it) Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood. Joining John Leguizamo will be Alfred Molina and "Will and Grace" star Debra Messing. Shooting is scheduled to start on February 13. We're guessing the boathouse will be featured in there somewhere.
From Call Northside 777 to The Blues Brothers, the Trib reminds us of another reason to check out movies filmed in Chicago.
At the beginning of this month the Gene Siskel Film Center canceled screenings of the documentary Senator Obama Goes to Africa when the Senator won big in Iowa. In case you still wanted to see the doc, the Music Box will be hosting a couple of screenings in coming weeks. Details in Slowdown.
The Reader's film blog notes that Facets Multimedia is starting up its winter session of weeknight film classes next month. Four different classes are being offered; check the Facets Website for the schedule and class details.
Amazingly, there are still tickets available for B-Fest, the annual 24-hour b-movie marathon. It's this Friday and Saturday; grab a sleeping bag and get in there.
The Reader's film blog reports on one of the down sides to Barack Obama's big showing in Iowa: the Gene Siskel Film Center's cancellation of screenings of Senator Obama Goes To Africa, a documentary of Obama's visit to the African continent in 2006. If you still want to see the movie, it's available on DVD, and there's a short clip on YouTube.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind director Michel Gondry will be discussing his new film, Be Kind Rewind at the Apple Store at 679 N. Michigan tonight from 7 to 8pm. Time Out Chicago's Ben Kenigsberg will be moderating the event.
Sacha Baron Cohen, the mastermind behind Ali G and Borat, is slated to play Abbie Hoffman in Steven Spielberg's The Trial of the Chicago 7. The city's image is still reeling a bit from the clash between Chicago police, Hoffman and other anti-war protestors.
Roscoe Village's Hard Boiled Records and Video is dropping the "and video" part of its name to make room for more vinyl. All DVDs are priced to move, which means tons of last-minute holiday gifts for your loved ones who love indie films, foreign flicks, obscure TV series, and super-bloody Asian cinema. Nothing says Christmas cheer like Hong Kong action!
In this week's Reader, news about a documentary about StreetWise vendors. The movie has its premiere tonight at the Park West; details in Slowdown. And if you miss the film tonight, you should be able to buy a DVD copy from your favorite StreetWise vendor.
Batman fans will be excited to hear that a six-minute prologue from the next installment will show at the Navy Pier Imax Theatre before I am Legend.
Holiday classic or pandering schmaltz? Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life is the next film thrown into the ring in the latest round of Cinema Slapdown at the Columbia College Film Row Cinema tomorrow night; full details in Slowdown. Columbia staffer Brigid Murphy will defend the film while Tribune movie critic Michael J. Phillips goes on the offensive. Mr. Potter would be proud...
Find production crews, set designers, DVD duplicating services, audition space and more in Screen Magazine's film industry guide targeting that geographical area "between the coasts."
That's right, Road House fans. The Patrick Swayze is in town filming an A&E show, "The Beast." We spoke with a crewman at the Wicker Park unit who showed us the shooting schedule, so if you want to spot yourself some Swayze, head to Emmit's this eve. He'll be in the area.
"I don't know how you can be pro-human and not anti-war," John Cusack says in an interview about his new film, Grace Is Gone, (shot in and around Chicago) which officially opens tomorrow.
John C. Reilly will take the stage at the Cubby Bear tonight - in character as Dewey Cox - to promote his upcoming film Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Fingers crossed that Chris Gaines joins him for a number or two. [via]
After celebrating October with 31 days of horror clips, the fine folks at Facets' blog are celebrating December with 31 days of video clips for the winter holidays.
A new trailer for the upcoming film Chicago 10. [via]
The fine folks of Sound Opinions take on the new Joe Strummer documentary, The Future is Unwritten, during their movie night tomorrow at the Music Box. Tickets appear to be still available here.
Senator Obama Goes to Africa, a feature documentary by Chicago-based Media Process Group, comes out on DVD this month. The film chronicles Obama's journey around the continent, including such stops as the prison where Nelson Mandela was held, a Darfur refugee camp in Chad, and Kisumu, Kenya -- where he reconnects with his family's past. Pre-sales of the DVD began Nov. 10, with a ship date of Nov. 20. [via]
Inspired by My Kid Could Paint That (the documentary of a father who sold his four year-old daughter's paintings for big bucks), the what-is-art debate rages amongst Chicago's storefront theater intelligentsia over at the blog Angry White Guy. You can still catch the film in Wilmette and rue your own unappreciated kinder-masterpieces, or see Mr. Fluxus at The Neo-Futurarium and decide whether you agree with Yoko Ono's take on art.
Vince Vaughn is making an appearance at the AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois St., tonight at 5:15pm for the Chicago premiere of his new movie, Fred Claus. Tickets to the premiere are sold out, but you can help create an atmosphere of celebrity-crazed pandemonium by lining up to watch Vaughn and director David Dobkin walk the red carpet.
As long as you don't mind seeing a movie a couple weeks after it comes out (assuming it stays in the theaters that long), Kerasotes has a deal for you.
Hollywood Chicago yesterday published their review of festival hit Juno. The movie was penned by Chicago native (subsequently transplanted to Minneapolis and then LA) Diablo Cody.
Joel Swanberg lives and makes movies here in Chicago. The NY Times and IFC have taken notice, but he still wonders where money for groceries will come from. The Reader profiles Swanberg and "mumblecore," the film genre he helped create.
Facets, the best video store in the city for indie and obscure films, has a blog, and they're posting a horror clip a day for the month of October. [via]
It's the 25th anniversary of Poltergeist, and for one night only -- tonight -- the original film is back in theaters. Catch it at the River East 21 or one of a handful in the suburbs. Don't go into the light.
Facets Film School's first fall term has already started, but the second fall term begins the first week of November and ends right before Christmas. Classes are weekly (with Thanksgiving week off), 7 to 10 PM, and cost under $100 for the term. If you like Woody Allen dramas, outlaw couples, movies out of Hong Kong, or Howard Hawks movies (and who doesn't?), you still have time to enroll. You can find more details here.
To get into the Halloween spirit, the fine folks at Facets are posting one horror film clip per day on the Facets blog. Expect to see a bunch of classic film moments from the people who run one of the best video stores in the city.
If you missed last week's Michigan Avenue screening of Wes Anderson's Hotel Chevalier, you can still watch it before The Darjeeling Limited by downloading it for free from iTunes [link will open iTunes].
Forbes.com scored 60 well-known pundits who critique entertainment, news, sports, etc., and found Roger Ebert to be the most powerful pundit in America. Use your power wisely, Roger. (via)
Wes Anderson's Darjeeling Limited comes out this weekend, but you can catch its sort-of prequel, Hotel Chevalier, a 12-minute short film starring Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman, at the Michigan Avenue Apple Store tomorrow night at 9pm. Screenwriter Roman Coppola will answer questions after the show.
The new comedy I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With, which was filmed in Chicago and stars Second City alum and city native Jeff Garlin, opened this week to good reviews. The film, which also stars Sarah Silverman, Amy Sedaris and Bonnie Hunt, has a hilarious trailer; apparently, it's the only thing we'll get to see in these parts right now, as the movie isn't playing anywhere in Chicago until October 5 (at the Music Box, with Garlin attending the premiere).
A trailer for I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With, starring Jeff Garlin, Sarah Silverman and the City of Chicago. (Thanks, Dubi!)
Did you know that Siskel and Ebert copyrighted their thumbs up/down designation? And did you know that last weekend's airing of At the Movies took place without the use of those iconic thumbs? Turns out there's some kind of dispute between Ebert and the show's owner, and the renewal of the use of the thumbs is still undecided.
The Dark Knight which has been filming in Chicago on and off for the past few months is doing something big. The Brachs Candy factory will be imploded on August the 29th August the 30th between 10:30am and noon. The implosion will be later added digitally into the film for a building explosion. Details here. Update: Note the date and time change. New details here.
Chicago-based Mr. Skin is your number one source for who's naked in what movie; Business POV interviewed the founder, Jim McBride, and discovered it's also a $6 million-a-year moneymaker with 44 employees. (NSFW)
When I saw the Michael Moore dramedy Sicko a few weeks ago, a preview was shown for The King of Kong, a documentary about a fight between two total freakazoids for the top Donkey Kong score in the Guinness Book of World Records. The preview got a lot of laughs, so I think it will be a winner of a film. Ain't it Cool News is sponsoring a free showing of the film on Tuesday, August 21 (tickets are going fast, so get on this pony right quick). Click here for details and to RSVP.
Looking for some movies this weekend? There's a ton to see, and none of it involves a major cineplex. Saturday is another night of Movies in the Park and is Home Movie Day, and Chopin Theatre is hosting a tribute to director Ingmar Bergman on Saturday and Sunday for $7 a show or $20 per day. See Slowdown for details.
Get a shot at your 15 minutes in the new Batman movie, and help out a local non-profit tutoring center at the same time. Just volunteer to be an extra from 6am-6pm Friday, Saturday or Sunday this weekend 8/24-8/26 for the latest Dark Knight flick and 826Chicago gets $50 for each day you're out there. Other bonuses: You get two meals, plus snacks; you get tickets for daily raffles and you get your mug in a big police funeral scene in the movie. If you're game, email mara@826chi.org by noon Friday, Aug. 10th with your full name, day or days you are committing to (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), age, race, if you're male or female and a phone number.
As reader Pat says, "if you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."
80's mechanical icon Johnny Five is apparently being sold on ebay, and bidding starts at a cool $100,000. A special exo-skeleton, which controls all of the mechanical features, is also included. For an extra dose of nostalgia, check out the previously mentioned, newly available 1988 Siskel and Ebert review.
Our former film critic Gordon McAlpin and his wonderful Multiplex comic got some attention from Boxoffice Magazine.
If you do documentary film work around Chicago, you may want to submit to the Chicago Reporter's John A. McDermott Documentary Short Film Fest. While you're at it, check out the new issue.
Yesterday Roger Ebert announced that a couple decades' worth of video reviews from the Siskel & Ebert (and Ebert & Roeper) movie review programs would be available online to the public this Thursday. Well, the site appears to be live right now! Check it out: everything from Roger's killer take on 1994's North to Siskel's appreciation of Spielberg's Schindler's List. Roger Ebert fans will want to visit the site tomorrow evening, when Roger will answer fans' questions about any subject (submit your question now).
The Chicago Underground Film Festival has updated its Website to include this year's schedule. Loads of interesting-looking films this year, including a documentary about Thax Douglas, a documentary about modern-era roller derby, and Orchard Vale, the debut film by local musician Tim Kinsella. See the CUFF Website for full details and to purchase tickets.
Our own Steve Prokopy is a guest host on the latest episode of the popular local podcast Filmspotting. Adam Kempenaar and I discuss Rescue Dawn, which he reviewed last week, and Sunshine, which he reviews this week. You can download the episode here.
This weekend, the Music Box is being invaded by that other form of moving pictures: TV. The first-ever Chicago TV Pilot Competition showcases comedy television pilots based on ideas from Chicagoans. It even comes with its own commercial, by FoGB Steve Delahoyde.
Starting on Sunday, the Stockyard Institute, AREA Chicago and other organizations will initiate "Pedagogical Factory: Exploring Strategies for an Educated City" at the Hyde Park Art Center. Throughout its run, topics will include "How We Peoples Make a People's Atlas of Chicago," "How We Grow: Self-Education and Urban Farming Gathering" and "How We Brew/Bake/Mead Etc Cottage Expo."
The Chicago Film Critics Association (of which our own Steve at the Movies is a member) is slapping 20th Century Fox with a boycott, claiming the studio is discriminating against some of its member critics from less prominent media — specifically, Internet-based critics. (Thanks, Dee!)
Meet folkstreams.net, a project to preserve documentaries about American roots cultures. There is, of course, a Midwestern section, and at least two Chicago-related films "The Popovich Brothers of South Chicago" and "Grace Earl."
Not willing to drive all the way to 63rd and Harlem for a Squishee? The Methods Reporter has your hook-up.
Michael Phillips takes an informal poll of Chicago Tribune staffers, and the movies they walked out on. Looking over the many reader comments, everybody's a critic.
Green Lantern is hosting a book launch/video screening/reading tonight from 7pm to 9pm at 1511 N Milwaukee, 2nd flr. Josh MacPhee will discuss his new book, Realizing the Impossible: Art Against Authority, our own Anne Elizabeth Moore will do a short reading and discuss the demise of Punk Planet, and Dara Greenwald will present her rotating collection of short videos that make you laugh and cry. It's free; BYOB.
Tom McNamee of the Sun-Times offers his "Top 10 Greatest Chicago Movies." The list is heavy on recent popular flicks, but there are still a couple of out-of-the way movies worth checking out.
Yes, Chicago has a Kwik-E-Mart. One of the city's 7-Eleven locations was turned into the convenience store from "The Simpsons" to hype the new movie. So if you need Squishees, Krusty-O's or a Radioactive Man comic, head on over to 6754 W. 63rd.
If you missed Helvetica (the documentary about the landmark typeface created 50 years ago) when it played this month at the Gene Siskel Film Center, you've got yourself a reprieve: the Reader's film blog reports that the documentary (the highest-grossing film in the Film Center's history!) will be back at the end of September.
Filmmaker Michael Moore stopped by yesterday to promote his new film Sicko and stand in solidarity with Chicago nurses demanding universal health care. Counter-protestors were on hand at the film's Washington, DC, premiere, because Moore is a "controversial, polarizing figure" who thinks one of the wealthiest nations on earth shouldn't let its citizens be financially reamed if they're foolish enough to get sick.
As you know, the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight, is filming around town right now. An alert apartment dweller shot some photos with her phonecam of Batman doing some unsafe stuff on a back deck, revealing to the world the look of the latest costume. HollywoodChicago also has some video of filming in Buena Park.
Chicago 10 is a new documentary by Brett Morgen about the 1968 Democratic National Convention and the Chicago Seven Conspiracy Trial. In an interesting turn, scenes are either computer animations or archival footage set to a modern soundtrack (get a load of the taking of the Logan statue in Grant Park against the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage"). Who says you can't repackage rebellion?
The Facets blog reminds us that today is Roger Ebert's 65th birthday. Happy birthday, Roger, and get well soon.
Student Films Across America is a collection of, you guessed it, short films by students from around the country, including one from Chicago. Head to the Lakeshore Theatre tomorrow night at 7:30pm to see An Open Door by local film student Sean Jourdan and others, all for the same $10 you'd spend watching another lame Hollywood blockbuster.
Word from Kartemquin Films regarding their in progress film: "Kartemquin is currently working on Typeface, a documentary about cultural preservation, rural renewal and graphic design history in the Midwest.To support these efforts, we're holding a benefit on June 15th at the Center for Book and Paper Arts here in Chicago. Toad Hollow Vineyards is providing the bubbly, MJ Catering is bringing the sweets and a number of local artists (including Jay Ryan and Dennis Ichiyama) are donating original works for the silent auction." While the much lauded Helvetica opens the same night at the Siskel, it is a weeklong engagement. So, why not support the locals? Looks good to me.
Did you know that the musical Grease was set in Chicago? The movie version wasn't -- it's in California -- but hey, it makes a good segue to the fact that "Sing-Along Grease hits the Music Box Theatre starting this Friday. The film's songs are subtitled in case you forget the words (as if), and there's a goodie bag and costume contest before the show. Get your tickets now, because the weekend showings are sure to sell out.
Those of you who saw Crispin Glover last November at the Music Box Theatre when he was in town screening his film What Is It? will be interested to know that he's returning to town in a couple weeks to provide live narration for Canadian director Guy Maddin's latest film, Brand Upon The Brain! Alongside Mr. Glover will be an 11-piece orchestra providing music, a team of foley artists providing sound effects, and a castrato providing ... unique singing, I suppose. Tickets are definitely going to go fast for these performances, so go see the Music Box Website for full details and ticket links.
Proving the steel-like endurance and cultural power of teen movies, the 20th anniversary re-release of Dirty Dancing will be shown tonight (and tomorrow) at 7:30pm at the AMC River East 21 (at 322 East Illinois). In addition to the visual treat of mid-career Swayze, you'll also get to see a documentary about the making of the movie, complete with cast interviews. Click here for tickets.
Wonder how Roger Ebert's appearance at the Overlooked Film Festival went? Mark Caro has a report.
Looks like there's a fire taking place at the old Post Office, where the latest installment of the Batman series, The Dark Knight, is being filmed. Note that I didn't say, "Holy ________!" at any point.
Roger Ebert will be attending his ninth annual Overlooked Film Festival, and in today's Sun-Times he's written a new column explaining that he's not going to be hiding his illness when he steps back into the public eye this week.
With all of the hubbub about the Olympics, there's an argument that sports shouldn't get all of the attention. In a city currently alive with Version>07, and soon to have Artropolis going too, art should also be at the forefront. Tribune art critics provide a few conceptions of how art could work with the Olympics.
The $21 billion sale of LaSalle Bank to Bank of America is a relatively small part of one of the largest financial mergers ever by LaSalle's soon-to-be-former parent company. Global implications, yadda yadda. I'm more concerned with speculating how the deal will affect our civic life: will BoA close some superfluous branches, thereby freeing up some storefronts for businesses that are actually useful and enjoyable? Seriously, Chicago is drowning in bank branches. And what's the fate of the LaSalle Bank Cinema, or the only-christened-last-May LaSalle Bank Theatre? "Bank of America Theatre"? Gross.
You may have heard rumors of strange police cars roaming the city...might they be GPD? In any case the Dark Knight crew is filming in a few locations around town, like the old post office in the loop. Thanks Heather! Update: more pictures of the "Gotham National Something" building are popping up. Thanks David!
From the establishment of the Hull House Theater to the World's Columbian Exposition, the Sun Times lists their take on "The 50 Greatest Chicago Moments."
Check out Screen Magazine's feature on Chicago native Casey Suchan's well received documentary Rock the Bells. Then check out the film itself Tuesday night. Details in Slowdown.
Today is the 40th anniversary of Roger Ebert being named the film critic of the Sun-Times. He reflects on the date, and his current medical condition, at his Sun-Times website.
R2D2 is roaming the city, and it wants you to visit the "Jedi Shipping and Mailing Master" to vote for your favorite Star Wars stamps.
There's no question that the documentary is enjoying a surge in popularity, and if you're looking for more films, browse the schedule for the Chicago International Documentary Festival. There are films from all over the world (that's the international part), but if you're interested in local stories there are also documentaries about the Illinois Parole Board, Maxwell St., and Public Housing. Look closely at the schedule as in many cases the directors will appear at the screenings.
Want to see a movie tomorrow night? There's an advance screening of Black Book, a WWII period piece set in Nazi-occupied Holland, tomorrow night (Tuesday) at 7pm at Landmark Century Center Cinemas, 2828 N. Clark St., courtesy of Nerve.com and Sony Pictures Classics. It's free, but you have to RSVP here to get in.
If Jennifer Hudson can do it, so can you. "Crazy Neighbors From Hell" is going to be HUGE. Prospective Big Tonies, Uncle Kavorkians, and Black Elvis/James Browns are especially needed. Have acceptance speech ready.
Chicago native Jennifer Hudson won the Academy Award for best supporting actress.
Perhaps inspired by Chicago's Bob Newhart statue, Joliet plans to build a statue of their most famous fictional residents, Jake and Elwood Blues. The statue is part of the city's plans to boost Joliet tourism. There are also plans to build a Route 66 welcome center to entice drivers that are travelling the historic highway that originates in Chicago.
What could be better than being at home, watching a movie on a snowy day? Why, being in the office and trying to outpredict Roger Ebert's Oscar guesses to win a trip to Mexico!
The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation just completed its Chicago Region Arts Scan, a major research report surveying all non-profit arts organizations in the Chicago region in 2006. In addition to being a comprehensive directory, the report provides especially fascinating information pertaining to the growth, location, composition and funding of these organizations.
After being dropped by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner's production company, Paramount has picked up the film rights to Eric Larson's The Devil in the White City. One hopes that Cruise will still consider playing the part of Victorian serial murderer H.H. Holmes, as the thought of the toothy Scientologist in a handlebar mustache is irresistible.
The current rumor about the next Batman movie, The Dark Knight, is that it's filming in Chicago for 80 days this summer under the secret identity/code name Rory's First Kiss. That's Rory, not Robin, by the way.
Filming for Fred Claus, in which Vince plays Santa's bitter brother, will shut down Wacker Drive between Wabash and Orleans this Friday night from 8-11. The bridges at Wabash, State, Dearborn, LaSalle, Wells and Franklin will also be closed intermittently during that time so that helicopters can get awesome shots of the river. Vaughn previously stopped traffic around town during the summer of 2005 while filming The Break-Up.
Tense Forms, the collaborative multi-disciplinary, project-based workgroup, is holding their 2nd annual Winter Showcase at Subterranean on February the 2nd at 8pm onwards. The showcase features an insane amount of buttons (1000+), a wall of televisions screening all kinds of visual art as well as live music.
After last year's small success in Chicago, we've heard word that the Bicycle Film Festival will be back again. Currently, founding director Brendt Barbur and co are looking for new submissions for the 2007 round of film festivals set to take place in up to 15 cities: "We are looking for films with a strong theme or character of bicycles. This includes all mediums and styles such as animation, experimental, narrative, documentary and music videos." The deadline is February the 17th so you have about a month to get going or fine-tune that piece you've been working on. Details at the site or take a look at the flyer here.
The Chicago Film Critics award winners were announced today. Winning films include The Departed (Best Picture and Best Director), The Queen (Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress) Little Children (Best Supporting Actor) and An Inconvenient Truth (Best Documentary).
Hey, remember how the City decided not to show the trailer for The Nativity Story at the Christkindlmarket back in November? Well, a church group apparently decided it was important to take a stand, so it's now showing on a continuous loop at the fair, although with the sound off. And 32 Baby Jesuses, stolen from nativity scenes around the city, turned up in a St. Symphorosa Church parishoner's yard, sorted by design.
Or fans of Nicholas Cage, Yoshiyuki Tomino, or US drug laws? Just in time for the holidays, you can bid on four very special autographed movie posters and benefit the Chicago International Film Festival. The auction runs until 15 December.
Unaccompanied Minors, a feature film based on a This American Life episode, makes its Chicago premier Sunday, 12/3 at 1pm at the AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois St. TAL host Ira Glass will be on hand to talk about how radio translates to the big screen, and director Paul Feig will do a Q&A. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for kids 12 and under. More info and ticket purchasing at Chicago Public Radio.
Part of our ongoing "we-wish-Roeper-would-just-go-away" coverage, Rob Federer reports in his Sun Times column today that NPR host Peter Sagal will be filling in for Roger Ebert this week on "Ebert and Roeper At The Movies". A disappointment -- Ebert and Sagal would be a much more entertaining combo than the current setup.
There's room at the Christkindlmarket for a nativity scene (as well as Islamic and Jewish holiday symbols), but not for The Nativity Story. The movie was dropped as a sponsor because the City thought the marketing was "too aggressive."
By way of again plugging the Crispin Glover movie and appearance at the Music Box this weekend, allow me to point you to an interview with the auteur on 848 this morning, and a review of the film by our very own Steve at the Movies.
We were at the Music Box this weekend and noticed that the theater has added a third night to next weekend's screening of Crispin Glover's bizarre film What Is It? Mr. Glover himself will be at the theater to present the film (along with an accompanying slide show dubbed "The Big Slide Show"); if that sounds like your idea of a good time, check out Slowdown for Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
Reeling: the 25th Chicago gay and lesbian film festival kicks off tonight at the Music Box Theater with Eating Out 2, a film being billed as "the world's first ever gay sequel". The festival runs through November 12 at various film venues in the city; see the festival's Website for a complete schedule.
Another week, another couple more Roger Ebert reviews. This week he looks at Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette (opening today at lots of theaters around town) and the indie film Man Push Cart (opening today at the Music Box). As always, these films and others are reviewed by our own Steve at the Movies, as well.
It's the big number 10 for the RESFEST group and this year the pioneering film festival is kicking things off at Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art. This global event offers such visuals as the documentary Rock the Bells from Paris, to graphics and animation in State of the Art showing in Lima, and let's not forget the after- parties rolling in Jakarta. What you can't make it to all these cities? It's ok, Chicago will be screening A Decade of RESFEST: 10 Seminal Short Films so you can catch up on all the past-production and playback.
This Halloween season has plenty to offer the ghoul lurking inside of you. Unusual offerings include KFAR's Spookagogue Synagogue, the Apollo Theater's Haunting History, the Six Corners Monster Film Festival, and Ursula Bielski's Creepy Chicago Hauntings. Check slowdown for additional options.
Roger Ebert writes from his recovery bed on the complications from last June's surgery, his slow rehabilitation, and when he expects to be able to resume movie reviewing. He's also written a review for Stephen Frears' The Queen which should be posted soon at Roger's Website.
The Chicago Short Film Brigade rises from the ashes of the late lamented Prime Shorts Film Festival to "present a wide variety of local and international short films to the public in non-academic, non-festival environments." Screenings start in January and will be quarterly (they're looking for submissions, btw). Andrew Bird is on the Brigade's board, and he's doing a quartet of shows to benefit it. Unfortunately, those shows will be in Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Minneapolis and Madison -- but what a great excuse for a road trip!
Want a free pair of tickets to a preview screening of The Science of Sleep this Wednesday at 8pm? Be one of the first to email inbox@gapersblock.com and they're yours. UPDATE: We have our winners! Congrats, Nadia and Nicole!
We all know that the Art Institute was a location for Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but did you know that Gerri's Palm Tavern was a location for The Sixth Sense? MovieMappr knows, and it will show you where Gerri's was.
With all of this walking around Chicago, why not take an idiosyncratic video stroll through the city?
Tonight's your last chance to catch a movie at the Esquire Theater on Oak Street. The '30s-era cinema is closing and will be demolished to make way for a planned retail-hotel complex -- because that neighborhood needs another one. The Reader has visitation hours -er, showtimes.
The Toronto International Film Festival started this week, and with Roger Ebert still recuperating from surgery, Jim Emerson (editor-in-chief of Roger's Website) is attenting the festival and writing up dispatches for his Sun-Times blog. If you're missing Ebert's regular commentary on film fest happenings, try checking those out. And speaking of Roger Ebert and film fests, don't forget that the Music Box is showing a series of films taken from Ebert's "Great Movies" columns. This weekend the Great Movie is Ernst Lubitsch's Trouble In Paradise.
Hey, did you know Mike Judge's new film Idiocracy is now playing in Chicago? Local writer guy Nathan Rabin, afraid that the movie will be under-marketed like Judge's classic film Office Space, clues you in to what you're missing.
The Reader's Jonathan Rosenbaum picks 10 neglected science fiction movies for DVDBeaver.com.
With so much Four Eyed Monsters material online in the form of video podcasts, MySpace pages and the like, it's hard to know what'll be left to show on the screen. Still, you and your art school friends can get ideas on how to conduct courtships solely through mixed media (no talking!) as Susan Buice & Arin Crumley's labor of love plays at the Gene Siskel Film Center every Thursday next month. [via]
The Music Box Theatre, which recently got a shiny new website, is known, among other things, for its old-timey organ. As for the man behind that organ, Mark Noller, he's apt to be known for taking his work home with him: the Reader treks out to Noller's house in Manteno (south of Peotone, if that helps) and finds his double-wide doubling for, well, the Music Box.
The Chicago Underground Film Festival kicks off tonight at the Music Box. Don't know how that escaped our calendar.
Wondering when Roger Ebert will be back on the job? Well, it might be a while: the latest gossip is that Ebert had to have at least part of his jaw removed, and that recovery could take months. Spokespeople remain confident that Ebert will return to work at some point. Update: an email from Roger confirming the surgery details.
This terrific movie, a love story between married women, caused a huge controversy in India when it was released there in 1998. You can see it tonight on the roof of Gallery 37. Slowdown has the details.
The Illinois Bureau of Tourism has created a great site cataloging all the films shot in the state, with location listings for some of the top flicks in each region and a map of every major motion picture made in Illinois.
If you're yearning for some travel (video), check out YouTube user Srovetz's atmospheric videos documenting his train and car travel throughout the country. There are too many Chicago related videos to post here, but some train segments include Kansas City to Chicago, Chicago to New Orleans, and Chicago to New York.
If you've got Merge tunnel vision, and thus haven't noticed the fancy ad to the right, or the mentions in Slowdown, allow me: the international Bicycle Film Festival hits Columbia College's Film Row Cinema next weekend, and GB's in cahoots. We're sponsoring a kickoff party next Thursday night; details will be announced early next week. In the meantime, check out the listings and trailers, and grab tickets here before they sell out.
TurnHere is a site that collects short video guides about cities around the world. The Chicago section features some nice clips, including trips through Bronzeville, Wicker Park, Rogers Park, Pilsen and other neighborhoods.
Our film critic, Steve at the Movies, interviews William H. Macy at Ain't It Cool about his new film, Edmond, his time in Chicago working with David Mamet and more. And speaking of Macy, he'll be at select screenings of Edmond at the Siskel Film Center this weekend; get your tickets before they sell out.
Claire Zulkey wants to know about your Notflixing habits, the movies you got from Netflix that sit, unwatched, for months.
The Music Box Theatre, which had a so-so Website for the longest time, has suddenly redesigned its site, and it looks pretty snazzy! Just in time for a particularly exciting weekend of films at the theater: there's the 25th anniversary re-release of Raiders of the Lost Ark, a weekend matinee of Warner Brothers cartoons, some David Lynch short films, and Olivia Newton-John in Xanadu. See you at the movies....
...but only by a week! Director Brendt Barbur's international celebration of movies about cycling is still coming to Chicago, but it'll be from August 11-12 instead of August 4-5, and details are still TBA. (Trailers and more here.)
Tonight marks the start of this year's Chicago Outdoor Film Festival, just in time to coincide with a break in the heat (kind of). Make sure to leave your dog and bring your bike and always be respectful of your neighbors. All the Rebels (with or without causes) check out the details in Slowdown.
Steven Spielberg received a Golden Hugo for lifetime achievement last night at this year's Chicago International Film Festival awards. And who should make a surprise appearance but Tom Cruise! Is it just me, or does it look like he's going to kiss Spielberg in CBS2's video clip?
Tying nicely into the current Fuel question, local artistic group Lucky Pierre is looking for volunteers to eat 24 of the 350+ final meal requests from the executed prisoners on Texas Death Row for a video installation project. The meals will be filmed in Logan Square between 10am and 4pm on Saturday, July 22; email mealvolunteer[at]luckypierre.org to be one of the lucky few. (Thanks, Marie!)
Cinema/Chicago has scheduled its series of free screenings of international films on the same night as Chicago Sister Cities International's film series (which is $15 a show, but includes dinner catered by Fox & Obel). The savvy cinemaphile needn't choose between the two: Cinema/Chicago's movies start at 6 PM in the Cultural Center and Sister Cities' movies start at sundown on the roof of Gallery 37, just across the street.
Did you notice that the City North and Webster Place movie theaters went M.I.A. a couple of weeks ago? Well, they were casualties of the Loews-AMC merger and decisions of various authorities. While cheap night may be gone, Kerasotes bought the two theaters, and they're open again. UPDATE: Reader Meghan writes, "I went to City North 14 on Tuesday and got the usual $5 movie, free popcorn, and free parking. Looks like cheap night's not gone afterall!"
Crain's reports that Robert Redford is considering the site of a closed Fannie May candy factory for an outpost of his new Sundance Cinemas movie theater chain.
If you've been to O'Hare (and even if you haven't), you probably know that Chicago has a slew of sister cities: 25--to be exact--from Accra, Ghana, to Warsaw, Poland (click here for list). To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Chicago Sister Cities program, Gallery 37 is showing international films on its roof every Wednesday evening through August 30. See Slowdown for details of individual screenings, or click here for a complete schedule.
Have an itch to make a short film? Overnight? That's right, it's time for another Fast Forward Film Festival. This time there's a sci-fi theme: "Three Minutes Into the Future," sponsored by geek webstore Woot.com. Go to Atomix Cafe, 1967 W. Chicago Ave., tomorrow, June 16, to register and get more instructions, then get to work. For the rest of us, there's a show of all the finished films Saturday night. More in this week's TimeOut Chicago.
Steven Spielberg will be the honoree at this year's Chicago International Film Festival summer gala, hosted by Bill Kurtis and featuring film highlights and "tributes by colleagues and friends." Ooh! Harrison? Hanks? Henry Thomas? Maybe you can ask Stevey why Jurassic Park IV is happening, or when we'll finally get Animaniacs on DVD. Tickets start at $315 for Cinema/Chicago members or if you're feeling generous, buy a table for ten of your friends for only $3500. If you haven't just won the Mega Millions, this Friday's evening with David Gordon Green (All the Real Girls) at the Future Filmmakers Festival might be more your speed.
After a last-minute effort to save Aurora's Hi-Lite Drive In, the city council voted yesterday to close the theater and move forward on a proposal to build a subdivision on the land. The main reason for closing down the Hi-Lite, which was Illinois' oldest operating drive-in, was that nobody appeared willing to pony up the $830,000 needed to renovate the place.
Today is a momentous date for cult film fans: the official DVD release date for Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Roger Ebert, co-author of the screenplay with film director Russ Meyer, offers some thoughts on the production.
Charles and Ray Eames' Powers of Ten has been posted on YouTube. The iconic film shows what you'd see if you started at a one-meter view and then zoomed out one power at a time, then zoomed in the same way. The starting point is a man at a picnic near Soldier Field -- as near as I can tell, this is the exact spot on GoogleMaps. [via]
While watching a beautiful documentary about the historic Uptown Theatre, I was lucky enough to enjoy another one of Chicago's movie houses that has been restored. The Portage Theatre in Portage Park (near Irving and Milwaukee) is a huge movie house originally built in 1920 which seats 1,350 people. Recently re-reopened with a gala opening ceremony, it's been adopted for the two Silent Film Festivals, and it will also be showing some great classic and foreign films in the coming weeks. Call (773) 736-4050 for schedules (website coming).
The most important, scary, and inspirational documentary you are likely to see this year is An Inconvenient Truth. Essentially an expanded version of a presentation that former-Vice President Al Gore has been giving since the late 1980s on the visible perils of global warming, the film also incorporates archival footage of the-man-who-should-be-President's political life gathering support and enlightening citizens around the world on what should be a non-partisan issue. It's not a lecture, but that doesn't stop it from being a must-see eye-opener. The film opens today at the Landmark Century Center Cinema, the AMC River East theatre and at the Evanston Century theatre. (Thanks, Steve)
If you read Lawrence Wright's recent New Yorker article about Syrian filmmakers, you know that Syria is a country with six movie theaters, and state censorship sometimes permits movies to be made but not shown. Starting tomorrow, you can check out a few of those movies, as the Gene Siskel Film Center kicks off a program of Syrian cinema, part of a traveling exhibition organized by ArteEast.
At a committee meeting today in Aurora, the City Countil will begin to decide the fate of the Hi-Lite 30 Drive-In, the oldest operating drive-in in Illinois, which has been scheduled for demolition to make way for housing development. Naturally there are quite a few fans of the drive-in, and they are planning a rally before the meeting to try and sway the council vote. The site OurAurora.com has put together a page with proposals from all sides of the debate, so you can make up your own mind on the issue.
It's well known that Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel hated each other for much of their career as a film reviewing duo. Someone dug up three outtakes of the pair sparring during the filming of promos for their show. The animosity is palpable.
Today the Gene Siskel Film Center kicks off a three-week series, screening "top-quality archival prints of ... films selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry" and lent by the Library of Congress. Click here for a complete schedule; individual films are listed in Slowdown.
Hot on the heels of the Latino Film Festival, Cinema/Chicago, in collaboration with the Global Film Initiative, presents Global Lens 2006, a new week-long program of international films -- for those of us who just can't wait till next October for the Film Festival. The new series starts next Friday, 5 May, and continues through the following Friday. Click here for more information and to buy tickets.
The 22nd Annual Chicago Latino Film Festival started last weekend and runs through Thursday 4 May, with movies playing at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema, the Gene Siskel Film Center, and Facets Cinematheque. Click here for a complete screening schedule.
Andy Warhol shot films that capture everyday activities like sleeping, eating, and looking pretty. Are the results slow paced and boring or titilating and arty? You be the judge. See them tonight at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
It's not quite "with the top down" driving weather, but you could grab some friends (and even your dog) and head out the Cascade Drive-In to watch some cozy flicks from the comfort of your own car. The drive-in is located in nearby West Chicago and they show two first-run movies for just $7.50 (that's $3.75 per movie). Most local drive-ins won't be open for weeks, so you can get a leg up at the Cascade starting Friday night. Looking for other drive-ins, past or present, try this cool resource. Just don't get stranded, OK?
While the thought of lying on a blanket watching a movie outside doesn't sound especially appealing today, with the rain and 40-degree temps, August makes for a much more enjoyable experience. The Outdoor Film Festival in Grant Park is back for its seventh season. The festival features hits from the '50s and '60s, including Rebel Without a Cause, but ends with '80s fav, Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Watching the Academy Awards tonight? Follow along on as Edward Champion and a vast and varied cast of characters live-blog the pseudo-event on the Oscar 2006 Blog.
Lloyd Kaufman, the man behind Troma Films (The Toxic Avenger, Tromeo & Juliet and Class of Nuke'em High may ring bells), will be appearing at South Union Arts, 1352 S. Union St., tonight at 10pm as part of the Movieside Film Festival. He'll be showing some TromaDance short films as well as clips from Troma's Poultrygeist and his own Make Your Own Damn Movie. Admission is $7. (Thanks, Alan!)
And speaking of Oscar, if you're interested in checking out the Oscar-nominated short films, this weekend the Gene Siskel Film Center continues its annual tradition of screening the nominated films in the short subject categories. The films will be divided up into two separate shows: one will feature the documentary shorts, and one will feature the animated and live-action shorts. See the Film Center Website for a schedule of the programs, which will be screening through March 9.
Fresh Air celebrated Presidents' Day with a review of the recent Criterion Collection release of 1939's Young Mr. Lincoln.
Are you a filmmaker? Do you want to be? The City of Chicago Film Office is looking for locally produced short films (10 minutes or less) to run during the Outdoor Film Festival this summer. Deadline for submission is April 1; click the "Call for Shorts" link on the Film Office website (damn the city's expiring relative links) for more info.
The Chicago Underground Film Festival is once again accepting entries for the 2006 festival (No.13). As always, they're looking for the very best in new film and video work. If you've got a feature, short, narrative, documentary, experimental, animation, music video or some other cinematic genre, submit it. Entry forms and guidelines available now online. The festival takes place August 17-24.
Each October, Facets hosts the Chicago International Children's Film Festival. Ever wonder what kids take away from this exposure to world cinema? Try
