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14 articles
TV Review: Confident Veterans Elevate ABC’s ‘Rookie Blue’
1 hour ago
Chicago – Can it still be called “Rookie Blue” in its fourth season? Should they change it to “Experienced Blue”? The irony of the fourth season premiere of ABC’s strong Summer hit, a Canadian import like “Flashpoint” and “Motive,” is that the reason it works is because the cast seems so comfortable in these roles. They’re far more entertaining, likable, and believable than a lot of modern cop shows and I think it’s the people, not the situations, that has made “Rookie Blue” a hit.
Television Rating: 3.0/5.0
At the end of season three, Andy McNally (Missy Peregrym) and Nick Collins (Peter Mooney) headed off on a long undercover job while the relationship between Andy and Sam (Ben Bass) seems to be over. The premiere focuses not only on Andy and Nick’s drug-ring infiltration but the idea that these characters are moving on, growing up, becoming anything but rookies. »
- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
Blu-ray Review: Ghibli Hits ‘Howl's Moving Castle,’ ‘My Neighbor Totoro’
4 hours ago
Chicago – I usually avoid this kind of hyperbole but I adore the best of Studio Ghibli and know their entire catalog well and so I feel I can say it — “My Neighbor Totoro” is one of the best family films of all time. Hayao Miyazaki’s gentle variation on “Alice in Wonderland,” has everything that we identify with Ghibli, including a respect for nature, magical sense of fantasy, and importance of family.
Available in HD for the first time, “Totoro” is a must-own. While “Howl’s Moving Castle,” also released this week, doesn’t quite stand with the best of Miyazaki (“Totoro,” “Spirited Away,” “Nausicaa,” and “Princess Mononoke,” for the record), it’s still a fun movie and a great fit for HD. It looks beautiful. Miyazaki is timeless and being able to see films as visually stunning as the Ghibli works on Blu-ray is a gift. I wish they were all available. »
- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
Blu-ray Review: Final Season of Fox Hit ‘Fringe’
5 hours ago
Chicago – I find it fascinating that “Fringe,” the show that always seemed to be on the bubble for renewal and was always included in articles about low-rated programming, appears to be one of the most influential on the Fall 2013 season. Fox has two new dramas in the Fall and they’re both from “Fringe” alum — J.J. Abrams’ “Almost Human” and Robert Orci & Alex Kurtzman’s “Sleepy Hollow”. They’re clearly looking for, believe it or not, the next “Fringe.” For while the smart sci-fi drama never found a huge audience on TV, it found an incredibly loyal one on Blu-ray, On Demand, iTunes, etc. and those fans can now complete their collection with a bittersweet but complete fifth and final season release.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Fans will likely have seen and loved the final season of “Fringe” and so Warner Bros. wisely includes a few nice bells and whistles to please those »
- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
Blu-ray Review: Jessica Chastain Stars in Effective ‘Mama’
6 hours ago
Chicago – “Mama” isn’t exactly an original piece (it borrows heavily from horror archetypes, particularly those that turned Asian horror into a trend) but it isn’t always the originality of the composition but how well it’s played that matters. “Mama” is, mostly, well-played. The atmosphere brought to it by director Andy Muschietti, the character depth provided by Jessica Chastain, the brilliant touch of producer Guillermo Del Toro — “Mama” deliveres. Mostly. Some decisions made in the CGI department are disappointing but there’s still a lot to like here. Definitely worth a rental.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
On the cusp of the 2008 economic crash, a man kidnaps his two daughters and attempts to kill them in a remote cabin before he’s destroyed by a supernatural force. The two girls survive with the apparition that they name Mama until they’re found by the man’s twin brother (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and brought »
- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
TV Review: Gordon Ramsay Returns with Nicer ‘Masterchef’ on Fox
6 hours ago
Chicago – “Masterchef,” starring Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Graham Elliot, returns tonight, May 22, 2013 at 7pm with a two-hour premiere that hints at a kinder, gentler season, in keeping with the general trend of these shows. Recognizing that the “Hell’s Kitchen” approach isn’t going to work here, and that the generally supportive and nice judges on “The Voice” have taken over from the cynical, mocking ones on shows like “American Idol” (even Howard Stern, smart enough to know what works in the current trend, knows to play nice on “America’s Got Talent”), the producers have presented a more encouraging and interesting show, at least in the first course.
Television Rating: 3.0/5.0
And, so, while past season auditions episodes of “Masterchef” put the spotlight on the truly awful home cooks who never should have gotten out of bed much less the kitchen, this season premiere focuses on the human stories »
- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
Film Review: ‘Alyce Kills’ Takes Viewers Down Rabbit Hole to Horror
21 May 2013 7:58 AM, PDT
Chicago – Long-delayed stateside, premiering On Demand, stupidly retitled (it was and still should be just “Alyce”), Jay Lee’s twisted trip down the rabbit hole of sanity, “Alyce Kills,” was not high on my list of anticipated films. Much to my surprise, “Alyce Kills” is a riveting slice of weird, a tale that reminds me of great films like “Repulsion” and “May” more than most of the junk that falls through the genre cracks and ends up in a similar launch pattern. It’s ten times better than most horror movies that will hit the multiplex this year. Genre fans will eat it up.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Alyce (Jade Dornfeld) is unstable but the kind of mousy, harmless unstable that you might sit next to on your commute to work and barely notice. There are little hints of personality disorder but the fact that her ring tone is “Crazy Train” is supposed »
- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 40 Pairs of Passes to ‘Now You See Me’ With Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher
20 May 2013 9:31 PM, PDT
Chicago – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 40 pairs of movie passes up for grabs to the advance screening of the new thriller “Now You See Me” starring Jesse Eisenberg!
“Now You See Me,” which is rated “PG-13” and hits theatres on May 31, 2013, also stars Isla Fisher, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Michael Caine, Common, Dave Franco, Mélanie Laurent, Elias Koteas, Michael Kelly, Laura Cayouette, Justine Wachsberger, Han Soto and David Warshofsky from director Louis Leterrier and writers Ed Solomon and Boaz Yakin.
To win your free “Now You See Me” passes courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our unique Hookup technology below. That’s it! This screening is on Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning!
Before entering, make sure you allow pop-ups. »
- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
Blu-ray Review: ‘Jack Reacher’ Delivers Goods For Noir Fans
20 May 2013 5:03 PM, PDT
Chicago – “Jack Reacher” doesn’t work as an action movie. However, if you approach the mannered dialogue and dark storytelling as a noir, which is what I believe the writer and director (if not the marketing team at Paramount) intended, then there’s a lot to like here. It’s a stylized, slick, well-made ride with some crackling dialogue, charismatic performances, and heavy doses of style. Was Cruise miscast? Perhaps. But Rosamund Pike, Werner Herzog, and Richard Jenkins sure as hell were not and what does work about “Reacher” off-sets everything that arguably does not. Quit griping about Cruise’s height. It’s an easy, obvious criticism and isn’t really that essential to the success here. I do think a grittier actor might have made for a better film but Cruise certainly isn’t bad. It’s a solid rental and I hope enough people see it make another one. »
- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
Blu-ray Review: Even Nicholas Sparks Fans Will Be Annoyed by ‘Safe Haven’
20 May 2013 4:34 PM, PDT
Chicago – At its best, Lasse Hallstrom’s “Safe Haven,” based on the book by the insanely popular Nicholas Sparks, is merely safe, Lifetime Channel TV Movie junk. At its worst, it’s pretty offensive and exploitative of women actually stuck in abusive situations and men forced into single parenthood after losing a spouse. As he has done before, Sparks takes real-world issues and turns them into manipulative devices. Hallstrom (“Chocolat”) has enough filmmaking skill to keep it from getting too boring despite the attempts on the part of the two remarkably dull leads to put you to sleep.
Rating: 1.0/5.0
Julianne Hough has yet to find that breakout role that convinces me she’s more than a reality TV star and this certainly doesn’t make the case as she’s incredibly flat and unbelievable as a woman on the run from an abusive husband. Hough’s Katie jumps a bus »
- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
Blu-ray Review: ‘Texas Chainsaw’ Continues to Diminish Legacy of Original
20 May 2013 1:51 PM, PDT
Chicago – Why do they keep making these awful movies? I’m a horror fan. I think Tobe Hooper’s original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is a truly effective (if a bit overrated) movie that has to be included on a list of the most influential of its era. But nearly everything that it has literally spawned has been awful. Sure, “TCM 2” has some wackadoo charm but the modern remakes — the two Platinum Dunes flicks and now this 3D stinker, reecently released on Blu-ray and DVD, are just a waste of time. To be fair, this reboot/sequel isn’t nearly as annoying as the last two but it’s still awful.
Rating: 1.0/5.0
The best idea the makers of “Texas Chainsaw” had was to pick up more directly from the Hooper original instead of just going the traditional remake route. In fact, the credits consist of scenes from the original with the »
- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
TV Review: ABC Gives Canadian ‘Motive’ to Mystery Fans
20 May 2013 12:24 PM, PDT
Chicago – I know — Another mystery show, right? When do we grow tired of mystery after mystery? Other cultures have to be amazed at our obsession with murder and the people who solve crimes. While I feel no genre is more glutted with filler than this one, ABC’s “Motive,” an import from Canada a la “Rookie Blue” and “Flashpoint,” isn’t half bad. It has a strong cast and decent mystery plotting. My exhaustion with shows like this hurts the program overall but if you’re into mystery shows, you could do a lot worse.
Television Rating: 3.0/5.0
Daniel Cerone, the executive producer of “Dexter” and “The Mentalist,” delivers “Motive,” a show built around a nice hook that keeps viewers engaged through the episode. In the very first scenes, you see a person labeled victim and one labeled killer. In the two episodes available for press, how these two people would »
- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
TV Review: Fox Buries ‘The Goodwin Games’ For Good Reason
20 May 2013 8:15 AM, PDT
Chicago – “The Goodwin Games” is bad, bad, bad. You know a show is likely to be awful when a network cuts back the order and buries its premiere in a time of year when most people are getting outside or going to see Summer blockbusters. While the networks are busy promoting Fall 2013 at Upfronts, who cares about a new show that won’t make it more than two months? And yet there is sometimes reason for hope that a network executive just missed the humor and is actually burying a hidden gem. Hope dies at “The Goodwin Games” and I wish they had buried it deeper.
Television Rating: 1.0/5.0
Not one laugh. A talented cast, decent direction, even a clever concept — but not one laugh. The attempts at jokes hit the floor, the character archetypes are broad, the emotional manipulation is unacceptable. Not one laugh. In fact, it’s stunning that »
- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
TV Review: ‘Mel Brooks: Make a Noise’ Captures Comedy Genius
20 May 2013 7:47 AM, PDT
Chicago – I’m a huge Mel Brooks fan, one of those critics who bows at the altar of arguably the two best comedies of all time, “Blazing Saddles” & “Young Frankenstein.” I’ve seen them both a dozen times and can’t wait to watch them again. “The Producers,” “A History of the World,” “High Anxiety,”” “Silent Movie,” “To Be or Not To Be,” “The Twelve Chairs,” his work on “Get Smart” & “Your Show of Shows,” “The 2000 Year Old Man” — the first response that most people should have to “American Masters: Mel Brooks: Make a Noise,” debuting on PBS tonight and releasing on DVD tomorrow, May 21, 2013, is a simple one — What took so long? “American Masters” premiered in 1986 and he should have been one of the first choices.
Television Rating: 4.5/5.0
To be fair, “Make a Noise” doesn’t do much more than confirm what most of us fans »
- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
Film News: ‘David Lynch Swerves’ Author Martha P. Nochimson on Indie Outlook
20 May 2013 6:41 AM, PDT
Chicago – Acclaimed film critic and writer Martha P. Nochimson gave an exclusive interview to Indie Outlook, the independent film blog and podcast founded by Hollywood Chicago staff writer Matt Fagerholm. Her book, “David Lynch Swerves,” reveals how the titular director’s interest in quantum mechanics and the Holy Vedas of the Hindu religion provide a key to understanding his later work on an exhilaratingly new level.
Nochimson’s analysis of 1997’s “Lost Highway,” 1999’s “The Straight Story,” 2001’s “Mulholland Dr.”, and 2006’s “Inland Empire” is a must-read for any serious scholar or fan of the filmmaker’s incomparable oeuvre. In her interview with Indie Outlook, Nochimson discusses her fascinating theories regarding Lynch’s work, her enlightening conversations with physicist David Albert and the invigorating, often overlooked message that the director wishes to convey to his audience. Other recent stories on Indie Outlook include two in-depth interviews with Kate Lyn Sheil and Kentucker Audley, »
- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
14 articles
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