Results tagged “amc”

For a sizable chunk of the US population, Christmas is a time for... wondering when it's going to be the 26th. Jews have the stereotypical routine of Chinese food and a movie (Chicagoist has deemed Charlie Wilson's War the family-friendly-but-still-interesting-enough-not-to-bore-dad-who-likes-foreign-films movie of the season), but what to do for the rest of the day?

Two stories have us thinking about the continuing evolution of the cinematic experience and the differences between going to see a movie and just watching one. First off, "boutique" theater chain Muvico has signed a letter of intent to occupy two floors of the Block 37 development. The proposed multiplex would have only seven screens, much smaller than the AMC RIver East 21 for example. But (to quote Seinfeld) they'd be draped in velvet, so...

A freshman at Corliss High School on the South Side says his school's security guards assualted him--and a student has the incident on tape. According to the Sun-Times, the tape shows an officer wrapping his arm around the student's neck and pining him to the floor. RIP, Betsy the harbor seal. The 36-year-old resident of the Lincoln Park Zoo was quite old for a harbor seal. The City Council's finance committee approved the Mayor's...

Lotsa burgling going on: Two gunmen robbed the AMC Rivers East this morning, tying up but not injuring four employees. And yet another North Community Bank was robbed yesterday, bringing the total to five robberies at North Community banks in the last two weeks. Another story of animal hoarding, this time a little closer to Chicago but a lot less severe: An Oak Lawn woman had at least 30 cats and 2 dogs in her...

The Chicago Theatre is being sold to Madison Square Garden. At least that's what Chris Jones is saying. According to the article, Madison Square Garden Entertainment has agreed to purchase the downtown landmark and is just waiting for a few formalities — like the City signing off on the sale — before closing the deal. MSGE owns — duh — Madison Square Garden, plus Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theater in NY. It's...

It's been three long years between features for Wes Anderson. But the wait is almost over—The Darjeeling Limited comes out next Friday. But, if you're lucky, you might get to see it early. This Saturday at TeaGschwendner in Lincoln Park The Darjeeling Limited is throwing a tea party. A $5 cover gets you access to "Darjeeling tea-tasting stations, petite Indian delectables, raffle prizes and trailer sneak peeks." And a pass to a free screening to...

Phase one: Acquire somewhere between $480,000 and $2.78 million. Phase two: Develop desire to live right around the corner from the AMC River East 21. Phase three: Patience until 2010. Maybe you've accomplished these goals already, and if you have, this is your lucky day: Developers revealed plans for a new downtown high rise today that meets your criteria exactly. The Peshtigo (we can't stop saying it ...), which would be located at 515 N....

Crime Fiction started life in 2005 as a modestly-budgeted project by some University of Chicago students. It's a sly dark comedy of artistic ambition, deceit and murder (no, it is not based on the day-to-day workings of Chicagoist). When we last chatted with associate producer Marc DeMoss in January, it had just gotten into the Slamdance Film Festival. That screening seems to have been some kind of golden ticket, because since then it's played at...

Chicagoist woke up this morning and thought to ourself, "If only we could think of something, anything, to do with this extra $500 in our pocket. Something glamorous, and possibly involving a Brangelina sighting." And then we read the Sun-Times, and all of our questions were answered. Ocean's Thirteen will have its premiere in Chicago at the AMC River East 21 on June 7, followed by a $500-a-head gala at the soon-to-be-opened Room 21. What...

Perhaps it is the image of Jennifer Hudson walking down the red carpet at the Academy Awards, but we've been getting inundated with talk of the event. The barrage has had its affect though, we have some Oscar related events for you this weekend, well except for one that involves vintage beer drinking, but we all need a break some time. We are all about gluttony and package deals this weekend, enjoy! We would suggest...

Now that the Super Bowl is finally over, we can at last turn our attention to things which are truly important ... like The Oscars. Really we wanted to talk to you about this last week, but a hunch told us that it just wouldn't register. The Oscars are now less than three weeks away. Speculation is flying fast and furious. Maureen Ryan at the Trib is whining about how Hollywood "seems to have gone...

First there was "Trading Spaces." Then there was "Trading Spouses." Now, for that glorious indignity known as Sweeps Month, ABC has bestowed upon us Fan February. Here's the haps: Three lucky daytime TV fans get to trade jobs for a day with an actor from their favorite soap opera. S/He gets to jet out to New York City to hang with daytime's acting elite; the actor trundles off to BFE, Flyover Country. If Range Bloodstone ever wanted to find out what it's like to wash down hippos or flip burgers (like he doesn't know what that's like, he's an actor, for crying out loud), well, here's his chance as well. This year, one of the chosen fans happens to be from DeKalb, which was enough to get "All My Children"'s Jeff Branson into ABC's studios yesterday, and to get Chicagoist to cover it.

That time of the year is over, we have gorged ourselves on turkey and mashed potatoes and we wouldn’t mind a little break from the family, so this weekend is the perfect time to break back into the action.

Interesting things going on this weekend, time to brush up sewing and get in a movie! As always feel free to add more events in the comments section. Hurry over to the Chicago Academy of the Arts, 1010 W. Chicago for the casting call for Fred Claus. This movie, starring Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, and Kevin Spacey, will be filming in January 2007 in Chicago. Make sure to bring a color photograph and a pen...

Even though we are to have remnants of a typhoon today, it looks pretty decent out. We know, since there is no Bears game you will be watching the Chicago Marathon online (we clicked on one of the video links, pretty boring stuff.) Those things will be winding down early enough in the day to catch some of these events. As always, feel free to add events in the comments section.

In Chicago, summer film viewing usually means … whatever’s air-conditioned. The Outdoor Film Festival is a notable exception, but generally speaking, summertime is an annual famine where interesting film choices are few and far between. But autumn is a horse of a different color. Suddenly (due in part to the Oscar race) it's time to bulk up. No sooner does the Chicago International Film Festival draw to a close (winners were announced this week) than...

After debuting to controversy and yawns at the Toronto International Film Festival, the pseudo-documentary Death of a President, featuring the faked assassination of President Bush, is rapidly turning into a marketing agency’s wet dream. Newmarket Films is striking while the iron is hot and attempting to get the film into theaters while people are still talking about how CONTROVERSIAL it is, in hopes that those voices will scream louder than the ones who say it’s...

For many Chicago moviegoers, it’s only been a matter of time before the Esquire Theater in the Gold Coast closed its doors. While it dodged a bullet after the AMC/Loews merger, AMC’s other properties got the blockbusters while the worn carpeting indicated the place was fixin’ to die. Back in July, this seemed even more likely. Today? It’s a done deal.

Gaper's Block hipped us to an article in the Sun-Times this morning that says the Esquire Theater’s days may be numbered. The owner of the Gold Coast building is exploring the possibilities of tearing it down in favor of retail shops. According to the article, the Esquire hasn’t been making much bank and there are plenty of businesses lining up to offer Viagra Triangle residents yet another place to purchase a $400 change purse. Normally,...

This weekend, soccer legends like Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer will be in Berlin to see the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final featuring France vs. Italy. On Monday, Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer will be on the big screen for the Chicago premiere of Miramax's documentary, "Once in a Lifetime - The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos." FireWorks for Kids Foundation, the Chicago Fire's charitable arm is hosting the event at 6:30pm at AMC River...

Crain’s is reporting that Robert Redford’s year-old Sundance Cinemas chain plans to anchor a shopping center at Jackson and Racine, the former site of a Fannie May candy factory. The Sundance Cinemas theater would not only give Chicagoans an additional venue for art house films but would also bring some economic development to the West Side. A “specialty grocery store” is planned for the site as well as a health club. And we’re willing to...

As a result of a civil lawsuit filed by several state attorneys general (including Illinois’ Lisa Madigan), Loews Cineplex and AMC Entertainment will sell six theaters around the country, including two in Chicago, before proceeding with plans for their proposed merger. The two Chicago theaters getting “For Sale” signs? Loews Webster Place 11 and AMC City North 14. If the judge approves the decree, a total of six theaters (with 83 screens) will be sold...

The Gene Siskel Film Center picked a helluva time roll out some excellent retrospectives. With the temps so low, all we want to do is roll ourselves up in blankets and watch our Tivo’ed episodes of Law and Order. But The Gene is tempting us to bundle up and head downtown for some great revivals and overlooked films of 2005. First up is "Merry Marilyn," a look at the films of Marilyn Monroe. Now: you...

We know this makes us sounds like those guys who hang out in doorways wearing hats made out of tinfoil but Jennifer Aniston has been stalking us through the media.

Your favorite small-screen theater might have a “Closed” or “For Sale” sign on it soon thanks to the AMC/Loews merger.

Though it makes the rest of the Chicago International Film Festival seem sort of anti-climactic, awards were handed out last week to some of the festival films. The big winner of the Gold Hugo for best film? My Nikifor/Moj Nikifor from Poland. Paczkis for everybody! The film won the award, in part, because of a “cinematographic form that creates a dialogue between art and compassion.” We bet that dialogue contains a lot of words like...

Just a quick reminder that today’s the last day to enter The Baxter giveaway. We’re giving away three prize packs that include a Baxter t-shirt and Baxter soundtrack. Click here for more details on the movie and for your chance to win. And don’t forget that The Baxter opens today at the AMC River East. Click here to view show times. Not since Ducky in Pretty In Pink have the socially awkward and slightly spazzy...

Entertainment writers can pen only so many stories about declining box office receipts before the schadenfreude goes stale. As the summer winds down, some are wondering if it’s the medium of the movies that needs changing, not the message.

Even if Bill Murray wasn’t originally from the Chicago area, we’d still plan on seeing his latest collaboration with Jim Jarmusch, Broken Flowers, which hits Piper’s Alley and the AMC River East this weekend. Chicagoist has long believed that the way to tell the really compelling actors from the lousy ones is with The Phone Book Test. That is, if an actor is really good then listening to them read the phone book will still...

Since AMC Theaters show movies such as Herbie: Fully Loaded and The Perfect Man, you’d think they’d book just about anything. Yet the same chain that has no concerns over movies featuring anthropomorphized automobiles and daughters pimping out their moms won’t be showing The Aristocrats, a documentary about one of stand-up comedy’s oldest jokes. Why? Because The Aristocrats features more heinous vulgarity than a Chicagoist staff meeting.