We continue our chat with Kevin Smith. You can get up to speed with the first half of our interview if you haven't already read it. more ›

This week, the Chicago Film Critics announced its nominations for the best films and cinematic performances of the past year. Babel picked up nine nominations, while The Departed and The Queen followed with six. As usual, the CFCA made some unconventional choices: Maggie Gyllenhaal picked up a nod for her work in the largely ignored Sherrybaby, and an adapted screenplay nomination went to A Prairie Home Companion. The CFCA also fueled the comebacks of Ben... more ›

Ben Affleck: You gotta do the safe picture. Then you can do the art picture. But then sometimes you gotta do the payback picture because your friend says you owe him. And sometimes, you have to go back to the well. Matt Damon: And sometimes, you do Reindeer Games. --From the movie Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back It comes out of the mouths of slightly fictionalized versions of themselves, but this spot-on quote illustrates... more ›

For movie junkies, one of the most entertaining reality shows over the last couple years has been the Matt Damon-Ben Affleck brainchild Project Greenlight. It’s too bad that while the show features plenty of gripping behind-the-scenes drama and great real-life characters – someone really should just follow around producer Chris Moore with a camera, Barack Obama-style – the movies it has produced haven’t been as interesting. (Remember Stolen Summer or The Battle of Shaker Heights? Exactly.) Hopefully, that will change with this year’s installment, now with the commercial breaks and bleeped swears of the Bravo Network. Five Chicagoans made it into the top 250 finalists, with two local talents even entering the top ten. Cheer them on tonight at Excalibur, where they will all talk and show their work. Thanks to Ryan for the tip!
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Through July, 15 giant, 700 lb. statues of Mickey Mouse will be on display on State Street "Cows on Parade"-stye. The 6-foot-tall mice were created to celebrate Mickey's 75th birthday. The statues debuted in Orlando in November, which was the 75th anniversary of the release of the Mickey Mouse short, Steamboat Willie. They will head to Washington D.C. and then go to New York City before being auctioned for charity. Mickey Mouse's creator, Walt Disney, was born in Chicago in 1901 and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts here. more ›