Ah, the Academy Award "Shorts." Largely ignored in favor of the races focusing on acting accomplishments and what movie had the saddest/more politically controversial/historically momentous ending, the Short Subject categories often offer a hodgepodge of achievements actually more worthy of your time than most of the feature length tripe that hits theaters these days. They're also full of fun trivia: did you know Billy Zabka, a.k.a the fantastic villain Johnny Lawrence from one of our favorite films of all time, was actually nominated for an Academy Award in the Live Action Short category in 2004? And have you ever seen Don Hertzfeldt's excellent 2001 nominated animated short, "Rejected"? Wacky stuff. more ›

When it comes to sandwiches, we rely on a Miesian philosophy. “Less is more” is our sandwich motto (it used to be “MORE SPAM”, but we changed it). The Fountain Blue at Frances’ is the simplest, most delicious sandwich ever. more ›

The clock to '08 is ticking. What are you doing to ring in the new year? If the answer to that question is a desperate, collar-loosening, sweat-inducing "I don't know!" then here are a few last-minute suggestions. Everything listed here will cost you less than $40 and was not sold out at the time of posting. more ›

blog on the New York Times. Convinced you need to know her? more ›

Chicagoist loves Stuart Dybek, from back before he received his "genius grant" and now even more so. Continuing with our coverage, Dybek will be speaking tonight at the Chicago History Museum with Donna Seaman of Open Books, as part of their Chicago Treasures series. Chicago Treasures focuses on the symbiotic Chicagoans who define the city and whose work is likewise defined by Chicago. Tonight, Oct. 10, 7 p.m., Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St.,... more ›

Hey, kids! Chicago Artists Month is upon us! Although it may feel like there's a different festival/fair/celebration each week in the city, this one isn't one to miss, with a full slate of cool events scheduled to help celebrate one of the city's most vibrant scenes. You can get your culture fix at a number of special gallery exhibits over the next few days, given the bitchin' balmy weather, we'd recommend breaking out your... more ›

After eight long weeks, we’ll all get the chance to see who will be taking home the big prize (a staggering $250!) in the final performance of this season of the talent/variety show, Impress These Apes. Each week of the show is dedicated to a different talent challenge, ranging from puppet skits to songwriting; from creating a music video to coming up with a sideshow character. Judged weekly by a panel of three Apes —... more ›

Around 9:42 this morning, an armed robber, believed to be male, attempted to rob a First Commercial Bank branch at 6945 N. Clark St. According to the Tribune, something went wrong and the robbery escalated to a hostage situation. The hostages were freed around 1:30 p.m.; none of them were harmed. No one is saying whether the gunman is still in the bank, or has been arrested. more ›

It's been barely more than 24 hours since Lance Briggs' brand new $450,000 Lamborghini was found wrapped around a pole on the side of the Edens Expressway. In that time, we have learned that he was in fact driving the car at the time of the accident, and as a result on Monday was charged with leaving the scene of an accident -- a misdemeanor-- and ticketed for failure to immediately notify police of a... more ›

Note: This post has nothing to do with Lollapalooza. Tonight marks the return of Impress These Apes, the comedy octathalon demanding creativity, versatility and a wicked sense of humor. Eight contestants face eight different performance challenges over eight weeks. We missed last year's competition but, thanks to YouTube, are still getting a good chuckle from the dance routines, videos, and goofy spectacles it produced. Now eight new contestants are vying for the most impressive crown.... more ›

Now that Spidey 3 and Transformers have opened and iPhone mania is starting to subside, it’s time to find a new place to direct all that geek-out energy. Enter Chicago Tap Theatre’s latest storybook show, The Hourglass in the Stop-Time Chronicles, a CTT collaboration with comic-book artist Andrew Pepoy. Fans of the genre don’t need to be reminded that local boy and Loyola grad Pepoy has inked Spiderman, Superman, Batman, and The Simpsons comix, among... more ›

The theory goes that when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Good thing Kathy Rose had a different plan. When faced with a family crisis — Rose lost her parents to heart disease and cancer — this former nurse took her passion for Europe and good-for-you food stuff and created City Olive, a cozy shop in Andersonville with a soft spot for olive oils. more ›

Quincy Long’s The Joy of Going Somewhere is performed sans scenery, props, and fancy costumes. In Rubicon Theatre’s production, the set is low tech: a few chairs, a table and a couple of risers on hand for quick scene changes. But out of the ether, Director Josh Johnson, his cast, and a Foley artist construct a rich world and lead a journey worth taking. more ›

Suzan-Lori Parks has a lot of time on her hands. Four years ago, she started an ambitious project to write a play everyday for an entire year. Now she’s managed to convince more than a dozen U.S. cities and regions to perform them all over the next year. The Chicago theater community certainly wouldn't pass up the opportunity to present 365 plays by a Pulitzer Prize winner, and so 365 Days/365 Plays kicks off tonight... more ›

Darren Afronsky’s Requiem for a Dream enjoys a special place in our DVD collection. It was one of those films that was superbly put together, but because it was so well done, we find it hard to just sit down and casually watch. It is the East Coast “here’s your brain on drugs” film. Tonight at the Midwest Independent Film Festival, the Midwest is responding with our drug film in the form of Iowa. Iowa... more ›

No, "Chicago Treasures" is not a citywide treasure hunt. It’s a lecture series — spawned by the Chicago History Museum and hosted by "Eight Forty-Eight"s Steve Edwards — that brings together two influential Chicagoans for a conversation centered on a single theme. This Thursday’s segment will pair local chef Rick Bayless with Rafael Pulido, aka “El Pistolero,” a Spanish language radio personality, for a discussion about the deepening connections between Mexico and Chicago. Bayless is... more ›

Ellen Burstyn is cool, and we all know it. From dealing with creepy Regan walking backwards on her fingertips (has there every been a scarier scene than that?), to her lonely, drug-addled TV addict in Requiem for a Dream, Ellen Burstyn has scared us with her acting chops on a number of occasions. Looking through her IMDb roster, we were amazed to see just how much she’s done, and surprised at how many of her movies we haven’t seen. more ›

As you listen to the heat mercifully click on again, perhaps ushered in by the tell-tale blonks and cloinks of the radiator, you might be inclined to give in to the idea that winter is already here. That, once again, the icy chill will force you to wear a jacket over your Halloween costume. We know -- sigh. more ›

Okay, this weekend is pretty full so we are just going to jump right into it. As always, feel free to add more events in the comments section. more ›

Finding sushi that is both inexpensive and edible is a difficult task. We’ve tried the cheap stuff. We’ve tried the good stuff. But finding them together had always been a challenge -- until we dropped by Matsuya. on 3469 N. Clark St. more ›

Tower Records will soon be no more. It seemed almost inevitable with the ability to download music that the brick and mortar stores would slowly disappear. This weekend the chain that got us addicted with their deep catalog was auctioned off to the highest bidder. A lowly $134.3 million and she could have been all ours. more ›

Last month, the Midwest Independent Film Festival premiered the feature-length drama, . It was a very good -- but heavy -- drama done here in the city. more ›

While the male denizens of the Chicagoist offices often find themselves helpless in the face of the mighty trilogy of Male Kryptonite (cute girls, beer and televised sports), we do have our own post-feminist moments. We attribute this to spending our formative years around smart, witty and tough women who encouraged us to question the answers that society was feeding us, the kind of women who write for Bitch Magazine. more ›

Or as we like to call it, just another Saturday night at the Chicagoist offices. Head on over to Chicago Filmmakers this Saturday at 8:00 and catch Columbia College's Best of Doc, an evening of documentary short films by CC students. The school's Rabinger Center for the Documentary is an overlooked treasure among college film programs. Unlike L.A., which is centered on the manufacture of fantasies, we've always thought of Chicago as a quintessentially documentary... more ›

Lately, we’ve been seeing the name Alison Bechdel everywhere. Every time we look at the book reviews, her name keeps popping up, Bechdel, Bechdel, everywhere a Bechdel. more ›

Organizers for the Nova Art Fair 2006 know you’ve gotta have a gimmick to get our attention. They have a few actually: transforming 40 rooms in the City Suites Hotel into mini art galleries, putting a fashion show on an el train, enlisting more than a dozen local businesses for an art walk showcase, and throwing all-night parties. Nova’s scope is broad, their minds are open, and any curiosity seems fair game. We can’t describe... more ›

Convincing your significant other to spend an evening with you and a room full of sex workers might be tough. Did you mention it's for a good cause? Then head over to Andersonville where you both can admire the talents of adult film stars, strippers, internet models and prostitutes, for your cultural enrichment. more ›

Last night, Chicagoist was nursing yet another vodka tonic and talking with a friend of ours who’s a fellow music snob and avowed Johnny Cash fan. We asked him if he had seen Walk The Line. He hadn’t and didn’t plan to. Why, we asked. “Marxism,” he replied. more ›

Chicagoist has a long-standing belief that an excess or lack of any particular foods for any reason makes as much sense as dipping one's tongue in a vat of acid ... ... except for, of course, in instances such as prepping for the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and to those hitting the pavement on Sunday, we say, "Get your carbs on, bitches!" While there are different schools of thought as to what constitutes the best... more ›

Bloodshot Records has teamed up with Farm Aid to bring music to the farmer's markets around the city next week. These performances are early, and we all know the early bird gets the best produce. All shows are free and are scheduled as follows. more ›