In this week's entry to the Chicagoist Podcast Series, we turn again to the world of film. There are a lot of crews in town setting up, shooting, casting, scouting and creating TV and movies around town, so we spoke with the guy who wrangles them all. Rich Moskal runs the Chicago Film Office and facilitates everything from Michael Bay tearing down Michigan Avenue, all the way down to the smallest pilot crew taping exteriors for indie films and pilot programs. How much did Oprah help ease the way for Transformers 3? (Insert your own "gargantuan robot" joke here.) more ›

When we were teens, we used to make home-made videos. Nothing was as awesome as what these kids did. more ›

Remember all the hub-bub a few weeks back over the Obama-as-Dark-Knight-Joker posters? It seems the LA media has caught up with the creator of the posters and he's Firas Alkhateeb, a history major at the University of Illinois. It all started with a Photoshop exercise using an old Time Magazine cover though he's not responsible for those posters. According to him, someone lifted the image from his Flickr for those; Alkhateeb abstained from voting this past November and cites Dennis Kucinich as the candidate he was most likely to support. more ›

It seems a few Chicago-related items have mashed into an unusual political statement out in Los Angeles. Someone has taken the make-up scheme from Heath Ledger's Dark Knight joker and placed it on a photo of President Obama. Below the image on each poster is the word "socialism." No one's claimed responsibility for the guerrilla artwork. [Bedlam Magazine, Newsbusters via Drudge] more ›

Spring is here. So no more excuses! Movies a-plenty out there, so get off the sofa and go watch some. more ›

A big Chicagoist congratulations to Second City alum Tina Fey, who brought home some more hardware at last night's Golden Globes by taking home awards for Best Actress (Television - Comedy or Musical) and Best Television Series (Comedy or Musical), both for 30 Rock. [Alec Baldwin also won, giving the show three awards in all]. And leave it to Fey to find a hilarious way to tell the haters on the interwebs to "suck it" without sounding like she's whining. more ›

We were big fans of The Dark Knight here at Chicagoist, especially given the role that the city of Chicago played in the film. This also means we've seen some of the trailer mash-ups that are all the rage these days, but this one struck us as actually pretty damn funny AND good. It made us laugh on an interminably long Tuesday afternoon [via kottke]. more ›

It was a dark night for Dark Knight fans when storms moved through Evanston last night, knocking out power to the Century 12 Evanston Theater. Twenty minutes were left in the show when the power loss cut the flick short. Movie goers were issued rain checks, and those waiting to see later screenings waited for the power to be restored, an hour and 15 minutes later. more ›

If you're reading this, there's a good chance it's because you're one of the few still stuck in the office after lunch today. We feel your pain. Here are a few things to get you through until 5 p.m. and freedom. FREEDOM! more ›

Christian Bale, of the Gotham / Chicago-based Batman movie, The Dark Knight, told the Sun-Times he'd be tackling the character of John Connor in the next Terminator movie. Also starring? Common. What the-?! more ›

Check out this no-budget recreation of the Dark Knight trailer. more ›

Chicagoans got used to seeing heath Ledger around town last summer when he was here filming The Dark Knight. The New York Police Department is now reporting that Ledger was found dead in "a downtown Manhattan residence" this afternoon. more ›

Nunuh-nunuh-nunuh-nunuh-nunuh-nunuh-nunuh-nunuh-Batman! We are going crazy for full-length trailer for . more ›

We love us some Xmas movies; but frankly there are plenty of swell, non-Holiday movie events coming up as well: more ›

You'd have to be living under a rock or in a cave (hehe) not to know that the new Batman flick The Dark Knight is currently filming in Chicago. Several spots in the Loop are getting a filmic makeover, and we have some (by now nonexclusive) pics of an interior set. Our source has wisely declined to give us the specific location; after all, you wouldn't want director Christopher Nolan all up in your... more ›

As everyone in Chicago should know by now (if only due to reading Chicagoist), the Batman Begins sequel, The Dark Knight, started filming here last week. In the course of preparation, crews turned the old Post Office on Harrison into a Gotham-ready edifice. Planners and conservationists have wondered what to do with the hulking 1920s relic ever since it was vacated in 1996, but we doubt any of them wanted to set it on fire.... more ›

Our sharp-eyed reader Dave at Fighting the Suburbs caught this last night on the way home: the building at Wacker and Van Buren being decked out as Gotham National Bank. The new Batman film The Dark Knight is filming various scenes in and around town for the next several weeks. We also have reports that they've been looking for extras and stand-ins, so if you think you resemble Christian Bale or Heath Ledger you... more ›

Chicago? Tall buildings. A lake. A river. Stadiums. Sports bars. 'L' tracks. All the elements, in the minds of producers, needed to make our city look like somewhere else. Earlier this week it was announced that the new TBS show "My Boys," which is set in not-really-Chicago, has been picked up for nine additional episodes. When we posted about it earlier, we opined that it's really not so successful with capturing the spirit of Chicago,... more ›

The Tribune’s Julia Keller outs herself as a huge nerd this morning by throwing her two cents into a debate that has torn apart grade school playgrounds for decades: who’s better, Superman or Batman? more ›