Holiday movies form a sacrosanct canon. Stand between people and their It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas or Miracle on 34th Street and you should expect to be treated as if you had just offered serve Rudolph as a plate of reindeer jerky. We love the old chestnuts, but sometimes you need to mix it up. Which is why, even if we personally can't get too fired up about their 27th annual sing-along Christmas show, we are thankful to them for putting together a nifty alternative Christmas program next week featuring a truly neglected Christmas classic: Gremlins. more ›

Looking for something to get you over your hump day and on that nice downhill towards the weekend? Head over to the Brew & View tonight at the Vic for some beer, movies, and even your chance at a Snuggie. WGN DJ Nick Digilio will be hosting the festivities, which get under way at 7 p.m. when the doors open. Besides the snuggie giveaways, there will also be some Lou Malnati's giveaways as well. The best part? The films themselves. It's a fun doubleheader that starts off with Hot Fuzz at 8 p.m. and concludes with Die Hard at 10 p.m. And all this for only $5, which just goes to show you it's still possible to have fun in town on the cheap. more ›

This week ended with the launch of the seventh and final Harry Potter installation. But while the world was consumed with Pottermania, it's important to remember that there were more serious things going on in the world, too – two of them in -Ist cities. Sampaist was shocked when a passenger jet crashed into the center of Sao Paulo, killing at least 200 people. The airplane, an Airbus A320, skidded off the runway at the... more ›

Dear Gød in Hëåven. There’s another Chicagoland IKEA. more ›

If it isn’t a family tradition in your house, Chicagoist recommends heading out to see a movie on Christmas Day. Think of it: two whole hours where everyone in your family has to be quiet or face bodily removal from your immediate vicinity. That’s what we call a win-win situation. Every year, studios take advantage of the need for quiet time in the family and release a few movies on Christmas. This year The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Fat Albert, and The Aviator will all see yuletide release dates. Two of the most inessential movies of the year, Meet The Fockers and Phantom of the Opera, will get the jump on the weekend in wide release tomorrow. more ›