At 10:26 a.m., the final Space Shuttle launch went off without a hitch, leaving Cape Canaveral for the International Space Station at a brisk 2,600 miles an hour when the broadcaster on the NASA feed noted: "the Space Shuttle spreads it wings a final time for a sentimental journey into space." The Atlantis' final mission is a 12-day jaunt, and we can't help but feel a little nostalgic for the end of an era. When you're not checking out the live mission coverage from NASA fire up your imagination with one of our five favorite movies about space: more ›

We're fast approaching the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, the second part of the original Star Wars trilogy and commemorative screenings don't surprise us. Lucasfilm Ltd has launched a year-long campaign, The Empire Gives Back and, lucky for Chicago-area Star Wars fans, a set of digital screenings will be taking place at the Field Museum benefiting the museum's Education Outreach programs. There will be four separate screenings with a variety of packages available. more ›

A local sign company must have been unaware that only the Super Bowl and the Olympics rival George Lucas and Lucasfilm as pit bulls that go after any whiff of trademark violations. Because if not, then Skywalker Outdoor, Inc., shouldn't have been surprised when they were slapped with a trademark infringement suit. more ›

Some fairy godmother at the Siskel must be granting wishes lately. Not only did they bring Helvetica to town and decide to mount an Antonioni series (including the radically awesome, hard-to-see Zabriskie Point) but now we've learned that next week they're launching "Lost Highways & Wild Hearts: The Films of David Lynch." Wild at heart and weird on top; or, as Gordon Cole might exclaim, "This is like some sort of miracle. A ...a phenomenon."... more ›

One of our favorite writers J.G Ballard once wrote, “It is a curious paradox that almost all science fiction, however far removed in time and space, is really about the present day.” In no other medium is this quite so true as it is in film. We wouldn’t be the first to point out that watching Star Wars tells us a lot more about the year 1977 than it does about a galaxy far, far... more ›

There was no couch-jumping, but Steven Spielberg’s visit to Chicago this weekend was still full of exclamation points. Spielberg was in town to receive the Golden Hugo Lifetime Achievement Award at the Chicago International Film Festival 2006 Summer Gala. Held at the Sheraton Chicago on Saturday, Spielberg was honored by video tributes from notables including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jude Law, George Lucas and Roger Ebert. Even Tom Cruise made an appearance on the video. So, when... more ›

We're as happy as anyone that abandoned children are being found and cared for this holiday season, but we're starting to think that some people are taking this whole abandoned Christmas baby thing too far. more ›

Chicagoist finally caught the teaser trailer of the final Star Wars film, Revenge of the Sith, at the theater this weekend. Damn, it was cool. When Darth Vader showed up, we almost peed ourselves. And that hasn’t happened since…well, last week. But it wasn’t because of Darth Vader. more ›

It�s a good week to be a movie geek. Tickets went on sale at 9 AM today for Spamalot, �the musical lovingly ripped off� from one of the movies most-quoted by guys you went to high school with: Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Chicagoist covered the 411 on this back in July but it�s worth noting here that the opening of the box office featured an appearance by the Spammobile along with free cans... more ›