If we were to describe this movie update post using song titles … In an email last week, long-time Chicago Filmmakers program director Patrick Friel announced he will be stepping down on August 10 to pursue other interests. He had been with Chicago Filmmakers for over eleven years. A replacement has not been announced yet. Also in his email was news that there will be opportunities to become involved with the programming of their weekly... more ›

Did you know that there's an Oscar available for viewing right here in Chicago, and that you can even make an appointment to see it and actually hold it in your hand? It's at the Newberry Library, a private institution that's open to the public and just far enough west of Michigan Avenue that you won't have to worry about shopaholic tourists when you visit. more ›

As we quietly nurse away the after-effects of last night’s Happy Hour, it seems appropriate that we discuss a film about the dangers of alcoholism. Duane Hopwoood stars Northwestern grad and Lookingglass Theatre gadfly David Schwimmer as a man who fights to keep his life and family together as he struggles with his addiction to booze. The Trib’s Michael Wilmington draws the inevitable comparison to The Weather Man in a 2 ½ star review while... more ›

We’re at the halfway mark of the Chicago International Film Festival. If you’re not attending because you don’t know how to separate the good flicks from the crap flicks, then you’re just not trying. No matter how you like your movies—arty farty or just plain entertaining—there are plenty of ways to find movies to suit your tastes. more ›

We’ve been alluding to it all week, but tomorrow marks the beginning of the Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF)! In a city with no shortage of film fests, the CIFF is considered the gold standard. Now in its 41st year, the CIFF brings us new and classic films, documentaries, critic’s favorites, locally produced films and even the occasional splatter film. Running through October 20th, the fest kicks off tomorrow with Cameron Crowe’s Elizabethtown and a... more ›

While not quite approaching the fever pitch the final Star Wars film achieved, there’s still plenty of excitement over Batman Begins, opening tomorrow in Chicago (and everywhere else in the country) before its planet-spanning mega-release this weekend. more ›

The films that make up the Star Wars franchise have never been the “sleeper hit” of any summer. But we were still surprised to see Hayden Christansen’s pouty face adorning the front page of the Sun-Times this morning. Man, that Revenge of the Sith hype machine is something. Ebert gave it a rave review as did Michael Wilmington in the Tribune. Their accolades aren’t entirely surprising. Reviews of early screenings (most notably Kevin Smith’s review... 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 ›

Several years ago, Chicagoist was reading an interview with a Big Famous Movie Critic who was asked why critics sometimes fall all over themselves to single out a particular film for near unanimous praise. BFMC replied that as critics, they are required to see almost every movie that’s released and most of them are crap. So when a film (or a filmmaker) comes along with an original, intelligent work that is also entertaining, he and... more ›

When Chicagoist thinks of Tribune film critic Michael Wilmington, the phrase “prison movies” doesn’t immediately spring to mind. So we were surprised to find out that he’ll be hosting “’Doing Time’ In Film” as part of the Chicago Humanities Festival this year. This year’s theme focuses on the notion of time so perhaps Mike hit on the clever pun and just went with it. We just hope he finds time to talk about Caged Heat.... more ›

Today marks the halfway point of the Chicago International Film Festival. So now’s as good a time as any to catch up with what’s playing in the next week and how you can catch all the films you want to see. If you haven’t seen anything yet, consider this your wake-up call. First, start with the official site. Under Films and Events, you can search for films by category, date or even country. As you’re... more ›

Did you know that the Chicago International Film Festival is the oldest competitive film festival in North America? Chicagoist didn't, but it's in a press release, so it must be true. (Plus, we'll take any excuse we can get for hometown bragging rights.) Celebrating its 40th year (the celluloid anniversary?), the fest will screen over 100 features and 40 shorts from over 40 countries between October 7th and 21st. (That was definitely too many... more ›