Frankly we don't know anyone who saw Speed Racer, the Wachowski Brothers' computer candy summer flick. Did anyone? The would-be Tron for a new generation has been a big hurt for the filmmakers behind The Matrix: according to boxofficemojo the movie has grossed only $43 million to date despite a production budget of $120 million. more ›

As were were going through our Tivo’ed episodes of Law and Order last week, we noticed that TNT had found a winner in its “Dramatic Auditions” contest: Chicago stage actress Monifa Days. more ›

Chicagoist has friends in high places, low places and on Saturday we had friends with luck. One of our friends addicted himself to Mountain Dew in order to win the Xbox 360 and get it early. That’s dedication. And since we love glomming on to the success of others, we headed over as soon as UPS delivered the holy package. more ›

In the world of independent film, one encounters plenty of obstacles not faced by the big studios. While money—or lack of it—is a common complaint, the challenge of degenerative illness rarely enters the picture. But for director and Chicago theater actor Ben Byer, dealing with ALS (commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) was not just an obstacle but also the impetus to get behind the camera in the first place to film Indestructible: A Story of Survival. more ›