Perhaps we are just suckers for obscure rationales for programming film series, or perhaps we simply have Tuymans Fever, but Eyes Without a Face, a film series curated by Luc Tuymans, showing at the MCA from November 27 to December 12, looks quite intriguing. The rockstar artist has chosen some fascinating titles and provided us with the perfect reason to visit to revisit the sensational retrospective the museum is hosting through January 9. more ›

It's the end of the year, which means lots of best-of lists. And one of those lists is "best catch-phrases." One of the biggest catch-phrases of the first half of 2008 came from the film There Will Be Blood. Milkshakes, straws, drinkin' it up; we know it by heart. more ›

Friday’s late night crowd at Gorilla Tango Theater is raucous and loud, with some patrons sloshed to the point of major distraction. But complaining about a drunken scene at sketch comedy revue Boozelegger’s Ball is like complaining about excessive violence in There Will Be Blood. The title alone should clue you in. more ›

Nominees for this year's Academy Awards were announced this morning and there weren't any huge surprises. Personally we're pretty excited to see P.T. Anderson up against the Coen brothers in both the directing and best picture categories. And everyone we've spoken too seem to think Ellen Page is deserving of her best actress nomination for Juno. in fact, for the first time in recent memory, we actually think just about all of the nominations are pretty right on. more ›

If you're like us, you're already getting pumped up for the Oscars! Not. Jeez, let's get past New Year's first, O.K.? Oops. Too late. The Chicago Film Critics Association has already jumped the gun and handed out their awards. To the surprise of no one the big winner was No Country for Old Men, the new Coen brothers movie that both impressed and disturbed us when we saw it last month. It won four awards in all (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Javier Bardem). We're very pleased that Bardem won; there wouldn't be much of a movie without his chilling character study, and he damned well better win the Oscar. more ›

Two stories have us thinking about the continuing evolution of the cinematic experience and the differences between going to see a movie and just watching one. First off, "boutique" theater chain Muvico has signed a letter of intent to occupy two floors of the Block 37 development. The proposed multiplex would have only seven screens, much smaller than the AMC RIver East 21 for example. But (to quote Seinfeld) they'd be draped in velvet, so... more ›