What made these films significant in the first place, and why are they still being remade? more ›

If your pumpkin cream cheese muffin has tasted a little less fatty in recent weeks, it's because it is — Starbucks has been replacing baked goods with trans fat with a trans-fat free version over the past month. By this Wednesday, caffeinated snackers can chow down worry-free, as all baked goods in Chicago (and other urban) Starbucks will be replaced with their healthier counterparts. Half of the lunch options will also be trans-fat free. The changes will also occur in less-urban markets, though no time frame has been given by Starbucks for these switches. more ›

Friday Afternoon Diversion leaves no classic Chicago television stone unturned. Today we head back to our childhood to the days when both KISS and Rich Koz still wore makeup. Yes, it’s time for "Son of Svengoolie". Let the rubber chickens fly. "Son of Svengoolie" host Rich Koz was a writer on the original Svengoolie, hosted by Jerry G. Bishop back in the early 1970s. But it’s this incarnation that most people know. Uttering the... more ›

Like the cast of a Universal Studios picture during the Golden Age of movies, the Outlaw Dinner is worth repeating (from 7-10 p.m. on Monday, August 21st). This time around, there's a sense of urgency involved, as the city's ban on foie gras goes into effect next Tuesday. This means we'll be working through the weekend to set up our "goose liver bandit" pipelines in the basement. more ›

Yesterday saw the DVD re-release of the film that many consider the quintessential Chicago movie: The Blues Brothers. The fanfare that greeted the release of the 25th Anniversary Edition was unprecedented…unless you count the fanfare that greeted the release of the 20th Anniversary Edition. The multiple retrospectives we’ve seen this year have all led up to this week. On Monday, there was a live simulcast of a Q&A session with Blues Brothers director John Landis... more ›