A bored commuter with a marker offers his opinion of the new Vince Vaughn movie. more ›

Remember all the hubbub around the Ron Howard film - starring Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum, and Queen Latifah - that was filming around town this past spring? It's called The Dilemma and it opens in January and the first trailer is now out. And - hey! - is that Schadenfreude's Sandy Marshall at the 1:28 mark? Indeed! more ›

As promised, Vince Vaughn took to the skies yesterday morning as the latest "celebrity jumper" to kick off the Chicago Air & Water show, and he even brought his mom along for the ride. In case you didn't happen to make it down to the clusterfuck that is North Avenue Beach this weekend, here's a video of Vaughn making his jump, courtesy of the U.S. Army Golden Knights. more ›

Just like Bill Murray did in 2008, actor Vince Vaughn will take to the skies this weekend as part of the annual Air & Water Show, jumping from an airplane with the Golden Knights. The jump will open the show on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. Just for fun, here's video of Murray's jump. Take notes, Vince. more ›

If you've ever wanted to star in a movie alongside Vince Vaughn, and you're a Blackhawks fan (or can pretend to be one), here's your chance. more ›

Typically, the city is used to seeing one or two pilots film here, said Rich Moskal, head of the Chicago Film Office, to the Chicago Sun-Times. However, this year six TV pilots are due to be shot or scheduled to be shot throughout the city. Not only that, but several of the pilots involve big name actors like Vince Vaughn, William H. Macy, John Larroquette, Dylan Walsh, and Michael Rapaport. "You've got some big names, and you've got some players with track records you would think would give each and every one of these [pilots] a pretty good shot," Moskal said to the Sun-Times. Moskal also revealed that if even one show gets picked up by a network and is shot entirely in Chicago, it could generate about $50 million each year for the city's economy. more ›

Sometimes a smorgasbord is the best way to consume information, so ... more ›

By now, you've probably heard the news: Vince Vaughn got married this weekend. The star of such comedic fare like Wedding Crashers, Old School, and The Cell - not to mention appearances in Rudy and a host of after-school specials - got hitched to his 31-year-old real estate agent girlfriend Kyla Weber up in Lake Forest over the weekend. We'd like to extend our warmest congratulations to Vince and his new wife and also extend our condolences to our (heart-broken) former editor Erin Shea Smith on the news that Vince is now off the market. more ›

For just a cool $9,500/month, you can live the lifestyle of Vince Vaughn, who is now renting his River North townhouse, located at 446 West Superior Street. The actor, who turns 39 today, bought the property in 2005 for $1.45 million. He also owns a unit in the Palmolive Building. more ›

Some years before making a cameo appearance in The Break-Up, the Fireside was the kind of place that Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston wouldn't have been caught dead in. Or actually, maybe they would have. Ultra-late hours and ultra-loud bands were the two prime ingredients in Brian Peterson's makeover of the vintage bowling alley. If you were under thirty, with lots of time on your hands but little money in your pockets, the Fireside was the ne plus ultra of Chicago nighttime adventure. more ›

In 1907 Essanay Studios shot a short slapstick film on the streets of Old Town entitled An Awful Skate. It cost a few hundred dollars but went on to make thousands; perhaps as much as $10,000 (which, adjusted for inflation, would be about $216,000 today). A recent profile in the Trib gives a brief history of the once-booming studio, which had facilities in both Chicago and California. Between 1907 and 1917 Essanay churned out... more ›

There's been a lot of food news that crossed our radar this week. Here are a few of the stories we didn't snark on, until today. Kraft Foods, You've Been Served: The legal team at Kraft Foods is going to be mighty busy in the upcoming year, if they keep getting sued at this rate. Earlier this week, a Florida woman sued Kraft for claiming that their "all natural" Capri Sun juice drinks are really... more ›

Interesting things going on this weekend, time to brush up sewing and get in a movie! As always feel free to add more events in the comments section. Hurry over to the Chicago Academy of the Arts, 1010 W. Chicago for the casting call for Fred Claus. This movie, starring Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, and Kevin Spacey, will be filming in January 2007 in Chicago. Make sure to bring a color photograph and a pen... more ›

Twenty minutes into a live performance, Gene Janson, a veteran Chicago stage actor, died of a heart attack. He died doing what he loved, at least. The YMCA isn't so sure it wants to move its national headquarters to the South Loop now. They say that rising construction costs is one of the reasons. A University of Chicago study shows that a drug that helps alcoholics and heroin addicts kick their habits might also... more ›

Have you seen The Break Up yet? Yes? Then you know that in the movie Jennifer Aniston's character works in an art gallery and that the condo she share's with Vince Vaughn is tastefully decorated with all kinds of art. That art was all done by Francine Turk, a Chicago artist who has a gallery on the Near South Side. more ›

The orgy of attention that the local media has paid to the Vince Vaughn/Jennifer Aniston film The Break-Up comes to a screaming climax this week with yesterday’s premiere at the Music Box and this weekend’s release of the film nationwide. As Governor Hairdo used the premiere to trumpet the new 20 percent tax credit on film and television productions in Illinois, we wondered what’s next for Chicago’s film industry now that our famous friends are... more ›

Jennifer Aniston is moving to Chicago, which drops the Cusacks even further down the hip Chicago celebs list. (Who’s even on the list these days? Does Jeremy Piven even rate still? Jeff Garlin has a permanent spot, though.) But it’s true. She’s coming to the Midwest to shack up with hometown fave Vince Vaughn, in a move that, given the feelings of certain elements here at Chicagoist, could lead to a drunken confrontation some night... more ›

So ya'll remember last summer there was this television actress in town who was getting more press for her high-profile divorce than her bad movies, right? She's got this gravity-defying rack, popularized a hairstyle ten years ago that women in some parts of the city still cling to like an amaretto sour at last call, and was filming one of those movies when rumors started floating around that she was seen around the city engaged in PDA's- that's "public displays of affection" for the anagram-challenged- with Erin's unrequited crush. All we can remember is that post, which is admissable in court as evidence should Vince want to take out a restraining order. Humor us. What's her name? more ›

Will Slocombe, Graham Ballou, Marc DeMoss; Filmmakers more ›

County Commissioner Michael Quigley has dropped out of the race to become County Board President and is throwing his support behind fellow commissioner Forrest Claypool by becoming chairman of Claypool’s campaign. The Tribune offers a love letter to Quigley today, praising him for his “unselfish act” in dropping out of the race and his “passion for repairing Cook County.” Can’t you almost hear Barry White playing softly in the background? This sets up a... more ›

In yesterday’s Tribune, the transportation columnist, Jon Hilkevitch, discusses an intriguing email he received suggesting that the private sector build toll lanes adjacent to existing expressways. more ›

Tuesday, Chicagoist made the trek to Rosemont and then had to continue by foot because the Allstate Arena's parking lot was full, but we would not miss Depeche Mode for anything in the world. How some of us feel about Vince Vaughn, others feel about David Gahan. more ›

Chicagoist is not at all shocked that Lake Forest's own Vince Vaughn has been named by People Magazine as one of the sexiest men alive. We here at Chicagoist have wanted to tap that ass for months now and we knew it wouldn't be long before the rest of the world came to Jesus on the matter. He may not be sexiest, but just you wait: it's only a matter of time before he's high, buck-naked and playing the bongos in his River North condo and then World Sexy Domination shall be his. more ›

Everyone knows how important it is to have a mentor. Even the most savvy and successful individuals needed a leg up at some point. This week we learned that even the mighty Queen of Everything once got some help from a guy in the balcony. Last Monday, Oprah Winfrey told her audience that none other than Roger Ebert convinced her to take her show into the lucrative world of syndication. This occurred while the two... more ›

The Chicago International Film Festival has a “sneak peek” on their website of the films that will screen at the festival this October. This year’s theme is “Film Capital of the World.” Wow. We get one Batman prequel and a Vince Vaughn flick and hyperbole breaks out faster at the Chicago Film Office than a teenage girl does on the day of Prom. Opening the fest will be the new Cameron Crowe film, Elizabethtown. We’re... more ›

Dear Vince, more ›

While Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston are what constitute big “movie news” in the major papers, there are two independent film productions that have captured Chicagoist’s notice. more ›

Was it Vince Vaughn’s return to the Chicago area that prompted the Illinois State Assembly to renew the Film Production Services Credit Act last week? The timing seems awfully suspicious. Was there quid pro quo? Sine quo non? Semper ubi sub ubi? The people demand answers--preferably in Latin because it sounds important! Credited with bringing a resurgence of Hollywood dollars to Chicago, the FPSCA provides a 25% tax credit to production companies that film in... more ›

As the city’s nighttime streets lend an air of authenticity to this weekend’s number one movie and Vince Vaughn's new flick shuts down a portion of Michigan Avenue for most of the day, the Sun-Times reminds us why The Blues Brothers is responsible for bringing moviemaking back to the city of Chicago. As we watched Batman Begins this weekend, we noticed three things: 1) It is possible for Chicago’s mass transit system to get worse... more ›

Four major film productions are lensing in Chicago this summer, including The Break-Up with Jennifer Aniston and Lake Forest’s own Vince Vaughn. With six more projects set to begin production in Illinois this year, you’d think that the folks in the Illinois and Chicago film offices could sit back and congratulate themselves on a job well done. Yet other state film offices are on the chopping block due to budget shortfalls. Also, the tax credits... more ›