Movie News: Chicago Is DVR-Happy, Koz On The Mend
By Steven Pate in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 27, 2012 8:00PM
Let's check in with some movie related news!
Chicago Loves To DVR
With DVRs reportedly in about 40 percent of American homes, the time-shifting of television programming is rapidly becoming the exception rather than the norm, and Chicagoans seem to be doing more than just about anybody else. According to a report from the Television Bureau of Advertising, viewers in the largest markets time-shifted programs on the same day 26% more than the national average, with Chicago and Dallas leading the way among all DVR-users. We think it's just a smarter way to watch TV, and a smarter way to keep from watching a bunch of ads. But advertisers are going to get trickier in their campaign to get you to (mistakenly) stop fast-forwarding through the commercials, coming up with nefarious schemes like like the zombie-loaded car ad that showed up recently during an episode of the Walking Dead.
Remembering McClurg Court
The demise of the McClurg Court cinema five years ago was probably lamented principally only by hardcore movie nerds. With the 21 screens of AMC's River East only steps away, it seemed like a dinosaur trapped in early 1970s amber. Architecture writer Lynn Becker, whose sharp eyes often land on the cinematic edifices of yestercentury, has a fascinating post on his ArchitectureChicago Plus blog, tracing the tendrils of the now-gutted McClurg cinema all the way back to Alexander McClurg's arrival in Chicago in 1859. We sure could have used that 70mm setup when the Weinstein Company was looking for a place to let The Master stretch out.
Koz on the mend
It's been a few weeks since we updated you on local television icon Rich "Svengoolie" Koz, who is recovering from a heart attack. Time Out's Robert Feder gave Koz a call, and his report is positive. Koz was home by Thanksgiving and on the road to wellville, but it's certainly not too late to send Svengoolie your positive vibes: Cards can be sent to WCIU The U, 26 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60661.
What to watch this weekend?
After all that time celebrating family and domesticity, all those hours clocked on the couch and around the dining table, and all that thankfulness for what we have, we are jonesing for a far-out trip. Luckily, the screening schedule for this weekend has multiple opportunities to get trippy. The epic beauty of Samsara at the Siskel Film Center will make your place in the vast universe seem like totally harmonious, man. Seasonal head-tripping is the order of the day with a cinematic nugget The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne, Christmas on Mars playing Sunday at Cole's Bar. The weirdest of all might be the stop-motion taxidermy of Wladyslaw Starewicz, at Cinema Borealis, also on Sunday. You will never forget this unsettling animation, even if you try. Happy trails.