Monthly Archives: October 2009

It would be easy, and a cop-out, to simply dismiss Lars von Trier’s eyeball-blanching, conscience-searing psychosexual horror experience “Antichrist” as obscene, evil or just bad movie-making. I prefer to think of “Antichrist” as a metaphor-choked adult Grimms fairly tale gone horribly awry. Like Peter Greenaway’s movies – especially his “The Cook, the Thief, His Wife […]

The Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema cranks up the projectors for a week and a half of international moviegoing running Thursday, October 29 through Sunday, November 8. “Shiva – The Seven Days” opens the fest at AMC Loews 600 North Michigan 9 theatre in Chicago. The fest jumps over to the Wilmette Theatre at 1122 […]

The After Hours Film Society presents “The Cove,” a muckraking documentary directed by National Geographic magazine photographer Louie Psihoyos, who chronicles the brutal, unrestrained and very legal slaughter of dolphins off the coastal town of Taiji, Japan. It starts at 7:30 p.m. Monday, October 26 at the Tivoli Theater, 5021 Highland Ave., Downers Grove. Rated: […]

Boris Karloff’s daughter Sara, 70, and Lon Chaney Jr.’s grandson Ron, 54, where scheduled to appear at screenings of the seminal Universal Studio monster movies “Frankenstein” (1931) and “The Wolfman” (1941). The screenings scheduled for Friday, October 23 and Sunday, October 25 at the Hollywood Palms theater in Naperville and Saturday, October 24 at the […]

The 26th annual Chicago International Children’s Film Festival continues through Nov. 1 at Facets Multimedia, 1517 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago. (Read more…) Go to cicff.org for details. Facets Multimedia 1517 W. Fullerton Ave. Chicago

The Illinois International Film Festival runs Friday, October 23 through Sunday, October 25 at the Arcada Theater, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. One Friday night film, “Michael Morlock’s Supernatural World,” was directed by Elgin filmmaker John W. Norton . (His “Not Another B Movie” played at last month’s Elgin Film Festival.) Tickets can be […]

Little Max (Max Records) says a tearful goodbye to his pals in Spike Jonze’s “Where the Wild Things Are.” The problem with filmmakers taking an extremely short children’s story and expanding it into a full-length feature film is that they’re taking an extremely short children’s story and expanding it into a full-length feature film. Bo […]

A sociopathic avenger (Gerard Butler) examines evidence from an investigator (Jamie Foxx) in “Law Abiding Citizen.” Take Charles Bronson’s vigilante architect from Michael Winner’s semi-classic “Death Wish” and mix him with Tobin Bell’s insanely creative sociopath Jigsaw from the “Saw” movies, you’d roughly have the anti-hero of F. Gary Gray’s conscience-slapping, MENSA-powered thriller “Law Abiding […]

It’s more than its cliched title would suggest. In fact, it’s the best basketball sports doc since “Hoop Dreams.” Kristopher Belman’s impressive film traces basketball phenom LeBron James and his teammates from their humble beginnings in an Akron, Ohio, gym to their amazing national high school championship nine years later, coached all along by one […]

“The Damned United” is not a romance, but it’s still a real love story. It’s between legendary, egomaniacal soccer coach Brian Clough (Michael Sheen) and his quiet assistant, talent spotter Peter Taylor (Timothy Spall) whose invisible but crucial support is only appreciated after the arrogant Clough drives him away. Clough spent a whole 44 days […]