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Columns & Opinion, On Transportation May 9, 2019
CTA on celluloid

The city’s iconic elevated tracks, subways, and buses star in Hollywood flicks.
- By John Greenfield
- Tags: Transportation, CTA, Michael Corcoran, Hollywood on Lake Michigan, The Hunter, The Blues Brothers, Code of Silence, Risky Business, Stranger Than Fiction, Running Scared, The Fugitive, Bob Janz, Steve McQueen, Arnie Bernstein, Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gregory Hines, Billy Crystal, Jimmy Smits

Blogs, Bleader Jul 10, 2017
Video
The House can’t save Will Ferrell from himself

The new comedy, also starring Amy Poehler, is desperate and lightweight.
- By Ben Sachs
- Tags: Comedy, Film, The House, Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Jason Mantzoukas, comedy, improvisation, A.O. Scott, Video

Blogs, Bleader Jun 23, 2015
With A Deadly Adoption Lifetime becomes dangerously self-aware

Deep thoughts about shallow movies
- By Gwynedd Stuart
- Tags: Arts, Television, Film, Small Screen, a deadly adoption, lifetime, will ferrell, kristen wiig, andrew steele, double daddy, perfect high, i killed my bff, william r moses, barbara niven, gail o'grady, jessica lowndes

Blogs, Bleader Mar 27, 2015
Video
The Hunting Ground exposes rape on campus, plus more new reviews and notable screenings

New reviews and notable screenings in this week's issue
- By J.R. Jones
- Tags: Opening, Film, The Hunting Ground, Kirby Dick, The Invisible War, Kumiko the Treasure Hunter, Nathan Zellner, David Zellner, Fargo Coen brothers, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, The Coal Miner's Day, A Dangerous Game, Anthony Baxter, Donald Trump, You've Trumped, Eden Mia Hansen-Love, Get Hard, Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Hippocrates movie, Home DreamWorks, Phoenix Christian Petzold, Nina Hoss, Lucio Fulci, The Beyond, Orson Welles, Citizen Kane, Marx Brothers, A Day at the Races, Stuart Gordon, Re-Animator, Jafar Panahi, This Is Not a Film, Algren: The Movie, Anna movie, Dennis Lim, Film Society at Lincoln Center, Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington DC, movies, Video

Blogs, Bleader Apr 10, 2014
Talking show business and Cheap Thrills with David Koechner (part one)

The veteran character actor discusses his new movie Cheap Thrills and his memories of performing comedy in Chicago.
- By Ben Sachs
- Tags: Arts, Film, Comedy, David Koechner, Cheap Thrills, improv comedy, E.L. Katz, Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Del Close, improvOlympic, Second City, Anchorman

Blogs, Bleader Mar 30, 2014
Weekly Top Five: The best unrealized films

Notable films that never made it to screen
- By Drew Hunt
- Tags: Weekly Top Five, Film, Alain Resnais, Stan Lee, the Monster Maker, Carl Theodor Dreyer, Jesus, historical Jesus, David Cronenberg, Pierre David, Marry Shelley, Frankenstein, The Fly, Robert Bresson, Genesis, Dino de Laurentiis, A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole, Harold Ramis, Steven Soderbergh, David Gordon Green, John Waters, John Belushi, John Goodman, Chris Farley, Will Ferrell, Jack Black, Zach Galifianakis

Blogs, Bleader Jan 14, 2014
The Spoils of Babylon: A period parody that's ultimately forgettable

Playing off 70s- and 80s-era soaps and starring a heavyweight cast, IFC's new miniseries falls short.
- By Danette Chavez
- Tags: Arts, Television, Small Screen, The Spoils of Babylon, Tim Robbins, Tobey Maguire, Kristen Wiig, Eric Jonrosh, Will Ferrell, Val Kilmer

Blogs, Bleader Dec 17, 2013
Opening soon: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Will Ferrell returns as the vainglorious TV newsman.
- By J.R. Jones
- Tags: Opening, Things I Hate, Film, Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, Steve Carell, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Kristen Wiig, Greg Kinnear, Harrison Ford, Will Smith, Jim Carrey, Marion Cotillard, Vince Vaughn, Liam Neeson, Kanye West, Sacha Baron Cohen, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, John C. Reilly, Kirsten Dunst, Adam McKay, comedy, movies

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Sidebar Dec 4, 2013
Christmas onstage: Let us count the ways

This year's holiday theater roundup, with cameos by Elf, Joan Crawford, and one or two Ebenezer Scrooges
- By Tony Adler, Jena Cutie, Keith Griffith, Justin Hayford, Jack Helbig, Marissa Oberlander, and Zac Thompson
- Tags: Performing Arts Sidebar, A Beer Carol, Steve Mosqueda, Sean Benjamin, Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, Christmas Bingo: It's a Ho-Ho-Holy Night, Vicki Quade, Late Night Catechism, Bible Bingo, A Christmas Carol—Abridged, Rachel Martindale, Stephen Fedo, Christmas Dearest, David Cerda, Joan Crawford, Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer, AJ Wright, Elf, Will Ferrell, El Stories: Holiday Train, CTA, Waltzing Mechanics, It's a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play, American Theater Company, Will Allan, A Sack Full of Coal, Charlie Brown, Twilight Zone, The Seafarer, Conor McPherson, Seanachai Theatre Company, Brad Armacost, Ira Amyx, A Silent Christmas Carol, Alzan Pelesic, Silent Theatre Company

Arts & Culture, Comedy Critic's Choice Apr 29, 2013
Recommended
Comedienne Jen Kirkman, funny minus the buzz

The "Drunk History" alum and Chelsea Lately writer headlines the Hideout.
- By Gwynedd Stuart
- Tags: Comedy Critic's Choice, Jen Kirkman, Funny or Die, Drunk History, Comedy Central, Will Ferrell, Abraham Lincoln, Don Cheadle, Frederick Douglass, Paul F. Tompkins, Pod F. Tompkast, I Can Barely Take Care of Myself: Tales From a Happy Life Without Kids, Chelsea Handler, Chelsea Lately, After Lately, Recommended

Blogs, Bleader Nov 20, 2012
A decade under the influence of terrible movies

The ten biggest turkeys I've reviewed
- By J.R. Jones
- Tags: Gross, This Will Kill You, Turkey Week, Film, Variations on a Theme, George Carlin, Doctor Benny, Nolan H. Lebovitz, Timothy Dowling, Josh Holloway, Jennifer Jostyn, Mark Binder, Eight Crazy Nights, Punch-Drunk Love, Adam Sandler, The Hills Have Eyes, Wes Craven, Alexandre Aja, High Tension, Rondo Hatton, Operation Iraqi Freedom, I Hate Valentine's Day, Nia Vardalos, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, John Corbett, Mike Starr, Stephen Guarino, Amir Arison, Rachel Dratch, Judah Friedlander, Jason Mantzoukas, Land of the Lost, Will Ferrell, Universal Pictures, Brad Silberling, Anna Friel, Danny McBride, Sid and Marty Krofft, H.R. Pufnstuff, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, The Life of David Gale, Alan Parker, Mississippi Burning, Kevin Spacey, Laura Linney, Jimmy Stewart, Call Northside 777, Kate Winslet, Love Ranch, Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro, The Good Shepherd, Helen Mirren, Taylor Hackford, Ray movie, Boogie Nights, Rocky movie, Play the Game, Paul Campbell, Andy Griffith, Marla Sokoloff, Northwestern University, Marc Fienberg, SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2, Bob Clark, Porky’s, Baby Geniuses, Look Who's Talking, Spy Kids, Jon Voight, Untraceable movie, Diane Lane, Rube Goldberg, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Adventures of Pluto Nash, The Back-up Plan, Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, Boat Trip, Broken Bridges, Darkness Falls, Detention, Feardotcom, How Much Do You Love Me?, Killer Elite, Mercy, Miss March, New Year's Eve, Paper Heart, Rambo, The Real Cancun, Spun, The Trip, Young @ Heart, Your Highness, bad movies, turkeys

Blogs, Bleader Aug 9, 2012
Video
Joe Dante's fully clothed orgy, and the rest of this week's screenings

New reviews and notable screenings in this week's issue
- By J.R. Jones
- Tags: Film, John Carpenter, Joe Dante, W.C. Fields, It's a Gift, Twilight Zone: The Movie, Steven Spielberg, Gremlins movie, Matinee movie, Small Soldiers, The Hole movie, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, The Movie Orgy, Ben Sachs, Ann Hui, A Simple Life, Facets Cinematheque, Ballplayer: Pelotero, The Bourne Legacy, Jeremy Renner, Matt Damon, The Campaign movie, Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, Celeste and Jesse Forever, Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, The Curators of Dixon School, Hope Springs, Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Kumare movie, Vikram Gandhi, Searching for Sugar Man, Surviving Life (Theory and Practice), Jan Svankmajer, Unforgivable movie, Andre Techine, Wolf, Lotte Reiniger, The Adventures of Prince Achmed, Music Box, Dennis Scott, David Lynch, Blue Velvet, Landmark’s Century Centre, William Friedkin, s The French Connection, Paul Wegener, The Golem, University of Chicago Doc Films, Yasujiro Ozu, A Hen in the Wind, Portage theater, Northwest Chicago Film Society, Charles Chaplin, Monsieur Verdoux, Flashback Weekend, The Thing movie, The Exorcist, Linda Blair, film festivals, movies, Video

Blogs, Bleader Jun 29, 2012
Video
Opening soon: The Do-Deca-Pentathlon

The Duplass brothers are back with a comedy of bitter sibling rivalry
- By J.R. Jones
- Tags: Film, The Do-Deca-Pentathlon, Steve Zissis, Mark Kelly, Julie Vorus, Jennifer Fleur, Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass, Duplass brothers, Cyrus Duplass, Cyrus movie, Jeff Who Lives at Home, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Step Brothers movie, Music Box, movies, Video

Blogs, Bleader May 12, 2011
Video
This Week's Movie Action

New reviews and notable screenings in this week's issue.
- By J.R. Jones
- Tags: Film, Universal Pictures, Bridesmaids, Judd Apatow, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad, Funny People, Albert Brooks, The Double Hour, Meeks' Cutoff, Kelly Reichardt, Wendy and Lucy, Coming Back for More, Sly Stone, The Devil's Trap, Frantisek Vlacil, Everything Must Go, Raymond Carver, Will Ferrell, Forks Over Knives, Hesher, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Make Believe, World Magic Seminar, Mia and the Migoo, Twelve Thirty movie, Josef von Sternberg, Dishonored, Portage theater, Clara Bow, It movie, It Clara Bow, Music Box, Charlie Chaplin, The Kid movie, The Kid Chaplin, Gene Siskel Film Center, Wim Wenders, King of the Road, Block Museum of Art, Alfred Hitchcock, Marnie movie, Marnie Hitchcock, University of Chicago Doc Films, Fritz Lang, Metropolis movie, Metropolis Fritz Lang, Charles Burnett, My Brother's Wedding, Peter Pan movie, Wilmette theater, Bela Tarr, Satantango, University of Chicago Film Studies Center, Terrence Malick, The Thin Red Line, Music Box, Oscar Micheaux, Within Our Gates, movies, Video

Blogs, Bleader Feb 22, 2011
Can Chicago Do Better Than Detroit's Robocop Statue?
- By Alex Parker
- Tags: Chicagoland, Other Stuff, News, Comedy, Apropos of Nothing, Robocop, Detroit, statue, artwork, monument, Chicago, Blues Brothers, Harry Caray, Steve Urkel, Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Cubs, Buddy Guy, Will Ferrell, Saturday Night Live, nuclear science

Blogs, Bleader Jun 19, 2009
Afric-a-go-go

The African Diaspora Film Festival opens today at Facets Cinematheque. Plus, this week's Critic's Choices and new reviews.
- By J.R. Jones
- Tags: Film, Film Festivals, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Science fiction, Gene Siskel Film Center, Jia Zhang-ke, Andrea Gronvall, Terence Davies, Of Time and the City, Lola Montes, Max Ophuls, Cliff Doerksen, Errol Flynn, Food, Inc., African Diaspora Film Festival, Glorious Exit, Gospel Hill, Giancarlo Esposito, Jacques Romain, Youssou N'Dour, Return to Goree, Moon movie, Seraphine de Senlis, 24 City, Accidental Army, Czechslovak Legion, Capers movie, Mr. Art Critic, Eating Buccaneeers, Will Ferrell, Land of the Lost, Sandra Bullock, Proposal movie, Tetro, Francis Ford Coppola, Conversation Coppola, Ace in the Hole, Billy Wilder, Adventures of Robin Hood, Exile Ophuls, James Cagney, Yankee Doodle Dandy

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The city’s iconic elevated tracks, subways, and buses star in Hollywood flicks.

The new comedy, also starring Amy Poehler, is desperate and lightweight.

Deep thoughts about shallow movies

New reviews and notable screenings in this week's issue

The veteran character actor discusses his new movie Cheap Thrills and his memories of performing comedy in Chicago.

Notable films that never made it to screen

Playing off 70s- and 80s-era soaps and starring a heavyweight cast, IFC's new miniseries falls short.

Will Ferrell returns as the vainglorious TV newsman.

This year's holiday theater roundup, with cameos by Elf, Joan Crawford, and one or two Ebenezer Scrooges

The "Drunk History" alum and Chelsea Lately writer headlines the Hideout.

The ten biggest turkeys I've reviewed

New reviews and notable screenings in this week's issue

The Duplass brothers are back with a comedy of bitter sibling rivalry

New reviews and notable screenings in this week's issue.

The African Diaspora Film Festival opens today at Facets Cinematheque. Plus, this week's Critic's Choices and new reviews.

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