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'Man of Steel' takes flight with $125 million debut Jun 16, 2013 12:00 AM
“Man of Steel” leaped over box office expectations in a single weekend. The Warner Bros. superhero film earned $113 million in its opening weekend at the box office, according to studio estimates Sunday. The retelling of Superman's backstory earned an additional $12 million from Thursday screenings, bringing its domestic total to $125 million.
DVD previews: ‘Stoker’ Jun 15, 2013 12:00 AM
Coming out on DVD are the creepy thriller "Stoker" and the Dustin Hoffman-directed drama "Quartet."
A few 'Man of Steel' insights Jun 13, 2013 12:00 AM
Dann engages in “Man of Steel” super trivia with a reader. Plus, Dann reviews the new doc “Pandora's Promise,” which lines up an impressive parade of pro-nuke voices — even several former anti-nuke advocates who've seen the atomic-powered light — most of whom make persuasive pitches for using clean energy to save our planet from being kicked to the eco-curb by our own big carbon footprints.
Suburbs stand in for Smallville in 'Man of Steel'Jun 13, 2013 12:00 AM
The new Superman reboot “Man of Steel” opens today and prominently features the Northwest suburbs of Oswego, Naperville, Aurora, Sugar Grove, Plano and Sandwich, all playing parts of Clark Kent's hometown of Smallville. Clark Kent meets Lois Lane at the IHOP on Augusta Way in Aurora. A tornado touches down in Sugar Grove. A school bus careens off a bridge in LaSalle County. And more!
Franco takes on 'Oz,' now on DVD Jun 13, 2013 12:00 AM
Jeff Tuckman reviews the newest releases on home video, including the fantasy prequel "Oz the Great and Powerful," Paul McCartney's new concert disc "Rockshow," The Three Stooges" shorts plus a few other items.
'Fill the Void' a subtle tale of family and loss Jun 13, 2013 12:00 AM
The characters and sequences in writer-director Rama Burshtein's debut feature "Fill the Void" will look foreign to most American audiences. The actors dress according to orthodox Jewish custom; the traditions of the faith are readily apparent; and each young unmarried woman seems concerned with the single task of finding a husband. Yet, the story feels remarkably universal with its themes of loss and family loyalty, not to mention the realization that life may not align with our idealized expectations.
‘Dirty Wars’ doc delves into moral toll Jun 13, 2013 12:00 AM
It’s almost understandable that IMDb listed “Dirty Wars” as a “documentary/drama,” whatever that is. The hybrid description isn’t accurate; the film is a documentary, pure and simple. But the movie, by director Rick Rowley, plays out like a murder mystery.
'End' a freakishly gross, shockingly funny end-of-days horror comedy Jun 12, 2013 12:00 AM
“This is the End” makes for an absurd, fantastic end-of-days thriller stuffed with so many jaw-dropping scenes that you may not be able to chew food for a while. In this breathlessly inventive, freakishly gross and shockingly funny ensemble comedy, an all-star cast shows no vanity or shame in unleashing often vulgar sequences erupting with quick wit and precision-executed physical comedy.
A comic spin on the end of the world Jun 12, 2013 12:00 AM
The Earth has been coming to an end with comic frequency. We’ve seen tsunamis sweep the oceans (“2012”), the world freeze over (“The Day After Tomorrow”) and a rogue planet bear down (“Melancholia”). So many have been patrolling a desolate Earth — Will Smith (“After Earth”), Tom Cruise (“Oblivion”), a cute cleanup robot (“WALL-E”) — that even the post-apocalyptic world is getting crowded. But now, months after the Mayans predicted the end of the world, comedians are having the last laugh — or at least, a Last Days laugh.
Helen Mirren talks royalty and ‘Doctor Who’ Jun 11, 2013 12:00 AM
Helen Mirren is a star of stage and screen — and now stage on-screen. Mirren’s award-winning performance as Queen Elizabeth II in “The Audience” will be beamed Thursday from London’s Gielgud Theatre to hundreds of movie theaters around the world in a live broadcast. Chicagoans can see the production June 29 and 30 at Landmark Century Centre Cinema and June 30 and July 3 at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago.
Action-saturated Superman reboot a dour, humorless epic short on charm, emotion Jun 11, 2013 12:00 AM
“Man of Steel” marks a two-and-a-half-hour epic laden with emotionally misconnecting characters prone to uttering speeches in lieu of actual conversations. The movie flirts with the notion of Superman as a Christ metaphor (more fully accomplished in 2006's tepid “Superman Returns”) while transforming Clark Kent into a philosophical, off-the-grid hot bod searching for identity and purpose.
‘The Purge’ topples ‘Fast 6’ at box office Jun 9, 2013 12:00 AM
The suspense thriller “The Purge” topped the weekend box office with a shocking $36.4 million that doubled industry expectations, according to studio estimates Sunday. Audiences starved for a horror option flocked to the micro-budget Universal film starring Ethan Hawke. “The Purge” was made for relative peanuts — just $3 million — making it an extremely lucrative release for Universal..“Never did we expect it to open at this level,” said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal.
DVD previews: ‘Oz,’ ‘Snitch’ Jun 8, 2013 12:00 AM
Coming out on DVD this week are "Oz the Great and Powerful" starring James Franco and "Snitch" with Dwayne Johnson.
Film backs former SEAL trainee’s innocence claim Jun 8, 2013 12:00 AM
The courts have spoken, and former Navy SEAL trainee Dustin Turner remains locked up for a 1995 slaying that another man has confessed to committing alone. Not content to let the Virginia Supreme Court have the final word, a Richmond filmmaker and former Navy special warfare operator is putting the final touches on a documentary contending Turner is innocent and portraying the state’s judicial system as either flawed or outright corrupt.
Live-action Archie comics movie planned Jun 7, 2013 12:00 AM
Archie’s old Riverdale gang is headed to the big screen. Warner Bros. will produce a live-action film based on the comic’s characters, including Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead, Archie Comics announced Thursday. It will be the first feature film for the 72-year-old comic.
Scorsese, De Niro honor Mel Brooks at AFI tribute Jun 7, 2013 12:00 AM
Robert De Niro and Morgan Freeman never worked with Mel Brooks, and the Oscar winners came to a ceremony in his honor to let him know they resent it. Brooks received the American Film Institute’s 41st Life Achievement Award on Thursday, and Freeman and De Niro were among a galaxy of stars who paid tribute to the man behind “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein” and “The Producers.” Martin Short opened the program with a song-and-dance routine set to a medley of melodies from Brooks’ films. “The word genius is used a lot in Hollywood, so I might as well call Mel one,” Short said.
Thriller ‘Purge’ verges on hokey Jun 6, 2013 12:00 AM
Director James DeMonaco gets sole credit for writing “The Purge,” yet this derivative home-invasion thriller/political treatise/domestic horror-tale-combo bears the signs of being designed and executed by committee. The minimally thrilling “Purge” constantly falls back on cheap horror shocks to keep us on edge. (A character even pops up behind a refrigerator door, a favorite genre cliché.)
'Identity Thief' makes a run for DVD Jun 6, 2013 12:00 AM
The box-office hit “Identity Thief” pairs Plainfield native Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman in a comedy that works largely because of its stars. It's now out on DVD.
Vaughn/Wilson chemistry optimizes comic 'Internship' Jun 6, 2013 12:00 AM
“The Internship” bumbles out of the gate with a screenplay given to frequent dumbness and several 1980s pop culture references, mostly to do with Jennifer Beals' onstage shower in “Flashdance.” But give it time. “The Internship” eventually warms up with some big-hearted good will and affable chemistry between its two main stars, who make their performances appear to be totally improvised.
'Violet and Daisy' clever but lacking in hit power Jun 6, 2013 12:00 AM
Dann reviews three new movies: the black comedy “Violet and Daisy” involving two teenage mob assassins, the corporate espionage drama “The East” and the coming-of-age comic drama “The Kings of Summer.” Dann also responds to a reader's spirited defense of J.J. Abrams' ambitious, special effects-stuffed reboot sequel “Star Trek Into Darkness,” and supplies the regular weekly dose of Reel Life film notes.