Chicago is My Home
Chicago is My Home
19
Sep
Sept. 19 Filming Location Surfaces For ‘Root of All Evil’ in Chicago
Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Independent Film
“Root of All Evil,” the independent thriller filming now in Chicago, will be shooting at Clybourn and Ashland on Wednesday, a reader wrote on Tuesday at 10:34 p.m.
Leave a Comment18
Sep
‘Rails & Ties’ Director Alison Eastwood, ‘Michael Clayton’ Director Tony Gilroy Coming to Chicago
Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Chicago International Film Festival, Film
Film critics will have their hands full on Oct. 8 when “Rails & Ties” director Alison Eastwood (the daughter of Clint Eastwood) along with “Michael Clayton” writer/director Tony Gilroy both converge in Chicago.
18
Sep
‘Things We Lost in the Fire’ Director Susanne Bier, Screenwriter Allan Loeb Coming to Chicago
Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Chicago International Film Festival, Film
“Things We Lost in the Fire” director Susanne Bier and Chicago-native screenwrtier Allan Loeb will be in Chicago on Oct. 11 to speak with critics.
17
Sep
‘Feast of Love’ Pouring Free Coffee Across North America on Sept. 20
Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Film
As a clever way of creating ink today when it probably would not have otherwise, MGM announced on Monday that upcoming film “Feast of Love” is sponsoring a North American coffee day on Sept. 20.
Coffee shops across North America are giving away free coffee from 2 to 4 p.m. on thursday to “celebrate love, life and coffee in the spirit of the film’s coffee-house backdrop”.
The Chicago coffee shop is Red Hen Bread at 500 W. Diversey and 1623 N. Milwaukee. In total, 92 coffee shops in 59 North American cities are involved. Confirmed coffee shops can be found here.
Directed by Robert Benton and starring Morgan Freeman, Selma Blair and Greg Kinnear, “Feast of Love” opens everywhere on Sept. 28. The film is produced by Lakeshore Entertainment.
1 Comment17
Sep
Exclusive: Chicago Filming Notice Captured For ‘Root of All Evil’
Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Independent Film
In corresponding with several people about indie thriller “Root of All Evil,” which is filming now in Chicago, I have requested the actual filming notice I mentioned earlier on Monday.
It serves as concrete confirmation that its production company is called Three Good Men. Interestingly, the notice refers to the film as “The Cache”. Nick Rafferty is listed as the location manager.
10:11 a.m. update: HollywoodChicago.com Austin correspondent Shane Hazen just wrote in with an IMDb link to Steve Anderson. He is the director for this film.
2 Comments17
Sep
New Shoot Information Surfaces on Indie Thriller ‘Root of All Evil’ in Chicago
Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Independent Film
Following up on my Sept. 16 report about indie thriller “Root of All Evil” now filming in Chicago, I received additional shoot information from a new reader at 11:10 p.m. on Sunday.
There is a production company called [Three Good Men that] blocked parking and was filming [Sunday] evening for “The Cache” (now “Root of All Evil”), according to the flyers they distributed.
They are surrounding Howard Orloff Volvo (at 1924 N. Paulina St.) and [the Chicago Police Department] towed cars off the 1900 blocks of Hermitage and Paulina and the 1700 block of west Cortland.
About eight movie equipment and support trucks now line these three streets and they did some staging at Orloff.
Creating concensus from two independent people, the Sept. 16 report also mentioned Three Good Men as this film’s production company.
9:12 a.m. update: On Monday morning, I received a report serving as third independent confirmation that Three Good Men is the name of the production company for this film.
Leave a Comment16
Sep
‘Chicago Overcoat,’ ‘Root of All Evil’ Making Blips in Chicago
Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Independent Film
Though it’s certainly not like “The Dark Knight,” I have in the last 24 hours had a couple blips with the two indies now making small waves in town: “Chicago Overcoat” and “Root of All Evil”.
As for “Chicago Overcoat,” I was with friends at the Blue Stem Bar & Grill on Saturday night where I ran into a gentleman working on his first feature-length film role. He was genuinely ecstatic to be part of the project.
He described Chris Charles (the casting director for the film who I’ve been e-mailing with) as kind and enthusiastic. “Chicago Overcoat” is slated to film in Chicago from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30.
As for indie thriller film “Root of All Evil” (previously named “The Cache”), I received a letter on Sunday from a first-time responder. As this is only one person’s account, please take it with a grain of salt.
Hi, Adam! We’re enjoying your movie [site].
On Saturday, I crossed paths with someone who did a couple days of work on that flick. She struck me as rather dippy, [which led] me to take her statements with a grain of salt.
At best, she’s naive and uninformed. For example, she didn’t grasp the distinction between an indie flick and a major studio production. She mentioned the following:
She said she thought director Steve Anderson is “mean,” [which led] her to shun talking to him.
I found this rather bizarre as she’s likely an extra. We all know extras don’t [often] get to engage in chit-chat with a director.
On Friday, they were shooting by O’Hare. On Saturday, they were shooting along Elston Avenue.
She claimed the title of the movie is “Three Good Men”. I have no clue if that’s a working title, a brand-new title or if this babe totally tripped her trolly.
Leave a Comment15
Sep
Chicago Transit Authority Officially Postpones Fare Increase, Service Cuts
Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Transportation
On Friday evening, I received the following official statement from the Chicago Transit Authority announcing the postponement of fare increases and service cuts.
Dear Chicago Card and Chicago Card Plus users,
I am writing to inform you that the fare and service changes scheduled for Sept. 16 have been postponed. This means the cost of your passes and fares will not increase on Sunday and any routes scheduled for elimination will continue to operate.
However, the temporary loan of $24 million provided by [Illinois] postpones these changes for less than two months. On Nov. 4 if the Illinois General Assembly has not acted, we will be forced to increase fares and reduce service.
The bottom line is we need a comprehensive plan to fund mass transit.
I know you are frustrated about the potential service cuts and fare changes. So are we. That is why we are again asking you to join with us and tell our state leaders: “No more doomsdays. Fix mass transit.”
Please visit TransitChicago.com or call 888-YOUR-CTA for information on how to contact your state legislators. Please make your voices heard as we fight to preserve and improve the mass-transit system Chicago needs and deserves.
Thank you again for your support. We are committed to improving your experience on the CTA.
Sincerely,
Ron Huberman
14
Sep
Indie Film ‘Bert’ Portends Impending Promise For Mr. Bean-Like Scott Beehner
Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Independent Film
CHICAGO – Scott Beehner seems relaxed, confident and ready to conquer the world.
This is a huge departure from on-screen character Bert Lozenge in his directorial debut of “Bert,” which showed on Sept. 8 at the Big Damn Film Festival in Chicago.
“Like so many of us, the character Bert Lozenge grew up thinking he would hit all the heights of success that life has to offer as an adult,” Beehner said in an interview with Dustin Levell of HollywoodChicago.com as he drove a rental car from the airport to a relative’s house in Chicago.
Beehner continued: “When the realization sets in that you’re not where you thought you’d end up and you probably never will, you basically have two choices: you can deny the hopes you used to cling to or you can deny the present by doing something to shake up your situation.”
It clearly sounds like he’s talking about his own life.
Beehner was born in Elmhurst, Ill. and grew up in Omaha, Neb. He left the Midwest to study in New York’s famed Actors Studio and was directed in Woody Allen’s “Sweet and Lowdown” and Sidney Lumet’s off-Broadway play “The Shawl”.
He left the east coast for Los Angeles. There, Beehner has spent the last seven years playing parts on shows like “Charmed” and “Jake in Progress” as well as the Jerry O’Connell comedy “Tomcats”. While success has been slow coming, just this year he was hired to the Groundlings’ Sunday Company.
“When I first moved to Los Angeles, I showed a short film I had written and performed in while in New York called ‘Crooks,’” Beehner said. “People liked it so much I decided to write another short about a man on the run from the cops.”
Bert does his fair share of running from the cops. And the mob. And a ticked-off clown. Everyone seems to have it out for this guy.
Bert Lozenge is a nothing-special everyman who spends his days at a boring office job and his evenings moonlighting as a bartender. Long having given up his dreams of being a song-and-dance man on Broadway, he has settled into mundane repetition.
It’s after being fired from his desk job that he gets suckered into a fake stock tip and owing the Omaha mob $50,000. Lucky for him, gangsters in the Cornhusker State have Midwestern hospitality and are willing for him to pay off the loan by doing one simple favor: rob a bank.
While on this chore, he runs into his high school sweetheart. She decides to become a quick accomplice. Now everyone is after him and the money.
A production with so many different locations and an ensemble of 105 speaking roles should have cost him several million dollars. Aspiring independent filmmakers should take note: Scott Beehner has found a way to make an inexpensive movie without sacrificing production quality.
Back in Los Angeles, Beehner was waiting tables at an Italian restaurant. He offered: “I asked the owner if I could film a scene there when the restaurant was closed. He told me he charges $10,000 a day.”
As the perfect solution, he decided to move the entire shoot to his hometown of Omaha. He placed an ad on Craig’s List and filled the cast and crew with mostly amateurs and first-timers eager to get their 15 minutes of fame in the movie business.
Even so, shooting in a less show business-savvy town wasn’t without its pitfalls.
“We had the police called on us twice,” Beehner recalled. Some good Samaritans saw a scene where the mob throws Bert into the trunk of car and did their civic duty. “I guess they didn’t see the cameras.”
Ultimately, Omaha is no Los Angeles. While he might have scored all his locations for free, some eager filmmakers with Canon XL2 equipment and consistent August weather for the 28-day shoot, what he sacrificed was acting talent.
Beehner called on a couple friends he knew from Los Angeles and New York to take the leads. His love interest, Mabel, is played by DePaul University graduate Jennifer Schemke. She delivers the funniest line in the movie during the bank robbery.
A friend from New York and “Law & Order” regular David Raymond Wagner plays Ike and gives the most attention-grabbing performance in the movie. While the rest of the cast is rounded out by Omaha natives, be on the lookout for Chicago stand-up comedian Johnny Beehner as a sadistic clown.
Beehner, who penned the script, made himself the straight man in his series of outlandish situations. He carried every scene where an inexperienced actor was given a long monologue. He tacitly reacted.
From the “Keystone Cops”-inspired chases to Bert’s stone-face responses, Beehner’s comic ability ranks with Buster Keaton and the stars of the silent era.
For the shoestring budget, the production quality was impressive and often gave the feeling of watching Mr. Bean or another slapstick-based British comic.
Cinematographer Rob Williams balanced his work well with natural and hard lighting and Michael McGuire’s score complemented the action. Though filled with some obnoxious background noise and mixed unevenly, the inaudible sound problem that usually follows a low-budget indie wasn’t present here.
While the film overall was mildly amusing and the story was sometimes slow, it showed great promise for Beehner and his future projects even though he’s not yet sure what they will be.
“I’ve been so busy with the Groundlings and promoting ‘Bert’ through the Big Damn Film Festival,” reflects the actor turned director turned producer. If “Bert” is any indication, Scott Beehner will find a way to produce a film with worth that exceeds its budget..
By Dustin Levell
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
Note: This has been republished from HollywoodChicago.com with permission.
14
Sep
Homer Simpson Voice Dan Castellaneta Coming to Chicago For Sketch Comedy
Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Celebrity News, Television
Bill Zwecker of the Chicago Sun-Times and CBS 2 Chicago has the scoop on Thursday that Oak Park, Ill. native Dan Castellaneta – the voice of Homer Simpson in “The Simpsons” – will be coming back to Chicago. Zwecker writes:
Dan Castellaneta will be back home this winter [to join] original cast members Joe Liss, Mark Nutter and John Rubano to restage their hilarious “The Bicycle Men” sketch comedy show from Dec. 12 to 16 at the Lake Shore Theater.
The Dec. 16 performance will benefit the early detection ovarian cancer program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
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