Chicago is My Home

30
Nov

Chicago Indie Gangster Film ‘Chicago Overcoat’ Wraps Principal Photography

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Independent Film

Chicago indie gangster film “Chicago Overcoat” has just wrapped principal photography, according to an e-mail I received on Friday from casting director Chris Charles. He also released to me the following production still of Frank Vincent (“The Sopranos”) with a Tommy gun.

Frank Vincent with a Tommy gun in “Chicago Overcoat”.
Photo courtesy of “Chicago Overcoat” casting director Chris Charles

In addition, Charles sent the following Chicago filming details:

We filmed scenes with Armand Assante (“ER,” “American Gangster”) and Rick Plastina on Wednesday at the Joliet Correctional Center.

On Thursday, the production went out with a bang. We blew up a car just off Damen and 29th.

To follow the progress of the film through post-production, you can check Beverly Ridge Pictures for details. “Chicago Overcoat” will hit theaters in the summer of 2008.

27
Nov

Interview: Why Hollywood’s Enraptured With Chicago-Native ‘Juno’ Scribe Diablo Cody, Star Ellen Page

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Film

CHICAGO – Diablo Cody fittingly ushered in her Chicago “Juno” junket in classic Diablo Cody style: The night prior, she blogged with brevity where she’d be kicking back and when.

“Juno” screenwriter Diablo Cody.
Photo credit: WireImage.com

Though a frequenter of the German bar scene, the Red Lion in Lincoln Park was Thursday evening’s sanctuary with friends off the beaten press path. While legal in Canada at 20, “Juno” star Ellen Page wasn’t at Cody’s side until Friday.

More than most, our interview especially paid no attention to the live recorder.

Instead, the laissez-faire time morphed into a blunt and beguiling conversation replete with cunning perspective, quick-witted commentary, unexpected bloody fingers and all things “adamant” (Cody’s word of the day) and “slutty” (Page’s).

Page came forthright out of the gates about her kissing scenes with “Superbad” comic phenom Michael Cera. She said: “Yeah, there were quite a few angles and takes, so we made out a lot.” Had there been need for more kissing takes, she said: “Hey, if he wants to dish it out, I’ll take it.”

She likened Cera’s charmingly geeky and blameless character in “Juno” to someone she’d date in reality. A lightbulb came on and Page volunteered: “It’s weird. He’s similar to a very good friend of mine.” Cody knew who and had met him.

Now Cody – who loathes the label of a “stripper turned blogger turned screenwriter” (more the latter than the first) – first spoke in our interview with modesty and irony. She gave props to her Juno persona with relative awe.

“The character is semi-autobiographical even though the story’s not. I feel a definite kinship with Juno. It’s an easy character for me to write. It felt very organic. I really based her on myself as a teenager, but Juno is way cooler than me. I didn’t always have the ready response,” Cody said absolutely with ready response.

Ellen Page.
Photo credit: IMDb

She added: “I was a lot more emotional and immature. She’s a very brave, articulate young lady.”

Without needing to be prompted, Page was eager to illuminate her love for her character: “She definitely hides behind that – behind her sarcastic wit. The whole point of being an actor is learning to just be the person you’re supposed to portray. I really admired Juno and it was really easy for me to connect my heart with her heart.

“Whenever you play someone who’s honest, whole and well written, you’re going to be able to connect with them. Juno has a special place in my heart. I was obsessed with her. I read the script a couple years ago and wasn’t just interested in pursuing it. It was as if this needs to happen.”

At the time, Page had just viewed “Juno” director Jason Reitman’s “Thank You For Smoking” and was about to convene for a general meeting. One week after the meeting had been arranged, the news surfaced that Reitman would be directing “Juno”. Page says on the twist of fate: “I was in cloud nine.”

26
Nov

Will Chicago Have Most Advanced Wireless Broadband Network on Planet in 2008?

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Technology

We recently interviewed Motorola WiMAX business development director Tom Mitoraj on the growth of WiMAX over Wi-Fi. Some highlights follow.

With Sprint, Chicago is very likely to have the most advanced wireless broadband network on the planet in the next year. With Sprint’s network, that can be in Chicago’s favor.

Chicago will be the marquis city. That can only work to the city’s advantage. The Olympic organization should catch wind of that. That’s one more element that will add to the mix.

Coming to Motorola 15 years ago in the cellular business, there was a tremendous amount of growth internationally.

I got involved in global business with an emphasis on Latin America in the middle of the 1990s. We built CDMA networks in Venezuela, Mexico, Argentina and Peru when CDMA was replacing analog.

It was gratifying to see those systems go live. We built a system with Sprint in Chicago in 1996. The ability to go back to Latin America to build things that revolutionize access to broadband is very exciting.

26
Nov

Filming in Chicago, ‘Eagle Eye’ Adds Ethan Embry to Cast

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Film

“Eagle Eye,” which has been shooting in Chicago, has added Ethan Embry (“Freakylinks,” “Brotherhood”) to its cast to play Rosario Dawson’s FBI partner.

Ethan Embry.
Photo credit: IMDb

Based on a Steven Spielberg concept, the film centers around a young slacker (Shia LaBeouf) and a single mother (Michelle Monaghan) who become tangled in a terrorist cell plotting a political assassination.

23
Nov

Chicago Film Critics Association Unveils Revamped Site, Awards Coming on Dec. 14

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Film

This week, the Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) unveiled its completely revamped Web site.

Special thanks go to Web guru Adam Kempenaar and Erik Childress for coordinating the project along with artist Eric Semelroth for the new CFCA logo.

I am told “this is just the beginning version” and links, chatrooms and databases from our critics will be added as well. An updated member list of accredited CFCA critics is now available with biographies. Mine is listed here.

In other news, CFCA members are checking their mailboxes nearly every day this month for DVD screeners of most of the year’s films. The latest CFCA awards will be announced on Dec. 14.

With the addition of a best animated feature award, there are now 15 award categories for this year’s competition. The full list of awards can be found here.

20
Nov

HollywoodChicago.com to Distribute 125 I-Am-Immune.com Viral Bracelets For ‘I Am Legend’

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Film

I’ve already received dozens of e-mails about this and haven’t even yet announced it. Viral word really does infect the Internet quickly, eh?

In any event, it’s true: We have received from Warner Bros. and will be divvying out 125 bracelets for access into I-Am-Immune.com, which is the new viral marketing site for the Will Smith film “I Am Legend”.

Fans of the “The Dark Knight” will feel some similarity to I-Am-Immune.com’s upcoming street challenges in cities across the U.S. You must have a bracelet to gain access to the site.

I have been informed that e-mails to “patients” will be sent on Saturday, Nov. 24 directing those with bracelets to visit the “street challenges” section of the site.

There, the rules of the challenges will be explained and a secret location within 14 different U.S. cities will be revealed to snag a swag item.

Each item will have a relationship with the film and can be used to earn autographed posters, novels, gear and get you one step closer to winning tickets and a hotel stay in New York for the premiere of the film on Dec. 11.

Will Smith in “I Am Legend”.
Image credit: IMDb

Now, this hasn’t yet been announced:

There’s a separate street team distributing the bracelets as well. HollwoodChicago.com has received a quantity of those and will be giving them to you and your friends.

I can confirm there will be three street-challenge locations in Chicago: a video store, a car dealership and a golf range.

In order to get these bracelets into your hands with such quick turnaround without having to head to the post office again and again, I have arranged for my team to be at two locations in Chicago at two time windows on two days.

We value your time and assure you we’ll be there with the bracelets. See below for the times, dates and venues. For your convenience, I’ve made one in Uptown and one on the Mag Mile.

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 20
Time: 7 to 9 p.m.
Venue: Dollop Coffee Co.
Address: 4181 N. Clarendon Ave., Chicago

Date: Wednesday, Nov. 21
Time: 1 to 2 p.m.
Venue: Starbucks
Address: 444 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago

For those of you who aren’t in Chicago or can’t make one of these pickups, e-mail adam [at] hollywoodchicago.com. I have a method to get a bracelet to you quickly as well.

19
Nov

Changes on Horizon For Chicago-Native Conan O’Brien Writer Kevin Dorff

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Comedy, Television

CHICAGO – Kevin Dorff spent his Sunday in Chicago kicking back and watching the Bears game.

Jim Zulevic and Kevin Dorff (on right) at Second City.
Photo credit: Second City

A Chicago native and Emmy Award-winning writer for “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” for seven years, the current WGA strike has shut down production and provided him something of a forced vacation.

For nearly a week, he has been back in the city that started his career when he first began taking classes in the early 1990s at what was then called Improv Olympic (now iO).

Within a few years, he was performing on Second City’s main stage.

On Tuesday night, Dorff will be performing alongside Horatio Sanz, Matt Walsh, Ed Furman and others at the Lakeshore Theater for “Horatio Sanz and the Kings of Improv,” which is presented by the Upright Citizens Brigade.

“These guys just love to play,” Dorff said – speaking of the ensemble – in an interview with HollywoodChicago.com.

He has performed with them all many times in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago over the last decade. Dorff added: “Matt and Horatio would just upend some milk cartons and perform on them. That might be a new show we’re working on. I don’t know.”
Read the rest of this entry »

16
Nov

Scene Spoiler: Reader Submits Full ‘Eagle Eye’ Report For Nov. 15 Filming in Chicago

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Film

As we’ve been reporting here, “Eagle Eye” – a DreamWorks picture staring Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson and Billy Bob Thornton – has been filming at various locations across Chicago over the past two weeks.

What follows is a very specific report from a reader that fleshes out Chicago filming details for Thursday, Nov. 15 and heading into the wee hours of Friday, Nov. 16.

I can validate this source as accurate and verifiable based on prior submissions. Warning: Spoiler information follows.

Michelle Monaghan (left) and Rosario Dawson.
Photo credit: IMDb

Thursday’s filming, which is [said to be] the second to last day of shooting, was a shoot in the evening in the Uptown neighborhood [of Chicago] at Wilson and Broadway.

The shoot began with Shia and Michelle parked in their Porsche Cayenne Turbo in an alley next to the El [train] station on Wilson. Michelle sat on the driver’s side.

Shia began the scene by running up to the car in a panic. He jumped into the passenger’s seat where he and Michelle began to argue. All of a sudden, the rear driver’s side window would shatter.

They were simulating Shia and Michelle being shot at.

Chicago Police [Department] officers were running out of the El stop with guns drawn. [They were] shooting at the car as Shia frantically began screaming at Michelle to “Go! Go! Go!”

Numerous takes and angles were shot as the car sat idled.

Around 12:30 a.m., the crew began setting up for a high-speed car chase scene where the Porsche would barrel out of the alley heading east on Wilson. [It would] fly around the corner and turn left on Broadway.

Chicago police had Wilson and Broadway closed in all directions as rehearsals began between 1 and 1:30 a.m. Michelle and Shia’s stunt doubles were in the car with Michelle’s stunt double driving.

Shia LaBeouf (left) and Billy Bob Thornton.
Photo credit: IMDb

There were five or six regular cars being driven by stunt drivers and three Chicago police vehicles with stunt drivers. All the streets were sprayed down with water.

One of the Chicago police vehicles would be heading north on Broadway.

As the Porsche fishtailed through the middle of the intersection, the police vehicle would do a [180-degree turn] in the middle of Wilson and Broadway to chase the Porsche. [The] other police vehicles would chase from other directions.

The chase scene was very well choreographed and rehearsed numerous times.

It was amazing to see all the stunt drivers carry out their assignments with perfect precision take after take at high speed with numerous cars spinning and fishtailing in the middle of the intersection.

Numerous takes were done with the stunt doubles from different angles. This was shot with multiple cameras. Around 4 a.m., Shia returned to the vehicle for interior filming with Michelle’s stunt double still behind the wheel.

The camera was placed inside the vehicle with the camera operator in the back seat filming Shia as the Porsche went through the same route (this time, however, at a slower speed).

After a couple takes, Shia was done for the evening.

It was now Michelle’s turn behind the wheel with Shia’s stunt double in the passenger seat. She did a couple rehearsals and a couple takes. Filming was done at approximately 5:30 a.m.

15
Nov

Following Wrap in Hong Kong, ‘The Dark Knight’ Begins Post-Production Work

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Film

Now that Hong Kong filming is a wrap for “The Dark Knight,” post-production work has officially begun, according to a very informative article in Screen Magazine that names the players involved.

As we know, the article states that “The Dark Knight” is the “largest studio picture ever to film” in Chicago.

It continued: “With a week of shooting in April and three recently completed months of summer shooting, the film brought $50 million to the [Chicago] economy and employed some 350 crew members.”

Dixon Galvez-Searle writes that the film is now beginning its amalgamation on the west coast by the hands of Hollywood equipment rental firm Digital Vortechs, which has been involved with “The Dark Knight” from the get go.

The article also points to the involvement of equipment facility Salon, which was brought in for “Batman Begins,” and says Digital Vortechs kept Roscor Corp. in Mt. Prospect, Ill. on retainer for tech support.

11
Nov

Theater: Joyce Piven’s ‘What Dreams May Come’ a Mitzvah Lost in Adaptation

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Theater

CHICAGO – Before you’re served this meal, you’re treated to a backstory of four integral ingredients that are three parts encouragement and one part concern.

The Piven Theatre, which is co-founded by Joyce Piven (the mother of Chicago film star Jeremy Piven), is kicking off its upcoming theater season by revisiting an acclaimed format that sold out shows throughout its run two years ago.

For more delectable buildup, a personal note from director Joyce Piven on this year’s “What Dreams May Come: American Visions Through Jewish Eyes” perfectly puts you in the storytelling mood.

The tale of her credulous and selfless grandfather, Jake, is one you’re inspired by and proud to tell about an elder you love and respect. Jake Piven ran a small grocery store off Roosevelt Road where he had a “credit record” of all things purchased to be paid without interest when the person could afford it.

For even more fodder to this looming feast, you learn its three stories are penned by one Pulitzer Prize-winning Jewish author (Bernard Malamud) and another Nobel Prize-winning Jewish writer (Isaac Bashevis Singer).

Once you’re primed with encouragement of 2005’s success coupled with the vivid details of her grandfather and what must decisively be superlative writing, though, you dive into the performance with open-minded apprehension after reading the relatively lacking cast credits.

The three back-to-back stories all impart decidedly different lessons without any connection to one other. The first – wrapped in a woman’s dream of her parents – feels lost in its own melodrama.

You warm up to the second – on the thought-provoking concept of buying a miracle on faith for your terminally ill father – and especially the third, which centers around life and if you’d know you’re dead all wrapped in the paramount question of who a person should spend a life loving.

Once you’ve eaten the trio, you’re hesitant to feel entirely awed ultimately because of one overarching theme: you get the feeling brilliance is here but it’s partially lost in its adaptation and direction.

On opening night, Joyce emerged from the crowd with lukewarm and deservedly earned feedback. While changes were necessary and gaps needed filling, her good-deeded mitzvah is the gift of thought and discussion.

“What Dreams May Come: American Visions Through Jewish Eyes” runs through Dec. 16 at the Piven Theatre in Evanston. 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets cost $23-$25.