Chicago is My Home

20
Dec

Interviews: Chicago Natives John Cusack, Gracie Bednarczyk, Shélan O’Keefe on ‘Grace is Gone’

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Celebrity News, Film, Film Festivals, Interviews

On Oct. 12, 2007, I interviewed Chicago native John Cusack along with first-time Chicago actresses Gracie Bednarczyk and Shélan O’Keefe on “Grace is Gone,” which opened in theaters on Dec. 14.

John Cusack in Chicago on Oct. 12, 2007 at the
Chicago International Film Festival for “Grace is Gone”.
Photo credit: Joe Arce

In our interview, Cusack speaks on the film as a whole, cell phones, sister Joan Cusack and his views on the war. Cusack speaks loudly in our interview with a soft-spoken voice. Here’s just one quotable:

I knew I wanted to do the film when the Bush administration banned photos of the dead coming from the coffins. That’s the most disgraceful, political, cowardly act I’ve seen in my lifetime.

These soldiers are making the ultimate sacrifice and we’re censoring it. There’s no draft, yet you’re willing to pay mercenaries more than our soldiers and not give them body armor.

You want to send them over there and deny this is happening or let FOX News tell us how we should view the war? I said: ‘All right. I’m going to do a story about one of these coffins coming home.’

My full, 23-minute audio interview with John Cusack is below.

My full, 14-minute audio interview with first-time Chicago actresses Gracie Bednarczyk and Shélan O’Keefe is below.

25
Oct

Reeling 2007: 26th Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival Coming Nov. 8 to 18

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Film Festivals

With the Chicago International Film Festival concluded (Oct. 4 to 17) and the Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema wrapping up (Oct. 18 to 28), Reeling 2007: The 26th Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival is nearly upon the Windy City.

Running from Nov. 8 to 18 and presented by Showtime, Comcast and “The L Word,” Reeling is the “second-oldest lesbian and gay film festival in the world and a premiere cultural event for Chicago’s LGBT community and film-appreciating audiences”.

Click here to read more…