Public Enemies

Photo taken from Public Enemies official website

Public Enemies, aka the movie this summer of lackluster blockbusters has been waiting for, opens today.

"Enemies" recounts the story of Great Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger and the FBI's attempts to capture him, dead or alive.

Many parts of the movie were filmed right here in Chicago during a 36 day long shoot "from late March to late June 2008," according to Metromix. Tell-tale landmarks include Union Station and the legendary Biograph Theater on Lincoln Avenue, where Dillinger was killed in 1934.

The excellent cast (Johnny Depp as Dillinger, Christian Bale as FBI Agent Melvin Pervis and Marion Cotillard as Dillinger's girlfriend Billie Frechette) and parallels to our current economy and public sentiment toward banks makes this movie a must-see in my book.

For history buffs, watch Bryan Burrough (who wrote the book "Public Enemies" the film is based on) discuss if the blockbuster is true to history.

And here's the trailer for those unfamiliar with - or for those who just want to get excited for - the movie:

The Three Cs

The Midwest and the Cinema with a capital C are very rarely said in the same sentence. Cinema and Culture has been claimed by the coasts for years, but another C word has claimed the nation's attention: Chicago. With the nation's eyes trained on the Second City as President-Elect Obama shapes our future from here, Chicago's cultural wealth is finally being acknowledged by the masses.

For those of us that didn't need an Obama presidency to know what a vibrant city Chicago is, the Midwest Independent Film Festival continues to be a cultural boon. Their first Tuesday screenings at the Landscape Century Cinema Theatre remains high on the must-do lists of newspapers and lifestyle websites like Going. Tomorrow the Midwest Independent Film Festival will host their first fundraising gala: the 2008 Best of the Midwest Awards, a ceremony to "recognize the premier films and filmmakers" screened during this year's first Tuesday film festival screenings.

Taking place at Rockit Bar and Grill (22 W. Hubbard) from 6-9, the night promises to excite. Limited tickets are still available and with delicious appetizers provided by Rockit, a cocktail reception hosted by Effen Vodka and Corona, and all proceeds going towards the nonprofit organization's 2009 budget, $50 sounds like a steal. Buy tickets here.

Chicago International Film Festival

The Chicago International Film Festival, in its forty-fourth year, is on in various movie theaters across the city. Click here for a list of the must see/skip movies on the schedule according to Metromix. My picks: Gael Garcia Bernal's "Deficit", animator and director Bill Plympton's "Idiots and Angels", and Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, NY" starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, just to name a few.

Talib Kweli: The Rapper's Rapper

One of the most exciting things I've ever done as a writer was cover the Zune BBQ at Union Park in Chicago a year ago. Microsoft's MP3 offering to a world obsessed with all things Apple had been embraced largely by the hip-hop community and to thank them, Zune created a concert tour across the US. The Chicago leg featured performances by Qualo (Shala Esquire's rap group), Little Brother, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli. It was a night of quality conscientious music mixed with the feel of a neighborhood block party--Robinson's BBQ was on hand and people played basketball in between sets.

Standing in the VIP section with my plus one, we noticed a man standing in front of us, wearing a light-weight sweater despite the Chicago mid-June heat.

Adam, my plus one: That guy's sweater is really nice.
Me: Yeah, it is.
On-stage announcer: Put your hands together for.... TALIB KWELI!!!!!
(man in light weight sweater runs on stage and begins rapping)
Adam and Me: OH! MY! GOD!

We were 5 feet away from one of the most renowned rappers for hip-hop heads and all we noticed was his impeccable taste in sweaters.

Long story aside, I was excited to read on the Black gossip website TheYBF.com that Talib Kweli is working on a documentary about himself. I wonder when and where it will be coming out...

Tyler Perry's Newest

(I think this movie looks great, no matter what some may say of Tyler Perry and his movies. At least he's creating good and smart roles for black actors and actresses outside of niche CW/UPN short lived TV shows. And I love me some Rockmond Dunbar.)

Hang Up Your Chick Habit

(for Derek)

Robert Rodrieguez and Quentin Tarentino's homage to 60's B-movies and the theaters that screened them, Grindhouse, had me squirming in my seat and hiding behind my hands. But this scene from Tarentino's half, "Death Proof," was by far my favorite part of the movie.



Just so you know, he definitely had it coming.

(The song playing during the credits is "Chick Habit" by April March.)

Cartoon Cartoon

I have repressed a lot of my adolescence, mostly because it was composed of the kind of embarrassment and awfulness that would lead to some kind of 'Nam war vet never-ending flashback and/or arrested development... and I'm not talking about the TV show.

However, I do remember the icons of teenage angst I identified with. MTV's Daria Morgendorffer with her caustic wit and deadpan was my animated alter ego #1, but Emily the Strange came in a close second. She hated everybody and, with her gang of cats and slingshot, ruled the night. I drew images of her in my black and white spottled composition books alongside diary entries of why and how much high school sucked. Possibly because of the success of graphic-novel-turned-movie Persepolis, Emily the Strange is hitting the big screen.

Excited to see how this develops.

Hello, Lover!

It is woefully clear to me that I don't have enough girl friends in Chicago; I have no one to watch the Sex and the City movie with! Say what you will about Carrie Bradshaw and the "Scary Sadshaw" offspring she's created (you know, women who apply the rules that govern SATC characters into their own lives?), I love it and can't wait to see whether the movie will live up to all the hype the media and diehard fans have created.

For all the ladies (and fellas brave enough to admit their fans) with plans to see the stateside premiere of the movie tomorrow, there's an AWESOME event going on tomorrow which will help you indulge in your girl about town fantasies. Dinner, drinks, cocktails, and a fashion show. Click here for all the info:



And the trailer I've been salivating over for the past 3 months!



(I love the big band version of the theme song!)

Laugh-In

The Midwest Independent Film Festival continues their First Tuesday events with a "comedic shorts program." Tomorrow's events begin at 6 pm at Landmark Century Theater (2828 N. Clark) with a pre-show Cocktail Reception, a panel discussion on film financing at 6:30, and the main event at 7:30. After the screening, mosey over to Forno Diablo, (433 W. Diversey). The line up (click here for more detailed information):

Train Town (Official Selection, 2008 South By Southwest Film Festival)

Starting Tomorrow (Grand Prize Winner, 2007 Element 79 Film Festival)

The European Kid (Official Selection, 2008 South By Southwest Film Festival)

Game of Love (World Premier)

The Cherry Tree

Check Please (Official Selection, Santa Barbara International, Cinequest, Miami Shorts, Cleveland and Florida Film Festivals)

Regrets

Death is My Co-Pilot

Must Like Magic

Bye

The Job (Official Selection, South by Southwest Film Festival)

Music Video: "Out to Get You," from Chicago's Jonny Rumble.

You Know You Do It

Google yourself, that is. Technology, curiosity, and just plain ol' vanity has mated, bringing with it one stop validation in the form of Googling ones' name. Jim Kileen went out and made a documentary about his adventures in self-Google called Google Me. Watch the trailer above.

The Visitor

The Midwest Independent Film Festival's screening of America the Beautiful has me excited for all of the organization's events. Support MIFF as they continue to champion the creative efforts of independent filmmakers in the Midwest with tonight's free screening. The Visitor was directed by Chicago native Richard Jenkins, who will be available after the screening for a Q&A. As MIFF founder Mike McNamara noted earlier this week, filling mainstream theaters to capacity proves that independent films are a viable product with a real audience.


(THE VISITOR screens tonight at 7 pm, Landmark Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark. The screening is free but if you want to attend, email THEVISITORCHICAGO@HOTMAIL.COM)

From C Cup to Shining C Cup

The Midwest Independent Film Festival--an organization that screens independent films from Midwestern filmmakers here in Chicago--has a First Tuesday event every month at Landmark Century Theaters in Lincoln Park (2828 N. Clark). This month audiences will watch the award-winning documentary America the Beautiful. America tackles the oft-pondered question "Does America have an unhealthy obsession with beauty?" through interviews with celebrities, musicians, athletes, fashion designers, and pop culture insiders. Tomorrow's event also includes pre-screening events (a cocktail reception and screenplay readings to be exact) and a reception immediately following a Q&A with director Darryl Roberts.

General admission is $10 and you can order advance tickets online here.