The Chicago Traveler

One of my favorite superheroes as a kid was the Caped Crusader, Batman. And I’m certainly not alone. This weekend, everyone is looking forward to the premiere of the latest film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman series: The Dark Knight.
Chicagoans will notice that Gotham City looks very familiar. While the movie avoids recognizable landmarks like Wrigley Field or Sears Tower, locals will be able to distinguish several Chicago locations. Be on the lookout for the canyon of skyscrapers at LaSalle and Monroe Streets (near the Chicago Board of Trade Building) and Bruce Wayne’s penthouse in Hotel 71. Key action scenes take …read more

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For many of us, our daily lives consist of coffee, going to work, come home for dinner, watching television, and going to bed, only to wake up to do it all over again the next day. Some people long for a life less ordinary. The 1999 thriller Stir of Echoes shows just how appreciative we should sometimes be for our “ordinary” lives.

Stir of Echoes (1999)

Directed by:
David Koepp

Produced by:
Judy Hofflund
Gavin Polone

Starring:
Zachary David Cope
Kevin Bacon
Kathryn Erbe
Illeana Douglas

Distributed by:
Artisan Entertainment

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The film takes place in a blue-collar Chicago neighborhood, where everyone on the block is friendly and familiar with each other. One …read more

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The story is not a unique one: Hero Cop is loved by all his friends, except for one surly suspicious fellow. Suddenly, Hero Cop is framed for a crime and loses all his friends and his honor. Hero Cop decides to take the law into his own hands to find “the truth.” However, powerhouses Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey prevent this classic story from becoming a predictable mess in The Negotiator.

The Negotiator (1998)

Directed by:
F. Gary Gray

Produced by:
David Hoberman
Arnon Milchan

Starring:
Samuel L. Jackson
Kevin Spacey
David Morse
Ron Rifkin
John Spencer
J.T. Walsh

Distributed by:
Warner Bros

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Released in 1998, The Negotiator follows Danny Roman (Samuel L. …read more

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There are hundreds of named neighborhoods in the city of Chicago. (PDF map) Due to gentrification, immigration, and even personal opinion, their borders often aren’t clear. Neighborhoods are rarely specifically-defined areas but rather are general areas. One of those neighborhoods was the namesake for a 2004 film, Wicker Park.

Wicker Park (2004)

Directed by:
Paul McGuigan

Produced by:
Andre Lamal
Gary Lucchesi
Tom Rosenberg
Marcus Viscidi

Starring:
Josh Hartnett
Rose Byrne
Matthew Lillard
Diane Kruger

Distributed by:
MGM

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This psychological thriller and romance follows businessman Matthew (Josh Hartnett) as he returns to Chicago two years after Lisa (Diane Kruger), a woman whom he was deeply in love with, vanished from his life without a …read more

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One of many people’s greatest fears is death. What does it feel like? What happens afterward? Is there an afterlife? The characters in the film Flatliners are determined to find the answers to these questions.

Flatliners (1990)

Directed by:
Joel Schumacher

Produced by:
Rick Bieber
Michael Douglas

Starring:
Kiefer Sutherland
Julia Roberts
Kevin Bacon
William Baldwin
Oliver Platt

Distributed by:
Columbia Pictures

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Medical student Nelson (Kiefer Sutherland) plans a dangerous experiment, in which he will experience clinical death for a full minute before his four classmates revive him through emergency measures. His four friends of course are very uneasy about the whole thing. Apprehensively, they help Nelson with his experiment, and he is …read more

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After watching today’s flick, I have to admit that I didn’t see anything Chicagoan. However, several websites (including IMDb) attest that Chicago was one of the filming locations for Diamonds Are Forever, the seventh spy film of the British James Bond series. Despite the lack of a Chicago sighting, I am willing to justify viewing the film and blogging it as a tribute to Las Vegas, where I’ll be traveling next week with friends.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

Directed by:
Guy Hamilton

Produced by:
Albert R Broccoli
Harry Saltzman

Starring:
Sean Connery
Jill St John
Charles Gray
Lana Wood
Jimmy Dean

Distributed by:
United Artists

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Loosely based on Ian Fleming’s novel of the …read more

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I’ll come right out and say it: I don’t watch a lot of horror films. It’s not because I don’t enjoy being spooked on occasion. I watch a lot of television about supposed paranormal activity, and I’ve read plenty of books by Stephen King, Clive Barker, etc. But, in my opinion, many horror films take the easy way out, throwing an ugly monster, blood, and guts at the screen, yelling “Boo!” It’s the equivalent of a bratty little brother jumping out at you from behind the door. I much prefer what I would classify as “suspense” or “thrillers”: films that …read more

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• Can you shake your booty to a Latin beat? Club 720 holds a weekly salsa competition where winners advance to the finals in the hopes of earning the $2500 cash prize. (runs through Feb 15)
• Those handsome Chicago calendar firemen will be hitting the town again, this time at Crobar. They’ll be signing autographs, posing for pictures (slightly more clothed this time), and even giving out kisses from a kissing booth. Have a favorite month? Vote for the handsomest hero as the men compete for the title of “Chicago’s Hottest Fireman.” Actor Daniel Sunjata of the FX show “Rescue …read more

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Most of us are familiar with John Wayne, the film actor and American icon who epitomized rugged masculinity. He was closely associated with Westerns and war movies, but he stepped away from those standards in 1975 with Brannigan.

Brannigan (1975)

Directed by:
Douglas Hickox

Produced by:
Arthur Garnder
Jules Levy

Starring:
John Wayne
Richard Attenborough
Judy Geeson
Mel Ferrer
John Vernon
Ralph Meeker
Daniel Pilon

Distributed by:
United Artists

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John Wayne had turned down the title role in Dirty Harry, which went to Clint Eastwood. But after seeing the success of that film, Wayne decided to give gritty police thrillers a try. Brannigan casts “the Duke” as Detective Jim Brannigan, an Irish-American detective from Chicago …read more

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This weekend features Reeling 2007: the 26th Annual Chicago Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival. From comedies to documentaries to dramas, the pink carpet is rolling out for 11 days of nearly 70 amazing films from over 28 countries. Reeling is the second-oldest film festival of its kind in the U.S., showcasing the best gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender films every year.
Reeling is committed to celebrating an identity that is often misrepresented or ignored in mainstream film and television. This year’s presentation will include films from Jamie Babbit (But I’m A Cheerleader), Robert Gaston (Open Cam), and Casper Andreas (Slutty …read more

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