The Joliet Herald News :: Entertainment ::

Army kids speak out on 'Coming Home'

Sun, 6 Jul 2008 04:00 CST

"Coming Home: When Parents Return From the Front," the latest in the line of consistently worthy "Nick News With Linda Ellerbee" programs, premieres 8 p.m. Sunday.

After 'Dark Knight,' Bale tackles the 'Terminator'

BY CINDY PEARLMAN — Wed, 2 Jul 2008 04:00 CST

Cindy Pearlman: Ah-nuld said he would be back. But he won�t � because it's Batman himself, Christian Bale, who is reinventing �The Terminator� in the upcoming installment in the movie franchise, �Terminator Salvation.� �I'm playing John Connor,� Bale says. "With Batman, we told the origins story while separating ourselves from the previous movies." Same here, he claims. The film will be directed by McG and will also star Chicago rapper Common.

'High School Muscial' coming to Rialto

Fri, 4 Jul 2008 04:00 CST

The Rialto Square Theatre and Emerald City Theatre present Disney's "High School Musical" onstage at the Rialto Square Theatre at 1 and 4 p.m. July 20.

Bands, pianist slated at Concert on the Hill

Fri, 4 Jul 2008 04:00 CST

The July 10 Concert On The Hill will feature the Bicentennial Pops Band, pianist Richard Deal and the Velvet Touch of Luci D'Mari and the Gentlemen. The free concert starts at 6:30 p.m. at Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park.

Arts Notes

Fri, 4 Jul 2008 04:00 CST

Exposing fashion industry

THEATER

Fri, 4 Jul 2008 04:00 CST

Re-envisioned 'Oklahoma!'

Local concerts

Fri, 4 Jul 2008 04:00 CST

Did '24' president help pave way for Obama?

The Associated Press — Fri, 4 Jul 2008 04:00 CST

Dennis Haysbert likes to believe his portrayal as the first African-American U.S. president on Fox�s ��24�� may have helped pave the way for Barack Obama.

Music and Ribs take double billing in Naperville

Thu, 3 Jul 2008 04:00 CST

Ribfest is one huge, hot, finger-lickin' festival of food and entertainment. Seventeen vendors from around the country will sell barbecue ribs, pulled pork, chicken and sauce -- and compete for bragging rights. Not into barbecued meat? There's more food from non-ribbers, including root beer floats, kettle corn, ice cream, frozen bananas, veggies, blooming onions, homemade potato chips and curly fries.

Smith's charm can't save 'Hancock'

Wed, 2 Jul 2008 04:00 CST

"Hancock," about a wayward superhero who hires an image consultant, could use an image consultant of its own. How did a major summer release, which must have gone through countless story meetings, test screenings and marketing strategy sessions, end up being so confused? (Maybe I just answered my own question.)

'American Girl' belittles young audiences

Wed, 2 Jul 2008 04:00 CST

"Kit Kittredge: An American Girl" would be the perfect movie for history-minded 6- to 9-year-olds if it wasn't aimed at the intellectual level of a toddler.

Minooka man, c'mon down to 'Price is Right'

By Kris Stadalsky Special to the Herald News — Tue, 1 Jul 2008 04:00 CST

Perhaps it was his unbridled enthusiasm. Maybe it was the Bradley University baseball T-shirt he wore. Whatever the reason, Adam Kimble, of Minooka, was one of the lucky ones chosen to appear on "The Price is Right" game show hosted by Drew Carey.

LeBron James helping kids save planet

BY TOM WITHERS The Associated Press — Tue, 1 Jul 2008 04:00 CST

SpongeBob SquarePants won't help LeBron James win any NBA titles, but the Cavaliers' superstar has paired up with Nickelodeon, the home of SpongeBob and his ocean-dwelling cartoon chums, to raise awareness about the environment.

Communities hosting Independence Day events

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Communities throughout Will and Grundy counties will be celebrating the Fourth of July holiday with a variety of events, including picnics, parades and, of course, firework displays.

Hollywood bombast by way of Russia in 'Wanted'

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

"Wanted" is rough, relentless and self-consciously R (certain words are used with more regularity than flair). Yet it's also the first film since "The Matrix" to truly capture that picture's warped, screen-bending, action-movie ethos. Like the "Matrix" pictures, "Wanted" slows down time, so that we can follow the curve of a bullet and the split-second decisions the characters make before the bullets hit.

Razzle dazzle abounds in 'Kooza'

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

The term "death-defying" has likely been part of circus lingo for as long as circuses have existed, and for as long as seemingly ordinary mortals have attempted to perform feats that put most people in a state of sheer terror or giddy disbelief.

Walk with dinosaurs at United Center

Sun staff — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Dinosaurs once again roam the earth in a spectacular theatrical arena show, "Walking with Dinosaurs - The Live Experience," based on the award-winning BBC television series.

Kids get free time all summer at MSI

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Summer has never been better for children who love learning, as kids get in free at the Museum of Science and Industry through Sept. 1.

Jo Dee Messina still running strong

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Having been in the country music industry for more than a decade, Jo Dee Messina has seen a lot of changes, but she's still making music. She'll bring her talent to Joliet Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. show Sunday, capping off the Taste of Joliet festival.

Summer festival season heats up

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

June 27

Arts Notes

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Wind chime competition

Artworks

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

About the artist

JJC's Spencer keeps choirs on the move

By Denise M. Baran-Unland Special to the Herald News — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Although he works with students, Joliet Junior College professor of music Philip Spencer refuses to keep music in the classroom. During Memorial Day weekend, Spencer took 20 members from the school's two choirs to sing at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

TASTE TREAT: Messina keeps on pluggin'

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Country superstar Jo Dee Messina will bring her music to Joliet Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. show Sunday, capping off the Taste of Joliet festival.

'WALL-E' proves to be real charmer for Pixar

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

How far has Pixar Animation Studios come in terms of humanizing technology? "WALL-E," Pixar's science-fiction romance, is more charming when the robots - not the humans - are on the screen.

Fireworks celebrations to mark the Fourth

Staff reports — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Bolingbrook

Choice seating selected for new Rialto season

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Sally Bagley walked through the promenade, an elegant hallway with a new carpet of black, gold and light burgundy. She crossed the threshold and entered a realm of lighted starscapes. Bagley, a Shorewood resident, was viewing the auditorium of the Rialto Square Theatre for the first time. "I think it is magnificent," she said. She was participating in the theater's Select-A-Seat event.

HBO, 'SNL' to replay classic Carlin this week

FROM SUN-TIMES STAFF REPORTS — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

If you�re a fan of the late comedian George Carlin or a newbie wondering what all the fuss was about yesterday, you can relive the glory years or get an education in the next few days as two networks dig into their vaults for some classic Carlin.

High gas prices slowing down indie rock

BY JASON DEAREN Associated Press — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Steven Garcia pulled into a Houston gas station recently to fill up the old Dodge van his punk band uses on summer tours. For months, the 23-year-old singer-guitarist had been budgeting money and booking show dates for Something Fierce�s third tour � but skyrocketing gas prices have put the brakes on those plans.

George Carlin mourned as counterculture hero

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

A publicist for George Carlin says the legendary comedian has died of heart failure at a hospital in Santa Monica, Calif. Jeff Abraham says Mr. Carlin went into St. John's Health Center on Sunday afternoon, complaining of chest pain. He died at 7:55 p.m., Chicago time. He was 71.

'Fifth-grader' star to emcee Joliet trivia contest

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Olivia Glowacki, popular fifth-grader from the first season of the FOX hit show "Are You Smarter than a Fifth-Grader" will emcee the upcoming seniors vs. students game show at Sunny Hill.

Cirque du Soleil returns to circus roots

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Cirque du Soleil returns to Chicago with the kind of electrifying acrobatics, death-defying acts and trapeze spectacles that spectators have come to expect. But the world-premiere circus "Kooza" will have a lot more clowning around when it opens in its trademark blue-and-gold big top on Thursday at the United Center in Chicago.

Ellen wins another Emmy

The Associated Press — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Ellen Degeneres won a fourth consecutive Daytime Emmy on Friday night, and she has no plans to stop there. DeGeneres picked up the talk show host honor while "Rachael Ray" cooked up a surprising win in the talk show category.

JJC jazz band returns to concert series

By Denise M. Baran-Unland Special to the Herald News — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

For the first time in more than 10 years, the Joliet Junior College jazz band returns to the Bicentennial Park's Concert on the Hill series.

Shoe phoning it in for 'Get Smart'

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

As Maxwell Smart, Steve Carell is clumsy when a given scene needs him to be clumsy, suave when he's needed to be suave and a martial arts expert when the movie requires it, writes Sun critic Josh Larsen. The television show at least had a silly logic to it; this picture has no idea what it wants to be.

Joliet festival puts fun into fine art

By Denise M. Baran-Unland Special to the Herald News — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Move over stuffy art galleries. The second Joliet Fine Art Festival offers a variety of creative expression for the artist, art lover and individuals who think they don't like or can't make art.

Beer garden entertainment

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

As part of 2008 Old Canal Days festivities, the Lockport Chamber of Commerce will feature Sundance Band from 7:30 to midnight tonight in the beer garden on Hamilton Street between Ninth and 10th streets.

Depp watch in Joliet takes 'time and effort'

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Waiting for Johnny Depp isn't hard labor but it is painstaking. "It's a lot of time and effort," said Tina Woolsey of Aurora as she waited outside the old Joliet Correctional Center on Wednesday morning. Inside the now closed prison on Collins Street, crews were filming scenes for the movie "Public Enemies," which stars Johnny Depp.

Little to 'Love' about Myers' return

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

The one thing about being a comic genius - a label often attached to Mike Myers - is that you no longer have the humble perspective needed to recognize when you've laid an egg. "The Love Guru" is a gigantic egg, but no one looks more pleased with it than Myers. As Pitka, the world's number two guru after Deepak Chopra, Myers' eyes twinkle with delight in every scene.

�Oz,� �2001,� �Vertigo� among AFI top genre flicks

BY DAVID GERMAIN Associated Press — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Snow White, Dorothy Gale, the HAL 9000 computer, Charles Chaplin�s Little Tramp and Marlon Brando�s Godfather share top billing among the American Film Institute�s best genre movies. These are among the No. 1 picks on the AFI�s top-10 lists of the finest flicks in 10 genres, including mystery, Westerns, sports tales and courtroom dramas.

Tuskegee Airmen focus of Lucas film

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

The black airmen whose lives will be the basis of a George Lucas movie know the picture will highlight their record of successfully escorting thousands of U.S. bombers in World War II. They also feel it should tell of the trials they encountered stateside.

Girl born to Jamie Lynn Spears

The Associated Press — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Jamie Lynn Spears gave birth to a baby girl Thursday morning at a south Mississippi hospital, according to a person close to the Spears family.

Steve Carrell gets smart

BY CINDY PEARLMAN — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Cindy Pearlman: His last name is Smart, but that moniker doesn't fit when he's dealing with the ladies. At this very moment Maxwell Smart is bumbling and blushing -- or at least his alter ego, Steve Carell, is turning dark crimson. He's sitting next to the gorgeous Anne Hathaway -- his Agent 99 -- who is explaining their big-screen kiss in "Get Smart," opening Friday. "Making out with him is the yummiest, lollipop, dipped-in-sunshine experience," Hathaway begins.

She's an American Girl: Kit comes to town

BY DELIA O'HARA — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Other American Girl characters have had their own TV movies, but it falls to Kit Kittredge, portrayed by Abigail Breslin ("Little Miss Sunshine"), to carry the American Girl brand onto the silver screen. Breslin, plus two Chicago actors -- Chris O'Donnell, who plays Kit's father, and Joan Cusack, who plays a boarder named Miss Bond -- are expected on the red carpet tonight at the Chicago premiere of "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl."

Parents fret as even toddlers love 'High School Musical'

BY LEANNE ITALIE Associated Press — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Talya Appelbaum recently had a ��High School Musical�� birthday party. She got a slice of cake decorated with the spoiled Sharpay, her favorite character because ��she�s with Ryan.�� Jemma Fox has an HSM karaoke microphone and trading cards of the East High gang. Talya and Jemma are 3 years old.

Another look at Capone era

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Moviemakers shooting "Public Enemies" here, starring Johnny Depp as John Dillinger, dug deep into the files of the Chicago History Museum to research the film. And for good reason: Those files contain a treasure trove of photos from the 1920s and '30s gangland era of Chicago. Some of those pictures now have been compiled by museum curator John Russick in a book, Historic Photos of Chicago Crime: The Capone Era.

Fathers and sons on film

By Bob Bong, Video Six-Pack columnist — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

There's no telling when a man becomes a father what kind of relationship he'll ultimately have with his sons. Most fathers and sons will get along just fine. Some fathers and sons can't stand one another. Then there are the sons who never get to know their father. Hollywood has made a film about every kind of father-son relationship.

Lyrics, lawsuits are signs 'not guilty' isn't 'innocent'

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Jim DeRogatis: As any criminal-defense attorney will attest, "not guilty" does not mean "innocent." During the six-year wait for R. Kelly to have his day in court, the multitalented singer, songwriter and producer often sang of asking God to forgive him for unnamed sins.

Adler premieres 'Cosmic Collisions'

By Oriano Pagnucci Special to The Sun — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

A comet is approaching Earth. The comet misses, but bits of rock from the comet's tail, called meteoroids, burn up spectacularly and harmlessly in the Earth's atmosphere. So starts "Cosmic Collisions," the new space show at Adler Planetarium.

NBC's Russert dead of heart attack

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Tim Russert, who pointedly but politely questioned hundreds of the powerful and influential as moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press," died Friday of an apparent heart attack.

Rialto season spotlights classics, new acts

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

The Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet announces a thrilling 2008-09 season filled with many shows for the entire family, including comedians, musicals, and concerts by first-class musicians and bands.

Muscle bound

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Can I simply come out and say what is rarely mentioned but we all know to be true? The Hulk is an uninspired comic-book creation.

Summer festivals

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

June 14-15

Arts Notes

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Digby to open for DeGraw

What's 'Happening' to M. Night Shyamalan?

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

M. Night Shyamalan seems to have lost his control over "The Happening," the writer-director's latest film and the first in a long time that I can't defend, writes Sun critic Josh Larsen. Aimless, undisciplined and rough around every edge, the entire picture has a first-take feel, as if the filmmaker and his cast had knocked the movie off in a harried weekend.

Hulk's appeal is too big for his britches

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Can I simply come out and say what is rarely mentioned but we all know to be true? The Hulk is an uninspired comic-book creation. Missing are the essential ingredients of any good superhero saga.

The beers of summer

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Elgin's annual Brewfest is this weekend. If the party in Festival Park whets your thirst for a beer, we don't need to remind you that summer is a fine time to enjoy a cold beverage. But you might not realize how wide the selection is these days.

Wait is worth it for Jennifer Hudson CD debut

BY MARIEL CONCEPCION Billboard — Mon, 9 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

Jennifer Hudson may have taken longer than fans wished before officially announcing the release of her self-titled debut album, due Sept. 30 via Arista Records. But early chart movement indicates it might�ve been worth the wait. Hudson�s lead single, the Ne-Yo-penned and Stargate-produced ��Spotlight,�� is already moving up the Billboard charts.

Behind the scenes at 'The Colbert Report'

BY JAKE COYLE Associated Press — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

��The Colbert Report�� recently aired its 400th episode. On June 16, he will stroll into the Waldorf-Astoria and accept the prestigious Peabody Award for his show. Stephen Colbert says he also expects to play the role of ��kingmaker�� in this year�s election.

Girls night lets ladies 'hoot and holler'

Sun, 8 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

This Thursday, ladies, take a couple hours for yourself. For $10, the Joliet Council for Working Women invites you to relax. The council's Girl's Night Out event is planned for 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 19, at the Victorian Ballroom, 15 S. Richards St.

McKay anchored tragic Munich games

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS — Sun, 8 Jun 2008 04:00 CST

NEW YORK -- Jim McKay elegantly covered competitions from badminton to barrel jumping. Yet he may best be remembered for that grim day at the Munich Olympics when he broke the news with three simple words: "They're all gone."