Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni. ✶ Thank you for your readership and contributions. ✶
Found Footage Festival was started in 2004 by Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher, who in 1991 stumbled upon a McDonald's training video entitled Inside and Outside Custodial Duties at a McDonald's in their home state of Wisconsin, and never stopped collecting. Since that fateful day, they have compiled an impressive collection of absurd footage, which is uploaded onto their website. With a background in comedy (their resumes include stints at The Late Show with David Letterman, The Onion, and Entertainment Weekly), they've taken their show on the road numerous times over the past six years, and are currently on tour screening the 1985 film Computer Beach Party, described in their press release as "one of the most wonderfully awful movies ever found on VHS". FFF comes to The Empty Bottle on Sunday, July 18 with their hidden gem of a film.
In addition to FFF, it must be pointed out that Pickett and Prueher also directed the feature-length documentary Dirty Country, which centers on the life of Larry Pierce, a factory worker and family man from Indiana who happens to write the raunchiest country songs you've ever heard. Based on the trailer alone, I'm willing to go out on a limb and say that this may well be the best documentary ever made, and I can't believe I didn't know about it sooner. (Warning, this clip is NSFW.)
I had the opportunity to speak with Prueher by phone, and asked him all the burning questions that were running through my mind.
A couple years back I was at a horror convention in town and I purchased a DVD of a film I'd been reading about for some months and was desperate to see. The film was called [REC] -- as in Record -- and it's the horrifying tale of a group of residents in an apartment complex trapped inside with a seemingly viral force that turns its victims into raging, zombie-like killers. It borrows a bit from zombie films and 28 Days Later, but the Spanish-language [REC] also has some truly original elements, including its first-person narrative told from the point of view of a news crew inside the building, documenting the horror. [REC] is also fairly gory and will absolutely scare you, no debate. And if you saw its practically shot-for-shot American remake Quarantine, you haven't seen anything.
At last year's Fantastic Fest, I was lucky enough to see [REC] 2, the equally impressive sequel that picks things up right where the first film leaves off, but also (if memory serves) offers alternate views of scenes in the original, which results in us getting another look at characters killed in the first film.
When Magnolia first approached me about organizing a screening of [REC] 2, I agreed, but I thought that the best way to show this film would be to play it back to back with the first movie. Thankfully, they thought that sounded like a great idea.
The double-feature screening of [REC] and [REC] 2 will take place on Wednesday, July 7 at 7:30 and 9pm, respectively, at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave. -- and you're invited. Email me at steve@steveatthemovies.com with your full name and the number of guests you would like to bring. I've got the whole theater to fill, so as long as they are confirmed guests -- I don't want any empty seats. The deadline is this Friday at 5pm. Hope to see you there; bring the whole family.
Oh, and please don't be scared by the subtitles; there will be plenty of other things to be terrified of in the course of these movies.
Local nonprofit Split Pillow brings documentary filmmaking to local schools, museums, libraries and community centers through its MediaStart! program, where kids learn how to make a short film and then screen it for peers and family. Split Pillow helps kids plunge into their projects by teaching them to brainstorm, write, direct, perform and edit the whole film on a tight three or four-day schedule. The teaching artists who head the project do a final edit on the film, and then it's time to bust out the popcorn.
Most recently the program taught kids at Beidler Elementary and Kellogg Elementary (cute photo alert).
Last Saturday the first installment of Second City's The Late Live Show premiered at their da Maat Theater. The show adopts the traditional "late night variety show" format made popular by the likes of Carson and Letterman, and is hosted by local comics Joe Kwaczala and C.J. Toledano.
The Late Live Show will take place every Saturday night at midnight at Second City's da Maat Theater located at 1616 N Wells Ave. The show is free, but you can reserve tickets for $5 through secondcity.com or calling the Second City box office at 312-337-3992.
The Chicago film Left Field is finally out on DVD! Left Field follows a kickball team the Fighting Cocks in Humboldt Park captures victory, comradery, and even death throughout the team's season. The Reader did a fantastic feature on the film in February 2009 which interviewed Ben Steger and Chris Batte, who filmed Left Field. After screening in several theaters across the country, the film is finally available for purchase through the film's official website. If you haven't seen the film, check out the trailer below:
"This is what I hope my theater work does for people: it takes them inside worlds they're curious about but have no real access to; it bears witness to truths that many folks -- both government leaders and lay people -- try aggressively to distort or to ignore; it makes beauty and meaning out of sometimes ugly, sometimes confusing strands of human experience; it is a creative act that, while often standing in for a memory, can actually become a new memory, can become a new truth -- that, while telling one story, can actually become a new story and inspire the creation of yet other stories."
- Laura Wiley, Albany Park Theatre Project co-founder
If anyone ever asks you to play Cat Needs a Corner, wear elbow pads; bring Gatorade--at least if you're playing like Albany Park Theatre Project (APTP). Despite the heat of this muggy June evening at APTP, Artistic Director David Feiner and a circle of 30 teenagers are playing for keeps. The game, essentially a high-stress version of musical chairs, requires one unlucky player to stand in the center of a circle of seated players, begging for a chair, while everyone else tries to switch seats at random. (No actual cats or corners are involved.) During just half an hour, the teens survive several giggle-filled collisions with each other and many battles for chairs won by desperate scooching. The game ends with a roar of cheers when Feiner loses his seat at last.
Recently, a couple people have reminded me of the horrific duck face, and amazingly, Chicago news has already covered this annoying phenomenon in a TV "news" segment or whatever they call it. The guys who created the site must really know how the media works, because it was also discussed on a national show as well.
Go to approximately 35 seconds into the video, and you'll see the report.
Get ready for the return of Chicago's own Kanye West: After taking a hiatus from television after his headline-making, stage-stealing incident last year, the hip-hop superstar will return to live television at the 10th annual Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards.
Hosted by rapper/actress Queen Latifah, West will open the awards show with a performance of his latest song, "Power"; in addition, he is nominated for two awards in the Best Collaboration and Video of the Year categories.
"What will he do?" "What will he say?" "How will the audience react?"
Since the show will be live, these are indeed legitimate questions; however, West knows for sure all eyes will be on him. With that said, it should only be expected that he will not do anything other than put on one heck of a show (his awards show performances never disappoint) and not do anything to detract from his "moment."
But then again, this is Kanye West we're talking about...
To see for yourself, tune into the BET Awards tonight at 7pm!
There have been a series of reports about the layoffs and financial problems at WTTW (such as in the Tribune, Sun-Times, and Crain's). But it's Robert Feder's column that makes me wonder what is really wrong with that station, other than lack of funds.
According to Feder, the CEO is overpaid and incompetent. Since I don't work there, I don't know if he's really inept, but Feder lays out enough information to make us WTTW supporters wonder why he "was able to survive a near mutiny in 2003 when it was disclosed that the company paid for the luxury Lexus he drove (and the cars three other top executives drove) shortly after they'd laid off 56 employees -- one-quarter of the station's workforce" and links to an article about how he was bringing the station to financial ruin.
He also makes over $300,000, a result of a salary cut (according to Crain's). I know that executives usually make a lot of money because they're running large, complex organizations, but should executives of a listener- and grant-supported entity make that much, especially when the station is not doing well?
I highly recommend reading Feder's critique of the situation, in addition to the news stories. Then ask yourself: do you want to continue supporting a media outlet that is run by someone who seems to not be a good steward of what we've given him?
In 2008, we featured the production of Scrappers, a feature-length documentary film about laborers who collect scrap metal on the streets of Chicago. Two years later, co-directors Brian Ashby, Ben Kolak and Courtney Prokopas have wrapped up production with editor Aaron Wickenden and composer Frank Rosaly and are premiering the film at the Chicago Underground Film Festival on Sunday, June 27 at 4:45pm. The filmmakers will be present for a Q & A following the Sunday screening. Highly recommended.
Information about other screenings and events are available on the film's blog.
This will not be a long review; there's really no reason. There's no deep, existentialist examination of the human condition going on with Tom Cruise's action-comedy Knight and Day, and that's okay. I actually get a great deal of joy watching Cruise play fast and loose on screen; when he wants to be, he can be a great comic actor. The reason I never took to the Mission: Impossible films like I wanted to (except maybe the third one) is that they took themselves so damn seriously, and they really didn't need to. Knight and Day almost floats off the screen with cottonball weightlessness, but Cruise and his sly grin--and the attitude that fuels that grin--make this film a harmless couple hours spent watching attractive people pretend to get placed in the midst of some dangerous situations and come out the other side smiling and a little bit in love. I probably should have said "Spoiler Alert" right there, because there's no way you could have guessed any of that. Sorry. But please, even when Cruise is shot in this film, it's treated with the urgency of a kid in a Band-Aid commercial. Oopsie!
If there's an actual plot to Knight and Day, I totally missed it. Cruise is being chased down by assassins being led by Peter Sarsgaard because...no, see I knew this, and now I've lost it. I'm not quite sure why they're chasing him. I think there's a battery involved. No, seriously. Cruise meets June Havens (Cameron Diaz) on a plane going from Wichita to Boston, even though she's not supposed to be on the plane. He lovingly hijacks her person in an effort to protect her from the government baddies who clearly won't believe her when she tells them she doesn't know who Cruise's Roy Miller actually is. As much as Cruise's cavalier attitude toward even the most dangerous circumstances is enjoyable, it's also part of my problem with the film. We're never quite sure what we're supposed to be taking as a serious threat and what is a silly distraction.
Between filming her role as Winnie Mandela in the upcoming movie Winnie and recording a new album due in the fall, Jennifer Hudson is one busy lady. In addition, the singer/actress will be one of the stars profiled on the new season of VH1's "Behind the Music."
"Behind the Music" will feature Hudson from her days growing up with her family in Chicago, her time as a contestant on "American Idol," and her Academy-Award winning role in the movie Dreamgirls. The special, which includes interviews by "Idol" judge Randy Jackson, actor Jamie Foxx, and music producer Clive Davis, will also show Hudson speaking candidly for the first time about overcoming the tragedy involving the murder of her mother, brother, and nephew.
"Behind the Music: Jennifer Hudson," airs Monday, June 28 at 9pm on VH1. Catch a preview here:
Kate Flannery of NBC's "The Office" is having quite a week. This weekend she will be performing with her comedic faux-lounge act "The Lampshades," and her new Funny or Die video "Finger Babies" has already been voted best of the week!
"The Lampshades" will be part of Mayne Stage's (1328 W. Morse Avenue) grand opening weekend, with performances this Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling (773)381-4554 or visiting www.maynestage.com.
And here is the "Finger Babies" video from Funny or Die...careful if you're watching at work, it's a raunchy one!
Poster Cabaret, an online store specializing in gig posters and art prints, is offering its second annual 2010 Bicycle Art series. Several Chicago printmakers participated, each offering their own spin on the theme. Diana Sudyka's print features a spectral cyclist; Delicious Design League's, a bicycle family; Sonnezimmer's (pictured at left) is an homage to Cromwell Dixon, and Jay Ryan's features animals doing a BMX-ish trick (the "poster animals" of extreme sports?) Ryan's print is sold out, but others are still available for purchase.
This summer, Kevin Coval, one of Chicago's premier spoken word poets and co-founder of the youth poetry festival Louder Than a Bomb, will lead a camp dedicated to up-and-coming poets. The camp, called Check the Method, is open to writers ages 15-21 interested in honing their writing and performance skills. Check the Method will have two week-long sessions, one to be held at the Art Institute's Modern Wing from July 12-16 and the second at the Southside Community Arts Center from July 26-30.
Both sessions run from 10am to 3pm. Guest faculty will include Roger Bonair-Agard, Quraysh Ali Lansana, Krista Franklin, and Robbie Q. Telfer. The camp will conclude with a performance by its participants on July 30.
To join the camp experience, click here to fill out a registration form, submit three poems, and pay a registration fee. Scholarships are available, so don't be intimidated by the price!
Comedy isn't often both hip and queer, at least according to one of Chicago's hippest, queerest comedians, but it will be this weekend when The Hot D8 Campaign kicks off a mini tour in the midst of Gay Pride weekend.
"It's the opposite of that Gay Gays of Gay-type Tour," said Cameron Esposito, who performs with ukulele-strumming funnyman Ben Lerman and awkward-come-lovely comic Mo Welch in the queer-themed standup show.
"I think it's really hard for people to get on board if you're not also being like, 'Hey, here's something less shocking,'" Esposito said. "I like just getting into people's heads and rocking their world, but not making them feel uncomfortable while they're doing it."
If you are an artist looking for an exhibition space and/or looking to get more involved in the local artistic community this may be a good opportunity for you: The Chicago Artist's Coalition is currently accepting applications for their year-long CAC Coalition Gallery program. "Collaborative by design, entrepreneurial in spirit," says their press release, "CAC Coalition Gallery is a unique opportunity for Chicago artists to empower their careers by teaching them to run all aspects of a professional gallery while enjoying substantial support from CAC and a group of professional curators who will be invited to participate."
Twenty artists will be selected to exclusively participate in the program and exhibit in the space for a year. Rent and utilities are $65 a month (not bad for prime Wicker Park real estate) and you'll have to be actively involved in all aspects of the operation of the gallery. In exchange you'll get your work out there, learn about the logistics of running a gallery, and you'll make some friends.
The clock is ticking, though. Applications are due June 30. Click here for details.
Chicagoans love to gripe about road closures and congestion due to the common occurrence of movies being filmed on our beloved streets. But most of us also love spotting our favorite bar or a frequented bus stop on the big screen. This summer, our hoods have already become home to Ron Howard's new comedy, staring Vince Vaughn. Last Monday, a crowd gathered on Wabash to watch Vaughn chat on a cell phone outside of Central Camera for a scene. (I was personally scolded for trying to snap a blackberry pic so no photos, sorry.) Now it has been announced that Transformers 3 will be shot in Chicago as well -- from July 10 to August 19.
Last Friday at HungryMan Gallery, (2135 North Rockwell Street,) Aaron Fowler's opening reception of OCEAN debuted. Curated by Jason Lazarus, this show is a conglomeration of Fowler's photography created over an extended period of time. Running until July 11, a commonality extracted from OCEAN is the avenue of mnemonic transition of time which recalls the passage of travel as the measure of memories encapsulated.
Flamenco beats and Spanish flair will energize the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie this weekend as the 34th annual International American Spanish Dance Festival culminates in three performances of Flamenco Passion. A much-anticipated event each year, Northeastern Illinois University's Chicago's Ensemble Español Center for Spanish Dance and Music has once again brought together a sampling of the best in Spanish art, music, and dance for a celebration of "Spain in America." To close out a week of art exhibits, music performances, and master classes, Flamenco Passion will feature three world premieres, showcasing a wide range of flamenco styles.
Flamenco Passion performances will take place at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd. Friday, June 25 and Saturday June 26 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, June 27 at 3 pm Tickets are $26-$46. Free parking is available. For tickets or more information call 847-673-6300 or visit northshorecenter.org.
In case you missed it, here's the Betty Loren-Maltese interview that ran on Channel 5. I guess her appearances all over the media are to gain support or pity. But she stole more than 12 million dollars from the town that she was supposed to be caring for (yes, I knowingly used a dangling preposition just now). She was sent to prison for extreme corruption, but what changed? Let's hear an "I'm sorry" and "I realized I did a lot of harm to the people of Cicero and beyond." Not excuses.
Over the summer you will have the opportunity to check out one of the best art shows to be hung in Chicago in a long time. Roger Brown: Calif U.S.A. is an experience that is much more than what you will see at an average gallery tour. Curator Nick Lowe explores Roger Brown's obsessive collecting and arranging by showing us objects found in his La Conchita home loaded to the gills with pottery, sculpture, stones, and for lack of a better word, stuff. This arranging was about much more than everything having a place; it was about aesthetics. The arranging that Roger Brown was doing can be seen culminating into some of the greatest works of art Roger may have ever done: his Virtual Still Life series. This is the first ever exhibition that concentrates solely on this series of three-dimensional art works.
The painting aspect of each piece is almost indescribable: moving and vibrating on the surface of the canvas, they create a deep space which is activated by vibrant pottery sitting on a shelf attached to the painting. The frames, having been painted with metallic automotive paint, are subtle at first, but play a huge role in the success of each piece.
Roger Brown: Calif U.S.A.is up now through October 3 at the Hyde Park Art Center, visit their website for directions and more information.
I got a chance to meet Sarah Spain, who's one of the hosts of "Chicago's Best" (which I mentioned here before). I was at the Media Monolith (aka 190 N. State Street) and saw her, so I took a chance to actually talk to her for a few seconds. After asking her some biz-related questions, I complimented her on the fact that she's not a ditz, that she seems bright and witty. She thanked me and said something self-deprecating, which was funny in itself.
It's nifty to run into Chicago TV folks who don't know that I write for this site :D
How is it possible that the folks at Pixar keep managing to surprise me? Did I expect to like Toy Story 3? Well, yeah. What about Pixar or this franchise would lead you to believe anything else? I might have been a little concerned that the original film's director (and the second film's co-director) John Lasseter is only listed as one of three "story" men (the other two being Andrew Stanton and Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich); Michael Arndt, who won the screenwriting Oscar for Little Miss Sunshine, is credited with the screenplay.
But after about 10 minutes, I realized that this third installment in the adventures of Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Hamm, Rex and those weird little green rubber alien dudes was going to be the best one yet. Let's get the hyperbole out of the way right now. This is the best Toy Story movie, period. This is the best 3D experience I've ever had, period. And this is the best film of 2010 so far, arguably. And I pity those of you that don't have the ability to see this in IMAX, because the opening action sequence alone — which appears to take place in a Grand Canyon-like location — is worth the IMAX and 3D upcharges. And wait until you see the landfill dump section of the film. On the IMAX screen, you can almost smell it.
Local actor/comedian Alex Moffat has become a staple of the late night comedy scene, his El Show, a talk show featuring local performers of all stripes, holding down the midnight slot at iO's Del Close Theatre for several months now.
With his one-man show, Good Little Winnetka Boy, Moffat's moved into prime time, creating an "eccentric sketch and variety show" that explores the "small village" of his subconscious through "German standup comedy, 'ice skating' onstage, and good ol' fashioned piano playing at its finest." There are only two shows left, tonight and next Thursday, before Moffat sails off as part of a Second City cruise ship cast (a pretty sweet gig from what I gather), but he plans on reviving the show once he's back to Chicago. But that's only IF he decides to come back, so it's probably a good idea to catch it now.
Good Little Winnetka Boy plays tonight and next Thursday, June 24, at the Annoyance Theatre (4830 N. Broadway). Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online or by calling the box office: 773-561-HONK (4665).
This Saturday, Art Adventure! Events is hosting a free Art-About in West Town. With a trusty map in hand, participants are encouraged to stroll their way through the area's art attractions. The festival is meant to highlight the increased art activity in the West Town neighborhood, drawing those interested into this new area to create and learn from each other.
Twenty-five venues are offering a variety of activities, from simply perusing a gallery space to live music to wine tastings, even a tai chi demonstration! For a full listing of Art-About participants and offerings, click here.
The Art-About starts at the Sculpture Courtyard at 935 N Damen at 4pm. Drop by to pick up a map and explore a new area!
Since its debut in 1974, Ntozake Shange's for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf has been regarded by many as the premiere story about the experience of women of color in America. Here, director Toma Langston talks about his modern adaptation of Shange's work, and how the story still resonates today.
Ntozake Shange's for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf is probably one of the most popular literary works about women of color--why do you think this is so?
I think the poem--and each poem within it, is different and holds its own story. Each story is able to touch everyone and everyone is able to somehow relate somehow to the experiences that occur in the poem[s].
The One Nation, One Chicago film contest is gearing up to announce its winners tomorrow at the Street 2010: Urban International Festival at Millennium Park. Since launching at the beginning of 2010, One Nation, One Chicago strives to represent the 400,000+ population of Muslims in Chicago and bring their culture to a diverse platform. The organization held a film contest earlier this year for "stories bridging the faith and cultural gap" and have narrowed down their submissions to several finalists. One winner will be chosen for each category (comedy, drama, under 60 seconds, documentary, mobile digital media, and music video/spoken word/animation), and one grand prize winner will take home $20,000 -- a very nice sum of money for a young and talented filmmaker.
The pre-awards ceremony begins at 5pm tomorrow, June 17, at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph. Awards will be presented at 6:30. You can view the finalist before the ceremony at the LinkTV page for OneChicago, which also includes profiles on all of the contest's judges.
Susan Price and John Fenner Mays, photo by John W. Sisson, Jr.
Excuse my language, but there's just no other way to put it: there is some fucked up shit going on in Dog & Pony Theater Company's newest production, Dead Letter Office. This play has everything from ghosts to incest to old fruitcake going on all at once in the dreary basement of a post office in Minnesota.
The play (directed by Dog and Pony's Dieterich Gray) opens with our star, scarred ex-boxer Christian (John Fenner Mays) sleepily descending the staircase into the dead letter office, where he's worked for god knows how long, and has trudged a deep path of habit and monotony, which he's happy with. Happy enough, at least.
Long-running sketch group Schadenfreude and the soul, hip-hop and funk band The Jordan Years blend music and comedy with occasional rent party shows, but their Chicago Just For Laughs show pulls out all the stops adding some of the city's top comedians and a Grammy award-winning rapper.
"I've been racking my brain to try to figure out how to explain it, because you don't see a lot of things like this," said Justin Kaufmann, who makes up Schadenfreude with Kate James, Sandy Marshall, Adam Witt and Stephen Schmidt. "It's sort of rock and roll with actual comedy."
The 90-minute comedy hybrid show examines Chicago from an insider's perspective, facing the day-to-day jerking around city-dwellers face, from parking meter privatization to skyrocketing property taxes, the cutback of city services and the ever-rising crime rate. Schadenfreude performed at last year's inaugural Chicago Just For Laughs Festival and were invited back by the producers.
I'm sitting on the edge of the bed. The room is dark, filled with the sound of flesh smacking flesh and throaty "ahhhhhs." Next to me are huddles of middle aged men, standing, pants-off, half-hard. I'm sitting upright, purse in lap feeling a bit overdressed.
In front of me is a triple set of couples, all in the doggy-style position, fucking in front of a mirror. Guy on girl, guy on guy, guy on girl. The earthy smell of anal sex filters the air.
It's a swinger party. Or "lifestyle party" if you prefer. But something here is different. This party, Private Encounters, is Chicago's first and only all bisexual lifestyle party. Usually, guy on guy sex is sort of not allowed.
Impending thunderstorms didn't stop Chicagoans from baring it all and taking to the streets last night in the 7th annual World Naked Bike Ride. The event is a bold statement in celebrating freedom from oil, and in light of recent events in the gulf coast, this year's ride was particularly meaningful. Spectators and city officials alike seem to embrace the blatant display of public nudity and traffic disruptions each year in continued support of Chicago as a bike friendly city.
This summer, the Experimental Sound Studio is hosting another installment of its Florasonic series in the Fern Room at the Lincoln Park Conservatory.
During these hot (and now cloudy) summer months, anyone with a curious pair of ears can step into the Fern Room and hear the custom-styled composition of Max Alexander. Max is a musician, performer, and composer from Canada who currently resides in Chicago. His composition designed for the Fern Room is titled Half-Steps are Okay, an affirmation of the small steps along the journey to our larger goals.
Reflecting this in-between state, the composition in the Fern Room sounds a bit like a rehearsal that's yet to begin: snippets of conversations flicker in over short riffs on a guitar. As you walk through the room, you keep expecting to find a circle of people, a source of the sound, behind the thick green plants.
Experience it yourself now through August 31, from 9am to 5pm. The Lincoln Park Conservatory is located at 2391 N. Stockton Drive.
Sometimes TV news seems comical. Here you can see Patrick Kane drinking...and hear the play-by-play of it. (BTW -- the cab driver reference is about his attack on a cab driver last year.)
Editor's Note: This story was submitted by Patrick Boylan, editor of The Welles Park Bulldog.
The cool summer rains of the last few weeks have created a lush palette for the June garden walks.
The Lurie Garden guided walks continue throughout the summer, allowing visitors a fresh guided tour of Millennium Park. The Northtown Garden Walk, which starts in Indian Boundary Park, is the only evening garden walk in either the city or the suburbs that includes residential gardens. It is also one of the few garden walks to happen mid-week.
On the far South Side, the Historic Pullman Garden Club is holding a garden walk, but with just 10 days to go they have no details to help us, except the date and the place. At least we know the date and place.
In Oak Park and River Forest the garden walk starts at the Oak Park Conservatory. Like many suburban walks, this walk is probably not appropriate for people without cars. That sort of defeats the purpose, don't you think? Still, I'm sure the gardens are lovely.
A Jens Jensen garden design is promised for those who walk the Beverly Hills/ Morgan Park tour (yowzah!), while my own neighborhood will be showing hidden places and gems in North Center. Can you handle two more garden walks the same day? Park Ridge has another of those garden walks you do from a car, and the quiet little neighborhood of the Manor is trying to quietly have a garden walk and not tell anyone! But your intrepid writer knows and tells all.
The Manor isn't the only neighborhood to hide its beauty. Perhaps you know details of the Midway Garden Walk and would like to share them?
We are seeking to update the calendar with city and near suburban garden walks. If you'd like to include your garden walk in future updates, please write Patrick Boylan at Patrick@wellesparkbulldog.com.
Hey, everyone. Before we dive into this week's reviews, I wanted to alert you to a special event happening next week. As part of the Just for Laughs festival invading Chicago in the coming week, the Gene Siskel Film Center is screening two excellent works, including a preview of a superb documentary opening later in the summer across the nation.
At the SXSW Film Festival of 2009, I saw Winnebago Man, one of the best documentaries I saw that year (it made my 15 Best Docs list, coming in at #8). I felt for certain that this profile of one of the internet's first YouTube heroes, Jack Rebney ("the angriest man in the world"), would be released without hesitation. I guess with docs, it's a bit tougher to predict what will get released or catch on, but I can't imagine a single soul watching this movie and not finding some aspect utterly fascinating. Rebney's profanity laden outtakes from what appears to be an in-house selling tool for the Winnebago sales staff made the VHS rounds before they were put on YouTube, where millions of people giggled with delight at Rebney's seemingly insane rants. Part of the film is a thoughtful examination of what makes some internet clips a phenomenon and others seem forced and not as interesting. The rest of Winnebago Man is the search for the reclusive Rebney and attempts to get him to a found-footage film festival where he can meet his adoring fans. This part of the film is absolutely gripping and, in so many ways, heart wrenching.
For playwright Eugene Dillanado, the 60s marked an era where families and communities were very close and supportive; in his musical stage play Back in the Day, Dillanado tells the story of family, fun times, and the importance of maintaining a strong community.
Set in Chicago in the 1960s, Back in the Day is the story of a family that, despite challenges that come along the way, remains very close-knit, something Dillanado feels is lacking today. "I want people to become more mindful that they have the responsibility to bring back the sense of family and community. The kinds of things happening on our blocks and in our communities [now] wouldn't have been tolerated then," he says.
I started to watch "Bethenny Getting Married?" because I like "The Real Housewives of New York City" [Yes, a guilty pleasure! And be prepared to discuss, in a future post, what a Chicago version would look like], but it was quite awful. I don't care about Bethenny's wedding or baby or whatever enough to watch an entire series on all that. So I flipped to CNBC's "American Greed" which featured The Wheaton Bandit.
If you know about, or have been to, Wheaton, then the word "crime" wouldn't pop into your head. But this bandit got away with a lot of money from various banks in Geneva, Glen Ellyn, and other nice areas out in the western burbs. You can see a slideshow of what he was up to at the CNBC site.
The episode aired tonight, but if you want to watch it online, go to Hulu. It's the second part of the show, after the meth identity thieves. But do it soon. I'm afraid that they might yank it since it originally aired a few years ago, and I can't find it elsewhere on this month's schedule.
Looking for something to do tonight? A new standup comedy series called Comics and Villians is kicking off tonight at Lucky Numbers Grill (1931 N. Milwaukee) and I've been told it'll be a knee slapper. If you can't make it tonight, the show will continue every second Thursday of the month from here on out. Click here for details.
Up until July 7, Sense Objects exhibition at Noble and Superior opened this past Friday. The show consisted of a photo series and installation dealing with depiction through performative action and interactive perception of objects. Both works dealt with experience in contrasting manners, one through documentation, the other through experience.
Through the classic lens of black and white photography, Kate O'Neill's work does what it depicts. In her series, Third Law, she subjects the body into positions of oppressive banality. These portraits consist of a body, usually hers, in a posed position with part of the body either hidden or out of the frame. Hints of theatricality appear because all of the images are spontaneous but posed pictures based on performances. Through a cyclical point of view in Third Law, a critique of the "boring" is reiterated. Since this series is based on performances, the momentary element is present but her compositions are all too simplistic. Why try so hard to be boring? This series gave me nothing to remember it by except the fact that it bored me. As a young art consumer I was not attracted to these compositions.
In contrast to O'Neill's series, Rebecca Kressley's installation ON THE SOUTH LOCK OVER SHINE was one I was interested in experiencing. She has accumulated a plethora of natural but processed materials meticulously arranged on the space's floor. The scent of the peppercorn and mint was not pungent but begged the viewer to kneel onto the floor to waft in this unique mixture of glass shards and earth. The fragrance like the installation isn't permanent, ephemeral by design because the moment of experience, like the installation, is temporary. A sound loop, "Dragging the Hound," ran in the background, subtle but ostensible because of its striking low pulse. A deep whistle echoes in the room and creates a vibrancy that ties together the artifacts of the piece. It amplifies the fact that one is still present in this quasi environment. The reminiscence of nature conglomerated with man-made articles is vivified in this installation.
Tonight at midnight, in advance of the release of OSS 117: Lost in Rio, the Music Box Theatre is offering a free screening of OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies, the film that introduced moviegoers to French secret agent Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, aka OSS 117. De la Bath looks like James Bond but acts more like a combination of Maxwell Smart and Inspector Clouseau, bumbling his way through international intrigue in the streets and souqs of Cairo.
The screening is free, but you do need to RSVP online to reserve your seat. OSS 117: Lost in Rio opens Friday at the Music Box, 3733 N. Southport Ave.
Jerry Pritikin, gay rights activist and photographer, has experienced a tumultuous chapter of U.S. history and lived to tell about it. San Francisco in the 1970's is the title of his photography exhibit at Gage Gallery, as well as a simple explanation for the framework of his life as a gay man.
Calling all starving artists! Gorilla Tango Financial and the Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship have teamed up to help you make your creative business goals a reality. The IAE offers a two-week Creative Enterprise Boost Camp where artists and creative professionals who are aspiring to launch and run their own creative businesses learn the fundamentals of business development. Now, Gorilla Tango Financial and the IAE have made it possible for qualified attendees to earn up to $10,000 of funding for creative enterprise start-ups, or small- or medium-sized businesses upon successful completion of the Boost Camp.
Additionally, beginning in January 2011, students will have the opportunity to apply for an additional $25,000 to continue developing their enterprise while pursuing coursework at the IAE. The institute provides learning modules throughout the year, which are organized so that artists and creatives can attend classes while taking minimal time away from work. Students finish a module in either a series of four or five weekends, or in an intensive Wed.--Sun. module. The IAE offers three modules per year.
This Friday is the start of the World Cup and what better way to start that off than to grab your copy of "The Globe" by local photographer Chester Alamo & Costello at The Globe and talk international sport with people from around the world. Joined by a myriad of writers, contributors local art and sport buffs Chester will be selling and signing his newest book of photographs at 7pm at the Globe Pub, 1934 W. Irving Park Rd.
If you're feeling a little blue next Wednesday, you may want to test your luck at the open call auditions for the notorious Blue Man Group. Auditions are being held on June 16 from 11am to 5pm at the Briar Street Theatre, located at 3133 North Halsted St. Both blue men and women who are skilled drummers and actors are encouraged to audition, but beware the height requirement: 5'10" - 6'1" are all these look-a-likes will accept!
For more information on Blue Man casting, including how to prepare for an audition, visit www.bluemancasting.com.
Diane Patterson tells a story at Webster's Wine Bar, photo by Julie Sadowski.
Storytelling in Chicago has a long and rich history, with notable champions including Studs Terkel, who recorded the experiences of every day people's lives in books like "The Good War": An Oral History of World War II, and Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression, which won him a Pulitzer Prize; and Ira Glass, who made storytelling hip with This American Life. One of the most visible storytelling organizations around is The Moth, which began in New York 13 years ago, and has since found anchor in L.A., Detroit and Chicago. Martyr's has become the Chicago home to The Moth's StorySlam, and since last November fills to capacity on the last Tuesday of every month for live storytelling. Each StorySlam has a theme, prospective storytellers drop their names into a hat, and if their name is called they have five minutes to wow the judges and the audience. Stories must be told from memory (no notes allowed), and are recorded for possible airtime on The Moth Radio Hour. As storytelling goes, it's fairly high pressure for readers -- those lucky enough to have their names pulled from a hat stand above the audience on a raised, spotlit stage, the proceedings are recorded, and storytelling hopefuls must wait in anticipation as names are called one by one. Teams of judges dole out scores that range from 1 to 10, and at the end of the night a winner is declared.
Philippe Halsman once said that the act of jumping allowed a person's personality to be freed up in a way that revealed the true self. No doubt he'd find the act and art of becoming a zombie an even greater revelation. Choosing the most high profile spot in the city, zombies met in downtown's Millennium Park and marched from 4-6pm this past Saturday even with gusts of heavy rain coming down unpredictably. They had an energy recalling any of the best marches. (Chants included: "What do we want? BRAINS! When do we want them? NOW). Zombies journeyed from Millennium Park to the Marina Towers made famous by Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album to Daley Plaza to Buckingham Fountain. One thing was clear throughout their trek: no matter what age, gender, or race a little fake blood has the possibility to bring people together for a truly shared experience like none in the alive world. Perhaps it take a little death to make us all appreciate the goodness in life.
On Monday, June 7th, get ready for a double dose of Chicago's own Craig Robinson ("The Office," Hot Tub Time Machine): The multi-talented actor and comedian will host two different shows on both network and cable television.
The funnyman from the South Side is the new host of NBC's "Last Comic Standing," the network's reality TV competition for stand-up comedians. Here is a clip of him introducing the new season:
On the music side, Robinson, a musician in his own right, hosts VH1's "Hip Hop Honors: The Dirty South," a special that pays tribute to hip hop artists and producers from the South.
The two-hour premiere of "Last Comic Standing" airs at 7pm on NBC-5 and "Hip Hop Honors: The Dirty South" airs at 8pm on VH1.
In "Of Fleeting Things," dance choreographer Dmitri Peskov explores the brevity of life and the events that affect it. For Peskov, "Life itself consists of fleeting things: Suffering, beauty, prayer, meditation, the follies of human relationships--all pass and all end."
"Of Fleeting Things" is the story of two characters who are opposites: One, played by dancer Paul Christiano, begins with a comedic persona that ends tragically; the other, played by Peskov, starts "in darkness but ends in light." Peskov is also featured in several solo performances including "Falling Man" and "Narcissus," performed silently and without clothing.
The Dmitri Peskov Dance Theatre's makes its debut with the world premiere of "Of Fleeting Things" at Links Hall, 3435 N. Sheffield, Friday and Saturday, June 11 and 12 at 8pm, and Sunday, June 13 at 7pm. Tickets are $15-$18, ($12 for students) and are available at Links Hall or by calling 773-281-0824.
I finally got away to look at some art this weekend, and what a weekend it was, at least at David Weinberg Gallery where they opened "Wheatley, Kaiser-Smith & Glink". With a title which sounds more like a law firm than an art show I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised when I walked into a room full of small abstract explorations. Rhonda Wheatley is seemingly exploring thought, how thoughts are projected, and how experiences are perceived. She is exploring memory and, I don't know if she would necessarily agree with me on all this, but it seems that she is allowing memory to exist without language. Wheatley's collage's, all untitled, are the thoughts we have before we make the effort of turning them into words. These works seem to show the inadequacy of verbal communication and the poetry of visual communication.
Beyond Wheatley came Yvette Kaiser-Smith, a local sculptor who came here from Czechoslovakia via Texas and is utilizing the structure of math, particularly through crocheting, to organize the world. Delicate hanging geometric sculptures, made by crocheting fiberglass and coating it with a resin, reach out from the wall allowing you to move around it and take in every angle you can. In the final Gallery was Marissa Glink whose Ceramic sculptures topped the show off nicely. I must say I don't know much about ceramics, so that's all I will say about those. If you saw the show and have something to say about Marissa's work, or anyone elses, please feel free to leave a comment.
I saw a rerun of an episode of "History Detectives" that featured the Columbian Agency, which was located in Chicago from the late 19th to early 20th century. According to a historian on the program, "If you were in South State Street in the late 1800s, early 1900s, this was the heart of what they called 'Satan's Mile'. It was an area that was like a virtual shopping centre of sin. You could get anything you wanted: gambling houses, houses of prostitution, mayhem." There were also a lot of marriage bureau scams in that area, and The Columbian Agency was one of them.
If you want to read the transcript of that episode, you can see the PDF version or read it as a webpage.
Every summer for the past five years, Harold Arts has hosted a residency program for emerging and mid-career artists and musicians on a farm in rural Ohio. As a send-off for this year's program, the Chicago-based nonprofit arts organization presents Six Rooms, a one-night only event at Logan Square gastropub Longman & Eagle.
On Saturday, June 5, local artists Carson Fisk-Vittori, Jesse Harrod, Brian McNearney, David Moré, Edra Soto, and Casey Ann Wasniewski install works in six rooms above the restaurant (future suites in an unopened-as-of-yet boutique hotel). Meanwhile, Dan Bitney (Tortoise), Matt Lux (Isotope 217), and Joe Adamik and Jim Becker (Califone) furnish some live music. There will also be an auction of works by local artists. The event costs $15 (includes a Belgian ale and hors d'oeuvres) and begins at 9pm. Limited space available, so RSVP to rsvp@haroldarts.org. We highly suggest clearing some room in your schedule for this special event.
After viewing Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's Summer Series, which opened last night, June 3, 2010 at Harris Theater, I can't help but feel a lingering sense of enchantment. HSDC showcased the remarkable range of its dancers with the comic yet ethereal "Bitter Suite," the intoxicating world premiere of "Untouched," and the athletically-demanding "Bordo."
A scene from "Untouched." Photo by Todd Rosenberg
Jorma Elo's opening piece "Bitter Suite," updated since it was first performed by HSDC in 2009, provided a welcome last-minute change to the company's program line-up. Elo's choreography for eight dancers perfectly proportioned both quirkiness and pure elegance. With lifts appearing so deceptively effortless and movements impossibly fluid, there were times I felt as though I were watching an underwater ballet. Yet, just as I became swept away by the graceful beauty of the choreography, comedic and ironic steps would break the spell; repeatedly, I went from silently mesmerized to laughing aloud. The humorous puppeteering of HSDC dancers and accentuation of the body's hard angles somehow became perfectly natural extensions of the sinuous classical ballet lines, and the backdrop of Mendelssohn and Monteverdi compositions.
Easily the funniest film of the year so far, Get Him to the Greek also manages to capture elements of the present-day music industry by dropping its hero, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand, reprising his Forgetting Sarah Marshall character persona), directly into the epicenter of the music scene. And it's this level of authenticity that results in many of the laughs before a single joke is told. Wisely enough, writer-director Nicholas Stoller and producer Judd Apatow take their approach with Knocked Up (remember, Katherine Heigl worked for E!, putting her in close proximity to a parade of famous faces). Aldous is on every TV show from MTV to the "Today Show" and is seen in the company of singers from Pink to Christina Aguilera (and that's just in the first five minutes of the movie). The filmmakers establish early that anything is possible and anyone might show up.
Now normally I'm not a fan of a string of cameos passing for comedy, but anyone who dares step in front of these cameras does not come out unscathed on the other side. Right off the bat, I have to give credit to three people with brief appearances in Get Him to the Greek: "Showbiz Tonight's" Brooke Anderson, "Today's" Meredith Vieira, and Metallica's Lars Ulrich. The two chat show anchors pull off incredibly tough scenes, one opposite Aldous and his lady love and superstar singer Jackie Q (Rose Byrne, brilliantly channeling a mash-up of Fergie and Lily Allen), and the other Aldous and record company peon Aaron Green (Jonah Hill, not playing his Sarah Marshall character). As for Ulrich, the things that Aldous says to him are too dead on and rude to ruin here.
Going from a career in engineering to an acting career may seem extreme to some; however, for Chicago-born actress and producer Mekita Faiye, this bold move was a seamless transition that proved that your dreams really can come true. Here, the South Side native talks about trading in math and science equations for the bright lights of Hollywood, and also her new movie Speed-Dating, which hits theatres this week.
How did you get started in acting and producing?
It's interesting because I've been onstage since I was little--acting, singing, dancing and things like that. I was also good in math and science, and when you're good at that, you're pushed in that direction. I later decided pursue engineering, which I still love to this day; however, it was so challenging, that once I got my Bachelor's degree in engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), I really didn't have time to do things that I loved and had done all my life.
Ladies and gents, put your dancing shoes on. Chicago Dance Crash is hosting auditions to join their elite dance crew for the 2011 season. Dance Crash is looking for athletic contemporary dancers to either join as ensemble members or are willing to be guest artists. If you are chosen as a company member, you will receive a hourly rehearsal salary and performance stipend. It's a perfect opportunity for all those unemployed dancers out there to do what they love and get paid for it.
The audition will include a warm-up and excerpts from Dance Crash's repertoire. They recommend that each dancers brings a headshot and resume though it is not required to audition. Walk-ins are welcome however it is encouraged that you RSVP to Mark Hackman at mhackman@chicagodancecrash.com by June 17 if you are interested. Auditions are being held at the Visceral Dance Center (2820 N. Elston Chicago) on June 20 and sign-in starts at 2:30 pm. Good luck!
Improv group Almost ATLANTA (Tj Jagodowski, Noah Gregoropoulos, Annie Calhoun, Annie Donley, Linda Orr, and Ted Tremper) kicks off the first Chicago Live! Festival tonight with a "Dream Team Thursdays" show at A Red Orchid Theater. With the Chicago Live! Festival, "Almost ATLANTA seeks to engage, delight and astound audiences by incorporating art from every medium with long form improvisation." The festival will test the bounds of improv by combining it with theatre, music, dance, and other art forms not typically associated with improv.
"Dream Team Thursdays" aims to showcase teams that are a mixture of veteran and novice improvisers, and artists from other disciplines. Amongst tonight's teams that are performing, there will be musical improv, improv that features spoken word poetry, and psychic improv, amongst other types of performance. These types of performance are a creative departure from what's typically seen on a Chicago improv stage, and the results will certainly be an entertaining and intriguing treat to watch.
"Dream Team Thursdays" starts tonight at 7 p.m. at A Red Orchid Theater (1531 North Wells Street). You can reserve tickets online or purchase them at the door. The Festival runs June 3-6 and June 10-13, and more details can be found here.
The beauty of spoken word lies in its diversity; whether it comes via social issues, everyday life, political statements, or even erotica, spoken word artistry is a poetic form of expression that has something for everyone.
At the "Kings of Poetry," held recently at Kenwood Academy, the audience was treated to five spoken word artists with very different styles and messages. Hosted and produced by Chicago spoken word artist Blaq Ice, a South Side native who began his poetry career in the early 90s, the "Kings of Poetry" took the audience on a poetic adventure with their a variety of subjects that included youth violence, spirituality, relationships, gentrification, and even the headaches of highway construction.
On July 7, the Chicago Loop Alliance will unveil internationally-renowned artist Tony Tasset's giant eyeball in Pritzker Park. No, not the artist's actual eyeball (don't go macabre on us), but a 30-foot-tall sculpture that will serve as one of two centerpieces to CLA's inaugural "Art Loop 2010." The three-story "Eye" will reside in the park at the corner of State Street and Van Buren through October 31.
In addition to "Eye," the artist has created "Cardinal," an installation of 156 banners that will appear on State Street lamp posts from Congress Parkway to Wacker Drive, and unfurl to reveal the state bird, a bold red cardinal. Tasset has commented, "I hope both 'Eye' and 'Cardinal' change the everyday experience for pedestrians and drivers along State Street. The image of the flying bird is quieting and humble in contrast to the commercial bustle surrounding it, while the enormous scale of the 'Eye' serves to miniaturize its surroundings."
CLA will present a series of free public programs from July through October based on "Eye" and "Cardinal." Check out CLA's Website for forthcoming details. And be sure to check out the "Eye" and "Cardinal" beginning July 7 (although, with an "Eye" that size, how could you miss it?).
From the minds (and hips) that brought burlesque to Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' comes Hot & Heavy Burlesque's Tribute to 'This is Spinal Tap'. Playing at the Viaduct Theater (3111 N. Western Avenue) from Friday June 4th through Sunday June 6th, the classic mockumentary is re-imagined with a little glitter, a little latex, and a lot of shimmy.
A full cast of Chicago actors will perform the classic, quotable scenes with burlesque dancers giving their interpretations mixed in. The bevy of burlesque vixens promise to go to 11 with all your Spinal Tap favorites including Sex Farm, Stonehenge, Big Bottom, Heavy Duty, Bitch School, and more.
This Saturday, June 5, Lillstreet Art Center will offer free workshops as a part of its open house. Workshops for adults and children will be held from noon to 5pm. Adult workshop topics include drawing, jewelry (with materials ranging from metal to glass to wire), digital photography, knitting, and wheelthrowing. With a dedicated team of resident artists on hand to demonstrate techniques and assist you, you're sure to leave the center with a new self-made piece of art and some serious skills!
In addition to the workshops, art by the students and faculty of the center will be on display, and guests are welcome to take a tour through the building. Free snacks will be provided by First Slice Pie Cafe.
Lillstreet Art Center is located at 4401 N Ravenswood Ave. For workshop times and more information, visit their website or call (773) 769-4226.
Kellie Epperheimer in "Untouched." Photo by Todd Rosenberg
This week, June 3-6, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago will conclude its 2009-2010 season, presenting its Summer Series at Harris Theater. The company caps off its year of dance with two pieces from past repertoire and one world premiere.
The program opens with Jorma Elo's "Bitter Suite,"* first performed by HSDC in fall 2009. The company's world premiere of Aszure Barton's "Untouched" follows. Barton is noted for creating "dense environments on stage in which each performer is an individual and all are united by a shared language." To conclude the Summer Series, HSDC will reprise Toru Shimazaki's "Bardo," which the company first presented in 2006. Set to international rhythms, Shimazaki's piece has been noted for its athleticism and visual images, as dancers convey a journey between life and after world.
Regular readers will know I'm a big fan of Chicago Underground Comedy, which showcases Chicago's funniest people Tuesdays at 9pm at the Beat Kitchen. Tonight's show is extra special, as ChUC co-producer Dan Telfer is releasing his split CD (also featuring Greg Proops and Paul F. Tompkins), and the ChUC celebrates its 5th Anniversary. Tonight is a ChUC who's who: Tony Sam (who co-founded the show with Brooke Van Poppelen), CJ Sullivan (of Visitor's Locker Room), Rick Carmona, and Nick Vatterot will be there too.
Few better things to do on a Tuesday night in Chicago. See you there.
Teatro Luna, Chicago's first and only all-Latina theater ensemble, return this weekend with GL 2010 (Not Your Generic Latina), a riff on their inaugural piece from 2000, Generic Latina. The company has assembled a crop of Latina artists to construct this brand new play, which will use a smattering of original music, spoken word, and new autobiographical stories to further Teatro Luna's continuing examination of Latina identity and mission to break down cultural stereotypes.
"With everything that is currently going on in this country regarding immigration, the Arizona fiasco and human rights debates raging on everywhere you look, we knew the timing was right for this ensemble to create a show like GL 2010, which reflects the conversations, questions, and struggles our own community--along with those around the nation--is having right now, today!" says director and ensemble member Miranda Gonzalez.
"We are shifting from a founder and personality driven organization to a mission-driven one," says managing director, Alex Meda.
GL 2010 (Not your Generic Latina) previews June 5, 6, 7, & 9 at 7:30pm and opens on June 10 at 7:30pm at Chicago Dramatists (1105 W. Chicago Ave). The show runs through July 11, 2010, with performances Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3 and 6pm. Tickets are $12 for previews, $15 on Thursdays & Sundays and $20 on Fridays and Saturdays during the general run. Tickets can be purchased on their website and at Brown Paper Tickets. For group sales call 773-878-LUNA (5862).
A big "thank you" to so many of you who submitted photographs to the Gapers Block and Explore Chicago neighborhood landmarks contest! We reviewed your submissions and selected two winners based on their photographs and descriptions of their favorite neighborhood landmarks. The winners will receive a free Southwest Airlines ticket to fly a friend to Chicago for the weekend.
We received too many entries to display them all! Check out the winners' photographs and descriptions, as well as submissions by runners up, after the jump.
Found Footage Festival was started in 2004 by Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher, who in 1991 stumbled upon a McDonald's training video entitled Inside and Outside Custodial Duties at a McDonald's in their home state of Wisconsin, and never stopped collecting. Since that fateful day, they have compiled an impressive collection of absurd footage, which is uploaded onto their website. With a background in comedy (their resumes include stints at The Late Show with David Letterman, The Onion, and Entertainment Weekly), they've taken their show on the road numerous times over the past six years, and are currently on tour screening the 1985 film Computer Beach Party, described in their press release as "one of the most wonderfully awful movies ever found on VHS". FFF comes to The Empty Bottle on Sunday, July 18 with their hidden gem of a film.
The cool summer rains of the last few weeks have created a lush palette for the June garden walks. 
