Quickcard Review - "The Astronaut Farmer"

Plot: "The Astronaut Farmer" is about ... well, a man named Farmer, who is a farmer and wants to be an astronaut ... so he builds a rocket.

Who's it for: If you were a fan of "Space Cowboys," or any movie involving space exploration, this film takes another look at outer space holding our dreams. It's more of a family film, with children hopefully learning to reach for their goals no matter what, though it probably won't be enough for die-hard fans of the film's creators, the Polish Brothers ("Twin Falls Idaho," "Northfork").

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Scorecard Review - "The Number 23"

Plot: Walter Sparrow is a run-of-the-mill normal man. He's an animal control officer who loves his work and his family. He stumbles upon the book "The Number 23" and his life takes a turn for the worse. Walter becomes obsessed with the novel and the number, starting to worry he could be capable of truly awful things.

Who's it for: Thriller die-hards who want to see Jim Carrey stretch his acting in a new direction ... although this isn't that good of a direction. Plus, if you are happy Virgina Madsen is back on the map, you could pull a double-feature. Madsen is co-starring in "The Astronaut Farmer" with Billy Bob Thornton, which also opened Feb. 23.

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Billy Bob Thornton - "The Astronaut Farmer" - Interview

Billy Bob chats with Beep about his change of (s)pace

Billy Bob Thornton has a swagger, there is no doubt about it.

At the Pennisula Hotel, Thornton sat down with myself and two other reporters. He started drawing on a little pad of paper, making quick eye contact at best, quiet. Then, a couple minutes later, he revealed what he was drawing, a quick sketch of one of the reporters. Thornton gave a smirk, and that was that.
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Virginia Madsen - 'Astronaut Farmer' and '23' - Interview

Beep chats with Virginia Madsen, Chicago’s lucky number 23

With two films opening up on the same day, people might start thinking Virginia Madsen’s new lucky number is 23. After all, one of the films is called “The Number 23,” the other being “The Astronaut Farmer.”

“I stayed away from that whole enigma,” Madsen says. I’m not superstitious about anything, though I don’t try and tempt the fates.”
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First Place ICPA Sports Column Award

Here's the thing. I didn't even know I was nominated. The school paper I wrote for last year sent in one of my articles. Turns out, people liked it.

Even though I would have much rather won for a film review, instead of a semi-sports article about how difficult it is to get Chicago Cubs tickets, it's good to win.

click here to read ... the award winning article (I probably won't get to say that too often in my life.)

Beep's 2006 Scorecard Movie Awards - Final Results

Beep's Scorecard Movie Awards: A 'Little' variety; a lot of 'The Departed'

The results are in, and “The Departed” is clearly the fan favorite for all the people that voted in Beep’s Scorecard Movie Awards.

As always, we don’t just get winners with the awards, we get to see the losers as well. Yes, “Eragon,” and “The Da Vinci Code,” I’m talking to you.

The magic number this year is five votes. This means a movie needed at least five votes to be considered for eligibility.

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(click here to see the total results)

Hoopdancing - a new exercise - Feature

Get into the groove with hoopdancing

The hula hoop. For most it immediately conjures up memories from childhood, but 32-year-old Heather Crosby’s hoping hoops will soon have exercise on your mind.

Crosby is one local instructor now offering “hooping” or “hoopdance” classes. It’s a new way to work out that teaches coordination, boosts cardio-vascular endurance and tones your entire body from fingertips to ankles.
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Should Oscars have a Comedy Category? - Debate

Should comedies have their own category at the Oscars? Yes

Of course, comedies should have their own category at the Academy Awards. I was thinking of adding an exclamation point, but I think you get the point — I’m fired up.

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American Idol and British TV judges - A hate-hate relationship - TV Feature

Judges in popular reality TV shows underscore our perception of the Brits

There is one in every group, making sarcastic comments, belittling people, and acting pompous. I’m not talking about your circle of friends; I’m talking about reality TV. And in almost every case these brash, ego-centric TV personalities have one thing in common: They’re British.
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Scorecard Movie Awards

Beep's Scorecard Movie Awards

Register, Vote, and Forward it Along.

2006 Film Wrap-up by Chicago Clubline- Feature

click on the image above to open and read.
The February issue of Chicago Clubline is now out.
Check out http://www.clubline-chicago.com/ on where to pick up an issue.