My Kind Of Band..."Now More Than Ever: The History Of Chicago"

Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago (2016)

Not Rated

Starring: Chicago

Directed by Peter Pardini

The Story:

The band you know. The story you don't. Follow their history from their creation in 1967 (!!) until their long overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It's a nearly career defining retrospective, warts and all.

I would imagine that for most casual fans of Chicago, you know the band, you know the logo, but likely aside from Peter Cetera, you probably don't know their names.

The documentary will help erase that and give them their due as one of the longest tenured rock bands still performing today.

Naturally, as with most rock bands, it wasn't all sunshine and roses, and the biggest piece missing from this documentary is the inclusion of Peter Cetera.

However, that's not for a lack of trying.

Whatever beef he's got with the band, he's not letting go, which is a shame.

He was a huge part of their success in the 80s, though producer David Foster will happily let you know it was all him. :)

This documentary is currently streaming on Netflix.

Final Grade: B+

A Tale Of Two Coaches... "The '85 Bears"

The 85 Bears (2016)

Directed by Jason Hehir

The Story:

The Chicago Bears have fired their coaching staff, but the defense begs the owners not to let Buddy Ryan go. They feel they are on the verge of something great. Ryan isn't fired, but he isn't promoted to head coach. Instead, they bring in Mike Ditka to lead the team. This doesn't sit very well with Ryan, but he focuses on the defense, and his players rally around him to form quite possibly the greatest defensive team ever in the history of the NFL.

Another excellent installment from ESPNs 30 For 30, the focus on the Bears is an amazing tale of two coaches, and really, two different teams that were playing on the same field.

There was Buddy Ryan's defense and that amazing wall of talent: Dent. Singletary. McMichael. Etc.

Then there was the rest of the team, anchored by the legendary Walter Payton that was under the leadership of Mike Ditka who brought in Jim McMahon to lead the team to greatness.

A good number of the players are on hand to talk about that season and how special it was.

And it's amazing to think that the Bears would only win 1 championship with that amount of talent.

Most of that is owed to the fact that perhaps Ditka wasn't that great of a coach after all. He needed Ryan, and Ryan didn't have the talent when he left town to ever really build anything that was Super Bowl worthy.

Ditka was never able to duplicate his success elsewhere either, and looking back through this documentary, he basically got handed lightning in a bottle, so it was more the team than the coach that brought Chicago the trophy.

The other likely reason they didn't repeat was that late-season injury to McMahon with one of the dirtiest plays you'll ever see.

If that were to happen in today's game, Goodell would probably have the culprit executed for such a vicious attack on a quarterback long after the play was over.

But then when Ditka turned outside of his own team to bring in Doug Flutie to try and save the game...

Well, the rest of that story is history.

Currently streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade:  A-

Chicago Is In Good Hands... "Running Scared"

Running Scared (1986)
Rated R for violence and language and nudity

Starring Billy Crystal, Gregory Hines, Joe Pantoliano, Dan Hedaya, Jimmy Smits

Directed by Peter Hyams

The Story:

Detectives Ray (Hines) and Danny (Crystal) are two of Chicago's finest.  However, when the duo are almost killed, their Captan (Hedaya) orders them to take a vacation.  A trip to the Florida Keys convinces them that perhaps it's simply time to retire and open a bar.  As they go to finish up their tour on the force, the two become very conservative in their behavior, and that could prove costly as they attempt to take down local drug kingpin Julio Gonzales (Smits).

Long live the Buddy Cop film!

Although this film takes a different slant on the buddy cop genre.

Instead of the duo being oil and water, Ray and Danny are like an old married couple.

They can complete each other's sentences, know what one another is thinking...

In other words, best friends on and off the force.

Hines and Crystal's chemistry serves the duo well, allowing both to take on the air of serious action stars while maintaining their sense of humor and general likeability.

The supporting cast is great.

Hedaya makes a wonderful beaten down head of detectives an Pantoliano is perfectly cast as two bit villain Snake.

Some great dialogue, pretty fun action sequences, and you'll find this is one of the underrated action comedies of the mid-80s.

Final Grade: A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I own it, and I love it.

If The Shue Fits... "Adventures in Babysitting"

Adventures in Babysitting (1987)
Rated PG-13 for Language

Starring Elisabeth Shue, Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, Anthony Rapp, Penelope Ann Miller

Directed by Chris Columbus

Recognize the poster by Drew Struzan? :)

The Story:

Chris (Shue) is going to babysit 3 kids (Brewton, Coogan, Rapp) when her date (Bradley Whitford) stands her up.  Ah, but one fateful call from best friend Brenda (Miller) sets the foursome out on the wilds of Chicago to pick her up from the bus station.  Naturally, one crazy night filled with mishaps and adventures ensues.  Will they survive the night and make it back to the suburbs in one piece?

Rose colored glasses need not apply to this review.

I remember watching a bit of this back in 1987. 

I was mostly bored.

Uh-Oh...This Review Won't End Well...

Fast forward over 25 years later and I caught this one again and thought, hey, maybe I was too young  or preoccupied to care for this cimematic classic.

Nope.

Still mostly bored.

:)

Don't get me wrong, there was a few good gags and chuckles along the way, but for the most part, I am indifferent to the film.


I'll admit, the random needing to sing the blues to get out of the club was a pretty funny scene.

Possibly the Best Part of the Movie

For those that this was ingrained as an important part of your 80s viewing habits, rock on.

Much like Say Anything, I wonder if I had watched it and enjoyed it at the time, if I wouldn't be singing a different tune.   Then it would be a classic for me instead of "meh, it was okay, but nothing special..."

I suppose I could try again...

I'll save it for the 50 year anniversary.

:)

Final Grade: C+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Nah, but I can at least cross another 80s film I've never seen off the list.  One step closer to finally seeing E.T.

America's First Serial Killer..."Madness in the White City"

Jack the Ripper's got nothing on H.H. Holmes!

The Story:

1893, Chicago, home of the World's Fair.  Chicago pulls out all the stops to be awarded the spectacle that will bring thousands of people and dollars to their city.  Meanwhile, just outside the city, a deranged man begins constructing an elaborate hotel... of death!

This is the true story of how both stories intertwined.

Courtesy of the National Geographic Channel comes an interesting if somewhat uneven documentary that chronicles two different things.

One, is the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

Talk about a blast from the past, this one had it all, electricity, motion pictures, the Ferris Wheel.  It's an amazing walk down memory lane at how inventive Americans were, and how many cool things came about at that fair.

It also discusses how Chicago had to work at a breakneck speed to prepare for the Fair, and literally finished just in time.

The second, is Holmes, who would become America's first (known?) serial killer.  This madman devised a torture chamber hotel and lured women who came to Chicago for the Fair to their doom.

The exact number of victims will remain lost to time, but it's pretty creepy from start to finish and puts a scary twist on the otherwise impressive feat that Chicago pulled off.

It's amazing how Holmes was eventually caught, and the suspicious circumstances of what became of his hotel of horrors...

Fun Fact of the documentary: They explain how Chicago became known as the "Windy City", and it's not for the reason you might think!


Now available for streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I think I'm good with watching it once, but I hear there is another documentary out there on the Fair itself, and I think I'd like to learn a little more about that one.  I'll let you know if/when I see it. : )