Barbara Roche, Author at Reel Chicago News

City gained $24 million from 2010 ‘Transformers’

By Ruth L Ratny Jul 2, 2011

A REASON WHY Illinois loves those big Hollywood films that show up every year or so. The Michael Bay-directed Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon, dropped $24 million here last sum...

Paskal Rudnicke hosting Mickey Grossman memorial tapings

By Ruth L Ratny Jun 5, 2011

THE LATE MICKEY GROSSMAN'S many friends, colleagues and clients can share their stories and feelings about him on tape, courtesy of his good friends, casting directors Mickie Pa...

Cinespace ground-breaking set for week of May 9

By Ruth L Ratny May 1, 2011

AT LONG LAST – Cinespace Studios will officially open during a ground-breaking ceremony on a date to be set during the week of May 9 -- nearly 18 months after its planned pur...

Upcoming ratings crucial for “Chicago Code’s” second season

By Ruth L Ratny Apr 18, 2011

“CHICAGO CODE” creator and executive producer Shawn Ryan, who was honored at the Hugo Awards last week, told guests that the show’s ratings for the next three weeks will ...

AFTRA cancels ‘Chicago Code’ preview

Feb 2, 2011

The timing was unfortunate but the blizzard made cancellation Wednesday of an advance screening of “The Chicago Code’s” first episode inevitable. The screening would’...

What took them so long?

Apr 14, 2010

The Film Unit of Teamsters Local 727 hit a momentous historical milestone March 10 when it admitted -- are you ready for this? -- its very first female member in its 70 year his...

In memoriam

Legendary filmmaker John Hughes dies suddenly at 59

By Ruth Ratny Aug 7, 2009

Legendary filmmaker John Hughes, who singlehandedly created and sustained Chicago's film industry in the 1980s and 1990s, died of a heart attack Aug. 6, while in Manhattan, whe...

Chicago adbiz scoring ONE item out of 370 year-end recaps in Ad Age confirms invisibility status

Dec 21, 2007

Chicago ad agencies have been increasingly and conspicously MIA in national trade publications. Either agency PR departments are out for coffee, or they are non-existent. (Exce...

Animators special report, Part II

Jun 24, 2004

by Ed M. Koziarski This is the second of a two-part report. BEACON ENTERTAINMENT INC. 5125 Blodgett, Ste. 218, Downer's Grove Joel David Swiney, 630/663-9956 Based in Downer's...

Telling Truth in Chicago:
A Survey of Local Docmakers, Part I

By Ed M. Koziarski May 21, 2004

Drawing on a rich tradition of bluntness and iconoclasm, Chicago is home to a wealth of documentarians, from TV powerhouses like Towers and Kurtis Productions to national theatr...

CUFF initiates Sloppy Seconds series with film by ‘Spielberg of Digital’

By Ed M. Koziarski Jan 28, 2004

The new Sloppy Seconds screening series from the Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF) kicks off Feb. 4 with Todd Verow's pioneering digital feature "Little Shots of Happines...

Keefe’s new company brings comedy where it’s desperately needed ? the business world

Jan 12, 2003

Humorist Joe Keefe, Humor Resources' fearless leaderLast year was the best year in the history of Joe Keefe's Humor Resources. Actually, it was his only year.?The la...

Festivals sweet on Taradash’s

Jan 6, 2003

Editor Scott Taradash spent two years and close to $50,000 of his own money to produce "Honeyboy," a feature length doc about Chicago blues legend David "Honeyboy" Edwardsby. Th...

Lovett’s Large Band, Randy Newman on "Sound Stage"

Dec 12, 2002

Ch. 11 stages will jump Dec. 18 when HD Ready captures its third "Sound Stage" show with Lyle Lovett's 20-piece Large Band and songwriter Randy Newman. The show is based ...