Movie tour in Chicago

CHICAGO - My friend Ramon comes up with a lot of the ideas for my travels and experiences, and he hit another good one this weekend with a Sunday movie tour. We would spend the day traveling through Chicago and the norh suburbs in search of famous scenes from some of the most popular films with ties to the Windy City.

The first stop was Winnetka, where we would see the famous house from "Home Alone." It looked similar to how it did in 1991 when the movie was released. An article in the Chicago Tribune the very day we went to see the place had it listed as for sale. A woman from across the street was not too pleased with the mass amount of people coming on her block that day.

From there it was to Highland Park, which served as the home of famous scenes of two 1980s classics, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Risky Business."

We actually had to go on private propery to see the place where Ferris Bueller allowed his friend's father's car to reverse through glass windows and into a ditch. May be the most memorable site from this movie tour.

Risky Business was right around the corner from Ferris, and the famouns "Old Time Rock n Roll" scene took place inside those very walls.

We also drove through Lincoln Park to see the site of Child's Play, one of the movies affiliated in the Chucky series. And then, of course, it was Pilgrim Baptist Church, where Jake and Elwood finally saw the light and decided they were "On a Mission From God" to get the band back together.

Of course it wasn't just a movie day - we checked out some of the neighborhoods on one of the busiest days of the year with the Air and Water Show taking place on the lakefront.

The traffic was bad everywhere, especially on I-94 eastbound, but we still saw the Belmont Corridor, Roscoe Village, Lakeview, South Chicago, Pilsen and Bridgeport.

I was also really impressed with McKinley Park, which seems to be a testament in to how the Chicago Park District has improved over the last few years.

Photo: The house from the early 90s hit, Home Alone.

Movie Review: My Cousin Vinny

I have to admit that if it had not been for one of my favorite episodes of Seinfeld, I probably would never have rented My Cousin Vinny the other night. I'm so glad I did. Although I have only watched it twice, I would rank it among my favorite movies of all-time.
The key to a great movie is having the audience focused at all times. With so many movies that have boring story lines, it is easy to get distracted. Too many take too long to get to the point and put you to sleep.
But that was not the case with My Cousin Vinny. The storyline? Perfect. Two teenage New York boys driving through Alabama accidentally steal a can of tuna. While believing they are confessing to the minor theft, the police are coming up with a murder case against them. When they find out they are being tried for murder, one of the defendants hires their cousin for their council. The problem is, he is mainly a personal injury lawyer and has no experience at murder trials.
Despite all the evidence to their guilt, we know these boys are innocent and root for them throughout the movie.
The movie was hilarious. It had a captivating story line and kept you interested throughout. It had a feel-good ending. Joe Peschi and Marisa Tomei were at their best.
And who couldn't love the guy who played Herman Munster acting as the judge in the case.
I'm glad I finally got a chance to see this movie and look forward to seeing it again sometime.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Movie Review: Dumb and Dumber

It had probably been ten years since I last saw the 1990s hit comedy film Dumb and Dumber, starring Jim Carey and Jeff Daniels. But watching it two nights ago made it seem like it had only been a week. I knew the famous lines, what was about to happen and all the foreshadowing.
Who could forget the orange and blue suits, getting your tongue stuck to the ski lift, so you're saying there's a chance' or selling a dead bird to a blind kid.
The movie was, as it states in its title, very dumb. Too dumb at times. And very immature. You cannot help but laugh at some of the situations Harry and Lloyd get into and how they manage to accidentally bail themselves out. In all of the movies I've seen, it would be hard for me to name a character with less logic than either of those two. At the same time, it would be hard to think of a luckier one too.
I thought the film was written very well. Everything fit together. It is a film that you can watch over and over and pick up something new every time. There was an intriguing story line behind all the absurdity. It was easy to follow and you found yourself rooting for Harry and Lloyd in their pointless quest that turned out to be so much more than it should have.
Dumb and Dumber was not one of the greatest movies ever made, but it was certainly one of the most memorable.

Rating: 8 out of 10