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entertainment
Nature paints a pretty picture in October
It happens every October, but the leaves turning vibrant shades of red, gold and orange is still a sight to behold. Fall is in full swing, and one of the most logical places to start viewing fall color is the Morton Arboretum in Lisle.
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Homage to a musical master
Chicago a cappella will explore a legacy of Jewish music from Chicago’s South Side that began in 1938 and continued until 1991. It is the music of Max Janowski, composer and conductor, who served for 53 years as music director at K.A.M. Isaiah Israel Congregation in Hyde Park, the oldest Jewish congregation in Chicago.
New releases on DVD, Blu-ray
Tom Cruise takes a shot at heavy-metal head-banging in “Rock of Ages” while Will Smith gets robo-phobic in a 3D Blu-ray reissue of “I, Robot.”
Tales of elephants and kings in ‘Maharaja’ exhibit
For centuries maharajas were the princely rulers of India, a group of men who weren’t shy about wearing jewelry and traveled via elephant. On Oct. 17, they’re journeying to the Field Museum.
Southern sleaze fest ‘Paperboy’ dismal despite stars
Let me go on record as saying that, for me, being a paperboy in the South during more or less the same general period of time was never anywhere near as exciting as this. Of course, I was 13 at the time and less inclined to run around in my underpants than the college-dropout protagonist of this southern-fried sleaze fest.
More ‘Taken,’ less successfully
Liam Neeson continues to make being an over-concerned dad look cool in this sequel to his surprise 2008 hit, but this time around, the seams are beginning to show.
Animated reanimation in ‘Frankenweenie’
The heart-warming story of a boy and his reanimated dog. Though Tim Burton has one bona fide animated masterpiece to his credit and another that’s none too shabby, it’s sometimes easy to forget that the director of “Batman” and “Beetlejuice” began his career with the desire to become an animator and that he worked for a short time for Disney before striking out on his own with a series of live-action shorts.
Arts and entertainment calendar for Oct. 11
Check out the variety of fun events and activities in your area this week!
Movies opening this weekend, still in theaters
A boy and his dog cheat death in “Frankenweenie,” while a boy and his big brother (Zac Efron and Matthew McConaughey) shake up a corrupt southern town in “The Paperboy” and bad-boy Liam Neeson racks up more kidnapper carnage in “Taken 2,” all in area theaters.
Play challenges audience on social issues
People don’t often sit down and contemplate issues of discrimination and racism, let alone talk about them. The play “Defamation,” written by Todd Logan of Evanston, is designed to remedy that. And talk people will since the play, a courtroom drama, requires the audience to …
Showtimes Oct. 4-11
TIVOLI THEATRE 5021 Highland Ave. Downers Grove (630) 968-0219 The Bourne Legacy (PG-13) Fri-Thu 6:40-9:30 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (PG) Fri 4:30; Sat-Mon 12:10-2:20-4:30; Tue-Thu 4:30 YORK THEATRE 150 N. York Road, Elmhurst (630) 834-0675 Frankenweenie (PG) Fri-Thu 5 Frankenweenie in 3-D (PG) …
Family Friendly: Naper Settlement has plenty planned for Oktoberfest
There’s a good reason why the Naper Settlement hosts a huge Oktoberfest celebration each year. “In Naperville, there was a wave of German immigration that occurred in the 1840s,” marketing and sales representative Donna DeFalco said.
Winning play plumbs realm of the not so dead
The setting is ambiguous. We could be in purgatory. Or perhaps at a resort. Maybe a health care facility of some kind. Or maybe just the collective fantasy of the characters on stage.
New book releases Oct. 9
Here’s what’s new for you to read in hardcover, paperback and on your electronic readers Oct. 9.
Graue exhibit celebrates photo variety
Just why does the area’s only operating waterwheel gristmill host an annual juried photography exhibition? It turns out there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation. “This site is such a natural lure for photographers,” said Leslie Goddard, executive director of the Graue Mill and Museum in Oak Brook.
New releases on DVD, Blu-ray
Johnny Depp sinks his teeth into his fave ’60s soap opera in “Dark Shadows” while Wong Kar Wai explores the slow torture of obsessive romance in “In the Mood for Love.”
