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Cantankerous Critic: ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ A Warp Speed Thrill Ride

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Opening day for the Adler Planetarium on May 12, 1930. (Photo supplied by the Adler Planetarium)

Adler Planetarium Celebrates 83rd Anniversary

St. Peter's in the Loop. (Credit: Steve Miller)

Street Photography Group Holds ‘Alley Walk’ Downtown

Artist rendering of the Great Chicago Fire Festival, planned for October 2014 along the Chicago River.

Chicago Fire Festival To Light Up The Chicago River Next Year

The “Great Chicago Fire Festival” will launch in October 2014, and feature acrobatic performances, live music, and a river parade of art, dance, and fire.

CBS Chicago–2013/03/29

Pedway’s ‘Sweet Home Cook County’ Display Shows Off Local Celebrities

Cook County officials are paying homage to celebrities born in Cook, in a sometimes surprising exhibit beneath Daley Plaza.

CBS Chicago–2013/03/28

Funky fashion and lots of mud, here's a photo recap of Lollapalooza. Find more photos at B96 Chicago! (Photo by Randall Starr/ B96 Chicago)

Early Bird Passes For Lollapalooza Sold Out

Music fans wasted no time Tuesday morning snapping up early-bird specials for this year’s Lollapalooza music festival.

2013/03/26

Cantankerous Critic: ‘Olympus Has Fallen’ One Of Dumbest Movies Of The Year

“Olympus Has Fallen” would have to get a lot smarter just to be charitably called dumb. It is in fact one of the mind numbingly inane movies of the year, and this year that’s really saying something.

CBS 2–2013/03/22

Space Nightclub in Evanston. (Credit: CBS)

Evanston Concert Canceled For Performer Who Went On An Anti-Gay Rant

An Evanston nightclub has announced it’s canceling an upcoming concert because of an anti-gay rant on stage by the performer.

2013/03/20

Park District Proposes 22,000 Lawn Seats For Northerly Island Concert Venue

The concert venue at Northerly Island could take on a “Ravinia-type feel” if Chicago Park District plans are approved this week to create lawn seating that would accommodate 22,000 people.

2013/03/20

The video game "Watch Dogs" is set in Chicago, with a few adjustments. (Ubisoft)

Can Violent Video Games Set In Chicago Spark Real Bloodshed?

The Chicago police officer’s union is returning fire at “Hitman: Absolution,” which makes killing cops look like sport. CBS 2′s Brad Edwards reports.

2013/03/18

Great Lakes Naval Station Cancels July 4th Celebration

Ongoing federal budget cuts prompted Naval Station Great Lakes in far north suburban Lake County to cancel this year’s Independence Day celebration.

2013/03/15

Make-A-Wish America recipient Hanna Waters talks some shop with the CSO horn section. (L-R) Susanna Gaunt, David Griffin, Oto Carrillo, Waters, Dan Gingrich, Jim Smelser and Dale Clevenger. (Photo: Brian Kersey/Facebook)

Teen’s Wish Comes True With Chicago Symphony Orchestra

A Texas teenager who’s battling cancer lived her dream this week when she was able to perform with some of the musicians in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

WBBM Newsradio–2013/03/15

Cover of Isabel Wilkerson's Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Warmth of Other Suns" (Supplied by Chicago Public Library)

Chicago Library’s ‘One Book, One Chicago’ Program To Go Year-Round

The city’s popular “One Book, One Chicago” book club at the Chicago Public Libraries will expand its slate of programs, but will focus on one book a year instead of two.

WBBM Newsradio–2013/03/15

"The Incredible Burt Wonderstone." (Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Cantankerous Critic: ‘Burt Wonderstone’

“The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” is what I call a “smile” movie. It’s an amiable, good natured production that produces plenty of smiles, a chuckle or two, but no big laughs.

2013/03/14

Customers check out some of the vendors at the 2012 edition of the Taste of Chicago, which was shortened to five days and pushed back until after the July 4 holiday. (Credit: CBS)

Aldermen Say Taste Of Chicago Is Becoming A Losing Proposition

Five aldermen led by the 2nd Ward’s Robert Fioretti point out that the Taste Of Chicago’s attendance has been dropping and lost more than $1 million last year and hasn’t been profitable since 2008.

2013/03/13

Emmy-winning actor Ed Asner. (Photo by Kris Connor/Getty Images)

Actor Ed Asner Hospitalized After Cutting Short Show In Gary

Emmy-winning actor Ed Asner was being treated for exhaustion at a hospital in Gary, Ind., after he cut short a performance of his one-man show when he seemed to have difficulty remembering his lines.

2013/03/13

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds fly over the Chicago lakefront on Aug. 18, 2011, in a rehearsal of their aerobatics display during the 2011 Chicago Air & Water Show. (Credit: CBS)

Thunderbirds Won’t Perform At Air & Water Show Due To Budget Cuts

This year’s Chicago Air & Water Show will be without its marquee attraction, after the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds cancelled all shows after April 1, due to federal budget cuts.

2013/03/12

Pop group fun. performs onstage at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 10, 2013 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Grammy Winner fun. To Headline At Taste Of Chicago

Grammy-winning pop group fun. will headline this year’s Taste of Chicago concerts.

2013/03/11

Someone You Should Know: Dollhouse Artisan Collette Renfro

If you think the world is too big and could be a little smaller, why not try making doll houses? A good place start is the Blackberry Harvest Dollhouse Museum in Homewood, CBS 2′s Harry Porterfield reports.

2013/03/08

Cantankerous Critic: ‘Oz The Great And Powerful’ An Entertaining Journey

“Oz The Great And Powerful” isn’t in the same category as the timeless “Wizard Of Oz,” (what is?), but it’s a reasonably entertaining reinterpretation of the classic tale if you can take it on its own terms.

2013/03/08

BILL NIGHY stars as General Fallon and JOHN KASSIR as General Fallon’s Small Head in New Line Cinema’s and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure “JACK THE GIANT SLAYER,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

Cantankerous Critic: ‘Jack The Giant Slayer’ Is A Giant Bore

“Jack The Giant Slayer” seems destined to be the Hollywood blockbuster that nobody really likes.

CBS 2–2013/02/28

Northerly Island is offering snowshoe rentals after the latest snowstorm in Chicago, while the snow lasts. (Credit: Bernie Tafoya/WBBM)

Northerly Island Offering Snowshoe Rentals While Snow Lasts

Northerly Island Center Director Teish Daniel said, “we wanted to take advantage of the snow, and not have it melt away before Saturday got here.”

WBBM Newsradio–2013/02/27

Actress Quvenzhane Wallis attends the 20th Century Fox And Fox Searchlight Pictures' Academy Award Nominees Celebration at Lure on February 24, 2013 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images)

Satirical Newspaper Apologizes For Vulgar Tweet About Child Actor

The Chicago-based Onion newspaper is apologizing for calling the 9-year-old star of “Beasts of the Southern Wild” a vulgar and offensive name on Twitter, an attack that led to a firestorm online.

2013/02/25