PRESENTING

Chicago’s Music Box Hosts Alfred Hitchcock’s Restored Silent Films

THE NAME ALFRED HITCHCOCK IS SYNONYMOUS WITH STYLIZED THRILLERS that captivated audiences with stunning cinematography and tight storylines. But even the auteur was once a neophyte, and now’s your chance to see the famous director’s earliest films at Chicago’s Music Box theater.

The Lakeview landmark is screening the “Hitchcock 9”- touted as “nine tales of murder, lust, blackmail, romance, obsession and suspense.” These silent treasures have been restored in the “biggest and most complex restoration project undertaken by the BFI National Archive to date,” according to the theater’s website.

Hitchcock, who once who commented that “silent pictures were the purest form of cinema,” contended that every film student should “learn how to make silent films because there is no better form of training.”

CRIME & PUNISHMENT

Illinois Psych Prof Outed As Teen Triple Murderer

HERE’S A HORRIFYING FLASHBACK AIMED AT simultaneously propelling two careers forward while destroying a third.

Ann Marie Gardner and Cathy Payne are reporters working for the Georgetown Gazette, a small paper in Texas who revisited the notorious murders of three members of the Wolcott family killed inside their Texas home 46 years ago. Hours after the crime, 15-year-old James Wolcott confessed that he had shot his father, mother and sister with a gun that he then hid in his attic.

The murders horrified the community of 5,000 residents. Wolcott had sniffed glue shortly before shooting his family. Later, he complained to a psychiatrist that his mother chewed too loudly and that his sister had a bad accent.

LOLLAPALOOZA

Lollapalooza Streamed Live Here

OKAY, NOT HERE HERE, BUT through the magic of digital communications, you can catch some of your favorite acts performing at Lollapalooza 2013 without trampling through the muck and mayhem and masses of people. And don’t get me wrong because that’s all that’s good too if you’ve scored tickets to Chicago’s prime music orgasmia.

POP ART?

MasterMind Ink

Lady Gaga Pierces Her Nose During Stop In Chicago

LADY GAGA PAID A VISIT TO CHICAGO’S MasterMind Ink Custom Tattoo Studio & Art Gallery Monday to get her septum pierce.

The mega star called ahead before showing up and stayed for about an hour, said tattoo artist Scott Pizer.

“She came with a security team is, all I know and one of her photographers,” tattoo artist Scott Pizer, 27. “She was referred to us.”

“She was awesome, she was nice, she was friendly. I can’t say anything bad about her. She was very down to earth.”

THE CHICAGO WAY

The Chicago Way: Emanuel Appoints Daughter Of Outgoing Alderman To City Council

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME:

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has appointed Deb Mell, the daughter of retiring Alderman Richard Mell, to replace him as representative of the city’s 33rd Ward.

Mell, 75, “also known as Rod Blagojevich’s father-in-law,” represented Chicago’s Northwest Side for nearly 40 years. His daughter Deb Mell has been serving as a state representative for Illinois’ 40th district. Although Emanuel promised to consider “all qualified candidates,” Emanuel in the end opted to perpetuate Chicago’s machine politics.

‘TAKING A STAND,’ STRIKING A POSE

Gay Chicago Beefcake Spellbinds YouTube With ‘All-American Boy’

By Elizabeth Coady

T HE BUZZ POWERING STEVE GRAND’S ALL-AMERICAN BOY compelled me to check out the country-theme video about a gay hottie’s longing for a straight man.

I was blown away — not by Grand’s voice, not by the song’s lyrics, the production values or the pseudo-daring exploration of a gay man’s unrequited love — but by his dreamy eyes, his wavy brown locks, his chiseled six-pack and his beefy butt.

The producer of America’s so-called “first country gay music video” is a bonafide poster boy. Is that what’s propelling his song on YouTube?

THE JOKE’S ON WHO

Credit: LostAtEMinor.com

Andrew Mason Trolls Business America With ‘Hardly Workin’ Album

By Elizabeth Coady

IN SHORT ORDER, HE CREATED AN ONLINE COUPON COMPANY, LAUNCHED AN IP0, MADE A BILLION DOLLARS, THEN GOT FIRED. So what’s next for Groupon’s deposed CEO Andrew Mason?

Trolling the Internet — and maybe capitalist America?

Ousted from the company he helped founded after a “precipitious post-IPO stock decline,” Mason’s bank is still estimated to be about $200 million. That’s enough to dither the rest of his life away playing with his imaginary 20 cats, producing YouTube yoga videos, or releasing hokey how-to-get ahead instructional disguised as 80s pop songs.

‘COURAGE IS CONTAGIOUS’

Here’s The Transcript Of Glenn Greenwald’s Speech At the Socialism Conference In Chicago

GUARDIAN REPORTER GLENN GREENWALD delivered a rousing, impassioned and unbowed speech to the Socialism Conference in Chicago Friday night during which he praised Edward Snowden, lambasted actors who play “journalists on TV,” and mockingly praised the shy NSA agents who “scamper quickly under the kitchen counter” when the lights go on.

The Guardian reporter, who has been under fire for publishing revelations about the U.S. surveillance nation leaked by former NSA systems analyst Snowden,delivered his speech to conference attendees via Skype Friday night. The three-day conference drawing “hundreds of activities” from the U.S. and abroad, closes today. Greenwald’s speech was the highlight of the event. Here it is in its entirety.

‘YOU BROKE THE FAITH’

Rep. Tammy Duckworth Pummels Government Contractor For Gaming Prep School Injury

ILLINOIS REP. TAMMY DUCKWORTH TODAY EXCORIATED A GOVERNMENT CONTRACTOR who she insinuates gamed the system to secure government contracts through a”set-aside” preferential for disabled veterans.

Braulio Castillo, owner of Strong Castle Inc., was awarded up to $500 million in government contracts by claiming he was disabled while playing sports at a military prep school in 1984.

Castillo filed — and received — a “disability rating” shortly before opening Strong Castle in 2012. Now the House Oversight Committee is investigating whether he received the contracts due to his relationship with IRS official Greg Roseman.

PARTY IN THE STREETS

They Shoot, They Score! Blackhawks Bag The Stanley Cup

SO WHAT IF THE CHICAGO CUBBIES CAN’T BAG THE WORLD SERIES — the city’s Blackhawks delivered the party to Wrigley Field Monday night when the team snatched victory from the Boston Bruins to win the Stanley Cup.

With only 76 seconds left in the game, and losing by two to one, Bryan Bickell tied up the game, while David Bolland scored the winning goal followed 17 seconds later.

Exuberant fans poured onto the city’s streets, with thousands gathering outside the ballpark on Addison for an impromptu celebration of the dramatic win in the series’ sixth game. Above is a photo of the deliriously happy crowd from by Chuck “Diesal” Seaton who got in the thick of things. Check out the rest of his photos at his Flickr feed.