Tag Archives: AMC Loews Pipers Alley 4

Opening October 1: Anjaana Anjaani and Enthiran (The Robot)

This is a big weekend for South Asian cinema in the Chicago area. The new Hindi romantic comedy Anjaana Anjaani, starring Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor, opens on Friday, October 1, 2010 at four area theaters: AMC Loews Pipers Alley 4 in Chicago, Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington and Regal Cantera Stadium 30 in Warrenville. It has a listed runtime of 2 hrs. 35. min.

But the bigger deal is the opening of Enthiran, the most expensive Indian movie ever made. Its budget of just over $35 million doesn’t seem large by Hollywood standards, but it’s a huge amount for an Indian movie. The movie, which features a soundtrack by Oscar-winner A. R. Rahman, stars Rajnikanth as a cyborg, with Aishwarya Rai as his heroine. A Slate article described the Superstar: “If a tiger had sex with a tornado and then their tiger-nado baby got married to an earthquake, their offspring would be Rajinikanth.”

To reach the widest audience possible, the Tamil-language movie is being dubbed in Hindi (this version is titled “Robot”) and Telugu (“Robo”). The Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 will show the Tamil and Telugu versions of Enthiran beginning on Thursday, September 30, with the Hindi version opening on Friday. Sathyam Cinemas in Downers Grove also begins its run of the original Tamil version on Thursday night. The South Barrington 30 will carry the Hindi version, “Robot,” beginning Friday. The movie has a listed runtime of 2 hrs. 35 min.

Dabanng carries over for a fourth week at the South Barrington 30 and Cantera Stadium 30.

This weekend also marks the inaugural Chicago South Asian Film Festival, which starts on Friday. The festival lineup includes the terrific Bengali/English movie The Japanese Wife, with screenings being held at the Chicago Cultural Center and at Columbia College. I’m planning on attending the screening of Raspberry Magic on Saturday.

If you’re in the mood for a stage show, the Auditorium Theatre presents The Merchants of Bollywood on Friday and Saturday night. The Australian musical features songs like “Shava Shava” from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and “It’s The Time To Disco” from Kal Ho Naa Ho.

Opening September 3: We Are Family

This weekend’s new Hindi release is a big one: We Are Family — a remake of the 1998 Hollywood film Stepmom — starring Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal. Because of the familiar plot and talented cast, this is probably a good movie for Bollywood newbies.

In the Chicago area, We Are Family opens on Friday, September 3, 2010 at the AMC Loews Pipers Alley 4 in Chicago, Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington and Regal Cantera Stadium 30 in Warrenville. Click here for nationwide theater information. The movie has a listed runtime of 1 hr. 55 min.

Peepli Live sticks around for a fourth week at the Golf Glen 5, South Barrington 30 and Cantera 30. The Golf Glen 5 is also carrying over Lafangey Parindey for a third week.

Other Indian movies showing in the Chicago area this weekend include Penn Pattanam (Malayalam) and Thakita Thakita (Telugu) at the Golf Glen 5.

Opening August 27: Aashayein and Soch Lo

Two new Hindi movies are set to open in the Chicago area this weekend, albeit in very limited release. John Abraham plays a compulsive gambler who turns his life around in Aashayein, which opens on Friday, August 27, 2010 at the Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles.

The other Hindi movie making its international debut on Friday is Soch Lo. The drama about a man who wakes up in the desert near death and with no memory will play at Sathyam Cinemas in Downers Grove.

Lafangey Parindey sticks around for a second week at the Golf Glen 5, while Peepli Live gets a third week at the Golf Glen 5, AMC Loews Pipers Alley 4 in Chicago, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington and Regal Cantera Stadium 30 in Warrenville.

Other Indian movies showing around Chicago this weekend include Don Seenu (Telugu), Happy Happyga (Telugu) and Sakudumbam Shyamala (Malayalam). Sathyam Cinemas is also carrying Don Seenu, as well as Thillalangadi (Tamil).

Opening August 20: Lafangey Parindey

Only one new Hindi movie opens in Chicago area theaters this weekend. Lafangey Parindey opens on Friday, August 20, 2010 at the Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles, one of just nine theaters in the United States carrying the film. This is unusual, as movies produced by Yash Raj Films normally get a wide release in America. Perhaps theater owners were unimpressed by the movie’s strange plot: a gritty love story between a street fighter (Neil Nitin Mukesh) and a blind, roller-skating dancer (Deepika Padukone).

The only other Hindi movie showing in Chicago area theaters this weekend is Peepli Live, which earned an impressive $350,054 from just 64 screens in the U.S. its first week. Peepli Live continues its run at the Golf Glen 5, AMC Loews Pipers Alley 4 in Chicago, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington and Regal Cantera Stadium 30 in Warrenville.

As for other Indian movies playing this weekend, the Telugu flick Don Seenu is showing at both the Golf Glen 5 and Sathyam Cinemas in Downers Grove. The Golf Glen 5 is also carrying Happy Happyga (Telugu), while Sathyam Cinemas has Naan Mahan Alla (Tamil).

Opening August 13: Peepli Live

This weekend’s new Hindi release is the black comedy, Peepli Live. Produced by Aamir Khan, Peepli Live satirizes the media’s response to the plight of poor farmers, some of whom resort to suicide to escape debt. The movie got a good response at a number of film festivals, including Sundance.

Peepli Live, which has a listed runtime of 1 hr. 46 min., opens in the Chicago area on Friday, August 13, 2010 in four theaters:

Other Hindi movies carrying over in theaters include Aisha at the Golf Glen 5, South Barrington 30 and Cantera 30, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai at the Golf Glen 5 and South Barrington 30 and Tere Bin Laden at the Golf Glen 5.

In addition to those current films, this week the Golf Glen 5 is featuring special showings of older Bollywood movies. The terrific lineup includes:

Other Indian movies showing in the Chicago area this weekend include the Tamil movie Thillalangadi at Sathyam Cinemas in Downers Grove and Telugu flick Don Seenu at the Golf Glen 5, which features a special showing of the 1996 Tamil film Indian on Wednesday night.

Opening July 16: Lamhaa

One new Hindi movie opens in the Chicago area the weekend beginning July 16, 2010. Lamhaa stars Sanjay Dutt as a soldier in Kashmir and costars Bipasha Basu, Kunal Kapoor and Anupam Kher. Lamhaa opens on Friday at the Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles.

Two Bollywood romantic comedies are also carrying over in area theaters. Milenge Milenge continues its run at the Golf Glen 5 and AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, while I Hate Luv Storys gets a third week at the South Barrington 30 and AMC Loews Pipers Alley 4 in Chicago.

Other Indian movies showing around Chicago include the Telugu films Em Pillo Em Pillado, Sneha Geetham and Subhupradam, all at the Golf Glen 5.

In Theaters June 25, 2010

After posting respectable opening weekend earnings of $480,703 in the United States, Raavan sticks around for a second week in Chicago area theaters. I wonder if the simultaneous opening of Tamil and Telugu versions of Raavan hurt attendance for the Hindi version.

Raavan continues to play at the AMC Loews Pipers Alley 4 in Chicago, AMC Showplace Naperville 16 in Naperville, Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles and AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington.

There are no new Hindi movies opening the weekend starting Friday, June 25, 2010. Political drama Raajneeti gets another week at the Pipers Alley 4, South Barrington 30 and Regal Cantera Stadium 30 in Warrenville.

Other Indian movies showing around Chicago this weekend include the Tamil and Telugu versions of RaavanRaavanan and Villain — at the Golf Glen 5, which is also showing Pappu (Telugu) and Mummy & Me (Malayalam). Sathyam Cinemas in Downers Grove is also showing Raavanan.

Opening June 18: Raavan

Friday’s new Hindi release is a big one: filmmaker Mani Ratnam’s Raavan, a reimagining of the ancient epic poem the Ramayana. Ratnam filmed a Tamil version of the movie titled Raavanan simultaneously with some of the same cast, then dubbed that into Telugu (Villain). All three movies open worldwide on June 18, 2010.

In the Chicago area, Raavan (Hindi) opens at:

Click here for a complete list of U.S. theaters showing the movie, which has a listed runtime of 2 hrs. 35 min.

The other versions of Ratnam’s movie — Raavanan (Tamil) and Villain (Telugu) — will both play at the Golf Glen 5. Sathyam Cinemas in Downers Grove is also carrying Raavanan, with its first showing listed at 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 17.

Raajneeti, having earned a total of $1,287,416 in the U.S. so far, continues for a third week at the Pipers Alley 4, South Barrington 30 and AMC Cantera 30 in Warrenville.

The only other Indian movie showing in the Chicago area is Vedam (Telugu) at the Golf Glen 5.

In Theaters June 11, 2010

Political drama Raajneeti is one of two Hindi movies showing in the Chicago area the weekend beginning Friday, June 11, 2010. It continues for a second week at the AMC Loews Pipers Alley 4 in Chicago, Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles, AMC Randhurst 16 in Mount Prospect, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington and AMC Cantera 30 in Warrenville.

Kites gets a fourth week at the Golf Glen 5, which is also showing Singam (Tamil) and Vedam (Telugu).

Opening June 4: Raajneeti

This weekend’s new Hindi release is the political drama Raajneeti. Its ensemble cast includes Ajay Devgan, Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor and Arjun Rampal.

In the Chicago area, Raajneeti is showing at the AMC Loews Pipers Alley 4 in Chicago, AMC Randhurst 16 in Mount Prospect, Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington and AMC Cantera 30 in Warrenville. The movie has an official runtime of 2 hrs. 58 min.

Kites, having earned $1,554,744 in the U.S. so far, carries over for a third week at the Pipers Alley 4, Golf Glen 5, South Barrington 30 and Cantera 30.

Kites: The Remix earned $24,869 in its opening weekend at 40 U.S. theaters — a per screen average of just $622.

Other Indian films showing in the Chicago area the weekend beginning June 4, 2010 include Singam (Tamil) and Vedam (Telugu) at the Golf Glen 5. Singam is also showing at Sathyam Cinemas in Downers Grove.