Blog

Take a quick look at cats across movie history—from early film reels to Chicago’s own feline film stars.

From film set to Instagram backdrop—discover how Ferris Bueller’s Day Off may have inspired changes inside the Art Institute of Chicago.

A van named "Candy Man" (like the horror movie) sparked a dive into Chicago’s past, where 1920s candy jobbers mixed sweet sales with racketeering and violence.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple, famed for its concrete design and lack of religious iconography, appears mostly in documentary film, including one narrated by Brad Pitt.

Watch my NBC 5 Chicago segment filmed inside Union Station, where I discuss "The Untouchables" and its iconic staircase scene featured on my Chicago movie tours.

Ever stumble upon a hidden gem in an antique mall? This Blues Brothers find might spark your curiosity about Hollywood publicity movie stills.

An emotional reaction in the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles was tied to a subplot that director, John Hughes, chose to remove.

Look for 2 monuments devoted to the founder of Memorial Day in our short video on The Trial of the Chicago 7.

In this excerpt from Oscar Winners in Chicago (25 min.)—our fourth program counting down to the 2024 Academy Awards—learn about a game-chang

In this roundtable discussion, a podcaster, a blogger, and a tour guide discuss how they record Chicago's past and present film history.

In this mini course, master magic hour lighting while you analyze its role in the movie 'Somewhere in Time,' filmed partially in Chicago.

In 60 seconds, learn about the "rough and scary" childhood of film producer Quincy Jones and a Chicago mural that celebrated him.

On this virtual walking tour, visit the childhood home of film producer Quincy Jones and a mural that celebrates him.

Walk virtually with Chicago Movie Tours and hear why some Chicagoans claimed small movie houses lured certain filmgoers into a life of sin.

Tour Altenheim, originally built to care for German elderly and later, a setting for Chicago movies

On this virtual walking tour, learn about the S.S. Eastland tragedy via a suburban Chicago speakeasy and film.

Revisit music from 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' to learn about a Hollywood term called "sneaking in and out."

Float virtually with us down a Louisiana bayou and learn why movies are filmed on these mystical bodies of water

Dig in to The Untouchables with two behind-the-scenes accounts.

In this mini course, use the most famous sequence in The Untouchables (1987) to master a disorderly editing style.