The Ace Universe made its debut in Chicago last year with the Midwest convention debut at Navy Pier. For 2019, they have a new venue and up the ante 3,000 with the guest list.

The 2019 edition of the Wizard World Chicago Comic-Con will be making a big splash Aug. 22-25 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill.

The 2019 edition of the annual Chicago Critics Film Festival closed last week, capping a week-long gathering of the windy city critics and filmgoers at the esteemed Music Box Theatre.

This year's line was loaded of diverse outings, with feminine-centric cinema taking center stage. While the Snitch was unable to cover much of the the festival's lineup, we still want to ensure you that the former colleagues of ours always cultivate a rich list of movies. This list no doubt has and will leave impressions on those who rent or purchase them in the future. The message is true: seek them out. 

Below is what the Snitch was live, in-person to check out.

The 7th annual Chicago Critics Film Festival kicks off tonight at the Music Box Theatre in the Wrigleyville neighborhood of Chicago and runs a full week through Thursday, May 23. Many hits and talked-about films from the major festival circuit will be making their Windy City premieres during the seven-day event, with plenty of guests to discuss the showcase of their filmmaking efforts. 

The Chicago Critics Film Festival, the first known film festival programmed and selected by a critics organization, opens its 7th annual lineup at the Music Box Theatre May 17-23 with an impressive lineup of hits from Sundance & SXSW, guests and a notable sci-fi horror classic. 

Despite what his moniker says, Bad News Barrett does have some good news. This Sunday, June 1, the English Superstar of World Wrestling Entertainment will be defending his Intercontinental Championship against veteran performer Rob van Dam at WWE Payback at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.

The four-time Intercontinental champion is looking to make his own mark at an arena that has already had plenty of iconic moments in WWE history--from the Wrestlemania 13 'I Quit' match of Bret Hart vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to The Rock challenging Hulk Hogan to an Icon vs. Icon match at Wrestlemania X8. Barrett's favorite moment in Chicago? You'll have to wait until Sunday night.

"I've never had the ebst luck in Chicago," he said. "I'm looking to stamp my authority on that crowd. This is my chance to create some memories in Chicago."

Next month, FX's "Justified" wraps up it's fifth season, the finale before next year's sixth and final season of the television series inspired by the stories of Elmore Leonard, centered on the late author's deputy US Marshal protagonist Raylan Givens, played by Timothy Olyphant, and his ties to his old stomping grounds of Harlan County and the criminals that run it, including Raylan's old friend Boyd Crowder, played by Walton Goggins. Series creator, executive producer and showrunner Graham Yost has taken Leonard's character of Raylan from two short stories and transformed him into one of TV's most dynamic personalities. Yesterday, Yost graciously spoke via phone from Los Angeles about this season's full-circle theme, the influence Leonard still has over the show and the show's niche ability to cast uniquely perfect guest stars, including a new one for next week's tenth episode of the current, fifth season.

​There are certain staples of the Christmas season. Family and friends gathering for joyful parties, feasts with food o' plenty and films that touch, warm and brighten the holidays. We've seen many movies with ranging tones--from "White Christmas" to "The Ref"--bring smiles to the masses. But before Ted Turner gave the world 24 hours of back-to-back "A Christmas Story," there was one film that still thrives today, on constant rotation leading up to and through December 25 every year: "It's A Wonderful Life."

Known for it's distinctively American twist on Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," singular director Frank Capra didn't get to see his film become as wildly popular as it has become. Upon it's initial release, a wide berth of critics dismissed it, saying that Capra had lost his touch with the audience. What also hurt was stiff box office competition couldn't even allow the film to barely break even, earning enough money to place 26th in box office earnings out of over 400 releases for that year, just ahead of another soon-to-be Christmas treasure--"Miracle on 34th Street."