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From a daring leap from the East 95th Street Bridge to crashing through the doors at Richard J. Daley Center Plaza, “The Blues Brothers” were “on a mission from God.” Iconic movie moments like these stick in the minds of Chicago cinephiles.With awards season in full swing, we thought there was no better way to mark the occasion than tackling this question from a Curious City listener: What is the best movie shot in Chicago?From “The Blues Brothers” (1980) to “Candyman” (1992 and 2021), Chicago holds its own as an award-winning movie location. But with hundreds of potential candidates, it may be impossible to name a definitive best.We took a stab anyway. We asked Curious City listeners, coming up with a few categories that seemed popular, and then tapped a few professional film critics for their opinion. Of course, if the top title were based on the highest grossing movie at the box office, the answer could disappoint Chicagoans: It’s “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (2011). Partially filmed in the city during the summer of 2010, the Michael Bay action bonanza earned more than $1.1 billion worldwide. Love it or hate it, according to the Illinois Film Office, the blockbuster’s economic impact was $25.5 million in qualified spending for the state.But the best is not determined by box office dollars. It comes down to storytelling and how well a film showcases the city. As for our categories, we took a look at Chicago movies that were recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, ones that told us about love in the city and ones that took us on a wild ride.Best ‘And the Oscar goes to…’When it comes to lists of best movies of all time, Chicago films don’t usually make a strong showing. Obviously, this is a mistake. Only one Chicago movie cracked the top 100 of Metacritic’s best movies of all time, the documentary “Hoop Dreams” (1994) at No. 33. We don’t see a Chicago movie on Rotten Tomatoes’ 300 Best Movies list until No. 130 with “The Big Sick” (2017).In terms of most Academy Awards won, “The Sting” (1973) took home seven statues. But this Chicago story may be disqualified because it was mostly filmed in Hollywood. “Ordinary People” (1980) is a favorite of Pope Leo XIV and took home four Oscars, but it too may be disqualified because it was filmed in the suburbs and not the city. So that leaves “The Dark Knight” (2008); with eight nominations, it took home two statues, for sound editing and best supporting actor posthumously awarded to Heath Ledger. A view of the lobby of the Old Main Post Office building in 2018. Scenes in “The Dark Knight” were filmed at this location.Colin Boyle/Sun-Times “Even though it’s Gotham, Gotham is partly inspired by Chicago, and so there is some kind of Chicago history, some kind of Chicago culture, and [Gotham] relies heavily on the architecture,” said Robert Daniels, associate editor of RogerEbert.com.Crime classic “The Untouchables” (1987) received one Oscar for best supporting actor, awarded to Sean Connery. The movie features some iconic scenes in timeless locations like Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center, where nearly 40 years later, you can still admire the glass Tiffany Dome.“Road to Perdition” (2002) won an Oscar for best cinematography, and plenty more films received nominations but no wins.For many Curious City listeners, the best movie shot in the city is “The Fugitive” (1993). Of its seven Academy Award nominations, it won best supporting actor, awarded to Tommy Lee Jones (seems Chicago does well for supporting actors). The Preston Bradley Hall Tiffany Dome at the Chicago Cultural Center is under renovation. It’s appeared in movies like “The Untouchables” (1987) and “The Fugitive” (1993).Susie An/WBEZ Listener Max Kroll said director Andrew Davis uses city locations to further the story.“When Harrison Ford’s character, Dr. Kimble, is on the run and comes back to Chicago, he approaches his friend Dr. Nichols in Lower Wacker Drive,” Kroll said. “Lower…

When federal agents arrived in Minneapolis, Chicagoans Emily Hilleren and Lauren Vega kept doing what they had been doing for months: getting their hands on as many whistles as they could find.They assembled care package containing 5,000 whistles, zines with illustrated instructions on how to use the whistles to warn neighbors of the presence of ICE, 10,000 know-your-rights cards and $9,000 in donations for community organizations in Minneapolis.“We loaded up my hatchback,” said Hilleren, an Albany Park resident, as she got ready to set up for a whistle party in Minneapolis after the two made the hourslong drive Friday night.As thousands of federal agents arrived in Minnesota in the latest chapter in President Donald Trump's deportation campaign, Chicagoans are once again stepping up to assist cities facing the same fight they fought last year.‘Sense of camaraderie’Chicago started by learning from Los Angeles, where the Trump administration's first waves of immigration operations began, said Teresa Magaña, co-founder of Pilsen Arts & Community House. The city paid it forward when U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino sent agents to North Carolina, quickly sending anything that made a sound to continue the alert system.Magaña designed the zine instructing people on how to use whistles to alert the presence of ICE. The zines have been copied nationally.“People shouldn’t be shy or even hesitate to reach out. People are more than willing to go above and beyond with the resources and information,” Magaña said. “There’s this immediate sense of camaraderie. We know each other even though we don’t know each other.” Related As immigration enforcement surges in North Carolina, Chicagoans share advice, whistles To stand up to ICE agents, some Chicagoans are arming themselves with whistles She said creating a template for the whistle system helped replicate the work in other cities. “The powerful thing is because we’re following the same template, it’s made it more consistent,” Magaña said. Teresa Magaña, co-founder of the Pilsen Arts & Community House, stands outside the Pilsen facility last October.Talia Sprague/For the Sun-Times Hilleren starting making online orders for whistles in the early fall. Soon, she was hosting parties as part of the “Whistlemania” around the community, namely at Nighthawk, a cafe and bar. ‘They could turn out thousands’Many cleared out stores of whistles, while others found a more reliable, cheaper, option — making the whistles themselves.Vega began to print the whistles with her 3D printer and was able to bring 200 homemade whistles to the first party she attended.Word spread via social media, and soon Hilleren and Vega were connecting with others who had been doing the same.“I had a small printer, so I could put out a couple hundred, but they could turn out thousands," Vega said. Two different kinds of whistles are 3D printed by different people Hilleren and Vega have worked with over the last few months to create and ship out whistles to cities in need.Provided Among them was Dan Sinker, an Evanston-based writer, who said he has been into 3D printing since its early days.Sinker also first turned to online sellers for the first few hundred whistles he distributed.But when he learned about Hilleren and Vega’s work, he bought a printer that could produce 800 whistles from one roll of filament, which retails for about $12 — the price of about 50 whistles on online marketplaces.“In five days I produced more whistles than I ever was able to find and purchase over the course of the fall, and for a significantly lower price,” Sinker said.‘No other option’With an increased capacity, and growing demand as ICE operations expanded, Hilleren and Vega began taking email orders from other locales. Pilsen Arts & Community House did the same after receiving four donated 3D printers.Between Hilleren, Vega and the folks they've worked with, as well as Magaña's group, they have now shipped collectively more…

El entrenador del Inter de Milán se mostró asombrado por el nivel del conjunto de la Premier League. El Arsenal se afianza como el máximo candidato para ganar la Champions League 2025/2026. Es el único equipo de la Fase de Liga que tiene puntaje ideal. Siete sobre siete: 2 a 0 al Athletic Club de Bilbao, 2 a 0 al Olympiacos, 4 a 0 al Atlético de Madrid, 3 a 0 al Slavia Praga, 3 a 1 al Bayern Munich, 3 a 0 al Brujas y el más reciente, el 3 a 1 al Inter de Milán. Y sobre el cruce más reciente que se llevó a cabo en el Estadio Giuseppe Meazza de San Siro, el que opinó fue Cristian Chivu, estratega del Nerazzurro, que se mostró impresionado por el ritmo y el rendimiento de los jugadores comandados por Mikel Arteta. “Fueron más fuertes en velocidad, técnica, intensidad y segundas jugadas”, comentó el rumano en conferencia de prensa. En esa misma línea, reconoció: “Cuando te rodean, significa que tienen calidad, capacidad para atacar tu área, calidad técnica y ritmo. Hicimos una buena primera parte; incluso pudimos habernos adelantado con el 1 a 0, pero las incidencias cambian los partidos. Luego tuvimos mala suerte. En la segunda parte, el Arsenal aumentó su nivel de humildad porque había sido un poco presuntuoso en la primera parte”. Además, Chivu manifestó que en la Serie A no hay equipos de la clase del Arsenal: “Me impresionó más que cualquier otro equipo: su juego siempre es preciso, sus toques y decisiones también. Saka crea muchos problemas en el uno contra uno. Intentamos mantenernos en el partido, y cuando ganamos algunas entradas, llegamos fácilmente al área, pero eso se debe a la calidad del Arsenal. No hablaré de cuánto gastaron porque sonaría demasiado banal o me quejaría… La Premier League es la mejor; en Italia no estamos acostumbrados a ciertas jugadas. Pero estamos intentando seguir creciendo gradualmente: es importante mantener nuestra convicción”. Arsenal cierra su primera fase con el Kairat El Arsenal cerrará su participación en la primera fase de la Champions League el próximo miércoles 28 de enero contra el Kairat en el Emirates Stadium, un duelo que no se presenta como una complejidad para los dirigidos por Mikel Arteta, por lo que lo más probable -si bien los partidos hay que jugarlos- es que el equipo de Londres culmine con puntaje ideal. En ese mismo sentido, será uno de los equipos que avanzará a los Octavos de Final de manera directa, al igual que los otros competidores que se ubiquen en los otro 7 primeros puestos. Luego entre el 9 y el vigesimocuarto habrá emparejamientos para que definan en una ronda de Play Off las ocho plazas restantes para los Octavos de Final. En síntesis Inter de Milán perdió 1-3 contra Arsenal en la Champions League 2025/2026. Cristian Chivu admitió la superioridad del rival en velocidad, técnica e intensidad. Arsenal es el único equipo con puntaje ideal tras ganar sus 7 partidos.

Now that Caleb Williams has proven to be a mere mortal and not the god of miraculous victories, it doesn't mean we don't owe him our eternal thanks for a lifetime of memories and a genuine hope for the future. Thanks Caleb, and for that matter, the rest of Da Bears team as well.Bob Ory, ElginBears headline draws a flag The Sun-Times headline writers are normally the best in the business, but they really dropped the ball on Monday's front page. "Good, Better, Bust"? Did they even watch the game? The Bears held their own against an arguably better team, and then almost pulled off another last-minute miracle. There was no "bust" in that game, and we all know the headline writers can do better.Tony Galati, LemontCalling foul on game-winning kickI'm just a lukewarm football fan, but I feel for the Bears on their loss to the Rams after that sensational last-minute comeback. I think the rules should require a touchdown to win in overtime play. A field goal seems like a cheap trick.Dan McGuire, Bensenville Give us your takeSend letters to the editor to letters@suntimes.com. To be considered for publication, letters must include your full name, your neighborhood or hometown and a phone number for verification purposes. Letters should be a maximum of approximately 375 words. Let Indiana host our Bears Commenting on the $532 million in bond debt that remains from the renovation of Soldier Field, state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, argued that "In Springfield, we can be creative." The thought of politicians being "creative" with our money should send chills down the spines of taxpayers, perhaps especially in Illinois.Why not let the politicians in Indiana, who seem to be eager to give the Bears a sweetheart deal on a stadium, be "creative" in this matter? The stadium will still be a relatively painless drive for those fans who prefer to watch the game in person. The much larger number of us who would rather watch the games from the comfort of our own homes can still do so, or at least our ability to do so will have nothing to do with the location of the stadium. And the taxpayers of Indiana will pick up the tab for what will clearly be a palace of a stadium for what will still be OUR Chicago Bears.Mark M. Quinn, NapervilleBearing the costI am willing to support the Bears moving to Indiana, but only on the condition that they provide adequate financial compensation to the state of Illinois.Steve Herr, West RidgeTrump doesn’t deserve praise I read, with mouth wide open, the recent letter "In defense of Trump” by Julius L. “Jerry” Loeser and was mildly upset and taken aback.Donald Trump was dutifully convicted of 34 felonies. Members of Congress didn't do their job and remove him from office after he was impeached twice."No American troops in Venezuela"? How about all those fighter and helicopter pilots clearly seen flying overhead amid huge explosions on the ground in early January? Congress never authorized that strike and wasn't even given a heads-up prior to the attack tied to Nicolás Maduro's capture that reportedly killed over 80 people.Loeser argues Maduro's capture was legally justified since he is an indicted drug dealer. How about when Trump pardoned former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted of conspiring to smuggle over 400 tons of cocaine into the United States? There's a weird double standard here.The tariffs Loeser appears to support might be illegal and will be ruled upon later. Only Congress has the right to levy tariffs, not the president unilaterally.Closing the border is one thing, as Mr. Loeser praises Trump for. But weaponizing the U.S. Department of Justice and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to terrorize entire cities and neighborhoods is just uncalled for, as is having Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem conclude, without any investigation, that Renee Macklin Good was engaged in an "act of domestic terrorism."Mr. Loeser says Trump has brought peace around the world. How about…

Sufrió a ambos con Juventus y fue capitán de CR7 en Turín. Para Buffon, esto es lo que diferencia a estos cracks en el final de su carrera. Gianluigi Buffon es sinónimo de experiencia e igualmente de haberse enfrentado a varias de las mejores generaciones en la historia de este deporte. Ya retirado del arco y perteneciente a una selección italiana que el marzo intentará volver a las Copas Mundiales de la FIFA, explicaba no mucho tiempo atrás la gran diferencia entre el Lionel Andrés Messi y Cristiano Ronaldo. Tajante en su reflexión. Recordemos que en su paso por Juventus, sufrió tanto a portugués como argentino en diferentes ocasiones. Incluso Messi y Cristiano Ronaldo le quitaron el único título que Buffon no pudo levantar en su carrera como lo es la Champions League. No duda que su ex compañero en la ciudad de Turín y el icono de Barcelona, tienen diferencias que explican su forma de jugar en todos los sentidos. Compararlos, en parte, tiene que ver más con números que con entendimiento del juego. “Son dos jugadores completamente diferentes. Messi es más completo, porque empieza desde más atrás, tiene más calidad técnica y una visión del juego que es más propia de un trequartista que de un finalizador”, empezábamos con alrededor del argentino y ese perfil más creativo que entiende que le ha servido para hacerse un hueco en cada uno de los modelos de juego donde ha tenido que rendir tanto en Barcelona como Paris Saint Germain o Inter Miami. La final de la Champions League el año 2015 fue el mayor punto de ebullición entre ambos. En cuanto al portugués se refiere, Buffon no duda que se trata de una máquina de gol todos los sentidos. Creo que su capacidad para hacer daño en ataque y una puntería que entiende van más allá de lo cotidiano: “Cristiano Ronaldo, quizás porque es un poco mayor, se ha convertido en un asesino en el área de penalti. Comparado con cómo era antes, Ronaldo preserva más su energía, por lo que ya no sale a la banda para hacer un caño o un tiro de fantasía, pero con un balón en el área puede crear un gol”. Buffon, presente y víctima de los mejores momentos de tanto Messi como CR7: GETTY A lo largo de estos últimos tiempos, Buffon les ha definido como dos de los rivales más difíciles de su carrera en cuanto a delanteros se refiere. Incluye también en el análisis para intentar encontrar al mejor delantero de todos los tiempos a Ronaldo Nazario e igualmente al ex delantero del AC Milán Andriy Shevchenko. Para Gigi, la capacidad creativa de La Pulga y el carácter absolutamente goleador del portugués les definen en todos los sentidos. Los goles que le faltan a Messi y CR7 para llegar a los 1000 896 es lo que tiene en este momento la carrera de Lionel Andrés Messi en cuanto a clubes y selección se refiere. Recordemos que el rosarino no tiene minutos oficiales desde el pasado mes de noviembre y que apenas volverá a la actividad el día 22 de febrero cuando tenga que visitar la ciudad de Los Ángeles en el inicio de la defensa de la MLS. Tras renovar su contrato en La Florida, se espera que pueda conseguir el hito de los 1000 tantos oficiales antes de 2028. Para CR7 la ecuación queda en 41. No es poca la expectativa tanto en Arabia Saudita como en Portugal alrededor de la posibilidad de verle incluso romper dicha marca en la Copa Mundial de selecciones de la FIFA. Hablamos del último torneo de este carácter que disputará Cristiano Ronaldo y donde luchará por el único trofeo que todavía no han levantado sus manos a gran escala. Datos claves Gianluigi Buffon comparó a Messi y Cristiano Ronaldo destacando sus diferentes roles en el campo.El portero definió a Messi como un jugador más completo con visión de trequartista.Buffon describió a Cristiano Ronaldo como un asesino dentro del área de penalti.