Alfred Hitchcock’s daughter Patricia once told me an amazing behind-the-scenes story about one of the films the Master of Suspense shot in the North Bay. The movie was Shadow of a Doubt, the 1943 suspense thriller starring Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright. Shot almost entirely in Santa Rosa, Shadow was Hitchcock’s first film to use […]
John Carpenter’s 1980 supernatural thriller “The Fog” begins with a scene shot on a Los Angeles soundstage. The late, great actor John Houseman is telling a campfire story to a group of children on what appears to be a beach in the fictional town of Antonio Bay. The story involves an old ship, damned to […]
John Carpenter’s 1980 supernatural thriller “The Fog” begins with a scene shot on a Los Angeles soundstage. The late, great actor John Houseman is telling a campfire story to a group of children on what appears to be a beach in the fictional town of Antonio Bay. The story involves an old ship, damned to […]
The Bay Area is made for the movies. Twisted streets, Rembrandt shadows and light, trees and eccentric characters lurking behind them — this area is always ready for its closeup. The car chases filmed here can make us gasp or laugh: “Bullitt” or “What’s Up, Doc?” Hitchcock chose Santa Rosa for his own favorite, “Shadow […]
The most wonderful time of the year is also the busiest, so it’s always special when you can curl up on the couch with your loved ones and turn on a beloved holiday movie. Here are just a few of our favorites to inspire your holiday movie watching. Tell us what movie you can’t miss […]
Few things ease the pain of summer coming to an end like the return of fall TV. Yes, your favorite shows are (hopefully) coming back — shout-out to “This Is Us” — but what’s new this year? In 2017, what’s old is new again — from revamps of classic favorites to small-screen adaptions of popular […]
Sometimes seeing is believing. At least that’s the hope behind One Region’s recent partnership with a young Chicago filmmaker named Pat Noyes, son of Make It Better Founder Susan Noyes. “I have lived all over the country in my adult life,” explains Leah Konrady, president and CEO of One Region, a not-for-profit, 501(c)3 that strives […]
“GLOW,” which made its Netflix debut in June, tells the story of the “Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling,” based on the original, all-female TV wrestling program in the 80s. Make It Better talked to the series’ co-creator (and Highland Park High School grad) Liz Flahive about the development of her new show, its unique gang of characters, and how […]
Legendary jazz musician John Coltrane continues to inspire fans with his music, but also with the way he lived his life, with all his ambitions and imperfections. It’s that story that will be on display in Chicago theaters when award-winning director John Scheinfeld’s documentary film “Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary” opens this month. The […]
Super Bowl LI was one for the record books, but what about the commercials? Did they make you laugh? Cry? Think? Watch a few of the commercials that aired below and then tell us which Super Bowl ad was your favorite in the comments below. And what did you think about Lady Gaga‘s halftime show? […]
