Face

*1/2 (out of four) Meetings between a troubled child and the fairy godmother who lends a hand don't get much more woeful than sassy, redheaded Glenda (Blake Lively) nearly urinating on 13-year-old Luli (Chloe Grace Moretz of “Dark Shadows” and “Hugo”) as the young girl lies in a ditch on the side of the road. With the Smith & Wesson .45 she received for her birthday, Luli has left her drunken mother (Juliette Lewis) behind in Nebraska and set off for Las Vegas, where she hopes to discover a world of excitement and opportunity.

People say Barack Obama is a lot of things. Some are questionable, some are outrageous, others are true. One thing he definitely is, though, is the president--a multifaceted gig, to say the least. A new art exhibit presented by the Chicago Loop Alliance from artist Rick Valicenti emphasizes the many archetypal roles that Obama plays as president, from "The Coach" to "The Neighbor" to "The Heartthrob. " The Thirst/3st display features 50 hybrid images of the president's mug integrated with other faces that embody specific highlighted qualities.

The Bulls had the NBA's best record last season and was three games away from playing in the NBA Finals. But something was amiss. Starting shooting guard Keith Bogans, a defensive hound, was an offensive liability. He averaged 4.4 points per game. Not good. In the offseason, the Bulls parted ways with Bogans and picked up veteran Richard Hamilton, who has been out much of the year with injuries. Bogans wasn't happy about how he was treated. "I don't know why they waived me," Bogans told the Chicago Tribune on Monday.

*1/2 (out of four) Just before “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” ends, Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) tells us in voiceover, “My name is Johnny Blaze. I am the Ghost Rider.” After two movies in a Marvel Comics franchise, the filmmakers probably shouldn't have to worry that no one remembers the most basic detail about the main character. Or maybe they should. This unnecessary sequel to the long-forgotten 2007 action flick again succeeds only in draining all fun out of total nonsense.

He's received death threats from Brazil. He's pleaded guilty to money laundering. He's had his fighting license suspended. And he's compared his next UFC opponent, Michael Bisping of England, to Pip from "South Park. " Chael Sonnen arguably is the most outrageous figure in an outrageous league. He's also a former classmate of mine. "I don't believe there's respect in fighting," the 34-year-old fighter told me by phone from his home in Oregon last week. "I think fighting is pretty primal.

No Derrick Rose. No Joakim Noah. Down 2 games to 1 to the 76ers in Philadelphia. That's what faced the Bulls heading into Sunday's huge Game 4. To call it a must-win seemed insufficient. But that was the reality. A loss, and the Bulls are in a 3-1 hole without two of their best players - if not their two best. A win, however, and it's tied at two games apiece with the Bulls still retaining home-court advantage. RedEye takes a look at Sunday's game, quarter by quarter, to see how they responded.

In a small classroom in the Boys & Girls Club of Logan Square, reporters, children and employees of both the Boys & Girls Club and Aaron's waited Thursday night for Earl Bennett. Through his Legends For Literacy charity, Bennett had raised money to purchase 132 Kindles, to be distributed to 11 Boys & Girls Clubs throughout Chicago. Now he was ready to donate the Kindles, but the inclement weather had him running behind. Still, all were excited to see him when he arrived, and he immediately faced their questioning.

Food trucks have been popping up all over the city as part of the latest culinary craze, but they still face the challenge of on-board cooking being illegal according to local laws. While fans continue to lobby the city for change, some truck owners have been able to give their business some staying power by turning their mobile brand into permanent storefronts. Homage Street Food Opening a restaurant inspired by global street food has always been the plan for husband-and-wife duo Mike and Elaine Maloney.

It's never too early to start thinking about the NFL playoffs. In fact, now is the perfect time to start thinking about the NFL playoffs. With struggling San Diego in town to face the Bears and just six games remaining after this week, Sunday's matchup at Soldier Field was what you might call a huge game. By the time the Bears took the field, NFC North rival Detroit had already won to move a game ahead of the Bears. The Chargers had lost four straight games and had watched as two AFC West teams won before kickoff.

Need to know how crowded John Barleycorn is right now? Or whether there are more women than men at Vertigo Sky Lounge? How about the average age of patrons at Schoolyard Tavern? If you're in Chicago, there's an app for that. SceneTap, a mobile and web application that launched in Chicago in July, uses cameras to gather information for its facial detection software, which provides real-time stats on the age, sex and number of patrons in more than 50 bars in Chicago. While the app does not reveal any identifying information about patrons (no identifying photos or video is posted for the public)