October 2012

Blu-ray Review: Mary Lambert’s ‘Pet Sematary’ Makes Fun Halloween Treat

Pet Sematary

CHICAGO – It’s that time of year. Waves of horror movies like “Sinister,” “Paranormal Activity 4,” and “Silent Hill: Revelation 3D” hit theaters while dozens more pepper the New Releases shelf, including a healthy mix of new straight-to-DVD titles and a few catalog horror flicks getting the Blu-ray upgrade for the first time. One of the works in the latter category that may have gone unnoticed is Mary Lambert’s adaptation of Stephen King’s “Pet Sematary,” a film that may be nearly a quarter-century old but still has some striking power.

Blu-ray Review: Hold the Power of ‘Masters of the Universe’

Masters of the Universe

CHICAGO – Do kids still play with He-Man and Skeletor? When I was young, there wasn’t a single kid at my school who didn’t know these characters and pretend to harness the power of Greyskull. The irony of the Gary Goddard movie from 1987 wasn’t just let that it was pretty awful but that it kind of came on the tail end of the “Masters of the Universe” trend. At least for me. By the time “Masters” came out, He-Man didn’t have quite the same power. And Goddard’s movie, recently released on Blu-ray, really didn’t help.

Blu-ray Review: ‘A Cat in Paris’ Has Fun Moments in Frustrating Movie

A Cat in Paris

CHICAGO – One of two surprising 2012 Oscar nominees for Best Animated Film (the other being “Chico & Rita”), “A Cat in Paris” was just released in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack Special Edition and viewers may be curious what enticed Academy members. The film has its diversions but it’s ultimately a film that only reminds one of better works and barely comes together. It would work as a TV special but its 62-minute length isn’t the only thing that keep it back from being a fully-realized feature.

Film Review: Ava DuVernay’s ‘Middle of Nowhere’ Resonates by Valuing Truth Over Melodrama

Middle of Nowhere
HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 4.0/5.0
Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Ava DuVernay’s Sundance award-winning drama “Middle of Nowhere” is a confident, engaging drama strengthened by genuine, moving performances, particularly the stunningly good one at its center from Emayatzy Corinealdi. The movie sometimes falters due to some melodramatic, on-the-nose dialogue, but there’s an honesty, compassion, and genuine quality here that’s too often missing from adult dramas. It’s a striking debut.

Ava DuVernay’s ‘Middle of Nowhere’ Resonates by Valuing Truth Over Melodrama

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 4.0/5.0
Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Ava DuVernay’s Sundance award-winning drama “Middle of Nowhere” is a confident, engaging drama strengthened by genuine, moving performances, particularly the stunningly good one at its center from Emayatzy Corinealdi. The movie sometimes falters due to some melodramatic, on-the-nose dialogue, but there’s an honesty, compassion, and genuine quality here that’s too often missing from adult dramas. It’s a striking debut.

Film Feature: 48th Annual Chicago International Film Festival Highlights, Part Three

CHICAGO – In its final days, the 48th Annual Chicago International Film Festival is poised to close with a glorious bang. Chicago native Robert Zemeckis (of “Back to the Future” and “Forrest Gump” fame) will return to the festival for the closing night screening of “Flight,” a thriller starring Denzel Washington. It’s Zemeckis’s first live-action feature since 2000’s “Cast Away.”

Blu-ray Review: Variety of FOX Dramas in ‘Bones,’ ‘Alcatraz,’ ‘Touch’

Alcatraz

CHICAGO – What do a multi-year procedural like “Bones,” a tragically canceled show like “Alcatraz,” and a struggling new show like “Touch” share other than the fact that you’ll find their most recent (or only) seasons the New Release shelf at your DVD & Blu-ray store? Not much other than the fact that all three are strong examples of how FOX has had difficulty finding an identity in recent years.

Video Game Review: ‘XCOM: Enemy Unknown’ is an Addictive Experience

CHICAGO – Hi, my name is Paul Meekin, and I’m an “XCOM”-aholic. Firaxis, has brewed an almost perfect concoction; mixing the bitters of hardcore strategy gaming and punishing difficulty with the sweetness of character customization, resource management, plus a dash of ’50s camp as the proverbial sugar on the rim.

Blu-ray Review: ‘The Lady’ Takes Unimaginative Look at Extraordinary Life

The Lady Blu-ray

CHICAGO – “The Lady” is a textbook example of a missed opportunity. It assembles a talented cast and crew to tell the story of Aung San Suu Kyi, an extraordinary woman who sacrificed everything—including her own freedom—in order to bring democracy to her homeland of Burma. Her life story deserves far more than an episodic biopic, but that’s exactly what it receives here.

TV Review: Take Harrowing Trip to ‘American Horror Story: Asylum’

CHICAGO – When we got to the end of FX’s excellent “American Horror Story” and nearly all of the characters were dead, a natural question arose — what the Hell do they do for season two? Welcome to “American Horror Story: Asylum,” a completely new tale with some of the same ensemble from the first season but a new setting, new characters, and new story but the same goal — to rattle your senses and put you on edge in the middle of the week.

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 5 Blu-ray, DVD Combo Packs to Wes Anderson’s ‘Moonrise Kingdom’

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Combo Pack with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 5 free Blu-ray and DVD combo packs up for grabs to the highly anticipated home entertainment release of “Moonrise Kingdom” from Wes Anderson!

Interview: Director James Ponsoldt, Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead on ‘Smashed’

CHICAGO – The recovery of an alcoholic is rarely told honestly in film, and by making it about the relationships, writer/director James Ponsoldt has achieved that truth. It helps that his lead actor is the illustrious Mary Elizabeth Winstead (“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”).

Blu-ray Review: Interesting Bonus Material on ‘Prometheus’ Highlights Film’s Problems

Prometheus 2012

CHICAGO – I love the ambition of “Prometheus” and think that it’s one of the most technically accomplished films of not just this year but the last several (which makes it a strong fit visually for Blu-ray) but the script has some undeniable, inarguable problems that are only amplified when one watches deleted scenes that make clear how much of the film was being comprised on the fly. It’s a Blu-ray for which the commercials have advertised all the answers would be provided. In some senses, that’s true but not in the way the studio intends.

Slideshow: Al Pacino, Christopher Walken at Opening of 48th Chicago International Film Festival

| Image 1 of 8 |

CHICAGO – It was true star power as the 48th Chicago International Film Festival kicked off on October 11th, 2012. The Opening Night film was “Stand Up Guys,” and appearing on behalf of the film was Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin and director Fisher Stevens.

TV Review: Mamie Gummer Deserves Better Than Manipulative ‘Emily Owens, M.D.’

CHICAGO – I really like Mamie Gummer, not only the daughter of our best living actress (Meryl Streep) but an increasingly interesting performer in her own right. Her charisma and ability kept me in a position where I was trying to make excuses for the poorly written, poorly directed, poorly conceived “Emily Owens, M.D.,” premiering tonight on The CW.

Film Feature: 48th Annual Chicago International Film Festival Highlights, Part Two

CHICAGO – As the 48th Annual Chicago International Film Festival reaches its halfway point with its enormously anticipated centerpiece screening of Tom Tykwer, Andy and Lana Wachowski’s star-studded epic, “Cloud Atlas,” Hollywood Chicago will continue to single out an array of titles that are not to be missed.

Interview: Steven Yeun of ‘The Walking Dead’ Talks Season 3

Steven Yeun, photo by Joe Arce

CHICAGO – One of the most popular cable series of the last three years will begin its third season on Sunday, October 14th. “The Walking Dead” emerges again on the AMC Network (9pm ET/8pm Central), as the “zombie apocalypse” within the show’s universe continues. Steven Yeun will be back as Glenn Rhee, part of a survivor group who are trying to hold their own against the “walkers” (zombies).

TV Review: AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ Returns with Gruesome, Action-Packed Attitude

CHICAGO – I heard a chorus of complaints during the second season of AMC’s mega-hit “The Walking Dead” regarding the program’s pace and how it got weighed down by the soap opera involving Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) and Shane (Jon Bernthal).

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 25 Pairs of Passes to ‘Paranormal Activity 4’ Plus First Three DVDs

CHICAGO – In our latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 25 pairs of advance-screening movie passes plus DVDs to the first three films up for grabs for the highly anticipated new horror film “Paranormal Activity 4”!

Film Review: The Most Scary Film of 2012, ‘Sinister’ is Both a Voyeur’s Heaven & Hell

CHICAGO – We have forgotten what it’s like to be scared by an actually scary movie. “Sinister” – from producer Jason Blum (“Insidious” and all four “Paranormal Activity” films) – is the first film in 2012 to remind us.

The Most Scary Film of 2012, ‘Sinister’ is Both a Voyeur’s Heaven & Hell

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 4.5/5.0
Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – We have forgotten what it’s like to be scared by an actually scary movie. “Sinister” – from producer Jason Blum (“Insidious” and all four “Paranormal Activity” films) – is the first film in 2012 to remind us.

Film Review: Kevin James Displays Heart in ‘Here Comes the Boom’

CHICAGO – Seeing the words “Happy Madison Production” on any film means a broad, unfunny and formulaic comedy is about to emerge – usually with company founder Adam Sandler. Although “Here Comes the Boom” has some of those dulling elements, it’s Kevin James who is sincere and motivated as a cage match fighter.

Kevin James Displays Heart in ‘Here Comes the Boom’

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Seeing the words “Happy Madison Production” on any film means a broad, unfunny and formulaic comedy is about to emerge – usually with company founder Adam Sandler. Although “Here Comes the Boom” has some of those dulling elements, it’s Kevin James who is sincere and motivated as a cage match fighter.

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 40 Pairs of Passes to ‘Alex Cross’ With Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 40 pairs of movie passes up for grabs to the advance screening of “Alex Cross” from the author of “Kiss the Girls” and “Along Came a Spider”!

Film Review: Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell in Fun ‘Seven Psychopaths’

Seven Psychopaths
HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Is there room for vengeance if you believe in Heaven and Hell? How do we suppress our need for moral and even physical justice if we believe that violence leads to damnation? Is there a chance to…oh, never mind. Let’s just blow someone’s brains out. That’s essentially how “Seven Psychopaths,” the clever new action comedy from Martin McDonagh (“In Bruges”) works in that it has a number of interesting ideas that aren’t fully developed even if the movie is fun enough to be considered a sin.

Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell in Fun ‘Seven Psychopaths’

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Is there room for vengeance if you believe in Heaven and Hell? How do we suppress our need for moral and even physical justice if we believe that violence leads to damnation? Is there a chance to…oh, never mind. Let’s just blow someone’s brains out. That’s essentially how “Seven Psychopaths,” the clever new action comedy from Martin McDonagh (“In Bruges”) works in that it has a number of interesting ideas that aren’t fully developed even if the movie is fun enough to be considered a sin.

Film Review: Ben Affleck Reaches Career Peak with Masterful ‘Argo’

CHICAGO – Ben Affleck has reached the apex of his already impressive directorial career with the stunning “Argo,” a tight, tense machine of a film, a masterwork that delivers as comedy, action, drama, and more. Critics see movies all the time that we understand may produce a divided response. We get that many acclaimed films won’t make a dent with the populous.

Ben Affleck Reaches Career Peak with Tense, Masterful ‘Argo’

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 5.0/5.0
Rating: 5.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Ben Affleck has reached the apex of his already impressive directorial career with the stunning “Argo,” a tight, tense machine of a film, a masterwork that delivers as comedy, action, drama, and more. Critics see movies all the time that we understand may produce a divided response. We get that many acclaimed films won’t make a dent with the populous.

TV Review: The CW’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Misses Allure of Concept

Beauty and the Beast

CHICAGO – The foundation of a show like The CW’s “Beauty and the Beast” is a timeless one. There’s a reason so many screenwriters in film and television keep returning to the concept of brute force partnering with stunning beauty. So why did this show’s creators do so little with it? There’s no edge here. Everything has been rounded out to the point that it lacks all personality. It’s the kind of show one can barely remember watching by the time the opening credits are done on what follows it.

Film Review: Internet Generation is Terrorized in Clichéd ‘Smiley’

Smiley
HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 2.5/5.0
Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – What if all the evil on the internet manifested itself into a supernatural being with the power to kill a la Candyman? Such is the relatively clever premise of “Smiley,” opening in limited release this week. It’s a modest, low-budget horror movie with some effective ideas and an engaging lead performance but it clutters itself down with too much dialogue about its title character and the very concept of evil being potentially brought to physical life. Every time that it feels like “Smiley” could become something interesting, it falls back into clichés. It’s a film about the next generation of horror villains that owes too much to the older ones.

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  • Manhunt

    CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.

  • Topdog/Underdog, Invictus Theatre

    CHICAGO – When two brothers confront the sins of each other and it expands into a psychology of an entire race, it’s at a stage play found in Chicago’s Invictus Theatre Company production of “Topdog/Underdog,” now at their new home at the Windy City Playhouse through March 31st, 2024. Click TD/UD for tickets/info.

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