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+.
Movie Review
Unsettling Paranoia, Special Effects Showcase ‘The Thing’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 14, 2011 - 8:04pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – With Halloween approaching, what will truly scare us at the cinema this month? One strong entry is this weekend’s “The Thing,” the third remake of a wild and mysterious monster movie. It combines a European-style approach to paranoia with some truly unique monster effects.
‘Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure’ Documents Viral Legacy
Submitted by BrianTT on October 14, 2011 - 6:34pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Raymond Huffman and Peter Haskett were viral before that word meant anything other than an adjective for pneumonia. Perhaps you’ve heard of Peter and Ray, a pair of irascible roommates in San Francisco who became audio tape icons after their neighbors recorded their drunken exchanges and started circulating them among their friends. “Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure” documents the phenomenon that started when two hipster kids moved in next door to a pair of fascinating drunks.
Ryan Reynolds, Julia Roberts Trapped in Dull ‘Fireflies in the Garden’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 14, 2011 - 12:05pmRating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It’s always risky for a screenwriter to craft a film about a family of writers in that when the result is a script so generically awful as that for “Fireflies in the Garden” it’s going to stick out even more prominently. After sitting on the shelf for years (it played festivals in 2008 and was supposed to be released that year) and reportedly undergoing some reshoots, this stale drama is finally getting a limited release and will prove just how limited it is to the poor saps who pay to see it.
Horrendous ‘Trespass’ With Nicolas Cage, Nicole Kidman
Submitted by BrianTT on October 14, 2011 - 11:14amRating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Joel Schumacher’s “Trespass” represents a new low for the often divisive and (lately) horrendous director of such gems as “The Number 23,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Bad Company,” “8MM,” “Batman & Robin,” and “Batman Forever.” The film is getting a very-brief theatrical release before essentially going straight-to-DVD, leading a few industry watchers to question if perhaps one of the stars had it in his or her contract that the film had to run in movie houses. Unless you have a similar contract requiring you see it, avoid at all costs.
‘Blackthorn’ Offers Wistful Rethinking of Butch Cassidy Legend
Submitted by mattmovieman on October 14, 2011 - 7:16amRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Western buffs have often criticized George Roy Hill’s 1969 classic, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” for romanticizing its subject matter to the point where it felt less concerned about its titular criminals and more interested in the friendship between stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Yet for all of the charm in William Goldman’s script, there was an underlying darkness and tragic poignance that allowed the final act to pack an unforgettable punch.
Brutal ‘The Woman’ Shocks With Bloody Satire
Submitted by BrianTT on October 13, 2011 - 7:16pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – When Lucky McKee’s “The Woman” played at Sundance earlier this year it caused quite a stir, mostly thanks to the reports of an altercation that happened shortly after the screening in which someone questioned how something so extreme even got to Park City. While some midnight screenings at the fest have pushed boundaries before (“Saw,” “Haute Tension”), there is something so brutally in your face about the repulsive acts on display that it’s easy to see why buttons were pushed.
‘Footloose’ Remake Dances to Its Own Tune
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 13, 2011 - 4:26pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – If you’re gonna cut loose, “Footloose,” it is best to do what the production team and cast did in cutting this remake of the 1980s kitschy classic – pay deep homage to the source and modify it with a energetic and contemporary spin on the dance floor.
‘Real Steel’ Overcomes Harebrained Premise With Heart, Quenching Hollywood Wizardry
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 8, 2011 - 4:08pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Try selling a friend on paying to see a movie with you about machine-operated boxing where humans control robots for money.
Just call your friend on his Motorola DynaTAC retro brickphone and say: “Hey, Billy! Remember all those swell nights we had as kids when I smoked you every time in Rock’em Sock’em Robots with our two dueling robot boxers mechanically manipulated by us?
Anna Paquin Makes Each Moment Count in ‘Margaret’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 7, 2011 - 3:42pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The passion of adolescence, so driven by the emerging intellect merged with fierce hormonal obligations, is a subject tailor made for the movies. The drama and distinction in “Margaret” is the nearly perfect portrayal of the main character played by Anna Paquin, against the backdrop of New York City.
Disappointing ‘Puncture’ With Chris Evans Doesn’t Stick
Submitted by BrianTT on October 7, 2011 - 12:12pmRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There’s something about “Puncture” that feels like it should work. It’s easy to see why someone thought this true tale of a troubled man who realizes he has been presented with immense responsibility would make an engaging film, but the fact is that having an interesting true story doesn’t always translate to riveting drama.