CHICAGO – John Michael epitomizes the art of the monologue. The Chicago transplant, by way of Dallas, is moving on (he says temporarily) from the city that inspired his last show, “Meatball Seance,” after notorious and successful runs of his other one-man shows, “John Michael and the Order of the Penix” and “Dementia Me.” His farewell performance is his latest, another laugh riot, “It’s NOT ALL About You John Michael,” and will take place at Mary’s Attic in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood on March 1st, 2019. Click here for details, including ticket information.
Patrick McDonald
Journey to Conclusion is the Thrill of ‘Avengers: Endgame’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 24, 2019 - 11:15am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – When it comes down to this, and the creators do it right, there is no more satisfying conclusion than “Avengers: Endgame.” Admirers of this magnificent Marvel (Studios) Universe story will get everything they want. It is the “Gone with the Wind” of superhero epic films.
Disneynature’s ‘Penguins’ in Flight with the Flightless
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 18, 2019 - 5:32am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It is the tenth anniversary of Disneynature, the arm of Walt Disney Pictures that releases a new nature doc around every Earth Day. This year the naturally visual interest of “Penguins” are their subject, and the film does a nice job on the life cycle journey of these fascinating flightless birds.
‘The Chaperone’ is Excellent Lesson in 1920s Identity
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 15, 2019 - 9:42amRating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Although mostly set in the early 1920s, “The Chaperone” has some pungent lessons regarding identity, and living life authentically. The story of former silent film star Louise Brooks and her first trip to New York City expresses both how we can live today and how they lived back then.
‘Hellboy’ Maintains Energy Just by Being Hellboy
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 11, 2019 - 8:41amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The latest film reboot is “Hellboy,” and it cruises based on the viability and popularity of its title character. David Harbour takes the reins from Ron Perlman in portraying the demon, and although it’s bogged down by the story, the latest iteration works because the character is so weirdly appealing.
An Obsessive Couple’s Journey in ‘Ash is Purest White’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 9, 2019 - 10:03amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Obsessive love is a movie story staple, and “Ash is Purest White” puts a Chinese point-of-view on this strange phenomenon. This is a coupling in the background of organized crime and a changing China, and their success and failure is based on the events surrounding them as much as their devotion to each other.
‘Shazam!’ is a Paint by Numbers Superhero Movie
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 5, 2019 - 9:01am Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The former Captain Marvel (story below) is now “Shazam!,” and has his own film in the DC Comics universe. Zachary Levi portrays the title character, now with a new origin to go along with his new name. Speaking of that, no new ground is broken in this pretty standard foster-kid-makes-good hero epic.
Historical Drama is Fortified by Technique in 'Sunset'
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 1, 2019 - 12:13pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – History is made when you’re often busy making other plans. That is ardently illustrated in “Sunset,” a drama set early in the second decade of the 20th Century in the on-the-brink-of-revolution capital of Budapest, Hungary. A retail store is the town’s centerpiece, plus there is a mysterious woman associated with that store, until she isn’t.
‘The Beach Bum’ is a Sharp Stick Satire by Harmony Korine
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 29, 2019 - 5:42pmRating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The beach life is the paradise that most Americans aspire to, and either get it when they’re not ready or when they’re too old. The off-kilter director Harmony Korine (Spring Breakers) presupposes all of the life through Matthew McConaughey, in an incredible tour de farce called, appropriately, “The Beach Bum.”
‘The Aftermath’ is Strained & Illicit Romance During War
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 26, 2019 - 10:07am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – One of the roots of the sexual revolution in America was World War II (as it was the roots of many social movements). The stakes of life and death in an instant motivates the softest of puppy love to passion. “The Aftermath” takes that time honored emotional intensity into a right-after-the-war romance.
Jordan Peele’s ‘Us’ Gets Bogged Down in Conventionality
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 20, 2019 - 7:10pmRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Like his first film, “Get Out,” writer/director Jordan Peele creates a horror/thriller filled with symbolism and laughs. Unlike “Get Out,” “Us” is awash in overly concentrated plot points, a reliance on lesser references and an ending that can be seen from outer space. It’s not sophomore “jinx,” but more like the sophomore “over think.”
