Barry Pepper

TV Review: Collision of False History, Melodrama in Awful ‘The Kennedys’

CHICAGO – The History Channel made headlines when it announced it was developing a mini-series called “The Kennedys” about the legendary family and even more of them when it dropped the finished product amidst rumors that some actual Kennedys had pressured them to do so. After other networks reportedly passed on the 8-part historical dramatization, it fell to the Reelz Channel.

Film Review: Kevin Spacey Comes Up Aces in ‘Casino Jack’

CHICAGO – The halls of the Capitol Building are paved with money. It takes a long time beyond civics class and history to realize that. Kevin Spacey illustrates that concept precisely playing “super lobbyist” and convicted larcenist Jack Abramoff in “Casino Jack”.

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Kevin Spacey-Signed ‘Casino Jack’ Poster Plus ‘The Usual Suspects,’ ‘American Beauty’ DVDs

Casino Jack with Kevin Spacey

CHICAGO – In our latest Kevin Spacey edition of the HollywoodChicago.com Hookup, we have a Kevin Spacey-signed poster for the new film “Casino Jack” up for grabs plus these Kevin Spacey DVDs: “The Usual Suspects,” “American Beauty” and “Swimming With Sharks”!

Film Review: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon Ride the Lonely Plain of ‘True Grit’

CHICAGO – “True Grit” seems like the perfect project for Joel and Ethan Coen; something they had been working toward their entire career. Not only had they made what could be considered a modern Western already in “No Country Old Men” but they were to bring together The Dude (Jeff Bridges) and Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) under the magnificent lens of the great Roger Deakins. It nearly had to be a masterpiece.

Blu-Ray Review: Sapphire Series Release of ‘Saving Private Ryan’

Saving Private Ryan

CHICAGO – One of the reasons that Blu-ray hasn’t taken over like so many of the technology’s early adopters hoped that it would is that a lot of the films that drove the success of standard DVD weren’t available on the format. It has taken time for early DVD hits like “The Matrix” and even “The Lord of the Rings” to come out in HD. When people buy a Blu-ray machine, they want to be able to get their favorite films right away. Now they can add another long-wanted option to the first-day-purchase list with “Saving Private Ryan”.

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Seven Pounds’ With Will Smith is Manipulative Melodrama

Seven Pounds
HollywoodChicago.com Blu-Ray Rating: 2.5/5.0
Blu-Ray Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – There’s arguably no bigger star on Earth than Will Smith but even the greats need a misfire to bring them crashing to the ground. “Seven Pounds” is a mess, a film of conflicting tones and arguably offensive themes, a movie that moves beyond traditional melodrama in just the first few minutes and keeps flying into the over-the-top stratosphere. The Sony Blu-Ray release is impressive, but the movie itself is not.

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TV, DVD, BLU-RAY & THEATER REVIEWS

  • 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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