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+.
Blu-ray Review
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Zodiac: Director’s Cut’ Perfectly Enhances Great Movie
Submitted by BrianTT on February 2, 2009 - 8:59amBlu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Those who chose HD-DVD during the next-generation format war already know the quality of Paramount’s “Zodiac: Director’s Cut” and now one of the most remarkable releases of the last few years has finally been imported to Blu-Ray.
Blu-Ray Review: Go Back to Camp Crystal Lake With ‘Friday the 13th: Uncut’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 29, 2009 - 9:56amBlu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Every time a movie gets remade, you can expect the original to appear in some varying degree of “special” edition on the home market. A week-and-a-half from the Michael Bay produced and Marcus Nispel remake of “Friday the 13th,” Paramount has unleashed deluxe editions of the original on Blu-Ray and the first two sequels on DVD.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Max Payne’ is Like Watching Someone Else Play Video Games
Submitted by BrianTT on January 29, 2009 - 9:47amBlu-Ray Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It can be so easy to waste multiple hours, even days with great video games, and yet it is sometimes unbearable to sit through 90 minutes of the cinematic adaptation of the same concept. Such is the case with the abysmal “Max Payne,” yet another in a long line of video-game-to-screen disasters that continue to prove how little Hollywood thinks of gamers.
Blu-Ray Round Up, Jan. 28, 2009: ‘Hulk Vs.,’ ‘Antwone Fisher,’ ‘Repo,’ ‘Stargate’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 28, 2009 - 3:32pmCHICAGO – We’re back with our recurring feature, the Blu-Ray Round Up, a collection of HD releases that might have slipped through the cracks but that could grab your attention. With dozens of catalog titles and straight-to-video releases hitting the next-gen format every week, it’s easy to miss a movie that you’d love to add to your collection. The Blu-Ray Round Up is here for you.
Blu-Ray Review: Mixed Bag of Clichés, Quality Performances in ‘Lakeview Terrace’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 28, 2009 - 10:44amBlu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Neil LaBute’s “Lakeview Terrace” delivers as close to the “marginal thumbs up or down” line as any movie released in 2008. There are some intriguing ideas about race and excellent performances, but the film feels like a missed opportunity to be something greater, even if a strong Blu-Ray release helps the final product.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Pride and Glory’ Wastes Two Talented Stars in Generic Drama
Submitted by BrianTT on January 27, 2009 - 10:41amBlu-Ray Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The Blu-Ray package for Gavin O’Connor’s “Pride and Glory” features shots of stars Edward Norton and Colin Farrell wielding guns on both the front and back of the case. The artistic intention is clear - Try and sell this generic, dull cop drama as an action film, as that’s the genre that takes off on the home market. Don’t buy it.
Blu-Ray Review: True Story, Good Performance Give Speed to ‘The Express’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 26, 2009 - 1:39pmBlu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There’s nothing surprising about “The Express”. It’s a true story that hits all of the beats that you would expect it to for an inspirational sports movie. A big game, a bad injury, and the will to overcome extreme adversity - these are the staples of the genre.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona,’ First Woody Allen Movie on Blu-Ray
Submitted by BrianTT on January 26, 2009 - 10:11amBlu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I love “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”. It’s a wonderful slice of whimsy and sexuality that perfectly captures something about Spain that’s impossible to put into words.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Saw V’ Delivers Exactly What Fans Expect
Submitted by BrianTT on January 21, 2009 - 7:59pmBlu-Ray Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The latest entry in the neverending Saw franchise, “Saw V” hit Blu-Ray this week and, well, it’s a little difficult to review. The video and audio are better-than-average, but the features are sub-par at best and, the movie, well, it’s basically exactly what you’d expect it to be. There’s a reason they hold these movies back from critics. Reviews of the actual film barely seem to matter.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘The Bourne Trilogy’ Sets Bar For Blu-Ray Box Sets
Submitted by BrianTT on January 21, 2009 - 10:48amBlu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Your Blu-Ray collection should expand by three movies next week when “The Bourne Trilogy” finally hits the format in a beautiful three-disc box with perfect picture and sound and an amazing collection of special features.