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+.
HollywoodChicago.com Arts & Entertainment News
Video Game Review: ‘God of War: Ghost of Sparta’ Destroys Sony PSP Action Competition
Submitted by BrianTT on October 29, 2010 - 11:17amCHICAGO – With the best-selling “God of War III” still resonating like an almighty thunderclap that hit gamers barely over half a year ago, is it too soon for another adventure of one of the last decade’s most influential and important characters? And with the continuous decline in the number of interesting properties available for the Sony PSP, will “God of War: Ghost of Sparta” feel like an afterthought or an essential property in the Kratos canon?
Film Review: ‘The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest’ Underlines Franchise Limitations
Submitted by mattmovieman on October 29, 2010 - 7:44amCHICAGO – Now that the third and final installment of Stieg Larsson’s posthumously published, phenomenally popular book series has been turned into a feature film, the questions emerges: ‘Was it worth it?’ To the worldwide box office and the creatively bankrupt Hollywood, of course it was. But were moviegoers truly satisfied by the experience?
James MacArthur, Danno on Original ‘Hawaii Five-0,’ is Dead at 72
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 29, 2010 - 7:22amCHICAGO – James MacArthur, a stage and screen actor best known for playing the booking agent Danno in the 1960s version of the TV show “Hawaii Five-0,” died on October 28th, 2010, of natural causes. He was 72. HollywoodChicago.com interviewed MacArthur last March at the Hollywood Celebrities and Memorabilia Show.
Video Game Review: ‘Rock Band 3’ Delivers Music Thrills For Hardcore Fans of Hit Franchise
Submitted by BrianTT on October 28, 2010 - 8:32pmCHICAGO – The developers of “Rock Band 3” have surely heard the bell-ringers who claim that the music game genre is dead and have accepted the challenge presented to them. People have been proclaiming rock to be dead for decades only to be proven wrong by an amazing new release. Does “Rock Band 3” disprove the naysayers and reinvigorate the oversaturated genre?
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 25 ‘Megamind’ Early Movie Passes Plus 5 Xbox 360, 5 Wii, 5 DS Video Games
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 28, 2010 - 4:55pmCHICAGO – Massive giveaway! In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 25 admit-two advance-screening movie tickets up for grabs to the new film “Megamind” along with five Xbox 360, five Nintendo Wii and five Nintendo DS video games!
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Seven Samurai’ Lives Up to Legendary Reputation
Submitted by BrianTT on October 28, 2010 - 1:20pmCHICAGO – If one looks at the spine of a Criterion Collection release, he will see a number that indicates the order in which films have been inducted into the most important DVD/Blu-ray series in history. With over 500 films in the collection (this week’s “Paths of Glory” is #538), one might wonder where it all began. “Grand Illusion,” which Criterion no longer has rights to, is #1 but their second inductee has recently been transferred to Blu-ray and the two-disc release for “Seven Samurai” is a beauty.
Blu-Ray Review: Ultimate Editions of Third, Fourth ‘Harry Potter’ Films
Submitted by BrianTT on October 28, 2010 - 11:54amCHICAGO – Hardcore “Harry Potter” fans will have to clear some shelf space this holiday season for the gigantic “Ultimate Edition” releases of “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” and “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” Timed to coincide with the upcoming release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” in November, Warner Bros. has released the third and fourth film in their money-machine, complete with collectibles and new special features that could feel like overkill for most but will make for a happy holiday season for the Potter nut in your clan of Muggles.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Predators’ Reboot Plays Better at Home, But Still Disappoints
Submitted by BrianTT on October 28, 2010 - 10:24amCHICAGO – Perhaps it’s because it is so clearly inspired by a retro style of action but Nimrod Antal’s “Predators,” now available on Blu-ray and DVD, plays better at home than it did at the disappointing theatrical screening in the middle of summer 2010. It’s still a bit of a disappointment, but it’s one of those films that’s nowhere near as bad as it could have been and features a few strong set pieces, especially in HD.
Blu-Ray Review: Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Moulin Rouge!,’ ‘Romeo + Juliet’ Made For HD
Submitted by BrianTT on October 28, 2010 - 9:45amCHICAGO – Baz Luhrmann has made two great films and one masterpiece in “Strictly Ballroom,” “William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet,” and “Moulin Rouge!” and the latter two are finally available on Blu-ray, the format for which they were made. In the only way we should expect from a perfectionist like Luhrmann, both films have been lovingly remastered in HD and accompanied by excellent special features. They’re a pair of great HD releases.
Film Feature: The 10 Scariest Scenes in Film History
Submitted by BrianTT on October 28, 2010 - 2:43amCHICAGO – A truly scary movie doesn’t release you from its grip when the end credits begin to roll. It doesn’t evaporate from your mind like a pleasurable yet disposable piece of escapist entertainment. It burrows itself within your subconscious and follows you like a malevolent shadow until night falls.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 2 Prize Packs For USA Network’s ‘Burn Notice’
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 28, 2010 - 1:22amCHICAGO – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: TV, we have two prize packs up for grabs for the return of USA Network’s “Burn Notice” on Nov. 11, 2010!
Film News: James Cameron to Helm ‘Avatar 2,’ ‘Avatar 3’
Submitted by mattmovieman on October 27, 2010 - 9:03pmCHICAGO – How does a filmmaker follow up the highest-grossing movie of all time? For writer and director James Cameron, the answer is simple: make the movie a trilogy.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Mirrors 2’ is Even Worse Than You Imagine it Could Be
Submitted by BrianTT on October 27, 2010 - 7:38pmCHICAGO – Horror fans are a patient and resilient group. We have suffered through dozens of horrible straight-to-DVD sequels, often to films that barely worked in the first place, but we keep going back for another round of torture just in case one of them delivers (and, for the record, “Wrong Turn 2” is definitely better than the first film but the list ends shortly thereafter). The latest trip to the sequel funhouse is “Mirrors 2,” a pedestrian, predictable thriller that makes the first film look like “The Shining” by comparison. It’s horrible.
