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+.
Nick Allen
Blu-ray Review: The Internet is For Real in Goofy ‘Transcendence’
Submitted by NickHC on August 4, 2014 - 6:55pmCHICAGO – The Internet is for real in “Transcendence”, a B-movie with grade-A production quality, loaded with terabyte-size open-ended questions, so long as one can accept it lastly with a scientific mindset. It is a film that perceives technology to be more expansive than a box of wires and computer chips, and actualizes the expanse of the internet as limitless to the realm of spiritual.
Film Review: ‘Happy Christmas’ is Au Naturale for Good or for Bland
Submitted by NickHC on July 28, 2014 - 5:44pmCHICAGO – One thing that struck me about writer/director Joe Swanberg’s previous “Drinking Buddies,” and made it one of my more celebrated from 2013 despite not really loving it as a film, was its importance to those good ol’ independent movies. Here were big flashy stars like Olivia Wilde and Anna Kendrick, not just acting in a movie of a lower budget, but creating a wider appeal out of a previously very niche aspect, without the film form itself changing much.
Blu-ray Review: Jason Bateman’s ‘Bad Words’ Not Better on Blu-ray
Submitted by NickHC on July 14, 2014 - 8:28pmLooming over “Bad Words” is the potential it could have had, as is, were it released ten years ago. With its focus of R-rated behavior poking at the projected innocence of children, along with the couple of chromosomes that keep Bateman’s Trilby from being a Vince Vaughn character, this movie is certainly a product of the comedies that have sculpted out the manchild story in the past decade.
Blu-ray Review: Goofy ‘Winter’s Tale’ a Bad Miracle
Submitted by NickHC on July 14, 2014 - 8:18pmThe theatrical poster for “Winter’s Tale,” after promising that “It’s not a true story, it’s a love story,” made a large demand from its viewers at the bottom: “This Valentine’s Day, Believe In Miracles.” While there is indeed a difference between filmmaking and marketing, it is hard to not imagine writer/director Akiva Goldsman whispering “believe in miracles” into the ear of every executive who helped “Winter’s Tale” come to life, immediately after throwing glitter on them.
Blu-ray Review: ‘RoboCop’ Remake Struggles with Identity
Submitted by NickHC on July 5, 2014 - 9:33amCHICAGO – After years of being envisioned with numerous directors (“Noah’s” Darren Aronofsky was once attached), a new version of “RoboCop” has arrived. While the original 80s classic stood out for its foresight into current cultural turmoil, this remake is more a product of movies of the past, and to be more specific, our recent beloved superhero movies.
Blu-ray Review: Tepid Volcano Movie ‘Pompeii’ Starring Kit Harrington’s Abs
Submitted by NickHC on June 21, 2014 - 11:03amCHICAGO – With regards to its production, Paul W.S. Anderson’s “Pompeii” is a period film based on current trends, honoring both the apocalypse fascination spurred by the Mayans’ recent miscalculation, and the ascent of Harrington’s star power via the popular TV series “Game of Thrones.” With neither guaranteeing a strong future for themselves through Pompeii, there is at least some bankability in Harrington’s abs.
Film Review: Impulsive, Curious Tale of Dystopia in ‘The Rover’
Submitted by NickHC on June 20, 2014 - 2:45pmRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO –There is a profound interest in impulse within the work of Australian filmmaker David Michod, whose number of features finally reaches two with his anticipated followup to “Animal Kingdom,” “The Rover.” Even his co-writing work for Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s life-crasher movie “Hesher” is indicative of a storytelling force jazzed by that which is abrupt and unexplainable, and without worry of how polarizing these weirdo choices may be.
Blu-ray Review: ‘Non-Stop’ Has Formulaic Script But Fresh Thrills
Submitted by NickHC on June 10, 2014 - 4:54pmCHICAGO – “Non-Stop” gave audiences more than just “‘Taken’ on a plane” when it opened last February, and showed that the inflight experience is efficiently vulnerable action thriller territory. With audiences having taken a break from commercial airline chaos after 9/11, “Non-Stop” brought viewers back into the peril of an unsafe flight, but with a leading hero by Liam Neeson at the helm. Nevertheless, even when knowing how the flight ends, “Non-Stop” is a refined thriller that still has a grip on one’s attention in a second viewing as well.
Blu-ray Review: Kevin Costner Actioner ‘3 Days to Kill’ is Slick, Forgettable
Submitted by NickHC on June 9, 2014 - 1:47pmCHICAGO – “3 Days to Kill” is a bit like “Taken,” in that it was co-created by French action maestro Luc Besson, but directed by somebody else. However, it is indeed not like “Taken” in that this movie never roars out of the gate, which is also about a multi-tasking American dad abroad looking for answers as a clock ticks.
Blu-ray Review: Visceral Soldier Story ‘Lone Survivor’
Submitted by NickHC on June 4, 2014 - 7:32pmCHICAGO – The story goes that when deciding on the project, director Peter Berg read a copy of Marcus Luttrell’s book “Lone Survivor” in one sitting. Whether this tale includes a bathroom break, or even a few days in-between but with usage of the same chair, for a director like Berg this story will always ring possible.