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+.
Patrick McDonald
Oscar Week: Steve James on ‘Abacus: Small Enough to Jail’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 28, 2018 - 10:38amCHICAGO – Oscar Week is upon us, and Chicago is represented with a nomination in the Best Documentary (Feature) category at the 90th Academy Awards on March 4th, 2018. “Abacus: Small Enough to Jail” is directed by Steve James of Chicago’s Kartemquin Films, and is one of five nominees for the prestigious award.
Film Review: Consider the Meaning of Life Force in ‘Annihilation’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 23, 2018 - 8:23amCHICAGO – Alex Garland, the standout creator/director of “Ex Machina,” is back with “Annihilation,” another science fiction story. And like the previous film, it explores implications of a sci-fi event, in this case an outer space incident that restructures a cellular code, that ends up destructive.
Theater Review: Brown Paper Box Company Hosts a Monumental ‘Speech & Debate’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 19, 2018 - 3:07pmCHICAGO – “Speech & Debate,” the latest production from the mighty Brown Paper Box Company, continues their tradition of thinking outside that “box” in presenting storefront theater that makes a statement and a difference. “Speech” goes inside America by showcasing the outsiders… those who create art because they can’t get it right in real life. This non-equity Chicago stage play premiere is finely tuned and wonderfully acted, and runs through March 4th, 2018. Click here for more details, including ticket information.
Film Review: ‘Early Man’ is Unabashedly Freaking Hilarious
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 19, 2018 - 2:12pmCHICAGO – Humor flows from one individual, and reaches another. Whether the receiver laughs or not is subjective, based on experiences and worldview. It can be agreed, however, that animator Nick Park (“Wallace & Gromit”) is hilarious, and he’ll make the world laugh in “Early Man.”
Film News: DePaul University’s Big Shoulders International Student Film Fest on Feb. 16 & 17, 2018
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 15, 2018 - 3:19pmCHICAGO – As the DePaul University film school grows and evolves, it continues to have innovative ideas to promote the art of cinema. For the first time, the College of Computing and Digital Media (which encompasses the film school) is presenting the Big Shoulders International Student Film Festival. The screening events, which are free and open to the public, will take place on February 16th and 17th, 2018. For more information about the specifics of the Fest, including how to reserve a seat for the screenings, click here.
Film Review: All Forms of Heroism Available in ‘Black Panther’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 15, 2018 - 10:53amCHICAGO – The fortune of the latest Marvel Studios superhero epic, “Black Panther,” lies in its solid foundation in African mythos and intelligent storytelling. And with Ryan Coogler (“Creed”) as director, there are still major confrontations and battles, intertwined into the soul.
Film Review: Diversity & High Quality in 2018 Oscar-Nominated Live Action Short Films
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 13, 2018 - 9:06amCHICAGO – From deafness to religious conflict to one of the most vicious events in American history, the Oscar nominated Live Action short films fulfill the drama, emotions and even laughs in a compact form. The 2018 Live Action Shorts nominees are being shown in one program, locally at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema in Chicago. Click here for more information. The Animations Shorts are also being shown.
Film Review: Strange ‘15:17 to Paris’ Can’t Make the Connection
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 11, 2018 - 12:52pmCHICAGO – What’s up with Clint Eastwood, and why in the Sam Hill did he attach himself as director to this film? Also, why was the decision made to use the actual rescuers as the actors in a true terrorist train incident? Nothing adds up in the strangely disconnected “15:17 to Paris.”
Film Review: Zen and the Art of Cinema in ‘24 Frames’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 11, 2018 - 11:16amCHICAGO – The legendary Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami (“Certified Copy”) passed away in 2016, but he left one more meditation on cinema and illusion, in the artistic “24 Frames.” Yes, it refers to the number of still photos that make up a second of film, but in this case it is also Kiarostami’s observations of stillness in motion.
Film Feature: HollywoodChicago.com Remembers John Mahoney
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 9, 2018 - 8:54am- 77
- Barton Fink
- David Hyde Pierce
- Dead
- Dies
- Film News
- Frasier
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- House of Blue Leaves
- John Mahoney is Dead
- Jon Espino
- Kelsey Grammar
- Martin Crane
- Michael Spike Walters
- Obituary
- Orphans
- Passed Away
- Patrick McDonald
- Say Anything
- Steppenwolf Theatre
- The American President
- Tony Award
CHICAGO – The actor John Mahoney, the son of Chicago that came here from England, died on February 4th, 2018 at his home in nearby Oak Park. He was 77. He had a varied career of stage and screen roles, but he is best remembered as Dad Martin Crane to sons Niles and “Frasier,” on that long running series.