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+.
Planet Earth
Blu-ray Review: ‘Born to Be Wild,’ ‘Frozen Planet’ Offer Fascinating Glimpses Into Natural World
Submitted by BrianTT on April 24, 2012 - 5:13pmCHICAGO – Blu-ray was made for nature documentaries like “Born to Be Wild” and “Frozen Planet,” both recently released on the HD format and on DVD. As “Chimpanzee” plays in theaters and “Frozen Planet” still holds places in some DVRs since its Discovery Channel airings, nature documentaries seem to be as big as they’ve ever been. Both of these are strong entries in the popular genre.
Blu-Ray Review: Mesmerizing ‘Planet Earth: Six-Disc Special Edition’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 25, 2011 - 1:19pmCHICAGO – “Planet Earth” is one of the most highly-acclaimed Blu-rays of all time and a cherished gift every holiday season. What does a company do when so many people already own one of their most beloved products? It’s time for a re-release! Luckily for fans of “Planet Earth,” there’s enough new material here (and a stellar new video transfer) to justify the double dip. Sell your old version of “Planet Earth” and ask Santa for this one.
Blu-Ray Review: Disney Nature’s ‘Oceans,’ ‘The Crimson Wing’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 2, 2010 - 11:11amCHICAGO – Nature films used to be much more common in the days before basic cable. Believe it or not young ones, there was a time before the interwebs and Discover Health when you couldn’t see nature at work outside of museums or a trip to the Antarctic. Rebooting the genre has been a remarkably profitable endeavor for Disney Nature as 2009’s “Earth” made $107 million worldwide and 2010’s “Oceans,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD followed with $68 million.
Blu-Ray Review: BBC Earth’s ‘Life’ Miniseries Proves Impossible to Resist
Submitted by mattmovieman on May 25, 2010 - 10:52pmCHICAGO – No network or film company has ever come close to equaling the nature documentaries produced by BBC’s Natural History Unit. From 1979’s “Life on Earth” to 2001’s “The Blue Planet” and 2006’s “Planet Earth,” the BBC has electrified viewers worldwide with its stunning and often humbling images of life on our planet. This is the type of programming that Blu-Ray players were made for.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 10 Passes to First Episode of ‘Life’ From ‘Planet Earth’ Creators
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on March 15, 2010 - 4:15pmCHICAGO – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: TV, we have 10 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of “Challenges of Life,” which is the first episode of the new series “Life” on Discovery Channel!
Blu-Ray Review: Disney’s ‘Earth’ Highlights Beauty of Mother Nature
Submitted by BrianTT on September 10, 2009 - 1:54pmCHICAGO – Writing about Disney’s nature documentary “Earth,” now available on Blu-Ray and DVD, is complicated because the movie itself contains undeniably beautiful imagery but, for a lot of people, it’s footage that they’ve seen before and the film never really registers as a complete experience. It’s a slice of nature mostly meant for children and, if you keep that in mind, it’s sometimes effective.