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+.
Stellan Skarsgard
Film Review: New ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is Almost Passable if You Haven’t Seen It, Unnecessary if You Have
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 12, 2013 - 4:46pm- Adam Fendelman
- Anton Alexander
- Carlo Carlei
- Christian Cooke
- Damian Lewis
- Douglas Booth
- Ed Westwick
- Hailee Steinfeld
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Julian Fellowes
- Kodi Smit-McPhee
- Laura Morante
- Movie Review
- Natascha McElhone
- Paul Giamatti
- Romeo + Juliet
- Romeo and Juliet
- Stellan Skarsgard
- Tom Wisdom
- Tomas Arana
- William Shakespeare
CHICAGO – When I walked out of my screening for 2013’s “Romeo and Juliet” with Hailee Steinfeld (Oscar nominated for “True Grit”) and London’s Douglas Booth (previously unknown to the U.S.), I had to remember that not everyone’s seen this story in one way or another.
DVD Review: David Fincher’s Incredible ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’
Submitted by BrianTT on March 27, 2012 - 11:19amCHICAGO – David Fincher’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is an absolute masterpiece, one of the best films of 2011 and one of the best thrillers of the new millennium. After I saw it in December of 2011, there was some question of its quality when compared to the original Stieg Larsson books, the Noomi Rapace-starring foreign version, and even Fincher’s previous work, the amazing “The Social Network.” Ignore all that comparison and just view “Dragon” on its own merits. It’s spectacular.
Blu-ray Review: Gorgeous Transfer For Lars Von Trier’s Incredible ‘Melancholia’
Submitted by BrianTT on March 22, 2012 - 4:29pmCHICAGO – Lars Von Trier’s incredible “Melancholia” gets better both in memory and on repeat viewing, especially with a pristine, jaw-dropping transfer like the one granted it by Magnolia on their recently-released Blu-ray. It may have been left out of all Academy Award categories but this was easily one of the best movies of last year. And the few before that as well. Most people missed it in theaters. Catch up on Blu-ray.
Film Review: David Fincher’s Stunning ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’
Submitted by BrianTT on December 14, 2011 - 3:26pmCHICAGO – David Fincher’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” comes with waves of expectations from fans of the Stieg Larsson books, the Swedish original films, the director’s previous beloved works, and even drama over a certain national outlet breaking an agreed-upon embargo.
Film Review: Lars Von Trier’s Mesmerizing ‘Melancholia’ Turns Depression Into Art
Submitted by BrianTT on November 10, 2011 - 12:35pmCHICAGO – Lars Von Trier’s “Melancholia” is a mesmerizing, haunting portrayal of the world-shattering force of depression from a filmmaker who has first-hand knowledge of the debilitating disease. With career-best work by Kirsten Dunst and some of the most confident filmmaking from its controversial director, this is one of the best films of 2011, a stunningly original examination of that which is completely out of our control.
Blu-Ray Review: Superhero Hit ‘Thor’ Serves as Nifty ‘Avengers’ Prequel
Submitted by BrianTT on September 17, 2011 - 2:49pmCHICAGO – This summer saw the release of two movies that were basically just appetizers for next year’s full meal in Joss Whedon’s “The Avengers” — “Thor” and “Captain America: The First Avenger.” Both were surprisingly well-received although both fall short of being considered among the best Marvel movies (“Iron Man,” “X-Men: First Class,” “Spider-Man 2”) in part by virtue of so obviously being set-ups for something yet to come. “Thor” works best when one considers where this franchise will go in “Thor 2” and “The Avengers” but is merely average when judged on its own. It’s a decent movie with a decent Blu-ray release that promises more-than-just-decent material to come.
Film Review: Despite Loveless Love Story, ‘Thor’ Deserves Your Popcorn-Flick Dollar
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 7, 2011 - 10:51pmCHICAGO – When big-budget films set their sights on being the next Hollywood blockbuster, they’re almost always built on a formulaic groundwork of proven ingredients.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 30 Pairs of Chicago Passes to ‘Thor’ Plus VIP Prize Pack With Natalie Portman
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on April 25, 2011 - 5:20pmCHICAGO – In our latest special edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 30 admit-two advance-screening movie passes plus one VIP grand prize pack up for grabs to the new film “Thor” with Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman!
Film Review: Halle Berry Expresses All Roles in ‘Frankie and Alice’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 4, 2011 - 9:23amCHICAGO – The stunning looks of Halle Berry is always the lead whenever the entertainment media considers her. But in “Frankie and Alice,” she reminds us of why her career continues to flourish and why she is a Best Actress Oscar winner.
Blu-Ray Review: Wordy ‘Angels & Demons’ Fails to Illuminate
Submitted by BrianTT on December 2, 2009 - 8:45pmCHICAGO – Give Ron Howard an intimate character study like “Frost/Nixon,” and he’ll knock it out of the park. Give him a sprawling plot-driven thriller like…well, let’s face it: anything written by Dan Brown, and he’ll be consumed by the enormity of his subject. Yet while Howard’s “The Da Vinci Code,” failed on a human level, it did succeed in highlighting the tantalizing questions raised by Brown’s text, particularly the implications of historical distortion throughout the centuries. When the characters were allowed to simply analyze the story’s inherent mysteries, the film took flight.