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
DVD Review: ‘Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work’ Should Have Been a Contender
Submitted by mattmovieman on December 21, 2010 - 12:11pmCHICAGO – Anyone who considers Joan Rivers to be little more than a plasticized sight gag is advised to check out Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg’s wonderful documentary, a sorely deserving (and unfairly snubbed) contender in this year’s Oscar race. The film invites viewers to look under Rivers’ immobile Botox mask and observe the angry, brilliant, brutally honest and fiercely insecure woman hiding beneath.
Black Eyed Peas End the Stretch of Classic Rock Super Bowl Halftimes
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on December 20, 2010 - 5:56pmCHICAGO – We all know the Super Bowl is all about predictions. Just as it’s about to happen in 2011, many handicappers have already gotten one wrong. The Super Bowl halftime show has been a classic rock lover’s scene over the last half decade. While many expected the same to continue in early 2011, the organizers have thrown us a curveball.
Film News: ‘The Social Network’ Wins Three Chicago Film Critics Awards
Submitted by BrianTT on December 20, 2010 - 2:12pmCHICAGO – David Fincher’s “The Social Network” was the big winner at the 2010 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, winning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
DVD Review: ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’ Redefines Documentary
Submitted by BrianTT on December 20, 2010 - 1:49pmCHICAGO – The brilliant “Exit Through the Gift Shop” may look like a documentary but it’s closer to a piece of performance art, a daring examination of the creative expression of street art that becomes an expression itself. How much of it is true? How much is scripted? Unlike other “controversial” 2010 documentaries “I’m Still Here” and “Catfish” it doesn’t matter this time because Banksy’s amazing film is a joy to behold either way.
Blu-Ray Review: John Wayne’s Original ‘True Grit’ Given HD Treatment
Submitted by BrianTT on December 20, 2010 - 12:18pmCHICAGO – There are few Westerns more iconic than the original “True Grit.” Ask a hundred people to name the first Western that comes to mind and I firmly believe that “True Grit” will be one of the most-mentioned films. It is beloved enough that Joel and Ethan Coen have remade it into an already award-winning drama that will be released this week with Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Hailee Steinfeld. Catch up with the original on Blu-ray before you see the new film.
Film Feature: The 10 Best Films of 2010
Submitted by BrianTT on December 20, 2010 - 9:29amCHICAGO – When we look back on this past year in cinema, what will we remember? Ironically, a year after “Avatar” was supposed to change the movie paradigm forever, it’s the human faces that I most vividly remember from 2010.
‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ Director Blake Edwards is Dead at 88
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 17, 2010 - 10:27pmCHICAGO – If you love movies, you love Blake Edwards. The iconic comic director, best known for teaming with Peter Sellers in a series of wacky Pink Panther adventures, also directed such classics as “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “Days of Wine and Roses,” “The Great Race” “10” and “Victor Victoria.” Blake Edwards died Wednesday at age 88.
Film Review: Lopsided ‘TRON: Legacy’ is Heavy on Visuals, Light on Humanity
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on December 17, 2010 - 8:12pmCHICAGO – Every great film is a delicate balance of a number of critical elements. Good films lack in one department while mediocre films have serious gaps that stick out like a red dress at a funeral. The overall mediocre “TRON: Legacy” is exceedingly fixated on its impressive visual effects while neglecting to focus on creating an evocative and humanized story.
Film Review: Dan Aykroyd, Justin Timberlake Sink in Horrible ‘Yogi Bear’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 17, 2010 - 12:42pmCHICAGO – “Yogi Bear,” the latest degradation in the cynical family film 3D marketing universe, has done the improbable. It has taken notable and nostalgic cartoon characters (Yogi and Boo Boo) and turned them into animatronic shills for a post modern bore of a story that wouldn’t work if Fellini were directing it. Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake sell out (I mean lend) their voice talents.
Film Review: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush Star in Confident ‘The King’s Speech’
Submitted by BrianTT on December 17, 2010 - 10:11am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Tom Hooper’s “The King’s Speech” has been barreling through the awards season with a number of significant nominations, including six from the Chicago Film Critics Association just today. I understand why. The film does nothing wrong. It features confident production values and good performances but never reaches the peak of excellence for this critic. “The King’s Speech” is a good film that’s been inflated by some viewers to great even if it doesn’t quite deserve the throne.
Film Review: Paul Rudd, Reese Witherspoon in Gloriously Romantic ‘How Do You Know’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 17, 2010 - 9:48amCHICAGO – Writer/Director James L. Brooks has been producing prime entertainment for nearly 50 years now, and proves he has not lost a step in ‘How Do You Know.’ This film of love, loss, power and especially romance is a great showcase for the talents of Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson and the great Jack Nicholson.
Film News: ‘The Social Network’ Leads Chicago Film Critics Nominations
Submitted by BrianTT on December 17, 2010 - 7:00amCHICAGO – David Fincher’s “The Social Network” leads the 2010 nominations of the Chicago Film Critics Association with eight nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor.
Film Review: Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams Deliver Knockouts in ‘The Fighter’
Submitted by BrianTT on December 16, 2010 - 5:51pmCHICAGO – David O. Russell’s “The Fighter” is an old-fashioned crowd-pleaser with one of the strongest ensembles of 2010 and the kind of underdog story that’s easy for an audience to embrace and adore.
