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
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Mad Max’ is Still Powerful, But Release Disappoints
Submitted by BrianTT on October 21, 2010 - 12:15pmCHICAGO – It’s funny to me that there’s probably going to be an entire generation that sees Mel Gibson as a message-leaving lunatic and won’t fully understand how he became one of the biggest stars in the world. In the ’80s and most of the ’90s, he was at the top of the celebrity game and it all started with Max Rockatansky, the actor’s breakthrough role in “Mad Max,” now available on Blu-ray for the first time.
Blu-Ray Review: 50th Anniversary Edition of Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 21, 2010 - 11:37amCHICAGO – Are we going to have to wait for a major anniversary of every Alfred Hitchcock film for them to be released on Blu-ray? Only two of the films directed by the best filmmaker of all time are available in HD, last year’s 50th anniversary release of “North by Northwest” and the amazing new 50th anniversary edition of “Psycho.”
Short Cuts: Illinois Filmmakers at 2010 Chicago International Film Festival
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 21, 2010 - 9:37amCHICAGO – The short film, once considered the lesser cousin of features, and seen mostly in obscurity, has had a major revival and influence in the age of YouTube. At the 2010 Chicago International Film Festival, the Illinois Short Filmmaker night brought out the best of locally produced film shorts on October 11th.
DVD Review: Underrated ‘Agora’ Captures Drama of Warring Ideas
Submitted by mattmovieman on October 20, 2010 - 11:48pmCHICAGO – When A.O. Scott described this film as “Passion of the Christ” for liberals, I couldn’t help finding his catchy summation to be awfully glib. “Agora” is a film about ideas, whereas “Passion” was merely about Mel Gibson’s masochism. Director Alejandro Amenábar has crafted a fascinating and haunting historical epic that never exploits its violent subject matter.
DVD Review: ‘I Am Love’ Captures Revolutionary Power of Romance
Submitted by mattmovieman on October 20, 2010 - 11:30pmCHICAGO – Critics don’t have any business reviewing films if they aren’t able to admit when they are wrong. I am here to freely admit that I was wrong about “I Am Love.” While it blindsided me at the European Union Film Festival, I detected certain glaring flaws in its plot during the film’s limited theatrical run, which seem to have evaporated upon its magnificent DVD release.
Exclusive Portraits: David Schwimmer, Alan Cumming at 2010 Chicago International Film Festival
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 20, 2010 - 3:26pmCHICAGO – High wattage star power lit up the red carpet on October 18th at the Chicago International Film Festival.
Film Review: Clint Eastwood, Matt Damon Deliver Poignant ‘Hereafter’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 20, 2010 - 9:30amCHICAGO – Clint Eastwood’s “Hereafter” is a dramatic examination of a subject rarely dealt with in American cinema with even an ounce of honest emotion: What happens after we die.
DVD Review: Uneven ‘Leaves of Grass’ Delves Into High-Minded Farce
Submitted by mattmovieman on October 20, 2010 - 7:59amCHICAGO – As special effects technology continues to become more advanced, filmmakers have found increasingly convincing ways of allowing actors to give dual performances in the same movie, and often in the same frame. This can be achieved in a variety of ways, from the exquisite trick photography in “Moon” to the seamless digital creation of the Winklevi in “The Social Network.”
News: Chicago Dance Auditions For Cher Film ‘Burlesque’ on Oct. 23, 2010
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 20, 2010 - 3:34amCHICAGO – We have learned that there will be a dance contest in Chicago on Oct. 23, 2010 in celebration of the upcoming film “Burlesque” starring Cher, Christina Aguilera, Kristen Bell, Stanley Tucci, Alan Cumming and Peter Gallagher.
Interview: Filmmaker Jeff Deutchman Revisits Historic Election in ‘11/4/08’
Submitted by mattmovieman on October 20, 2010 - 12:08amCHICAGO – Jeff Deutchman’s “11/4/08” is a documentary like no other. It centers on the historic Election Day of 2008 that named Barack Obama as the next American president. Deutchman called on his friends, including Joe Swanberg (“Hannah Takes the Stairs”) and Henry Joost (“Catfish”), to capture footage from the day both nationally and internationally, from Manhattan to Dubai.
Video Game Review: ‘Medal of Honor’ Looks Great But Shoots Blanks
Submitted by BrianTT on October 19, 2010 - 9:32pmCHICAGO – The world of video game development can be oddly cyclical. There was a time when the creators of the “Call of Duty” games looked to the success of the “Medal of Honor” games and now the coin has flipped as the reboot of “MOH” has been clearly-inspired by the success of games like “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” and “Battlefield: Bad Company 2.”
Women in Film: Spotlight on Three at 2010 Chicago International Film Festival
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 19, 2010 - 7:26pmCHICAGO – With the breakthrough Best Director win for Kathryn Bigelow (”The Hurt Locker”) at the most recent Academy Awards, women in film are creating their own inroads. Three examples from the 2010 Chicago International Film Festival are Carmen Marron, Naghmeh Shirkhan and Kristin Kaza.
Video Game Review: ‘Dead Space Ignition’ Bridges Story to ‘Dead Space 2’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 19, 2010 - 2:44pmCHICAGO – One of the most anticipated games of the next several months has to be EA’s sequel “Dead Space 2,” a title that promises more incredible action and sci-fi scares. To prime audiences for that title, EA has released a DLC prologue to the game called “Dead Space Ignition” that can be purchased or activated with a pre-order of the January title. An odd mini-game, “Ignition” feels only loosely-related to the “Dead Space” universe and a missed opportunity at something that would truly remind players knee-deep in mega-titles of the season like “Fallout: New Vegas” and “Fable III” that there’s another great game coming soon.
