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
Video Game Review: ‘Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock’ Delivers on Expectations
Submitted by BrianTT on October 7, 2010 - 5:18pmCHICAGO – If you think that most of the music games in the most impressive new genre of the last several years have been nothing more than expensive expansion packs then I doubt that “Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock” is really going to change your mind. The game is far from a drastic leap forward from what fans have already experienced but there are enough quality refinements and enjoyable tunes that it delivers what you should expect when judged on its own terms.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ Remake Fails Completely
Submitted by BrianTT on October 7, 2010 - 3:59pmCHICAGO – The irony of Samuel Bayer’s remake of the Wes Craven classic, “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” is that most viewers will have more trouble staying awake than combatting actual fear. The saddest thing about this failed effort is that it could tarnish the reputation of Wes Craven’s brilliant original for a new generation. Ignore the new film. Just go rent the original.
Preview: The 46th Chicago International Film Festival, Week One
Submitted by BrianTT on October 7, 2010 - 2:34pmCHICAGO – We’ve been working our way through the schedule for the upcoming 46th Annual Chicago International Film Festival, kicking off tonight with the premiere of “Stone,” starring Edward Norton, Robert De Niro, and Milla Jovovich. While this year’s festival includes a few high-profile films with A-list stars, we’ve dipped below the line, watching screeners of films that might slide below your radar.
Blu-Ray Review: Crowd-Pleasing Extras Elevate ‘The Karate Kid’
Submitted by mattmovieman on October 7, 2010 - 10:15amCHICAGO – If I were 12 years old, I’d probably think “The Karate Kid” was one of the best Blu-Rays of the year. It’s got everything: a crowd-pleasing feature film, several superb extras, and strikingly sharp picture quality, with colors that pop. Yet since I’m twice as old, I’m cursed with the clarity to see through the splendid spectacle and linger on its utter superficiality.
Interview: Director Randall Wallace Returns With ‘Secretariat’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 7, 2010 - 9:48amCHICAGO – Randall Wallace began his screenwriting career at the top of the ladder, penning the script for the Best Picture-winning “Braveheart” and earning an Oscar nomination himself. He went on to direct “The Man in the Iron Mask” and “We Were Soldiers,” and returns this week with the inspirational “Secretariat,” the true story of the legendary horse starring Diane Lane and John Malkovich.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 5 ‘Djibouti’ Books From FX’s ‘Justified’ Character Creator Elmore Leonard
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 7, 2010 - 12:29amCHICAGO – In this inaugural edition of the HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Book, we have 5 books up for grabs to the new 288-page book “Djibouti” from New York Times bestselling author Elmore Leonard. Leonard is the creator of the character “Raylan Givens” on FX’s “Justified” TV show.
Interview: Directors Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck Tell ‘It’s Kind of a Funny Story’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 6, 2010 - 11:00amCHICAGO – Two of the most interesting young directors of their generation return this week with the dramedy “It’s Kind of a Funny Story,” Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden’s follow-up to the highly-acclaimed “Half Nelson” and “Sugar.” The film stars Keir Gilchrist (“The United States of Tara”), Zach Galifianakis (“The Hangover”) and Emma Roberts (“Valentine’s Day”) and opens on Friday, October 8th, 2010.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘The Human Centipede’ Delivers Campy, Queasy Chills
Submitted by mattmovieman on October 6, 2010 - 10:38amCHICAGO – Here’s a knee-jerk horrorshow with a premise so monumentally galvanizing and profoundly disgusting that it manages to upstage the film itself. Once you’ve discovered what the “Human Centipede” is, in all of its grotesque awfulness, your mind instantly creates a vision more viscerally disturbing than anything that could possibly be captured on film.
Interview: Diane Lane, John Malkovich Ride Legendary ‘Secretariat’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 6, 2010 - 9:33amCHICAGO – Two of the Oscar-nominated stars of Disney’s “Secretariat” breezed through Chicago last month as both Diane Lane and John Malkovich sat down for entertaining one-on-ones about their inspirational drama from director Randall Wallace (the Oscar-winning writer of “Braveheart”).
Interview: Director Greg Berlanti of Katherine Heigl’s ‘Life as We Know It’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 5, 2010 - 5:23pmCHICAGO – The romantic comedy gets another variation with the new release, “Life As We Know It,” with Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel playing opposites who need to attract when thrust into a childcare situation that they didn’t anticipate. The film is directed by Greg Berlanti, who is also the screenwriter to the upcoming “Green Lantern” movie.
Video Game Review: Derivative, Frustrating ‘Quantum Theory’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 5, 2010 - 3:32pmCHICAGO – It can be difficult for a casual gamer to discern the differences between a good shooter and a bad one. Someone who doesn’t pick up a controller all that often might look at “Quantum Theory” and think its resemblance to the beloved “Gears of War” translates to quality as well.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Signed Poster By ‘Barry Munday’ Star Patrick Wilson, Two Magnolia DVDs
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 5, 2010 - 2:24pmCHICAGO – In this edition of the HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: DVD, two lucky winners will clean up with two DVDs from Magnolia Pictures for the movies “The Great Buck Howard” and “The Answer Man” plus a full-size poster for “Barry Munday” signed by Patrick Wilson, Judy Greer and director Chris D’Arienzo!
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Babies’ Benefits, Suffers From Limitations
Submitted by mattmovieman on October 5, 2010 - 1:46pmCHICAGO – Couples making plans to start a family may get a kick out of “Babies,” the lyrical new documentary from French filmmaker Thomas Balmès. Everyone else may find themselves bored stiff. The film is an intriguing experiment with varying degrees of success. It’s as tedious as it is compelling and as annoying as it is insightful.
