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: Universal Catalog Titles ‘Apollo 13,’ ‘Dune,’ ‘Traffic’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 13, 2010 - 2:03pmCHICAGO – Universal Home Video is releasing an impressive wave of catalog titles in HD for the first time this month and we have a preview of them just for you, including a great 15th Anniversary Edition of “Apollo 13,” and HD transfers of four movies that have little in common but the studio that released them: “Dune,” “The Jackal,” “Out of Africa,” and “Traffic”.
Blu-Ray Review: Wolfgang Petersen’s ‘Poseidon’ Rises to the Surface
Submitted by BrianTT on April 13, 2010 - 1:14pmCHICAGO – When Wolfgang Petersen’s “Poseidon” crashed and sank in the wave of summer hits of 2006 — making only $60 million domestically on a reported budget of $160 million — I thought the film got an undeserved bad rap (and it actually did much better internationally). It’s no classic and my love for the Irwin Allen era disaster films might have disguised some flaws but it looks and sounds great on Blu-ray.
Exclusive Portrait: Chelsea Handler at Chicago Book Signing
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 13, 2010 - 12:35pmCHICAGO – Chelsea Handler is on a roll. With huge advance sales for her third book, “Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang,” it’s no wonder there was a large crowd to greet her during a book signing event in Chicago.
Blu-Ray Review: Original Animated Version of ‘The Lord of the Rings’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 12, 2010 - 5:48pmCHICAGO – Last week we covered the highly anticipated Blu-ray release of “Lord of the Rings” and even had a chat with Richard Taylor of WETA Workshop about the Best Picture-winning film from director Peter Jackson. There may be a few fans of that series out there who don’t know that Jackson, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, and Ian McKellen weren’t the first to go to Middle Earth. Ralph Bakshi went there over three decades ago and his animated “Lord of the Rings” is now on Blu-ray for the first time.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘IMAX Under the Sea’ Still Dazzles on Small Screen
Submitted by mattmovieman on April 12, 2010 - 2:27pmCHICAGO – It’s easy to see why filmmakers like James Cameron are constantly inspired by the life forms that exist underwater. They are as fascinating and mysterious as any otherworldly being dreamed up a science-fiction author. BBC’s brilliant series, “The Blue Planet,” unearthed deep-sea specimens that continue to haunt my nightmares. It proved that monsters do sometimes hide in the dark, and exist only to feed (one fish had teeth so large that it couldn’t even close its mouth).
Blu-Ray Review: Another Stellar Release For AMC’s ‘Mad Men’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 12, 2010 - 2:15pmCHICAGO – The third season of the highly acclaimed and award-winning “Mad Men” was recently released on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of AMC and Lionsgate. Not only does TV simply not get much better than this hit drama but the show also continues a pattern of exceptional Blu-ray releases with perfect video, audio, and an unbelievable amount of special features.
Exclusive Portrait: Nicole Richie in Chicago Launching Clothing Line
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 11, 2010 - 11:25amCHICAGO – Nicole Richie is turning another chapter in her “simple life” with the launch of a clothing line called “Winter Kate Collection.” She was in Chicago at Nordstrom on Michigan Avenue promoting the line and meeting admirers.
TV Review: Flawless, Mesmerizing Rhythm of HBO’s ‘Treme’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 10, 2010 - 8:34pmCHICAGO – For fans of “The Wire,” expectations are ludicrously high for HBO’s “Treme” (pronounced “tre-MAY”), the newest dramatic work from David Simon and Eric Overmyer.
TV Review: 16th-Century Soap Opera Wears Thin on ‘The Tudors’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 10, 2010 - 8:29pmCHICAGO – Not exactly for history buffs, Showtime’s “The Tudors” has always been more about bodice-ripping and political intrigue than about straightforward historical facts. Still, in its first three seasons, with a combination of multi-dimensional characters and inspired casting choices, the “Desperate Housewives” of sixteenth-century England was a guilty pleasure not to be missed.
Interview: Director Eric Bednarowicz on the Premiere of ‘Carpe Millennium’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 10, 2010 - 4:15pmCHICAGO – Eric Bednarowicz is a young Chicago filmmaker who has a long resume of production experience. “Carpe Millennium” is his short comedic film making its world premiere at the Charleston, South Carolina, International Film Festival on April 10th.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Vampyres’ Resurrects Controversial Combination of Sex, Gore
Submitted by mattmovieman on April 9, 2010 - 1:16pmCHICAGO – José Ramón Larraz’s 1974 cult classic “Vampyres” isn’t about vampires any more than “Troll 2” is about trolls. It’s a flat-out porn flick with fangs, or at least very unnatural teeth. The filmmakers harbor no artistic aspirations apart from terrifying and titillating their audience. Perhaps I’m merely jaded by the plethora of sex and violence in our modern media, but I found the film to be a complete snooze, even in its much-ballyhooed uncensored version.
Blu-Ray Review: Original ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ Still Shocks
Submitted by BrianTT on April 9, 2010 - 12:22pmCHICAGO – I haven’t seen it yet but just watching the original “A Nightmare on Elm Street” in gorgeous HD has me pumped up for the Platinum Dunes remake about to be released. The world could use a little more Freddy Krueger (played by the excellent Jackie Earle Haley in the remake), one of the most memorable creations in the history of horror.
Blu-Ray Review: Second Season of ‘Battlestar Galactica’ Available in HD
Submitted by BrianTT on April 9, 2010 - 11:22amCHICAGO – Releasing seasons of hit shows that have only been available for a few years in the first place on Blu-ray can be a tricky proposition, especially when it’s not the first. What fan of “Battlestar Galactica” doesn’t own the second season of this great show? If you’re one of the few who hasn’t completed their collection because you’ve been waiting for HD, today’s your lucky day.
