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
‘Red Riding Trilogy’ Simultaneously Captivates, Infuriates
Submitted by BrianTT on March 16, 2010 - 11:40am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Much ink has been spilled about how HBO is at the forefront of made-for-TV filmmaking in the world, a fact already demonstrated this year by the brilliant biopic “Temple Grandin” and the stellar WWII mini-series, “The Pacific.” Yet Britain’s Channel 4 deserves just as much attention and praise for producing the “Red Riding” trilogy, which has been routinely compared to HBO’s classic series, “The Wire.”
TV Review: Riveting, Spectacular ‘Justified’ With Timothy Olyphant
Submitted by BrianTT on March 16, 2010 - 11:21amCHICAGO – In the hundreds of shows that I’ve reviewed in my decade covering television, I’ve rarely been as instantly blown away as I was by the premiere of “Justified,” a riveting, perfectly paced, expertly acted piece of drama that simply must be seen. The next two episodes are a slight step down but that doesn’t change the fact that this is the best new drama of 2009-2010.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 10 Passes to First Episode of ‘Life’ From ‘Planet Earth’ Creators
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on March 15, 2010 - 4:15pmCHICAGO – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: TV, we have 10 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of “Challenges of Life,” which is the first episode of the new series “Life” on Discovery Channel!
Blu-Ray Review: Cult Phenomenon Continues in ‘Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day’
Submitted by BrianTT on March 15, 2010 - 2:38pmCHICAGO – The first “Boondock Saints” was so over-the-top that its abundance of style actually became substance. While I certainly don’t bow to the film like so many of its devoted fans, I totally get the obsession with it that led to a surprising sequel and even a comic book. The movie is fun. And that’s where the sequel fails. “Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day” is bloated and boring, missing the spark that made the first a surprising cult hit.
Video Game Review: ‘MLB 10: The Show’ Wins Sports Game Championship
Submitted by BrianTT on March 15, 2010 - 1:45pmCHICAGO – Like the New York Yankees last season, the Bronx Bombers of the baseball video game world have put together another championship enterprise, a video game remarkable in its depth, bar-setting in its visual presentation, and simply must-own for baseball fans. “MLB 10: The Show” is not quite yet that “perfect baseball game” we all hope will someday come but it’s the closest to it yet.
TV Review: NBC’s ‘Trauma’ on Ratings Life Support
Submitted by BrianTT on March 15, 2010 - 10:59amCHICAGO – The head-on collision with “The Jay Leno Show” has decimated nearly everything on NBC and it’s going to be a long, uphill climb for it to return to ratings respectability. Even relatively acclaimed new shows like “Parenthood” are struggling as viewers left the peacock net and seem unwilling to return. The already ratings-challenged “Trauma” returns tonight, March 15th, 2010, in an effort to stop the bleeding.
Interview: Anika Noni Rose is Royalty in ‘The Princess and the Frog’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 15, 2010 - 9:33amCHICAGO – Once the Walt Disney company confers the title of “Princess” upon one of their characters, in pop culture they live forever. Tiana is the latest title holder, and she is voiced by Anika Noni Rose in “The Princess and the Frog,” now on DVD.
TV Review: Everyone Should Watch Masterful ‘The Pacific’
Submitted by BrianTT on March 14, 2010 - 10:16amCHICAGO – I must admit to some trepidation about HBO’s WWII mini-series “The Pacific” from producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, debuting tonight, March 14th, 2010 at 8pm CST. Why? Because “Band of Brothers” is the best mini-series of all time and it’s difficult for anyone to pitch a perfect game two starts in a row. I knew it would be good, but doubted it would be great. I was wrong. It’s spectacular.
TV Review: ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ Delivers Exactly What it Promises
Submitted by BrianTT on March 13, 2010 - 6:53pmCHICAGO – Reality shows are comfort food to millions because they deliver exactly what viewers expect. You know precisely what you’re getting out of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” “Bridezillas,” or “The Bachelor”. The names and faces may be different but the experience of each season is essentially the same. The same goes for “The Celebrity Apprentice” and if you garnered guilty pleasure thrills from last season, it’s hard to believe that’s going to change this year.
TV Review: FOX’s ‘Sons of Tucson’ Decent But Unmemorable
Submitted by BrianTT on March 13, 2010 - 6:17pmCHICAGO – Tyler Labine’s lead character on the new FOX sitcom “Sons of Tucson” is not exactly the same as his ‘Sock’ from the tragically canceled “Reaper” but the two could easily be brothers. They have so much in common in their style and delivery that one almost wishes this was a true “Reaper” spin-off just so Ray Wise could make a guest appearance in the future. At least then I’d tune again. Now I’m not so sure.
Interview: Jay Baruchel, Nate Torrence on ‘She’s Out of My League’
Submitted by BrianTT on March 12, 2010 - 5:24pmCHICAGO – Jay Baruchel and Nate Torrence, two of the leads of the romantic comedy “She’s Out of My League” dropped by Chicago recently to talk about their new film that has been compared to both “The Hangover” and the work of Judd Apatow. Candid, charismatic, and very funny in person, Baruchel and Torrence are the kind of interview subjects that make this job easy.
Lack of Clear Vision, Viewpoint Handcuffs ‘The Art of the Steal’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 12, 2010 - 4:47pmCHICAGO – Remember the golden rule? Those who have the gold makes the rules. An illustration of this point is in the new documentary “The Art of the Steal,” a stark reminder of territorial power regarding a valuable art collection.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Capitalism: A Love Story’ Finds the Provocateur in Top Form
Submitted by mattmovieman on March 12, 2010 - 12:24pmCHICAGO – No contemporary filmmaker has mastered the art of opinionated cinema better than Michael Moore. He doesn’t pretend to be fair and balanced, and he doesn’t claim to have all the answers. He’s more interested in raising questions that sorely need to be addressed and debated. There are few things more American than the act of questioning a system that most people have taken for granted.
