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
TV Review: Great Cast Nearly Rescues Deeply Flawed ‘Survivors’
Submitted by BrianTT on February 11, 2010 - 7:42pmCHICAGO – Who knew the end of the world would be so dull? BBC America makes a rare misstep this weekend with the debut of “Survivors,” an ensemble show with a strong cast and timely concept but self-serious writing that rarely clicks into anything entertaining in its premiere.
Blu-Ray Review: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen Direct Excellent ‘A Serious Man’
Submitted by BrianTT on February 11, 2010 - 1:40pmCHICAGO – One of the byproducts of expanding the Best Picture nominees has been that half of the most notable films of the year in the eyes of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are now available on Blu-ray and DVD including “District 9,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Up,” “Inglourious Basterds,” and now “A Serious Man”.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ Flawed But Worth Seeing
Submitted by BrianTT on February 11, 2010 - 1:01pmCHICAGO – Robert Schwentke’s adaptation of the beloved novel “The Time Traveler’s Wife” was mostly critically ridiculed in theaters but should make for a satisfying rental this Valentine’s Day and deserves a second consideration from those that completely dismissed it at first. It looks beautiful in HD and the film’s flaws are easier to forgive at home without the expectation of this long-awaited project.
Video Game Review: ‘Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment’
Submitted by BrianTT on February 11, 2010 - 12:26pmCHICAGO – The critical phrase that kept surfacing during my playing time of the mini-RPG “Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment” was “good for a downloadable game”. The game is flawed but its low purchase price might make it worth a look for fans of old-fashioned role-playing games but most modern gamers will be disappointed.
Blu-Ray Review: Avoid Dull Trip to ‘Couples Retreat’
Submitted by BrianTT on February 11, 2010 - 9:47amCHICAGO – It seems ironic that “Couples Retreat,” a film about a group of friends who think they’re going on a peaceful vacation but get hoodwinked into couples counseling, is itself a bait-and-switch, advertising a sexy comedy and delivering a dull trip. Avoid this awful excuse for a comedy.
Interview: Cast of ‘Percy Jackson & the Olympians’ Capture the Lightning
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 10, 2010 - 3:28pmCHICAGO – Bringing a popular book series to screen is successfully achieved primarily through casting, and the adaptation of “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” is no exception. The young cast brims with enthusiasm for the new movie.
DVD Review: ‘More Than a Game’ Takes Standard Approach to Great Story
Submitted by mattmovieman on February 10, 2010 - 3:23pmCHICAGO – Some documentaries tell stories that are so suspenseful and crowd-pleasing that one would swear they were written by Hollywood screenwriters. The extraordinary series of events chronicled in “More Than a Game” has a trajectory and formula straight out of a classic “rags to riches” sports picture. Let’s hope Sandra Bullock doesn’t star in the remake.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘The Music Man’ Looks Sharper, Thunders Louder Than Before
Submitted by mattmovieman on February 9, 2010 - 4:12pmCHICAGO – “The Music Man” is alive in a way few Hollywood musicals ever are. Its big numbers often grow organically, allowing melodies to emerge from the rhythm of speech, overlapping action or the seemingly mundane movement of characters across the frame. In the exuberant world of this ageless classic, music is less of a self-conscious construct than an irresistible life force infiltrating the cadence of everyday life.
TV Review: ‘Past Life’ Fails to Reincarnate Anything Entertaining
Submitted by BrianTT on February 9, 2010 - 12:59pmCHICAGO – FOX’s new supernatural drama “Past Life” is a laughable waste of time, a show that feels like an inferior version of a dozen other programs, coming off as a weak variation on “Medium,” “The Ghost Whisperer,” and countless other procedurals.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 25 ‘Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief’ Chicagoland Passes With Uma Thurman
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on February 8, 2010 - 1:12pmCHICAGO – In our latest fantasy edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 25 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicagoland screening of “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief”!
Blu-Ray Review: Dull ‘Amelia’ Should Be Grounded
Submitted by BrianTT on February 8, 2010 - 12:29pmCHICAGO – It seems downright sad that “Amelia,” a movie that was so widely predicted to be a part of the 2009 awards season, would be released on Blu-ray and DVD on the same day as the Oscar announcements. On paper, “Amelia” seemed like Oscar bait through and through with important subject matter headlined by one of the few women to have more than one Oscar. On Blu-ray, it’s easy to see why this cinematic plane crashed and burned.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,’ ‘Mystic River’
Submitted by BrianTT on February 8, 2010 - 11:06amCHICAGO – I know what you’re thinking: What do “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” and “Mystic River” have in common? Nothing at all other than a Blu-ray release date of February 2nd, 2010. Oh, and they’re two films you should probably own if you have a Blu-ray player.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘New York, I Love You’ Celebrates Cinema, Forgets City
Submitted by mattmovieman on February 5, 2010 - 2:19pmCHICAGO – For film lovers unable to attend international film festivals, “Paris, je t’aime” provided an irresistible glimpse at world cinema. Eighteen celebrated filmmakers were each recruited to make a short subject set in the City of Love, thus allowing audiences to view the same town from different cultural perspectives. Some shorts worked better than others, but the resounding majority of them were utterly captivating.
