CHICAGO – Excelsior! Comic book legend Stan Lee’s famous exclamation puts a fine point on the third and final play of Mark Pracht’s FOUR COLOR TRILOGY, “The House of Ideas,” presented by and staged at City Lit Theater in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. For tickets/details, click HOUSE OF IDEAS.
Batman
Exclusive Portraits: Mark Hamill at Chicago Fan Expo, Aug 16, 2024
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 17, 2024 - 9:52pmCHICAGO – The force was with the Chicago Fan Expo on August 16th … what the heck else can be said? Mark Hamill is making a rare appearance and fan meet/greet all this weekend at the Expo, which runs until Sunday, August 18th. Photographer Joe Arce was at his live panel event and captured two Exclusive Portraits.
Theater Review: City Lit’s Fascinating ‘The Innocence of Seduction’ Now Thru Oct. 8, 2023
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 14, 2023 - 9:08amCHICAGO – Society, or at least certain elements of society, are always looking for scapegoats to hide the sins of themselves and authority. In the so-called “great America” of the 1950s, the scapegoat target was comic books … specifically through a sociological study called “The Seduction of the Innocent.” City Lit Theater Company, in part two of a trilogy on comic culture by Mark Pracht, presents “The Innocence of Seduction … now through October 8th, 2023. For details and tickets, click COMIC BOOK.
On-Air Feature: Expressing the Heroics in Superhero Movies
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 15, 2023 - 9:43amCHICAGO – Often on my weekly appearances on WGBR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin), there is a topic associated with that week’s reviews. I don’t usually publish them, but the result of May the 4th was special. Host Dan Baker and I did a ranking of our favorite superhero movies on “Guardians 3” release day, and the talk was lively and surprising.!—break—>
On-Air Film Review: ‘DC League of Super-Pets’ is Super, Man
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 28, 2022 - 8:40pm- Batman
- Ben Thompson
- DC League of Super-Pets
- Diego Luna
- Dwayne Johnson
- Flash
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- John Krasinski
- Kate McKinnon
- Keanu Reeves
- Kevin Hart
- Marc Maron
- Monroe
- Movie Review
- Natasha Lyonne
- Olivia Wilde
- Pat Über TV
- Patrick McDonald
- Superman
- The Morning Mess
- Vanessa Bayer
- Warner Bros. Krypto
- WBGR-FM
- Wisconsin
- Wonder Woman
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Ben Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on July 29th, reviewing “DC League of Super-Pets,” an animated comedy/adventure featuring Krypto the Super Dog, opening in theaters beginning July 29th.
On-Air Film Review: Over Their Heads in ‘Deep Water’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 18, 2022 - 9:14pmCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 17th, reviewing “Deep Water,” featuring Ben Affleck in an adaptation of a Patricia Highsmith novel, and is streaming on HULU beginning March 18th.
Film Review: ‘The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part’ is Flat Out Funny
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 8, 2019 - 4:52pmCHICAGO – There are two things I love as a film observer. The pretty colors of modern animation … and to laugh. I got both in the appropriately titled “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.” Picking up where the first first left off, the gang of Lego brick figures, including Emmet, Wyldstyle and Batman, have a new adventure.
Film Review: Fun and Uproarious ‘Teen Titans Go! To the Movies'
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 28, 2018 - 11:20am- Batman
- Beast Boy
- Cartoon Network
- Cyborg
- Flash
- Greg Cripes
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Hynden Walch
- James Corden
- Jimmy Kimmel
- Khary Payton
- Kristen Bell
- Movie Review
- Nicolas Cage
- Patrick McDonald
- Patton Oswalt
- Raven
- Robin
- Scott Menville
- Starfire
- Superman
- Tara Strong
- Teen Titans Go! To the Movies
- Warner Bros.
- Will Arnett
CHICAGO – If a good laugh is golden, then “Teen Titans Go! To the Movies” is worth its weight. Although the meta-make-fun of superhero movies have already been done almost to death (Deadpool?), the Titans have been doing it on the Cartoon Network since 2013, and take it to a new level in their movie adventure.
Exclusive Photo: Happy Birthday to Movie & TV Icon Joan Collins
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 23, 2018 - 6:32pm- Alexis Carrington
- American Horror Story
- Anthony Newley
- Batman
- Bing Crosby
- Birthday
- Bob Hope
- Britain
- Dynasty
- England
- Exclusive Photo
- Girl in the Red Velvet Swing
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- J. Arthur Rank Film Company
- Jackie Collins
- Joan Collins
- Joe Arce
- London
- Patrick McDonald
- Star Trek
- Tales from the Crypt
- The Royals
- Warren Beatty
CHICAGO – The ageless Joan Collins is probably best known for the prime time soap opera “Dynasty,” which ran from 1981 to 1989, but she is also a throwback to the last of the old studio system in Hollywood, when she was signed to a contract with 20th Century Fox in 1955. For her latest act, she will appear in the upcoming eighth season of FX Channel’s “American Horror Story.” Her birthday, May 23rd, is today.
Film Review: Up Up & Away for ‘Justice League’ From DC Comics
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 15, 2017 - 8:13amCHICAGO – In the America of truth, justice and comic book movies, the DC brand – featuring hero icons Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman – has lagged behind their rivals at Marvel Studios. “Justice League” fills that gap admirably, after the slam-bam summer of Wonder Woman.
Film Review: ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ Delivers Old Hollywood Glory
Submitted by JonHC on July 13, 2017 - 11:54pmCHICAGO – Since the Golden Age of cinema, theaters have tried countlessly to deliver up big budget films. Summer is here and the public is showing that they are cooling off these blockbusters, no longer fooled by the thought that cost equates to quality. “War for the Planet of the Apes” shows us that blockbusters may still be redeemed by channeling some Old Hollywood magic.