May 2012

Film Review: Good Vibrations for Maggie Gyllenhaal in Uneven ‘Hysteria’

CHICAGO – Combining late 19th century Victorian England with the invention of the vibrator is a surefire laugh getter, but unfortunately “Hysteria” adds in a romance subplot and doesn’t climax. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Hugh Dancy, Jonathan Pryce and Felicity Jones add to the buzz.

Good Vibrations for Maggie Gyllenhaal in Uneven ‘Hysteria’

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.0/5.0
Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Combining late 19th century Victorian England with the invention of the vibrator is a surefire laugh getter, but unfortunately “Hysteria” adds in a romance subplot and doesn’t climax. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Hugh Dancy, Jonathan Pryce and Felicity Jones add to the buzz.

Film Review: Gripping ‘Wallander: The Revenge’ Shames Most American Thrillers

Wallander: The Revenge
HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 4.0/5.0
Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Why can’t American studios make thrillers like “Wallander: The Revenge”? As a matter of fact, why can’t we make ones like the recent production of “Sherlock” or even “Luther”? Perhaps it’s something about producing for TV that gives people more creative depth but the best thrillers so far this year have been the three episodes of “Sherlock” and this week’s release of “Wallander: The Revenge,” opening at Music Box today and available next week in a massive DVD box set.

Gripping ‘Wallander: The Revenge’ Shames Most American Thrillers

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 4.0/5.0
Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Why can’t American studios make thrillers like “Wallander: The Revenge”? As a matter of fact, why can’t we make ones like the recent production of “Sherlock” or even “Luther”? Perhaps it’s something about producing for TV that gives people more creative depth but the best thrillers so far this year have been the three episodes of “Sherlock” and this week’s release of “Wallander: The Revenge,” opening at Music Box today and available next week in a massive DVD box set.

Film Review: ‘Men in Black III’ Deserves to Be Neuralyzed From Memory

CHICAGO – “Men in Black III” is such a soulless venture, a film made by committee that doesn’t display the touch of anyone with any remaining actual interest in the characters. In the pipeline for years, the film has been fine-tuned to the point that all of its personality was buffed out in the process.

‘Men in Black III’ Deserves to Be Neuralyzed From Memory

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 2.0/5.0
Rating: 2.0/5.0

CHICAGO – “Men in Black III” is such a soulless venture, a film made by committee that doesn’t display the touch of anyone with any remaining actual interest in the characters. In the pipeline for years, the film has been fine-tuned to the point that all of its personality was buffed out in the process.

Interview: ‘30 Rock’ Star Kevin ‘Dot Com’ Brown Embraces Career in Comedy

Kevin Dot Com Brown Interview

CHICAGO – While some stand-up comics shield themselves with an ironic, larger-than-life persona, Kevin “Dot Com” Brown’s approach is more conversational. He mines the humor in his own life while developing a genial rapport with the audience. Some may still find him to be larger than life, but that would most likely be due to his formidable size.

Film Review: Inconsistent ‘Chernobyl Diaries’ Still Finds Effective Ways to Creep You Out

CHICAGO – Bradley Parker’s “Chernobyl Diaries” has just enough personality, confident technical elements, and outright weirdness to make it a trip worth taking for horror fans. The fact that the parts of the production that undeniably work couldn’t be wrangled into something that’s more competent overall is disappointing but there’s more to like here than one would expect.

Inconsistent ‘Chernobyl Diaries’ Still Finds Effective Ways to Creep You Out

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.0/5.0
Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Bradley Parker’s “Chernobyl Diaries” has just enough personality, confident technical elements, and outright weirdness to make it a trip worth taking for horror fans. The fact that the parts of the production that undeniably work couldn’t be wrangled into something that’s more competent overall is disappointing but there’s more to like here than one would expect.

TV Review: Strong Season Premiere For ABC Summer Hit ‘Rookie Blue’

Rookie Blue 2012

CHICAGOABC’s “Rookie Blue” may be the biggest TV hit with the least amount of press. Perhaps because it’s a Canadian import or because it’s a summer series but the show never makes magazine covers or even highlight articles in entertainment magazines. But it’s developed into a pretty solid cop show, as evidenced by the tight, well-made third-season premiere with a great guest appearance from William Shatner.

Film News ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ Retreats to March 29, 2013

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

CHICAGO – It looks like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s biggest smash this year might be the double axe handle he hit on John Cena at Wrestlemania. It’s been revealed that “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” has been pushed back to March of 2013 in order to convert the film into glorious, screen-darkening 3D after test audiences were understandably upset about a lack of 3D muscles.

TV Review: Strong Cast Deserves Better Than Generic ‘Men at Work’

CHICAGO – There are some talented people starring in TBS’s new sitcom “Men at Work,” another attempt to grow the budding cable network’s brand as a home for comedy.

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 25 Pairs of Chicago Passes to ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 25 admit-two movie passes up for grabs to the advance screening of “Snow White and the Huntsman” with Charlize Theron!

Film News: ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ to Grandstand Tumbler, Bad-Pod at Chicago’s Navy Pier on May 25, 2012

Update at 10:36 p.m. on May 24,2012: Start time changed from noon to 10 a.m.
CHICAGO – In 2012, one of the undisputed movie champions will be Christopher Nolan’s (final) Batman trilogy film: “The Dark Knight Rises”.

Film News: Studio Movie Grill Opens In-Theater Dining in Wheaton, Ill.

Studio Movie Grill

WHEATON, Ill. – Studio Movie Grill opens its first Midwest in-theater dining venue in Wheaton, Ill. on June 8, 2012 at 301 Lake Square. This new breed of theater-going takes the guesswork out of planning a night of dinner and a movie by combining the two. Opening film titles include “Prometheus,” “Rock of Ages,” “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” and “Safety Not Guaranteed”.

Blu-ray News: ‘The Hunger Games’ Comes to Stores on Aug. 18, 2012

Hunger Games

CHICAGO – Lionsgate announced 2-disc Blu-ray and DVD editions of their massive hit “The Hunger Games” to be released on August 18, 2012 complete with three hours of extensive bonus features. The highlight of the bonus material is an eight-part documentary called “The World is Watching: Making of The Hunger Games.”

Blu-ray Review: Complete Criterion Edition of Amazing ‘Certified Copy’

Certified Copy

CHICAGO – Abbas Kiarostami’s “Certified Copy” should have made my top ten last year. Every year, there’s a movie or two that I realize halfway through the next year that I didn’t praise to the right degree. Just a year later, “Certified Copy,” recently released in resplendent Criterion Blu-ray and DVD editions, feels even more like a monumental work, a brilliant filmmaking exercise that features spectacular performances, beautiful writing, and some of the most interesting thematic work of the last several years. With great special features, this is a perfect addition to the Criterion Collection.

Trailer Tracking: ‘Skyfall,’ ‘Gangster Squad,’ ‘The Campaign,’ ’The Master’

CHICAGO – Thanks to the internet, movie trailers are having a bit of a golden age recently. They’ve never had a wider reach and, as a result, they’ve never had a bigger cultural impact.

Blu-ray Review: Sleepy Thriller ‘The Woman in Black’ Miscasts Daniel Radcliffe

The Woman in Black Blu-ray

CHICAGO – Nothing jars an audience quite like the sudden appearance of a fearsome apparition in a dimly lit room. Even hokey thrillers like William Castle’s “House on Haunted Hill” still manage to make viewers jump from their seats by using this reliable horror standby. “The Woman in Black” has one such moment, but it is surrounded by a murky sea of grim tedium.

Interview: Director Tanya Wexler Has the Buzz on ‘Hysteria’

CHICAGO – When creating a film about the origins of the vibrator, it’s best not to take yourself too seriously. The brassy, bubbly director Tanya Wexler helped convert a two page premise into a sly romantic comedy. The cast of Maggie Gyllehaal, Hugh Dancy, Jonathan Pryce, and Felicity Jones take the journey with her.

Blu-ray Review: First Season of AMC’s Watchable Western ‘Hell on Wheels’

Hell on Wheels Season One Blu-ray

CHICAGOAMC’s watchable western series “Hell on Wheels” is just good enough to sustain audience interest despite its meandering plot. As soon as Gustavo Santaolalla’s catchy theme music kicks in over the brooding title sequence, it’s effortless to become absorbed within Joe and Tony Gayton’s handsomely photographed dramatization of the first transcontinental railroad’s epic construction in 1865.

Exclusive! HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 75 Pairs of Chicago Passes to Randolph Street Market Festival & Free Appraisals

Update at 8:25 p.m. on May 23, 2012: Due to the popularity of this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup, the Randolph Street Market Festival has agreed for us to increase our winners from 50 to 75 admit-twos!

CHICAGOExclusive! In this special HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Festival with our unique social giveaway technology, we bring you 75 admit-two festival passes plus free collectible appraisals for the Randolph Street Market Festival!

TV News: Hulu Announces Ambitious Slate of Original Programming

Spoilers

CHICAGO – Hulu, in addition to being a most enjoyable word to say while jumping out of a plane (Huluuuuuu!) is also one of the most popular websites on the internet for streaming video from television’s biggest channels. Featuring content from FOX, NBC, ABC, CBS and a litany of other networks, Hulu.com has essentially replaced the re-run in eyes of the American lexicon.

Blu-ray Review: Stupid ‘The Devil Inside’ is Hellishly Bad

The Devil Inside

CHICAGO – “The Devil Inside” is the kind of film where a character says no two exorcisms are the same and that you never know what’s gonna happen and yet this movie feels EXACTLY the same as so much direct-to-DVD junk and you totally know what’s going to happen at every turn. In fact, the only way to avoid yet another predictable ending for this snooze of a film was for the producers not to provide one. Consider it a spoiler if you haven’t heard the rage already but the non-ending of “The Devil Inside” has been called one of the worst of all time and I can’t disagree. This movie is total dreck and that’s coming from somone who loves an over-the-top possession film more than your average critic.

TV News: AMC Announces Summer Premiere Dates, Including ‘Breaking Bad’

Breaking Bad S4

CHICAGO – Fans have been asking me for months when Walter White and Jesse Pinkman would return for the fifth and final season of AMC’s amazing “Breaking Bad” and we can now reveal that the date to mark on your calendar is Sunday, July 15, 2012. Eight episodes of the fifth season will air in 2012 with the final eight not airing until 2013. Yes, one could say this is cheating and that we’re just getting a shortened season five and a shortened season six. However you want to slice it, eight this summer, eight next summer.

Blu-ray Review: Ken Burns Uses His Amazing Skill to Chronicle ‘The War’

The War

CHICAGO – Ken Burns is one of the most important, influential, and talented filmmakers alive. His long-form documentaries for PBS — “Baseball,” “The Civil War,” and “Jazz” — are all must-sees (and he’s working on pieces on “The Dust Bowl” and “Vietnam”). One of his most accomplished works, “The War,” has been released on Blu-ray just in time for Father’s Day and would make a perfect gift for anyone interested in World War II.

Interview: Filmmaker Beth Kargman Creates Her ‘First Position’

CHICAGO – The delicate sensibility in the documentary “First Position” would probably had not existed if first-time filmmaker Beth Kargman had not wanted to see the movie herself. As a former ballet dancer, she wanted to go behind the performance for portraits of young dancers as dedicated artists.

DVD Review: Only Season of ‘The River’ Hints at What Could Have Been

The River

CHICAGO – I had some notable problems with ABC’s “The River,” saying in my review of the series premiere, “…while the show has effective moments of horror, they never quite build the way you want them to in a cohesive piece due to the creators feeling the need to get at least one major scare between every break.” Watching where the show went with the first season DVD, hitting stores this week, I stand by my criticisms (I have problems with every episode) but I kind of wish that the creators had been given time to iron out their kinks. The fact is that there simply isn’t enough programming on network TV that one could call daring and while I think “The River” was flawed it was undeniably unlike anything else in your DVR.

Blu-ray Review: ‘The Secret World of Arrietty,’ ‘Castle in the Sky,’ ‘Whisper of the Heart’

CHICAGO – Disney has cleverly timed this week’s release of Studio Ghibli’s “The Secret World of Arrietty” with the Blu-ray debut two other Ghibli films from one of the most influential studios in the history of film — “Whisper of the Heart” and “Castle in the Sky.”

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  • Manhunt

    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+.

  • Topdog/Underdog, Invictus Theatre

    CHICAGO – When two brothers confront the sins of each other and it expands into a psychology of an entire race, it’s at a stage play found in Chicago’s Invictus Theatre Company production of “Topdog/Underdog,” now at their new home at the Windy City Playhouse through March 31st, 2024. Click TD/UD for tickets/info.

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