May 2022

CHICAGO – The binge world is abuzz with the anticipation of what actor Bryan Cranston will bring in reprising his Walter White character (‘Breaking Bad), in the prequel/sequel series ‘Better Call Saul.’ In the meantime, he has a branded tequila to promote, and photographer Joe Arce got the Exclusive Portrait.

Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Ben Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on May 19th, reviewing “The Bob’s Burgers Movie,” a film adaptation of the popular animated TV series. In theaters beginning May 27th.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Ben Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on May 19th, reviewing “Top Gun: Maverick,” the sequel to the 1980s classic 36 years later … but still features Tom Cruise. In theaters beginning May 27th.

CHICAGO – “Navalny,” the latest documentary from director Daniel Roher, regards Russian presidential candidate Alexei Nalvany, who ran against Vladimir Putin and gained popular support. Famously, this resulted in being poisoned and exiled, and his story is currently on CNN and will stream on HBO Max beginning May 26th, 2022.

CHICAGO – The journey from idea to completed film is a fever dream for the writer/director. Chicago-based filmmaker Michael Glover Smith has realized his dreams in his fourth feature film, “Relative.” The story of family, set in the neighborhood of Rogers Park, begins its local run at Music Box Theatre on June 8th, 2022.

CHICAGO – Doc10, the yearly Chicago documentary film festival, is on DAY THREE on May 21st, 2022, with the films (click links) LET THE LITTLE LIGHT SHINE (1pm, see below), RIOTSVILLE USA (4pm), THE TERRITORY (6:30pm), and FIRE OF LOVE (9pm).

Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on The Eddie Volkman Show with Hannah B on WSSR-FM (Star 96.7 Joliet, Illinois) on May 20th, 2022, reviewing the new release, “Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers,” a reboot of the late 1980s/‘90s cartoon series featuring gumshoe chipmunks, streaming on Disney+ beginning on May 20th.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on May 19th, reviewing “Men,” the latest film from visionary directory Alex Garland (“Ex Machina”), in theaters beginning May 20th.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on May 19th, reviewing “Downtown Abbey: A New Era,” the second film version of the mega-popular BBC/PBS series, in theaters beginning May 20th.

CHICAGO – Police reform and procedural alternatives in the U.S. continue to be in a hurricane of evolution. Despite the attention that the George Floyd incident brought to the perception, the law enforcement culture continues to resist. Stefan Forbes goes back to the past (1973), to inform them (and us) that change can work with his new documentary “Hold Your Fire.”

CHICAGO – Doc10, the annual Chicago ten-film-documentary festival, opens on May 19th, 2022, with a ripped-from-the-headlines event. “The Janes” is the story of a Chicago collective from the late 1960s to early ‘70s that provided abortions in the pre-Roe v. Wade era. Click DOC10 for details and the complete list of films.

CHICAGO – The 9th Chicago Critics Film Festival (CCFF) is on DAY FIVE, and will feature two significant films from women directors … “Straighten Up and Fly Right” by Kristen Abate (with co-director Steven Tanenbaum) and “Palm Trees and Power Lines” by Jamie Back. The Fest continues through May 19th, click CCFF for schedule and ticket info.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on May 12th, reviewing “On the Count of Three,” the directorial debut of comedian Jerrod Carmichael, in select theaters and through Video On Demand beginning May 13th.

CHICAGO – The 9th Chicago Critics Film Festival (CCFF) is on DAY THREE, and will feature “Hold Your Fire,” a tense documentary recounting a police incident in 1973 New York City, directed by Stefan Forbes. The Fest continues through May 19th, click CCFF for schedule and ticket info.