CHICAGO – It began with a boy and his dream (nightmare?). John LaFlamboy, to be exact, as he took an idea he had in college and made it his life’s work. He owns and operates the HellsGate Haunted House in Lockport (Illinois), which was designed, built and put together by Haunted House experts expressly for the spookiest month of the year. For info on how to purchase tickets, click HellsGate.
Jared Leto
Vampire State Building! On-Air Film Review of ‘Morbius’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 1, 2022 - 10:34am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 31st, reviewing “Morbius,” the latest film in the Sony Spider-Man Universe (SSU), in theaters beginning April 1st.
Be Italian Lady Gaga! Audio Review of ‘House of Gucci’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 26, 2021 - 3:35pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review on “House of Gucci,” an epic family story about the famous fashion brand, directed by Ridley Scott and featuring Lady Gaga, Adam Driver and Al Pacino, opening in theaters on November 24th, 2021.
The Tone-Deaf, Formulaic Approach Murders 'The Little Things'
Submitted by JonHC on February 4, 2021 - 1:45pm Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There are over 500 episodes of “Law and Order” but I’m not about to embarrass myself publicly by revealing just how many of those I’ve seen; let’s leave it at “a lot.” In the age of binge television, I know I’m not the only one that has taken a deep dive into the show and other long-running shows like it, but I know we can all agree why we continue watching them: they keep things fresh.
Big Time Acting! On-Air Review of ‘The Little Things’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 29, 2021 - 9:26pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on The Eddie Volkman Show on WSSR-FM (Star 96.7 Joliet, Illinois) on January 29th, 2021, reviewing the new release “The Little Things,” premiering on HBO MAX and in theaters on January 29th, 2021.
Thin Story a Contrast to Visuals in ‘Blade Runner 2049’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 5, 2017 - 9:36pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It comes down to compelling an audience with a story riff that’s a hook. “Blade Runner 2049” doesn’t possess either the riff or the hook, but what it does do is create a dystopian world that is beautiful in its bleakness, and unsettlingly weird in its twists and turns.
Freaky Villains is Where ‘Suicide Squad’ Works Best
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 3, 2016 - 5:44pmRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – DC Entertainment, feeling the heat from Marvel Studios and the tepid response from “Batman v Superman,” comes back stronger with “Suicide Squad,” an overblown yet psychological comic book film about sociopathic villains who somehow have to save the world.
‘Dallas Buyers Club’ is Highly Romanticized Yet Effective
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 8, 2013 - 9:18pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Matthew McConaughey’s performance as a 1980s-era HIV positive man in the drama “Dallas Buyers Club” is a gangbusters piece of acting. However, some highly exaggerated characters and soft soaping of reality creates a more gauzy romance of the situation than true grit.
Considering Sore Subject Matter of ‘Chapter 27,’ ‘Why?’ is Only Plausible Reaction
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on April 21, 2008 - 9:50pm
CHICAGO – As a contemporary of the John Lennon assassination in 1980 and an ardent admirer of the late Beatle, I had a hard time figuring out the reasons for making the film “Chapter 27”.
