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.
Mark Wahlberg
Mark His Redemption! Audio Film Review of ‘Father Stu’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 12, 2022 - 10:12pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review on “Father Stu,” featuring Mark Wahlberg traveling down an unusual life path, portraying a character journey from unsuccessful boxer and actor to the priesthood. In theaters on Wednesday, April 13th, just in time for redemption on Easter weekend.
Say Hello to Your Mother and Kid! On-Air Review of ‘Uncharted’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 18, 2022 - 5:59pm Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on The Eddie Volkman Show on WSSR-FM (Star 96.7 Joliet, Illinois) on February 18th, 2022, reviewing the new release, “Uncharted,” based on the popular video game, in theaters on February 18th.
Hit the Road Joe! On-Air Film Review of ‘Joe Bell’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 23, 2021 - 8:25am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on July 22th, 2021, reviewing the new film “Joe Bell” – featuring Mark Wahlberg – in theaters beginning July 23rd.
‘All the Money in the World’ Has a Soft Landing
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 21, 2017 - 1:52pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – A bitter and old rich man won’t take responsibility for the co-opting of something he is directly connected to. Is this the Trump administration or “All the Money in the World”? Christopher Plummer portrays mogul J. Paul Getty, trying to steer clear of his grandson’s kidnapping.
‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ is Bizarrely Enjoyable
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 21, 2017 - 1:25pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Knock me over with a feather kids, but I enjoyed “Transformers: The Last Knight.” Maybe it was in comparison to the others or maybe director Michael Bay has beaten me into submission, but this one had the right story elements and casting to make it work, with exceptions of course.
Boston is Strong Again in Reliable ‘Patriots Day’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 13, 2017 - 3:48pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In the context of history, and the way information is consumed these days, the Boston Marathon Bombing in 2013 seems both like yesterday and a long time ago. Director Peter Berg’s “Patriots Day” is the first film account of that horrid week, and features Mark Wahlberg.
Great Visuals Save the Shallow ‘Deepwater Horizon’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 3, 2016 - 10:23amRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There are a few things in our lives that, if we’re lucky, we will never have to experience. Things like childbirth, limb loss, or a near death experience. The closest most of can get is by watching a well-made film. If “Deepwater Horizon” succeeds at anything, it’s creating the engrossing experience of being there on that fateful day.
‘Ted 2’ is a Funnier Film Than it Deserves to Be
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 25, 2015 - 7:49pm- Amanda Seyfried
- Dennis Haysbert
- Giovanni Ribisi
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Jay Leno
- Jessica Barth
- John Carroll Lynch
- John Slattery
- Liam Neeson
- Mark Wahlberg
- Michael Dorn
- Morgan Freeman
- Movie Review
- Patrick Stewart
- Patrick Warburton
- Sam J. Jones
- Seth MacFarlane
- Spike Walters
- Ted
- Ted 2
- Tom Brady
- Universal Pictures
Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – While it’s cruder and it can’t quite match the original “Ted,” “Ted 2” is still funnier than it has any right to be. It is unmistakably a Seth MacFarlane production, and there are a million reasons why this movie shouldn’t work, chief among them a plot that attempts to plop a foul mouthed talking teddy bear into a moralistic legal parable about civil rights. But I can’t deny I laughed throughout, almost despite myself.
It is Best to Steer Clear of This ‘Entourage’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 3, 2015 - 3:56pm Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I actually did watch the HBO show this big-screen iteration is based on, and I looked back in surprise to find the show actually lasted for 8 years. That’s a long time for a show that peaked in season two, and petered out into irrelevance somewhere around season four or so.
‘The Gambler’ is a Sure Bet for the Holiday Weekend
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 25, 2014 - 8:52am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Gritty, funky and quote-worthy, this re-imagining of “The Gambler” – from a 1970s source film – is one of Mark Wahlberg’s best performances. His addicted-to-gaming soul has roots in other frustrations, and the actor is willing to communicate the whole range of emotions.
