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.
Academia
Podtalk: Filmmaker Sarah Lasley for ‘Welcome to the Enclave’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 23, 2024 - 5:26pmCHICAGO – Scheduled within the recent 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival was “Shorts Program #2.” During that event … curated by CCFF shorts programmer Collin Souter … the Windy City was introduced to Filmmaker Sarah Lasley, with her surreal, expressive and brilliant short “Welcome to the Enclave.”
Audio Film Review: ‘Showing Up’ is a Fine Artist Exhibition
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 9, 2023 - 9:09amCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for the newly released “Showing Up,” directed by notable auteur director Kelly Reichhardt and featuring recent Oscar nominee Michelle Williams. Currently in theaters, since April 7th.!—break—>
Podtalk: Director Kelly Reichardt New Film is ‘Showing Up’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 5, 2023 - 9:48pmCHICAGO – The acclaimed director Kelly Reichardt has been an influencer in cinema since her debut film “River of Grass” in 1994. Her multi-award winning films include “Wendy and Lucy” (2008), “Meek’s Cutoff” (2010) and “First Cow” (2019). Her most recent film, set to release April 7th, is “Showing Up.”
Audio Film Review: Truth Sets Us Free in ‘A Sexplanation’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 14, 2022 - 9:58amCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review on “A Sexplanation,” a truth telling documentary about searching for one’s self, within the nature of our inherent sexual being, currently available for download through Video On Demand.-!—break—>
Interview: Director Rebecca Miller Executes ‘Maggie’s Plan’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 26, 2016 - 9:07amCHICAGO – Quirky Greta Gerwig is at it again (being quirky), and this time she’s looking for solutions in “Maggie’s Plan.” The made-in-New-York-City film has overtures of Woody Allen, combined with “Crossing Delancey.” Director Rebecca Miller (“Personal Velocity”) produces a valentine to all her influences and settings.
Film Review: Deep Thoughts, Shallow Characters in ‘Irrational Man’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 24, 2015 - 4:36pmCHICAGO – At this point in his stellar career, what is fascinating about Woody Allen is basically what he thinks about. He is a successful, family-stable, millionaire filmmaker with mortality issues. In “Irrational Man,” he ponders the existential question of “what lights the spark of life?”
Film Review: Julianne Moore Delivers Shattering Portrayal in ‘Still Alice’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 16, 2015 - 1:01pmCHICAGO – In one of the best film acting performances from 2014, Julianne Moore devastatingly portrays a woman in her fifties who is a victim of early onset Alzheimer’s disease. As the effects of dementia physically deteriorates her life, it is a wonder if she is “Still Alice.”