CHICAGO – In anticipation of the scariest week of the year, HollywoodChicago.com launches its 2024 Movie Gifts series, which will suggest DVDs and collections for holiday giving.
Carla Gugino
On-Air Film Review: ‘Lisa Frankenstein’ is Totally Electrifying
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 8, 2024 - 11:53pmCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on February 8th, 2024, reviewing “Lisa Frankenstein,” an adaptation of the famous Monster story, from a 1980s point of view. In theaters on February 9th.
Film Review: ‘The Space Between Us’ Falls Into a Black Hole & Dies
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 2, 2017 - 9:21pmCHICAGO – You know you’re in trouble when the opening scene of a film inspires forehead slapping levels of incredulity. And that’s just the beginning of what I felt while watching “The Space Between Us,” another entry in the long line of would-be weepies about young lovers torn apart, usually by class or disease.
Film Review: ‘San Andreas’ Loads Its Story with Too Many Faults
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 30, 2015 - 12:53pmCHICAGO – The best way, perhaps the only way, to enjoy the disaster movie “San Andreas” is to check your brain at the door, or better yet leave it at home for safekeeping. Bringing new meaning to the term mindless entertainment, “San Andreas” dares its audience to turn off their minds, and enjoy the ride.
Film Review: Terribly Scripted ‘San Andreas’ With Dwayne Johnson a Heartless Special Effects Spectacle
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 29, 2015 - 2:26pmCHICAGO – When the story is as weak as the film’s fault lines and the character development never develops, the problem with blowing $100 million mostly on special effects is all you’re left with is unintelligent disaster porn.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 60 Pairs of Passes to ‘San Andreas’ With Dwayne Johnson
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 23, 2015 - 5:24pmCHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 60 pairs of advance-screening movie passes up for grabs to the new action film “San Andreas” starring Dwayne Johnson and Paul Giamatti!
Exclusive Portraits: Matt Dillon, M. Night Shyamalan of ‘Wayward Pines’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 14, 2015 - 12:34pmCHICAGO – The 2015 TV season just got a little more intriguing, with the premiere of “Wayward Pines” on the FOX network on Thursday, May 14th. The series features Matt Dillon, and the Executive Producer and Director of the first episode, filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan (“The Sixth Sense”).
DVD Review: Frustrating USA Mini-Series ‘Political Animals’
Submitted by BrianTT on August 12, 2013 - 8:11pmCHICAGO – USA’s mini-series “Political Animals” should have been one of the TV events of 2012. Instead it was just one of its biggest disappointments. That cast! That subject! In a political, election season! Zzzzzzz. Sadly, the creators of “Political Animals” delivered a program more like “Dallas” than “The West Wing” and viewers tuned out to the degree that the potential second season was canned. Now we can see what went wrong in one lackluster DVD set.
TV Review: Sigourney Weaver Carries USA’s Disappointing ‘Political Animals’
Submitted by BrianTT on July 15, 2012 - 1:40pmCHICAGO – I’m a political junkie who naturally loves to follow the world of journalism as well and so I was psyched about the premiere of USA’s mini-series, “Political Animals,” a star-studded affair about how a powerful Washington family deals with a headstrong reporter and the secrets they still hope to keep.
Blu-ray Review: Harmless Family Entertainment of ‘Mr. Popper’s Penguins’
Submitted by BrianTT on December 29, 2011 - 11:51amCHICAGO – I have to admit that I went into my review of “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” expecting to feel torture not unlike when I suffered through “Yogi Bear” or “Gulliver’s Travels.” Live-action family entertainment has been the other side of the coin to the influx of quality animated entertainment. For every Pixar, there’s a “Chipwrecked.” For every “How to Train Your Dragon,” there’s a “Zookeeper.” To that end, I found “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” totally harmless, mostly because Jim Carrey gives it his all and brings enough manic glee to the proceedings to keep it from falling flat.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 30 Pairs of Chicago Passes to ‘The Mighty Macs’ on Women’s Basketball
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 15, 2011 - 4:32pmCHICAGO – In our latest sports edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 30 admit-two movie passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of the original Cinderella story “The Mighty Macs” about women’s basketball!