CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on The Eddie Volkman Show with Hannah B on WSSR-FM (Star 96.7 Joliet, Illinois) on January 20th, reviewing the new series reboot “Velma,” created by Mindy Kaling and featuring the Scooby-Doo gang. Currently streaming on HBO Max.
Chloe Grace Moretz
Film Review: ‘The Addams Family 2’ is Pure Torture for Old & Young
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 1, 2021 - 11:03amCHICAGO – Sometimes sequels serve as a cinematic do-over, a second chance to fix what they got wrong the first time. Other times, they offer a chance to build on the bones of a good story and make it better.
Film Review: Familiar Scares of ‘Greta’ Has Too Many Plot Holes
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 1, 2019 - 4:53pmCHICAGO – Admittedly, horror films are not my thing. I find them redundant, pandering and more reliant on gore rather than story. “Greta” is somewhat of a thriller horror film, about an older lady stalker preying on a younger New York City woman, but it had both a seen-it-before and unreliable plot.
Film Review: Pointless Trip Back to ‘Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 19, 2016 - 10:24pm- Andrew J. Cohen
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- Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
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CHICAGO – The original “Neighbors” was a funny enough movie, that still boasted at least a couple of big laughs. “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” only manages the occasional chuckle here and there. As far as big budget studio comedy sequels go, it’s not as bad as “The Hangover 2.” It’s more in line with “Ghostbusters 2”.
Film Review: ‘The 5th Wave’ Crashes, Then Slowly Dissipates
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 22, 2016 - 6:54pmCHICAGO – Is there ever an end to the Young Adult Dystopia genre (“Hunger Games,” “Maze Runner,” etc.)? Or are we cursed with the end of the world every year, if it weren’t for those meddling kids? “The 5th Wave” is the latest adaptation, and if you haven’t read the source novel, good luck following it.
Film Review: ‘Laggies’ Lags Behind With Connect-the-Dots Story
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 7, 2014 - 11:30amCHICAGO – Apparently “Laggies” is a term which does mean one is “lagging behind” in the growing-up-to-be-an-adult requirement. The term is the title of a new comedy, which places the main character in a high concept situation, which only resides in the parallel universe of movieland.
Film Review: Overall Story of ‘The Equalizer’ Doesn’t Add Up
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 26, 2014 - 11:28amCHICAGO – You could call “The Equalizer” a bit of an underachiever. It re-teams Oscar winner Denzel Washington with his “Training Day” director Antoine Fuqua for a movie remake of a 1980’s TV show with a cult following, but the film as a whole adds up to less than the sum of its parts.
Film Review: ‘If I Stay’ Can’t Rinse its Too-Sudsy Soap Opera
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 22, 2014 - 7:58amCHICAGO – We hate it when they grow up. Chloë Grace Moretz, a former child actor, takes on a first-teen-love role, and the results are decidedly mixed. The extreme emotions, the circumstances and Ms. Moretz’s performance undermine the soapy “If I Stay.”
Exclusive Portraits: Chloë Grace Moretz For New Film ‘If I Stay’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 21, 2014 - 7:50amCHICAGO – Chloë Grace Moretz has grown up onscreen, and the former child actor is now a teenager in the new film “If I Stay.” Recently, she was in the area promoting the film, handing out free cupcakes to fans and admirers at the Sprinkle Cupcakes store in downtown Chicago.
2014 Sundance Diary, Day 2: New Filmmakers Lead the Way
Submitted by BrianTT on January 18, 2014 - 7:20pmSundance has always been an interesting blend of new and old; domestic and international; star power and new faces. In the last 24 hours, the two movies that struck the loudest chord with me come from young filmmakers, and that couldn’t make me happier.
Film Review: Performances Carry Update of Horror Classic ‘Carrie’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 17, 2013 - 12:00pmCHICAGO – Director Kimberly Peirce (“Boys Don’t Cry”) doesn’t convey the dread or atmosphere of Stephen King’s “Carrie” to a degree that elevates it to the source material’s true potential but she does handle performance in a way that’s rare in the genre, making this remake one of the best horror films of the season.
