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TV Review: Kelsey Grammer Should Know Better Than ‘Hank’

CHICAGO – Kelsey Grammer is such a TV veteran, a major part of two of the best sitcoms in the history of the medium in “Cheers” and “Frasier,” that it makes his decision to do something as generic, predictable, and unfunny as ABC’s “Hank” all the more disappointing. You would think he knew better by now.

Blu-Ray Review: Third Season of ‘The Universe’ Sparkles More Than Satisfies

The Universe

CHICAGO – The History Channel has an unfortunate history of sensationalizing history for the sake of entertainment. Consider the promo for the network’s recent special on the Tate/LaBianca murders. It’s not enough that the program recounts the tragic events leading up to the Manson Family’s horrific crimes.

DVD Review: Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana Highlight Disney Channel Releases

Wizards On Deck With Hannah Montana

CHICAGO – The Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana have a popularity that’s nearly unmatched in the world of pop culture. They’re not just superstars, they are undeniable phenomena. Just go to the mall this weekend and it won’t be hard to see what I mean. While you’re there, pick up the latest Disney DVDs, “Jonas Rockin’ The House” and “Wizards On Deck With Hannah Montana”.

Interview: Karen Allen and the Kingdom of Her Crystal Life

CHICAGO – Actress Karen Allen, who made a debut smash in the 1978 film ‘Animal House,’ is most likely to be remembered as Marion in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and 2008’s ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.’

Video Game Review: Adaptation of ‘Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs’ Tastes Rancid

Cloudy Video Game

CHICAGO – Even with the long history of awful video game adaptation of hit films, shouldn’t “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” be a slam dunk? The clever family comedy plays like a video game already with a very fun story that should be easy to turn into something playable with a controller. But the video game version of “Cloudy” has already his stores well past its expiration date.

DVD Round Up, Sept. 29, 2009: ‘Deadgirl,’ ‘Nightwatching,’ ‘Next Day Air’

Deadgirl

CHICAGO – Horror, action, drama, and comedy - HollywoodChicago.com’s DVD Round-Up has it all. Where else can you read about the latest from internationally acclaimed auteur Peter Greenaway and the newest Mos Def comedy in one column?

DVD Review: ‘Fear Itself’ Has a Few Highlights, But More Lowlights

Fear Itself

CHICAGO – I am an unabashed junkie of anthology horror shows and will gladly debate with you why “The Twilight Zone” is the best show of all time before we get to discussing “The Outer Limits,” “Amazing Stories,” and “Tales From the Crypt.” Naturally, I was a big fan of Showtime’s “Masters of Horror” and was intrigued when a lot of that series’ major players jumped to NBC for “Fear Itself”.

DVD Review: ‘O’Horten’ Tells of One Odd Fellow

O'Horten

CHICAGO – The problem with defining yourself by your job, as anyone in this god-awful economy might tell you, is that you probably won’t work forever. Odd Horten, the kind yet unexcitable title character in a strange, little Norwegian comedy by Bent Hamer, has steered locomotives for 40 years, and if you were to take the trains out of this simple fellow’s life, there wouldn’t be much left.

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Away We Go’ Proves Impossible to Resist

Away We Go

CHICAGO – Filmmaker Sam Mendes has always been drawn to telling stories set in a dysfunctional America where the sanctity of marriage is anything but “sanct.” For the past decade, he has specialized in brutally frank social satires about the deterioration of the American family. His work is nearly always riveting, but could never be described as “feel good”…until now.

TV Review: NBC Delivers Medical Action With Excellent ‘Trauma’

Trauma

CHICAGO – The wave of new fall shows is coming to an end this week with so many shows having debuted to date that we’ve already had our first cancellation of the season (The CW’s horrible “The Beautiful Life). But NBC has saved one of the best for last in “Trauma,” an expertly produced and acted series that stands as the most promising of the three new medical series this season and arguably the show with the most long-term potential, period.

TV Review: Improved ‘Lie to Me’ Returns With Promising Season Premiere

CHICAGO – When “Lie to Me” premiered earlier this year, the show simply didn’t work. But a lot has happened since then.

TV Review: Showtime’s ‘Dexter’ Opens Fourth Season With Amazing Episode

CHICAGO – Everyone’s favorite serial killer and family man, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) is back in tonight’s excellent fourth season premiere of the award-winning “Dexter”.

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  • Manhunt

    CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.

  • Topdog/Underdog, Invictus Theatre

    CHICAGO – When two brothers confront the sins of each other and it expands into a psychology of an entire race, it’s at a stage play found in Chicago’s Invictus Theatre Company production of “Topdog/Underdog,” now at their new home at the Windy City Playhouse through March 31st, 2024. Click TD/UD for tickets/info.

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