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+.
Mahershala Ali
Film News: ‘Green Book,’ Olivia Colman Shock at 91st Oscars
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 25, 2019 - 8:11amCHICAGO – After all the controversies that beset the 91st Academy Awards, the actual event continued to surprise, with the stunning upset of Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”) as the Best Actress honoree – besting heavily favored Glenn Close – to the naming of “Green Book” as Best Picture, which overcame a backlash regarding the liberties of its based-on-truth story.
Film Review: The James Cameron Touch Creates ‘Alita: Battle Angel’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 14, 2019 - 11:17amCHICAGO – The creation of new worlds has always been a mainstay of the cinema, virtually since it was invented. And whether you love or are indifferent to the films of James Cameron (“Titanic”), he remains one of the prime movers in advancing the creative tools of films. His influence is all over “Alita: Battle Angel.”
Film Review: Multi-Dimensional ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 15, 2018 - 6:56amCHICAGO – This animated take on Spider-Man gets a little stuck in a web entirely of its own making. Digging deeper into the weeds of the extended mythology of the comics, “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse” presents not one but at least seven different versions of the character.
Film Review: The Friendship Page of Black & White in ‘Green Book’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 19, 2018 - 9:13amCHICAGO – In the original sin of racism in America, structured in the societal relationship between whites and African Americans, there had to be small steps before there were larger ones. In 1962, a black piano virtuoso and his white Italian New Yorker driver toured through the Deep South and developed a friendship, in the new film “Green Book.”
Film News: Freaky Oscar Ending Eclipses ‘Moonlight’ Win
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 27, 2017 - 9:37amCHICAGO – And the winner was… a wild and bizarre ending to the 89th Academy Awards, as Best Picture presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were given a wrong envelope, resulting in a call of “La La Land” as top movie, but after an on-stage melee, it was further revealed that the Best Picture was actually “Moonlight.”
Film Review: Brainiac Fulfillment is the Key to ‘Hidden Figures’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 25, 2016 - 10:03amCHICAGO – In America, there is the history we have, and the history that we want to have happened. “Hidden Figures” falls into the second category, but it’s presented in such a way that it fulfills the goal – tell an amazing story about a group of African American women who helped launch men into space.
Film News: Chicago Film Critics Association Names ‘Moonlight’ as 2016 Best Picture
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 16, 2016 - 12:03pmCHICAGO – The poignant identity film “Moonlight” was named the 2016 Best Picture by the Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA), in an announcement on December 15th. The film also took home the Best Director (Barry Jenkins) and Best Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali) honors. “Manchester by the Sea” got the most honors, with four, from a voting survey of the CFCA.
Interview: Actor André Holland is Rising in ‘Moonlight’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 14, 2016 - 11:03amCHICAGO – While the name André Holland may not be familiar, the actor’s consummate approach to his craft is unforgettable. Specializing in character parts, Holland has raised his profile in such movie hits as “Selma” and “42,’ and on television recently with “The Knick” and “American Horror Story.” His latest film is “Moonlight.”
Interview: Naomie Harris, from Moneypenny to ‘Moonlight’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 13, 2016 - 8:15pmCHICAGO – The career of actress Naomie Harris has exploded, mostly due to a choice role of Moneypenny in the James Bond film series, beginning with 2012’s “Skyfall” and bookended in the recent “Spectre” (2015). But she also displays deep acting chops in the new film “Moonlight,” portraying a mother hopelessly lost in drug abuse.
Interview: Barry Jenkins & Tarell McCraney of ‘Moonlight’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 12, 2016 - 5:19pmCHICAGO – One of the biggest buzz releases of recent weeks is the brilliant new film “Moonlight,” directed by Barry Jenkins, from a story by Tarell McCraney. The narrative, structured in three parts of one boy-to-man’s life, is an emotional journey that connects to important empathy and a vital passionate heart.