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+.
Movie Review
Film Review: ‘Anonymous’ Such Stuff as Bad Movies Are Made On
Submitted by BrianTT on October 28, 2011 - 8:41amRating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Roland Emmerich has been commonly mocked for his larger-than-life blockbusters that include “Godzilla,” “The Day After Tomorrow,” and “2012.” I would rather sit through a marathon of all three of those works back-to-back-to-back than suffer through “Anonymous” one more time. While those movies have undeniable flaws, they do so on a grand scale common with the words guilty pleasure. There’s absolutely nothing pleasurable about this self-serious and remarkably stupid drama.
Film Review: Johnny Depp is On, Story is Off in ‘The Rum Diary’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 27, 2011 - 5:59pmCHICAGO – Johnny Depp has a Hunter S. Thompson obsession, that is career apparent. After playing the journalist’s alter-ego Raoul Duke in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” Depp gives a turn as Hunter’s younger self in a film based on Thompson’s 1998 novel, “The Rum Diary.”
Film Review: Brilliant ‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’ Offers No Easy Answers
Submitted by BrianTT on October 27, 2011 - 8:39amCHICAGO – With a striking lead performance and assured direction from a debut filmmaker, “Martha Marcy May Marlene” has been one of the most acclaimed films of 2011 since its debut at Sundance many months ago.
Film Review: ‘Paranormal Activity 3’ Earns Every Fright in Precise Chiller
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 21, 2011 - 9:17pmCHICAGO – Horror films that delicately balance the psychological nature of fear with the actual chills are as rare as Lady Gaga without attention. “Paranormal Activity 3” is one of those scary “delights,” essentially walking the tightrope between screaming “boo” in a crowded theater and tensely sending electricity down the spine.
Film Review: Incomprehensible Story, Uninteresting Characters Sink in ‘Texas Killing Fields’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 21, 2011 - 6:17pmRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Ami Canaan Mann’s “Texas Killing Fields” is further proof of just how difficult it is to do what David Fincher does so well. “TKF” may have echoes of “Seven” and “Zodiac” but none of the character, mood, or even cohesion of those films. The best word to describe this misstep is a “mess” as the movie jumps around between plotlines and characters and never gives the viewer the footing that would make them resonate as something worth caring about or entertaining.
Film Review: ‘The Three Musketeers’ Lets Down Legendary Heroes
Submitted by BrianTT on October 21, 2011 - 6:12pmCHICAGO – Seriously?!?! Another “The Three Musketeers”?!?! Just because source material is beloved, why does it need to be remade over and over again? Perhaps Paul W. S. Anderson’s new take on the legendary trio complete with “Resident Evil”-esque action sequences can serve as the final word on this over-done story although if it somehow ends being the only version that future generations end up seeing they will surely wonder why such a boring tale was retold so many times in the first place.
Film Review: Dan Byrd Shines in Coming-of-Age Gem ‘Norman’
Submitted by mattmovieman on October 20, 2011 - 7:39amCHICAGO – His eyes are at once weary and sardonic, brooding and vulnerable. He doesn’t know how to cry for help, apart from crying wolf. He resists the spotlight when it’s placed upon him and yet still craves attention from his peers. He’s deeply cynical about life in general, yet is prone to falling for the sweetness of a pure-hearted soul. And he’d probably be well adjusted if it weren’t for the enormous weight on his shoulders.
Film Review: Owen Wilson, Steve Martin, Jack Black Flock Up in ‘The Big Year’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 15, 2011 - 2:06amCHICAGO – “The Big Year” is advertised as a comedy. The subject is bird watching, or as the new film likes to express the proper term, “birding.” It stars comic legend Steve Martin, and funnymen Jack Black and Owen Wilson. It is both not funny and is ACTUALLY, seriously about birding. Time to fly away.
Film Review: Unsettling Paranoia, Special Effects Showcase ‘The Thing’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 14, 2011 - 8:11pmCHICAGO – With Halloween approaching, what will truly scare us at the cinema this month? One strong entry is this weekend’s “The Thing,” the third remake of a wild and mysterious monster movie. It combines a European-style approach to paranoia with some truly unique monster effects.
Film Review: ‘Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure’ Documents Viral Legacy
Submitted by BrianTT on October 14, 2011 - 6:42pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Raymond Huffman and Peter Haskett were viral before that word meant anything other than an adjective for pneumonia. Perhaps you’ve heard of Peter and Ray, a pair of irascible roommates in San Francisco who became audio tape icons after their neighbors recorded their drunken exchanges and started circulating them among their friends. “Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure” documents the phenomenon that started when two hipster kids moved in next door to a pair of fascinating drunks.