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+.
Ryan Gosling
Film News: ‘La La Land’ is Opening Night Film of 52nd Chicago International Film Festival
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 12, 2016 - 6:44pmCHICAGO – The 52nd Chicago International Film Festival kicks off on Thursday, October 13th, 2016, with the highly anticipated film, ‘La La Land.’ The modern day musical, directed by Damian Chazelle (“Whiplash”) features Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling as two star crossed lovers.
HollywoodChicago.com *Instant!* Hookup: 50 Pairs of Passes to ‘The Nice Guys’ With Ryan Gosling
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 8, 2016 - 6:05pmCHICAGO – NEW: Hurry! Claim your advance-screening movie tickets INSTANTLY from our unique link below before our 50 pairs run out! In our first HollywoodChicago.com *Instant!* Hookup, we have 50 pairs of advance-screening movie passes up for grabs to the new crime comedy “The Nice Guys” starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe!
Interview: Adam McKay Comes Up Large in ‘The Big Short’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 24, 2015 - 10:21amCHICAGO – When HollywoodChicago.com last spoke to writer/director Adam McKay in 2013, he was about to release “Anchorman 2,” and wasn’t really known for anything but his wacky comedy films. That all changed this month, with the release of “The Big Short,” a brilliant indictment of the financial meltdown of 2007 and ’08, and an impressively creative and serious effort from the comic director.
Film Review: Exposé of ‘The Big Short’ is an American Masterwork
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 11, 2015 - 10:33amCHICAGO – This is a rare film that will fill you with anger, while making you laugh at the absurdity of 21st Century life. “The Big Short” is an inside look at the mortgage meltdown that began in 2007, that cost eight million jobs and an untold amount of foreclosures, and the men who knew it was coming.
DVD Review: Historical Figures Cheersed in Brilliant ‘Drunk History: Seasons 1 & 2’
Submitted by NickHC on November 25, 2014 - 7:11pm- Adam Scott
- Alfred Molina
- Alia Shawkat
- Aubrey Plaza
- Bob Odenkirk
- Busy Phillips
- Casey Wilson
- Comedy Central
- Courtney Cox
- Drunk HIstory
- DVD Review
- Emily Deschanel
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Ike Barinholtz
- Jack Black
- Jack McBrayer
- Jayma Mays
- Jen Kirkman
- Joe Lo Truglio
- Juno Temple
- Ken Marino
- Kristen Wiig
- Laura Dern
- Lisa Bonet
- Luke Wilson
- Martin Starr
- Michael Cera
- Nathan Fielder
- Nick Allen
- Owen Wilson
- Rich Fulcher
- Ryan Gosling
- Terry Crews
- Tony Hale
- Will Forte
- Winona Ryder
- Theater, TV, DVD & Blu-Ray
CHICAGO – The awesomeness of history loses any of its stuffiness with the incredibly fun, indeed educational show “Drunk History” from Comedy Central, its two seasons now released on DVD. Hosted by its creator Derek Waters, the show is a celebration of various historic figures and their under-appreciated true tales, as expressed by funny people narrating in the universal language of inebriation; their recounts are then reenacted by famous actors working with their given dialogue, dressed with the comic cheapness of a bloated biopic.
Blu-ray Review: Wasteful Style of Boring ‘Only God Forgives’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 26, 2013 - 8:33pmCHICAGO – Nicholas Winding Refn’s “Drive” made perfect use of its director’s ultra-stylized, hyper-violent aesthetic in that it became a commentary on the superficial world of moviemaking and crime and the place that they often intersect. It’s a great film. On the other end of the spectrum is Refn’s follow-up, a film that’s practically a quasi-sequel in that it again features Ryan Gosling as a stolid, nearly-silent hero. However, the end result couldn’t be different in terms of quality. Not only does “OGF” get buried in its style but it loses all semblance of anything worth giving a damn about at all. I don’t mind movies that are overly stylish. In fact, I often defend them. But there’s no defending something this boring.
Blu-ray Review: Star-Studded ‘Gangster Squad’ Bores with Recycled Tropes
Submitted by mattmovieman on April 25, 2013 - 8:56amCHICAGO – Ruben Fleischer’s “Gangster Squad” is a steak devoid of juice. It has all the trappings of an effortlessly enjoyable genre exercise, but it doesn’t bring a single fresh idea to the table. It goes through the usual motions of a standard gangster picture while giving each overqualified member of its ensemble exactly one note to play. And they’re all exceedingly familiar notes, conveying a tune so familiar even Sam would refuse to play it again.
Film Review: Crime, Fatherhood Intersect in ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 5, 2013 - 8:49amCHICAGO – Derek Cianfrance’s masterful “The Place Beyond the Pines” is a complex, epic piece of storytelling about the ripple effect of crime through families and across generations. Drastic action does not exist in a vacuum. It influences generations below and those impacted by their parent’s decisions.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 30 Pairs of Passes to ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’ With Ryan Gosling
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on April 3, 2013 - 12:58amCHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 30 pairs of movie passes up for grabs to the advance screening of the highly recommended “The Place Beyond the Pines”!
Interview: Derek Cianfrance Sheds Light on ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’
Submitted by mattmovieman on April 2, 2013 - 9:21amCHICAGO – The first image that surfaced of Derek Cianfrance’s “The Place Beyond the Pines,” was that of a bleached blonde, tattooed Ryan Gosling seated on a motorcycle. For many viewers, that would be enough to earn their ticket, yet Cianfrance’s brooding epic is bound to give them far more than they bargained for. Some may feel betrayed, others will be hooked.