CHICAGO – It began with a boy and his dream (nightmare?). John LaFlamboy, to be exact, as he took an idea he had in college and made it his life’s work. He owns and operates the HellsGate Haunted House in Lockport (Illinois), which was designed, built and put together by Haunted House experts expressly for the spookiest month of the year. For info on how to purchase tickets, click HellsGate.
African American
Wartime Flyboys in Black & White! Audio Film Review of ‘Devotion’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 24, 2022 - 8:59pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for “Devotion,” a based-on-truth scenario regarding Jesse Brown, a Navy black aviator who broke through barriers during the 1950s Korean War, in theaters on November 23rd.
HollywoodChicago.com On-Air Reviews of ‘7500’ & ‘Da 5 Bloods
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 23, 2020 - 9:56am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on June 18th, 2020, discussing new film releases “7500” (Amazon Prime) and “Da 5 Bloods” (Netflix).
Jordan Peele’s ‘Us’ Gets Bogged Down in Conventionality
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 20, 2019 - 7:10pmRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Like his first film, “Get Out,” writer/director Jordan Peele creates a horror/thriller filled with symbolism and laughs. Unlike “Get Out,” “Us” is awash in overly concentrated plot points, a reliance on lesser references and an ending that can be seen from outer space. It’s not sophomore “jinx,” but more like the sophomore “over think.”
All Forms of Heroism Available in ‘Black Panther’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 15, 2018 - 10:50am Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The fortune of the latest Marvel Studios superhero epic, “Black Panther,” lies in its solid foundation in African mythos and intelligent storytelling. And with Ryan Coogler (“Creed”) as director, there are still major confrontations and battles, intertwined into the soul.
‘Get Out’ is Funny, Scary & Tells Us About Us
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 24, 2017 - 11:08am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – When he got his chance, writer/director Jordan Peele (“Key & Peele”) completely understood what he had to do – combine his skewered hilarity, love of horror movies and true social conscience, and put them all into one great movie. Ladies and germs, “Get Out.”
Brainiac Fulfillment is the Key to ‘Hidden Figures’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 25, 2016 - 10:00am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – 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.
Alternate American Dream Played Out in ‘Dope’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 19, 2015 - 12:33pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – If you’re lucky enough, you’ll never know what it’s like to grow up in a poor American neighborhood. But what if the notions of such societies are flipped on its ear, and what if the message draws attention to our current perceptions of race? This is what the new film “Dope” conveys.
‘Good Hair’ Has Chris Rock Getting to the Roots of Follicle Follies
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 9, 2009 - 3:38pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Positioning himself as a informational bridge-builder, comedian Chris Rock explores the often complex social economics of African American hair, specifically the intense styling that is a borderline obsession for women of color.
