CHICAGO – The late playwright August Wilson left a gift to the world in the form of his “American Century Cycle,” a series of plays each individually set in a decade of the 20th Century, focusing on the black experience. Chicago’s Goodman Theatre presents Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” now through May 19th, 2024 (click here).
Bradley Cooper
Conducting Lenny! On-Air Review of Bradley Cooper in ’Maestro’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 1, 2023 - 5:30pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on November 30th, 2023, reviewing “Maestro,” co-written, directed by and starring Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein. In theaters on December 1st, 2023.
Pocket Rocket in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 5, 2023 - 8:24am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The Guardians of the Galaxy have lost some of their freshness over the years. They’re no long the scrappy obscurities who came out of nowhere to deliver one of the more idiosyncratic and enjoyable adventures in the Marvel Cinema Universe. But while familiarity has taken some of the elements of surprise, they’re still an agreeable bunch to watch.
Carney Brad! On-Air Review of ‘Nightmare Alley’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 17, 2021 - 3:41pm- 1930s
- Bradley Cooper
- Carnival
- Cate Blanchett
- Chicago
- David Strathairn
- Film Noir
- Guillermo del Toro
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Mary Steenburgen
- Monroe
- Movie Review
- Nightmare Alley
- Pat Über TV
- Patrick McDonald
- Remake
- Richard Jenkins
- Ron Perlman
- Rooney Mara
- Scott Thompson
- Searchlight Pictures
- The Great Stanton
- The Morning Mess
- Toni Collette
- WBGR-FM
- Willem Dafoe
- Wisconsin
Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on December 16th, 2021, reviewing the film noir remake of “Nightmare Alley,’ directed by Guillermo del Toro, in theaters on December 17th, 2021.
Spin on the ‘70s! On-Air Review of ‘Licorice Pizza’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 3, 2021 - 12:31am- 1970s
- Alana Haim
- Ben Thompson
- Boogie Nights
- Bradley Cooper
- Cooper Hoffman
- Gas Crisis
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Licorice Pizza
- Los Angeles
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Monroe
- Movie Review
- Pat Über TV
- Patrick McDonald
- Paul Thomas Anderson
- Scott Thompson
- Sean Penn
- The Morning Mess
- Tom Waits
- Water Beds
- WBGR-FM
- Wisconsin
 Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Ben Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on December 2nd, 2021, reviewing the latest film by director Paul Thomas Anderson (“Boogie Nights”), the back to the 1970s relationship epic “Licorice Pizza,” currently in select theaters.
Journey to Conclusion is the Thrill of ‘Avengers: Endgame’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 24, 2019 - 11:15amRating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – When it comes down to this, and the creators do it right, there is no more satisfying conclusion than “Avengers: Endgame.” Admirers of this magnificent Marvel (Studios) Universe story will get everything they want. It is the “Gone with the Wind” of superhero epic films.
Lady Gaga Characterizes the Title ‘A Star is Born’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 4, 2018 - 3:53pmRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Stefani Joanne Angelina Gemanotta, also known as Lady Gaga, is the only reason to see the latest iteration of ‘A Star is Born.’ The luminous stage presence that propelled her to music superstardom is present in her major film debut, taking the female lead reins from Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand.
Cut of Nostalgia in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 5, 2017 - 12:31pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – When I first saw “Guardians of the Galaxy” I was unfamiliar with the comic book source. I enjoyed the film, but worried it might be just a little too nerdy and obscure to develop a following. Now with “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” the series has solidified itself as the class clowns of the Marvel Studios cinematic universe, and it’s been embraced for it.
‘War Dogs’ Fires Blanks in a Sorry Attempt at Satire
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 19, 2016 - 6:39am Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “War Dogs” is an insufferable, self important, and heavy handed attempt at satire that can’t stop congratulating itself for all the big truths it’s blowing up, bro. “Old School” and “Hangover” director Todd Phillips fancies himself an auteur, but here it seems like he’s imitating David O Russell imitating Martin Scorsese.
Unusual, Passionate ‘Aloha’ is Deeply Resonant
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 29, 2015 - 9:34amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Films with major movie stars that take real chances on story formula are rare. “Aloha” is one such example, and produces considerations that are way off the beaten path. Is it an allegory? An absurdity? An homage to 1960s paranoia? Only writer/director Cameron Crowe knows for sure.
Bradley Cooper’s ‘American Sniper’ is Entertaining, One-Sided American Propaganda
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on January 18, 2015 - 7:22pmRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I understand why they did it. But that doesn’t make it right to do.
In order to earn sign-off from Chris Kyle’s family and the U.S. Navy – and to appease the patriotic American public – “American Sniper” needed to make the U.S. military’s most lethal sniper nicer than he actually was and generalize a people as people you should hate.
