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+.
Brian Tallerico
Sam Rockwell Carries Harrowing ‘A Single Shot’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 18, 2013 - 12:54pmRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Sam Rockwell does no wrong. He takes parts in movies major (“Iron Man 2”) and minor (“A Single Shot,” now available On Demand and opening theatrically in limited release this Friday, September 20, 2013) and makes decisions that other actors wouldn’t even consider. He is so completely, believably in the moment.
‘Short Term 12’ is an Honest, Emotional Gem
Submitted by BrianTT on September 13, 2013 - 11:52amRating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There are certain jobs that I know that I could not do not because of the physical requirements but the emotional baggage I would take home with me at the end of the day. The brilliant, moving “Short Term 12” captures one of these jobs – people who look out for abandoned kids, many of them abused, addicted, and troubled the point of pure heartbreak.
‘Insidious: Chapter 2’ is Mere Ghost of Original
Submitted by BrianTT on September 13, 2013 - 9:39amRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Writer Leigh Whannell and director James Wan reunite for “Insidious: Chapter 2,” a repetitive, cluttered, just silly variation on the first movie that will feel like a step back for anyone who admired Wan’s notable advancement as a filmmaker in this summer’s stellar “The Conjuring.”
Billy Bob Thornton’s ‘Jayne Mansfield’s Car’ Stalls Out
Submitted by BrianTT on September 11, 2013 - 1:05pmRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There was a time when it looked like not only would Oscar winner Billy Bob Thornton be one of our great actors but possibly a threat behind the camera as well. Everyone knows the impression of his character from “Sling Blade” but many forget that he directed it as well. He followed that up with the flawed but ambitious and interesting “All the Pretty Horses.”
Vin Diesel Returns to Iconic Character in B-Movie ‘Riddick’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 5, 2013 - 2:18pmRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Did anyone else think there would be another film about Richard Riddick, Vin Diesel’s character from the great “Pitch Black” and not-great “The Chronicles of Riddick”? Me neither. But writer/director David Twohy won’t give up on this character, one he turns into even more of an iconized superhero in his third film, “Riddick,” the most B-movie of the three.
Naomi Watts, Robin Wright Fake It in ‘Adore’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 5, 2013 - 9:14amRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – For a movie that should be about passion, sex, and scandal, “Adore” is surprisingly and depressingly tame. Two great lead actresses are left floating on a dock by a script that doesn’t treat them like real characters and a team that cast two inferior actors opposite them. For “Adore” to work, this tale of forbidden love needs to have an equal playing field.
‘The Grandmaster’ Frustrates, Thrills at Same Time
Submitted by BrianTT on August 30, 2013 - 9:15amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The saga of Wong Kar-wai’s “The Grandmaster” is already pretty well-known in the circles of those who would be drawn to the latest work from one of our best living directors. The man behind works like “Chunking Express,” “Happy Together,” and “In the Mood For Love” demands attention every time.
Mesmerizing, Romantic Power of ‘Ain’t Them Bodies Saints’
Submitted by BrianTT on August 29, 2013 - 4:48pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Is a film automatically flawed if we can see its influences? We don’t do it as quickly in music, in which it’s often incredibly easy to determine a new artist’s favorite bands as a kid. Authors that pull from a notable and recognizable literary history are often lauded for doing so.
Nicolas Cage, John Cusack Get Buried in ‘The Frozen Ground’
Submitted by BrianTT on August 22, 2013 - 11:55amRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There have been a depressing number of bad career choices on the part of Oscar winner Nicolas Cage and once-great actor John Cusack in recent years. Anyone seen “Seeking Justice,” “Stolen,” “The Numbers Station,” or “The Factory”? Someone owes you an apology.
Olivia Wilde Shines in Joe Swanberg’s Excellent ‘Drinking Buddies’
Submitted by BrianTT on August 22, 2013 - 10:56amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Joe Swanberg’s “Drinking Buddies” has been billed as the Chicago writer/director’s breakthrough largely due to the star power on display in the cast list but the film works not merely because of the notable talents of its cast but a new maturity and wisdom displayed by its creator.