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+.
Christina Hendricks
Another Winner from the Creative Team of ‘Toy Story 4’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 19, 2019 - 8:08pm Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – When you’ve brought to life one of the greatest animation series ever produced, there is not much to prove. The “Toy Story” series has relied on the strong and emotional stories since 1995, and after a nine year break comes back for one more intriguing spin for their characters, finding a new path in “Toy Story 4.”
Report Card on ‘Fist Fight’ is a Failing Grade
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 17, 2017 - 12:10pm Rating: 0.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Fist Fight” is such a thin premise it can’t even sustain its own two minute trailer, much less a feature length film. That premise, what there is of it, is simple – English teacher (Charlie Day) and History Teacher (Ice Cube) get involved in an altercation with a student on the last day of class, at a failing high school known for senior pranks. Teacher Ice Cube gets fired, and blames Charlie Day. So they act like children and settle their differences with a fist fight outside.
Beauty Becomes Beastly in Uneven ‘The Neon Demon’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 26, 2016 - 7:49pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “The Neon Demon” is definitely worth seeing, if only to create an understanding as to what you think beauty is, but the film suffers in its last quarter by taking a turn towards horror. This mix of decisions by director Nicolas Winding Refn (“Drive”) is audacious and maddening.
Philip Seymour Hoffman Lives Again in ‘God’s Pocket’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 20, 2014 - 11:34amRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Watching Philip Seymour Hoffman perform, now that he has passed on, is a bittersweet reminder of his ability and power to embody his deeply felt characters. He does it again in one of his last roles, adding his special brand of acting to the messy story within the gritty noir drama, “God’s Pocket.”
Sarah Jessica Parker in ‘I Don’t Know How She Does It’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 16, 2011 - 4:18pm Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – She produced and starred in one of the great TV-to-film franchises of the last 15 years. She has made millions in endorsements for the fashion industry. She is married to a prominent celebrity who once played Ferris Bueller. Regarding Sarah Jessica Parker, “I Don’t Know How She Does It.”
Ryan Gosling Stars in Instant Classic ‘Drive’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 15, 2011 - 7:49pm Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Nicholas Winding Refn’s “Drive” is an amazing thriller, a modern examination of heroism filtered through the fairy tale culture of the underbelly of the movie machine that is easily one of the most memorable and effective films of not just this year but the last several.
Star-Studded Cast Makes For Good ‘Company’
Submitted by mattmovieman on June 15, 2011 - 7:26am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Though I’ve often entertained the notion of attending an opera or sporting event at a local theater, I just can’t seem to bring myself to pay the admission. No filmed footage, however intimate and detailed, can truly capture the visceral energy of a live performance. No matter how close a camera can zoom in on the action, it still provides the worst seat in the house.
‘Life as We Know It’ is More Schlock From Katherine Heigl
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 8, 2010 - 9:40am Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Since her breakthrough “comic” role in “Knocked Up,” Katherine Heigl has a line-up of titles that almost reads like parody – “27 Dresses,” “The Ugly Truth,” “Killers” – but there had to be some audience or they really wouldn’t exist. She makes just enough box office to keep working, which explains the latest and maybe worst of the bunch, “Life As We Know It”
