CHICAGO – Society, or at least certain elements of society, are always looking for scapegoats to hide the sins of themselves and authority. In the so-called “great America” of the 1950s, the scapegoat target was comic books … specifically through a sociological study called “The Seduction of the Innocent.” City Lit Theater Company, in part two of a trilogy on comic culture by Mark Pracht, presents “The Innocence of Seduction … now through October 8th, 2023. For details and tickets, click COMIC BOOK.
Emily Blunt
‘Oppenheimer’ is a Masterpiece That Allows Us to Think
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 21, 2023 - 9:19am Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – With “Oppenheimer,” director Christopher Nolan reminds us of what a blockbuster can be. They need not all be brain dead exercises in grunting and effects. Instead he delivers a thoughtful film that manages to synthesize complex elements like quantum physics into a piece of cinematic entertainment that just might be his most profound film yet.
Mystery Trip! On-Air Review of ‘Jungle Cruise’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 29, 2021 - 7:39pm 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 July 29th, 2021, reviewing the new film “Jungle Cruise.” In theaters and streaming on Disney+ Premier Access beginning July 30th.
‘A Quiet Place II’ is No Echo, But a Sonic Boom of a Sequel
Submitted by JonHC on May 27, 2021 - 1:14pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The horror genre gets a bad rap but in many ways, they’ve earned it. That’s not to say that every horror film is inherently bad, but at the smallest sign of financial/critical success, the studios will try to franchise it like it’s an IHOP. For example, let’s look at the cautionary tale known as the Saw franchise, which recently released a film that likely none of you saw.
You’ll Be Wild About Magical ‘Mary Poppins Returns’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 19, 2018 - 6:49am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – They did it. Walt Disney Studios took one of their most beloved live action/animated films and rebooted it for a new millennium. “Mary Poppins Returns” is a song-filled, emotional and magical celebration of all things Mary P, combining the elements that made it great the first time with the modern movie strengths of today.
‘A Quiet Place’ Will Make You Wish You Had a Quiet Place to Hide
Submitted by JonHC on April 5, 2018 - 9:07pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO - Terror and fear take several forms. Sometimes it’s something as simple as spiders or snakes or even an incompetent president. Other times it can take the form of natural states, like darkness. Horror films channel our fears, but the great ones give us something new to fear. “A Quiet Place” lures us in with the safety of silence, only to reveal the monsters hiding within.
‘The Girl on the Train’ is a Book Club ‘B’ Movie
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 6, 2016 - 7:28pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “The Girl On The Train” is a decent enough “Book Club” movie potboiler – it passes the time away, but never quite rises above the pulpiness of its source material. It desperately wants to recreate the suburban upper-class ennui and tone from last year’s “Gone Girl.” But while that film had David Fincher behind the camera, this one has Tate Taylor, the director of “The Help.”
‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’ is a Bloated Bore
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 22, 2016 - 1:18pm Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – This new Hollywood fairy tale does have one thing in common with the bedtime stories of old…it may lull you to sleep in the first 30 minutes. “The Huntsman: Winter’s War” is a special effects extravaganza where the effects aren’t special, the story is thin, and almost all the actors seem to have been allowed or even encouraged to indulge their worst impulses.
Benicio Del Toro is Never Better in Standout 2015 Thriller ‘Sicario’
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on September 26, 2015 - 1:21pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Seeing the man behind the curtains in “The Wizard of Oz” really was when so many of us truly understood what “behind the scenes” means. Today, we’re fascinated by FBI and CIA stories because they grant us top-secret security clearance we’ll otherwise never have.
Four Fairy Tales Charmingly Unite in Hollywood, Broadway Merger of ‘Into the Woods’
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on December 24, 2014 - 5:25pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Neither Hollywood nor purely Broadway, Disney’s big-screen adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical “Into the Woods” finds a charming home on Hollyway. Even if you’re not a “musical kind of person,” I challenge you not to want to sing along to the catchy tunes or laugh at the intentionally overdramatic comedy.
‘Edge of Tomorrow’ is a Fleet-Footed Popcorn Movie
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 6, 2014 - 8:44amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Edge Of Tomorrow” is a high concept, fast of foot popcorn movie that knows how to deliver the goods. While this futuristic sci-fi take on “Groundhog Day” doesn’t break any new ground, it does see that intriguing concept through to a fulfilling and crowd pleasing conclusion.
