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.
Kenneth Branagh
Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot Will Go ‘A Haunting in Venice’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 14, 2023 - 6:33pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – While Kenneth Branagh still isn’t a favorite Hercule Poirot, I was as surprised as anyone to find that this third go around as the Belgian detective was my favorite. As the title implies, there are jump scares a-plenty as Poirot tries to get his little gray cells around the strange goings-on in a spooky house, and solve the mystery.
History of Mystery! On-Air Review of ‘Death on the Nile’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 11, 2022 - 8:12pm- 20th Century Pictures
- Agatha Christie
- Annette Bening
- Death on the Nile
- Emma Mackey
- Gal Gadot
- Hercule Poirot
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Jennifer Saunders
- Kenneth Branagh
- Letitia Wright
- Monroe
- Movie Review
- Pat Über TV
- Patrick McDonald
- Russell Brand
- Scott Thompson
- The Morning Mess
- WBGR-FM
- Wisconsin
- World War I
 Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on February 10th, reviewing the new release of “Death on the Nile,” another adventure of detective Hercule Poirot, in theaters on February 11th.
Pluck of the Irish! On-Air Review of ‘Belfast’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 13, 2021 - 8:15pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on November 11th, 2021, reviewing the new film by Kenneth Branagh about his childhood, “Belfast” in theaters on November 12th.
Time Keeps on Ticking! On-Air Review of ‘Tenet’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 3, 2020 - 9:13am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on September 3rd, 2020, reviewing the new film “Tenet,” the highly anticipated film by director Christopher Nolan, opening in theaters only (see local listings for details).
Mustache Has More Than ‘Murder on the Orient Express’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 10, 2017 - 12:36pm- 20th Century Fox
- Daisy Ridley
- Derek Jacobi
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Johnny Depp
- Josh Gad
- Judi Dench
- Kenneth Branagh
- Leslie Odom Jr.
- Michael Green
- Michelle Pfeiffer
- Miranda Raison
- Movie Review
- Murder on the Orient Express
- Mustache
- Olivia Colman
- Penelope Cruz
- Spike Walters
- Tom Bateman
- Willem Dafoe
 Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Murder On The Orient Express” is a movie that is never quite as interesting as the main character’s mustache. Kenneth Branagh directs and stars as Agatha Christie’s most famous detective, Hercule Poirot. While it is a departure from the source novel, Branagh sports silver streak facial hair of audacious eccentricity.
Heroics of ‘Dunkirk’ Portrayed Ardently & Humanely
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 19, 2017 - 8:25am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – War is hell, even in “The Good War.” The early days of World War II were a desperate time for the British, and the events of “Dunkirk” were largely about loss, yet mostly about inspiration. Director Christopher Nolan gives his film a grand cinematic treatment, evoking an era that has mostly faded away.
‘Cinderella’ Finds New Magic in Old Fairy Tale
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 13, 2015 - 12:20amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In the years since “Shrek,” the fractured fairy tale has become Hollywood’s default approach. We’ve been treated to so many irreverent and increasingly labored treatments of storybook characters, that Walt Disney Pictures’ new live-action “Cinderella” comes off as relatively fresh by comparison.
Character Reboot ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’ Pales as Compared to Masterful Predecessors
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on January 18, 2014 - 7:26pmRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It’s been 12 years since we’ve seen Tom Clancy’s masterful, Jason Bourne-esque character Jack Ryan in 2002’s “The Sum of All Fears” (led by Ben Affleck), which itself was a character reboot. We first saw Jack in 1990’s “The Hunt For Red October” as Alec Baldwin and then twice in the body of Harrison Ford with 1992’s “Patriot Games” and 1994’s “Clear and Present Danger”.
High-Level Reboot for ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 17, 2014 - 6:18amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Actor Chris Pine should use the term “Rebooter” as his middle name. After taking on the Captain Kirk role in the “Star Trek” series, he now is the latest to portray CIA super spy as “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit,” a literate and pulse racing adventure directed by Kenneth Branagh.
Michelle Williams is Luminous in ‘My Week With Marilyn’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 23, 2011 - 9:53amRating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Bringing the popular culture past back to life in a movie is always a tricky proposition. No matter what, there are always inevitable comparisons to the real thing. They don’t come any more really famous than Marilyn Monroe, and Michelle Williams takes on a portrayal that exemplifies, honors and humanizes the iconic star in “My Week with Marilyn.”
