CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on The Eddie Volkman Show with Hannah B on WSSR-FM (Star 96.7 Joliet, Illinois) on January 20th, reviewing the new series reboot “Velma,” created by Mindy Kaling and featuring the Scooby-Doo gang. Currently streaming on HBO Max.
Owen Wilson
'Marry Me' Works With Owen Wilson & Jennifer Lopez
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 11, 2022 - 2:32pm![]() Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I’ll admit that based on the ubiquitous trailers, The latest attempt for Jennifer Lopez to reclaim the throne as Queen of the Rom-Com seemed like the sort of enterprise meant to make you bury your face in your hands. So I was pleasantly surprised to find “Marry Me” is just innocuously bad, not egregiously bad… and with the state of rom-coms these days that’s something of an accomplishment.
Place in France! On-Air Review of ‘The French Dispatch’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 22, 2021 - 9:59am- Adrien Brody
- Benecio Del Toro
- Bill Murray
- Elisabeth Moss
- Ennui
- France
- Frances McDormand
- Henry Winkler
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- James Baldwin
- Jeffrey Wright
- Monroe
- Movie Review
- New Yorker
- Owen Wilson
- Pat Über TV
- Patrick McDonald
- Scott Thompson
- Searchlight Pictures
- The French Dispatch
- The Morning Mess
- Tilda Swinton
- Timothée Chalamet
- WBGR-FM
- Wes Anderson
- Wisconsin
![]() Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on October 21st, 2021, reviewing the new Wes Anderson film, “The French Dispatch” in theaters beginning October 22nd.
Cinematic and Literary Influences Temper the Glorious Chaos of ‘Loki’
Submitted by JonHC on June 9, 2021 - 5:27pm![]() Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – From villain to anti-hero to homoerotic fan fiction icon, Loki has traveled a long way from the greasy-haired megalomaniac we have come to love. For most of his cinematic character development, Loki has been a foil to Thor’s massive himbo (n.: a very attractive, often beefy male who isn’t the brightest bulb, but is still able to shine because of his good-natured attitude and respect for women. Male version of a “bimbo”) energy.
‘Cars 3’ Puts Series Franchise Back on Right Track
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 16, 2017 - 6:41am![]() Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The Cars movies continue to be the kiddieland of Pixar Animation franchises. Kids adore them, parents tolerate them. Unlike the best of Pixar’s output, the Cars films are lovingly crafted cartoons aimed squarely at kids with far more attention detail than the average fare you’d find scrolling through Netflix. The best that can be said is that “Cars 3” represents a considerable step up from “Cars 2”.
Unfunny ‘Masterminds’ is a Complete Waste of Talent
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 30, 2016 - 10:15am![]() Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Tick…tick…tick. That is the sound of your life frittering away, if you choose to experience the 94 minutes, that feels like two weeks, for “Masterminds.” The film that has virtually no laughs – in categorizing itself as a comedy – and is an almost criminal waste of some decent comic talent.
‘Zoolander 2’ Continues Silly, Surreal Hilarity
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 12, 2016 - 8:42am![]() Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Humor is subject to the receiver, of course, and what is funny is as distinct to each individual as a fingerprint. Having said that, I found “Zoolander 2” to be hilarious, as it delivered again what made the first film work – tweaking the self-importance of fashion and celebrity.
Probable Events is the Situation in Tense ‘No Escape’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 26, 2015 - 4:11pm![]() Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In a very unstable world, and in a sense that these problems are international, we all can be stuck in war at any time – there is no way to get away from it. “No Escape” takes this notion to the extreme, with an American family – led by Owen Wilson – caught in a war zone.
Beyond Being Trippy, ‘Inherent Vice’ is a Difficult Trip
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 9, 2015 - 9:18am![]() Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Interpreting the ambling and sonic prose of author Thomas Pynchon has eluded filmmakers until now. Director Paul Thomas Anderson takes a whack at “Inherent Vice,” and although much of the film has his usual eminent vision, as a whole it makes for difficult sledding.
‘Are You Here’ Feels Like Mashup of Two Different Films
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 25, 2014 - 9:20am![]() Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – You would think that a film written and directed by Matthew Weiner – the creator of “Mad Men” – would be worthwhile company, especially when the cast includes Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson and Amy Poehler. It is disappointing to note that not only was this cliché-ridden mess unpalatable, but it also switched gears two-thirds of the way through to evoke a different mood, and that schizophrenia didn’t help the overall product.
Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson Lack Brass in ‘The Internship’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 7, 2013 - 8:05am![]() Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Dang, dang, dang. C’mon, Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, how about a little anarchy? “The Internship” is a perfectly nice little comedy about old dudes trying to break into the new world of Google employment. But this new world is just another empire, and nobody wants to topple it.
