Brad Pitt

Film Review: Terrence Malick’s Captivating Meditation on ‘The Tree of Life’

CHICAGO – I’ve seen Terrence Malick’s “Tree of Life” twice now and I still struggle with how to put my reaction to it into words. The film almost defies typical critical discussion with its lack of narrative thrust and a structure that makes it far closer to a poem than a piece of prose. How do you even begin to talk about a piece that works with emotions instead of plot twists?

DVD Review: Spike Lee’s ‘If God is Willing and da Creek Don’t Rise’

If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise DVD

CHICAGO – Perhaps no American artist has chronicled a modern disaster with as much passion and meticulous attention to detail as Spike Lee. His 2006 documentary about the struggles of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts,” was television at its most vital, provocative, wrenchingly powerful and resoundingly humanistic.

Blu-Ray Review: Great Release For ‘Megamind’ With Will Ferrell, Tina Fey

Megamind

CHICAGO – DreamWorks’ “Megamind” features a fantastic voice cast (one of the best of 2010) and will play very well to legions of rugrats over the next few years, but it’s a film that might leave their parents shrugging their shoulders in disappointment. With three of the best animated films ever made hitting theaters last year (“Toy Story 3,” “How to Train Your Dragon,” “The Illusionist”) along with quality alternatives (“Despicable Me,” “Tangled”), it’s likely that “Megamind” will appropriately get lost in the mix of history when people talk about this era of the medium.

Blu-Ray Review: 20th Anniversary of Powerful ‘Thelma & Louise’

Thelma & Louise

CHICAGO – Can you believe that Ridley Scott’s “Thelma & Louise” is twenty years old? Me neither. Well, almost twenty. It’s really going to be two decades old in May and it’s next year’s Oscars that will mark the 20th anniversary of its win for Best Original Screenplay and other multiple nominations including Director and nods for both of its leads, Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon. All three lost to the wave of “The Silence of the Lambs” but it’s easy to see now that it was probably a close vote total for at least one of the two ladies.

Film Review: ‘Megamind’ With Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt Barely Wins Animated Fight

CHICAGO – Being a super-villain is apparently going out of style as “Megamind” follows relatively quickly on the heels of “Despicable Me” and both tell the story of a bad guy realizing that it’s more fun to be good. The title character of “Megamind” (Will Ferrell) is a nefarious super-powered fellow who has just barely lost every fight he’s had with the beloved Metroman (Brad Pitt). It seems appropriate that the film about them is also a marginal affair in which the good just barely outweighs the bad.

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 25 ‘Megamind’ Early Movie Passes Plus 5 Xbox 360, 5 Wii, 5 DS Video Games

Megamind with Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt and Tina Fey

CHICAGOMassive giveaway! In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 25 admit-two advance-screening movie tickets up for grabs to the new film “Megamind” along with five Xbox 360, five Nintendo Wii and five Nintendo DS video games!

Blu-Ray Review: David Fincher’s ‘Se7en’ With Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman

Se7en

CHICAGO – With the praise rolling in for the upcoming “The Social Network,” David Fincher continues to make the case that he is one of our best living filmmakers and his breakthrough, “Se7en,” lands on Blu-ray this week in a bonus-heavy release with gorgeous HD video and audio. The landmark thriller has lost none of its power, the transfer is flawless, and the special features are informative and interesting. What more do you want from a Blu-ray?

Going the Distance: Top 10 Real-Life On-Screen Couples

CHICAGO – The personal life of an entertainer shouldn’t be of any entertainment value, regardless of how celebrity gossip columns and the paparazzi would like to convince the general public otherwise. Who cares if two famous people have chemistry if it doesn’t show up onscreen?

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 10 ‘Megamind’ Comic Books in Conjunction With Comic-Con

Megamind in conjunction with Comic-Con

CHICAGO – In this edition of the HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 10 exclusive comic books up for grabs to the new film “Megamind” (in conjunction with Comic-Con) starring Brad Pitt, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey and Jonah Hill!

Blu-Ray Review: Masterful ‘Inglourious Basterds’ One of 2009’s Best Blu-Rays

Inglourious Basterds

CHICAGO – If only there were more filmmakers with visions as unique as “Inglourious Basterds” and the guts to put their reputation on the line. Thriller, drama, comedy, action film, and a slice of revisionist history that plays as a modern revenge fantasy, “Inglourious Basterds” plays even better the second time through and shines with a fantastic Blu-Ray release. It’s a total blast.

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TV, DVD, BLU-RAY & THEATER REVIEWS

  • Manhunt

    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+.

  • Topdog/Underdog, Invictus Theatre

    CHICAGO – When two brothers confront the sins of each other and it expands into a psychology of an entire race, it’s at a stage play found in Chicago’s Invictus Theatre Company production of “Topdog/Underdog,” now at their new home at the Windy City Playhouse through March 31st, 2024. Click TD/UD for tickets/info.

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