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+.
Focus Features
Interview, Audio: Gary Oldman is Winston Churchill in ‘Darkest Hour’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 7, 2017 - 6:43pmCHICAGO – Gary Oldman has been generating memorable film portrayals since he broke through in the 1980s. From Sid Vicious (“Sid and Nancy”) to Lee Harvey Oswald (“JFK”) to Jim Gordon (Dark Knight Series), Oldman is a consummate actor. That is expressed in his latest role, as Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour.”
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 45 Pairs of Passes to ‘Atomic Blonde’ With Charlize Theron
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on July 24, 2017 - 10:07amCHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 45 pairs of advance-screening movie passes up for grabs to the new film “Atomic Blonde” starring Charlize Theron and James McAvoy!
Film Review: Sofia Coppola Creates a Masterwork with ‘The Beguiled’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 6, 2017 - 10:52amCHICAGO – The human-ness of being human never changes, fundamentally. The mating season arrives, and the effect makes for both great connections and bad decisions. Director Sofia Coppola emphasizes this in a reverent film production of the story called “The Beguiled.”
Film Review: ‘The Book of Henry’ Generates a Different Story Vibe
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 17, 2017 - 8:08amCHICAGO – There are some total exasperations in “The Book of Henry”… numerous ones that are almost deal breakers. But somehow, some way, the strange twists and ideas take over, and the film becomes fable-like, examining a different line of story elements that switch from one character to another. Director Colin Trevorrow (“Jurassic Park” reboot) reveals a love in what he is doing in this film, and that also counts for something.
Film Review: Jessica Chastain is Steadfast as ‘The Zookeeper’s Wife’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 4, 2017 - 4:35pmCHICAGO – Jessica Chastain is a memorable and glamorous actress, who continues to challenge herself with in-depth and complex roles. “The Zookeeper’s Wife” is her latest, and her performance outweighs the formulaic based-on-truth story, set during the Holocaust.
Film Review: Fantasy & Feelings Comingle in ‘A Monster Calls’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 6, 2017 - 7:44pmCHICAGO – The nature of dying, especially in process with a close loved one, is a testing ground for unwieldy and alien emotions. When, why and how we’re challenged does not have a timetable, nor a convenience. All of this is played out as fantasy in the vital “A Monster Calls.”
Film Review: ‘Nocturnal Animals’ Takes Two Stories to New Levels
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 19, 2016 - 12:13pmCHICAGO – Reality and fantasy have separate rules, and in fantasy there are no rules. This is the philosophy of “Nocturnal Animals,” a wild character study that exists on the reality/fantasy planes. And it has the bonus of the Amy Adams/Isla Fisher mix-up and Jake Gyllenhaal at his Gyllenhaal-iest.
Film Review: Fulfilling Emotion & Sumptuous Animation Awaits in ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 19, 2016 - 5:38pmCHICAGO – In our short lives, what do we most need? It’s a hard question to answer sometimes, but the new animated film “Kubo and the Two Strings” does a memorable job of answering the query. The journey of Kubo, like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” leads to a place where he needs to go.
Interview: Director Travis Knight Strums ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 17, 2016 - 11:19amCHICAGO – One of the great benefits of the new Golden Age of Animation has been the emergence of other studios…like Laika Entertainment, which has released “Coraline,” “ParaNorman” and “The Boxtrolls,” all nominated for Oscars. Travis Knight directs their latest stop-motion style animated film, “Kubo and the Two Strings.”
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 50 Pairs of Passes to ‘London Has Fallen’ With Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on March 1, 2016 - 11:50am- Aaron Eckhart
- Adam Fendelman
- Alon Aboutboul
- Angela Bassett
- Babak Najafi
- Creighton Rothenberger
- Focus Features
- Gerard Butler
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film
- Jackie Earle Haley
- Katrin Benedikt
- London Has Fallen
- Melissa Leo
- Morgan Freeman
- Olympus Has Fallen
- Radha Mitchell
- Robert Forster
- Sean O'Bryan
CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 50 pairs of advance-screening movie passes up for grabs to the “Olympus Has Fallen” sequel “London Has Fallen” starring Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart!