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+.
Movie Review
‘Brighton Rock’ Remake Fails to Justify its Existence
Submitted by BrianTT on August 26, 2011 - 3:56pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Rowan Joffe’s long-gestating remake of “Brighton Rock” (the 1947 noir classic was based on the beloved book by Graham Greene) raises the question least-desired in one of these situations – why bother? Sure, the story is a nifty little tale of a rising criminal undone by his own avarice and the love of a girl and the cast assembled for the remake is an undeniably talented ensemble.
Ineffective ‘Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark’ From Producer Guillermo Del Toro
Submitted by BrianTT on August 26, 2011 - 9:03amRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Echoing elements of masterful works by Producer Guillermo Del Toro (most notably “The Devil’s Backbone,” “Pan’s Labyrinth”), “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” is an incredibly frustrating remake, a film that reminds one of scary movies instead of actually producing scares itself.
Incredible ‘Warrior’ With Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte
Submitted by BrianTT on August 22, 2011 - 10:22am Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Gavin O’Connor’s “Warrior” is such a powerful, unusual film that we’re doing something we don’t typically do at HollywoodChicago.com – giving you an early warning that an incredible piece of filmmaking hits theaters in a few weeks on September 9th, 2011.
‘Rescue 3D’ Makes Spectacular Use of IMAX
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 19, 2011 - 11:15am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – With the tenth anniversary of September 11th on the horizon, “Rescue 3D” is a nice reminder of the first responders who step into the disasters, and the film itself is an incredible use of the 3D technology, best utilized on the IMAX screen.
Bar is Set Low in Retread of ‘Conan the Barbarian’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 19, 2011 - 7:33amRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Sword and sandal epics are almost expected to have wooden acting and absurd dialogue. The new film “Conan the Barbarian” meets those expectations, and doesn’t offer any action or originality to counteract the anticipated flaws.
Clever, Scary ‘Fright Night’ Remake With Colin Farrell
Submitted by BrianTT on August 18, 2011 - 2:36pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The word remake sends an understandable chill down the spine of most horror fans. We’ve been subjected to so many retreads and reboots and the batting average of quality has been pathetically low. And yet, there are exceptions including Zack Snyder’s “Dawn of the Dead” and David Cronenberg’s “The Fly.”
‘The Big Uneasy’ Unleashes Maddening Flood of Vital Information
Submitted by mattmovieman on August 16, 2011 - 7:51am Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Some of the best documentaries are spawned directly from the raw outage of a filmmaker intent on sharing vital truths with the unenlightened public. Every frame is fraught with a sense of urgency that keeps viewers on the edge of their seat much like an engrossing popcorn thriller. Yet great passion alone does not make for great cinema.
Rachel Weisz Anchors Melodrama of ‘The Whistleblower’
Submitted by BrianTT on August 12, 2011 - 4:23pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Rachel Weisz elevates the harrowing true story of “The Whistleblower,” a pull-no-punches drama about a disturbing international conspiracy to cover up a sex trafficking ring involving the men tasked with protecting the innocent who turned to exploiting them. This is a graphic, dark, violent piece of drama, as it should be given its subject matter, but it’s the work of one of our best working actresses that truly makes it worth venturing into the darkness.
Pop Idolatry Lives in ‘Glee: The 3D Concert Movie’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 12, 2011 - 11:18amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Gleeks Unite! You have nothing to fear from “Glee: The 3D Concert Movie,” except the extra fee for those glasses. This film charms through it’s fabulous cast of singers and personalities singing jukebox hits.
‘The Interrupters’ Seek Peace One Soul at a Time
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 12, 2011 - 8:18amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Chicago is a divided city. On one end is prosperity, modernity and all the trappings therein. On the other, abject poverty, anger and killing. One dedicated group is trying to diminish the killing end, and is documented by director Steve James (”Hoop Dreams”) in “The Interrupters.”
