Theater, TV, DVD & Blu-Ray

Blu-Ray Review: ‘High School Musical 3: Senior Year’ Shines on 3-Disc Deluxe Extended Edition

HSM 3
HollywoodChicago.com Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0
Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” certainly won’t stand among the best song-n-dance films of all time, but it delivers a jolt of escapist entertainment to its target audience and the expertly remastered, three-disc Disney Blu-Ray release should be a smash hit for everyone eager to buy it.

Blu-Ray Round Up, Feb. 17, 2009: ‘Amadeus,’ ‘Boondock Saints,’ ‘A History of Violence’

Boondock

CHICAGO – A Best Picture winner that looks nowhere near as old as many of the films that came out a quarter-century ago with it, a recent masterpiece from David Cronenberg that probably should have been more recognized by Oscar, and a little film that was never on the Academy’s radar but has developed an insanely huge and loyal cult following.

DVD Review: ‘Clint Eastwood: American Icon Collection’ Includes Four Diverse Films

Eastwood
HollywoodChicago.com DVD Rating: 4.0/5.0
DVD Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – With the $130 million gross and counting for “Gran Torino,” Clint Eastwood has proven that his star power has not diminished in the slightest even with 50 years in show business under his belt.

DVD Review: Greg Kinnear’s Feel-Good ‘Flash of Genius’ Not Great

HollywoodChicago.com DVD Rating: 2.5/5.0
DVD Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGOGreg Kinnear does solidly entertaining work in “Flash of Genius” and director Marc Abraham understands the basics of the inspirational crowd-pleaser, but the film ultimately feels like a missed opportunity to tell a more riveting version of the same story.

Blu-Ray Review: Shockingly High Levels of Melodrama Sink ‘Nights in Rodanthe’

Rodanthe
HollywoodChicago.com Blu-Ray Rating: 2.0/5.0
Blu-Ray Rating: 2.0/5.0

CHICAGO – I have a very high threshold for melodramatic romance. I was raised on cheesy musicals and will admit to pausing on the underrated “The Notebook” more than once when I pass it on cable.

TV Review: ‘The Amazing Race’ on CBS Begins 14th Race Around the World

Amazing Race
HollywoodChicago.com Television Rating: 4.5/5.0
Television Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – For six years there has been an Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Competition Program and for every one of those years the same show has walked home with the trophy, beating series like “Project Runway,” “Survivor,” and “American Idol”. That show is “The Amazing Race”. Based on the strength of the premiere, it seems likely the producers of this CBS mainstay should probably make room for Emmy #7.

TV Review: Premiere of Joss Whedon’s ‘Dollhouse’ Imperfect But Intriguing

Dollhouse
HollywoodChicago.com Television Rating: 3.5/5.0
Television Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – A friend of mine suggested that I need to be patient regarding Joss Whedon’s highly anticipated “Dollhouse,” starring Eliza Dushku, Olivia Williams, Amy Acker, and Harry Lennix. Watching the so-so premiere, “Ghost,” airing Friday, February 13th, 2009 at 8pm CST, it’s easy to see why. All the ingredients are there for a riveting, fantastic series, but it feels like a show still finding its way.

TV Review: Danny McBride Delivers Comedy Heat With HBO’s ‘Eastbound & Down’

HollywoodChicago.com Television Rating: 4.5/5.0
Television Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGODanny McBride had an amazing 2008, stealing scenes in “Tropic Thunder” and finding comic gold with director David Gordon Green in the great “Pineapple Express”. McBride, Green, director Jody Hill, and producer Will Ferrell have teamed up for the six-episode HBO comedy series “Eastbound & Down,” one of the most laugh-out-loud, promising comedy premieres in a long time.

Blu-Ray Review: Clint Eastwood’s ‘Changeling’ Features Great Performance By Angelina Jolie

Changeling
HollywoodChicago.com Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0
Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – I usually don’t agree with suggestions that certain movies need to be seen twice to be appreciated. If a movie doesn’t work on first viewing, then it simply doesn’t work. Having said that, watching Clint Eastwood’s “Changeling” a second time on Blu-Ray made me appreciate the final product significantly more than my disappointed reaction to it in theaters.

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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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