Patrick McDonald

CHICAGO – Although Jonathan Gold is not a household name, his food writing and criticisms have influenced Los Angeles palates for a generation. He is the only food critic to have ever received the Pulitzer Prize, and he is profiled in a new documentary by director Laura Gabbert entitled “City of Gold.”

CHICAGO – There is a tremendous excitement when a fresh director voice is realized, and writer/director/actor Benjamin Dickinson is one such discovery. His feature film debut is ‘Creative Control’ – which like previous futuristic films ‘Ex Machina’ and ‘Her’– explores sex and relationships through our technological evolution.

CHICAGO – The After Hours Film Society is a treasure of a cinema gathering that offers a comprehensive line-up of foreign, classic and specialty films for screening and discussion. Patrick McDonald, Editorial Coordinator and Film Critic for HollywoodChicago.com, will lead the discussion for the film “Flowers,” the 2015 Spanish film that was on the short list for the Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film, on Monday evening, March 21st, 2016, at the Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove, Ill.

CHICAGO – The new film “Eye in the Sky” is as contemporary a war film that currently could be made. The overview of drone warfare includes the distant “pilots” on the computer screen, the leaders in their paneled offices, and the target on the ground – which includes the enemy, but also several innocents.

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Hayley Atwell of TV’s ‘Agent Carter.’

CHICAGO – It’s the closing day (Sunday, March 20th) of the 2016 Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo – also known as C2E2 – and what better way to celebrate the weekend than a Exclusive Portrait Slideshow of the celebrity attendees of the 2015 edition of the event. Actor Matt Dillon, Director M. Night Shyamalan and Hayley Atwell (TV’s “Agent Carter”) of the Marvel Universe were among the celebrity highlights.

CHICAGO – Another wondrous pleasure about director Orson Welles – as if he needed something else on his resume – is the discovery of his film career after the “Citizen Kane”/studio system/boy wonder period of the 1940s. Facing difficulties cobbling together financing for his evolving vision, he resorted to overseas money, international casts and more-for-less. One of the prime examples is “Chimes at Midnight” (1965), a Shakespeare amalgamation that is just another example of Wellesian audacity and yes, genius.

CHICAGO – It’s Opening Day for the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo – better known as C2E2. There are three days planned – Friday, March 18th through Sunday March 20th, 2016 – for celebrities, comic book producers and the entertainment associated with our age of super hero geek culture. The event takes place at the South Building at McCormack Place in Chicago. Chicago’s own John Cusack helps to get things rolling with a panel appearance TODAY (March 18th) at 2pm, and will sign autographs and meet fans over the weekend.

CHICAGO – She’s conquered television, and now it’s time for the movies. Melissa Rauch – also known as Bernadette on “The Big Bang Theory” – has created a new, uniquely voiced character named Hope Greggory. The character is a third placed, foul-mouthed Olympic gymnast in the new film “The Bronze.”

CHICAGO – HollywoodChicago.com brings you our red-carpet interviews with the stars of “Barbershop: The Next Cut”! We speak with Ice Cube, Common, Cedric the Entertainer, Anthony Anderson, Deon Cole and Regina Hall at the Chicago premiere on March 14, 2016.

CHICAGO – The “Divergent” series of films are coming to a conclusion, with a two parter adapted from the last book. The first film is “The Divergent Series: Allegiant - Part 1,” and there are some new kids in the mix, with two actors who have made their mark overseas – Nadia Hilker and Bill Skarsgard – joining the series.