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+.
Patrick McDonald
Film Review: Quentin Tarantino Stays Familiar in ‘The Hateful Eight’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 25, 2015 - 6:12amCHICAGO – Story-wise, there is not much difference in “The Hateful Eight” – regarding themes and violence – that writer/director Quentin Tarantino hasn’t explored before. But it is also an outrageous and big western tale, and it’s presented in some theaters in a huge 70mm screen format.
Interview: Adam McKay Comes Up Large in ‘The Big Short’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 24, 2015 - 10:21amCHICAGO – When HollywoodChicago.com last spoke to writer/director Adam McKay in 2013, he was about to release “Anchorman 2,” and wasn’t really known for anything but his wacky comedy films. That all changed this month, with the release of “The Big Short,” a brilliant indictment of the financial meltdown of 2007 and ’08, and an impressively creative and serious effort from the comic director.
Film Feature: The 10 Best Films of 2015, By Patrick McDonald
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 23, 2015 - 8:53amCHICAGO – Another year is about to slide towards the next one, so it’s time to look back at the cinema universe of 2015, the 10 Best Films of the year. In this arena, the intrepid “Über Critic” of HollywoodChicago.com, Patrick McDonald, will attempt to give his spin on the “best of” point of view.
Slideshow: Culinary Icon Paula Deen Promotes Book in Chicagoland
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 22, 2015 - 12:25pmCHICAGO – Chicagoland was cooking last month as former Food Network star and culinary icon Paula Deen was at the Old Orchard Barnes & Noble in Skokie, Ill., to promote her new book, “Paula Deen Cuts the Fat: 250 Recipes Lightened Up.“ The queen of southern-style cooking has reworked her popular recipes with ingredients with less calories.
Film Review: Ordinary Lives Are Interwoven in Intricate ‘Flowers’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 19, 2015 - 9:51amCHICAGO – The meaning of our lives is elusive, and the time we spend here too short. The Spanish foreign language film “Flowers” seeks to define the meaning, through three women trying to memorialize one man. “Flowers” opens at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre on Dec. 18th, 2015.
Film News: Chicago Film Critics Association Names ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ as 2015 Best Picture
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 17, 2015 - 10:36amCHICAGO – “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the hyper-driven artistic achievement by director George Miller, was designated Best Picture of 2015 by the Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA), at a ceremony on December 16th. George Miller was also honored as Best Director, and “Mad Max” received five total honors.
Interview: Director Yuichi Satoh on ‘Poison Berry in My Brain’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 16, 2015 - 3:38pmCHICAGO – An extraordinary filmed recently screened in Chicago, but not for the reasons that are expected. The Japanese film “Poison Berry in My Brain” was directed by Yuichi Satoh, and starred popular native actress Yoko Maki. What was extraordinary about the film is that the plot parallels the well-received animated movie, “Inside Out,” except “Poison Berry” is live action, and the character representations of the brain controllers are manipulating a frustrated woman, not a little girl. Funny they were both conceived around the same time, and were released in the same year.
Film News: ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Tops Chicago Film Critics Association 2015 Best Film Nominees
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 14, 2015 - 11:40amCHICAGO – The adrenalin-fueled “Mad Max: Fury Road” topped the Chicago Film Critics Association nominations list for 2015, announced on Monday, December 14th. Other notable multi-category nominees included “Carol,” “The Revenant” and “Inside Out.” Jennifer Jason Leigh scored a double nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category for “The Hateful Eight” and “Anomalisa,” and Amy Schumer got a nod for Most Promising Performer with “Trainwreck.”
Film Review: Elegant, Delicate Emotions Are Forged in ‘Youth’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 12, 2015 - 3:17pmCHICAGO – When a film tries to be philosophical, it easily can devolve into heavy handedness. But the exception is the latest from writer/director Paolo Sorrentino, the richly presented “Youth.” It treads upon many definitions of the title, and lands upon all of them, because that’s life.
Film Review: Exposé of ‘The Big Short’ is an American Masterwork
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 11, 2015 - 10:33amCHICAGO – This is a rare film that will fill you with anger, while making you laugh at the absurdity of 21st Century life. “The Big Short” is an inside look at the mortgage meltdown that began in 2007, that cost eight million jobs and an untold amount of foreclosures, and the men who knew it was coming.