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: Celebrating the Ordinary Couple in ‘Love is Strange’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 29, 2014 - 6:53amCHICAGO – It is a time, and the time is now. Leave it to filmmaker Ira Sachs to break a barrier simply by having the right timing. Exploring a long time gay couple, right at the cusp of their now-legal marriage, opens the door to an odd series of ordinary circumstances in “Love is Strange.”
Interview: ‘Joel Murray & Friends’ at the New iO Chicago Venue
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 28, 2014 - 12:48pmCHICAGO – iO Chicago continues the Grand Opening at its new venue with one of its most famous alumni – the illustrious Joel Murray. Besides opening the seventh season of “Mad Men” with a brilliant monologue as Freddy Rumsen, Murray brings his “Joel Murray & Friends” show to the new iO Chicago on August 30th.
Interview: Director Ira Sachs Reminds Us ‘Love is Strange’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 27, 2014 - 7:40amCHICAGO – One of the notable films to kick off the autumn film season is writer/director Ira Sach’s “Love is Strange.” The story of two men in a longtime gay relationship, who finally can marry – but whose lives go off track unexpectedly – features brilliant performances from veterans John LIthgow and Alfred Molina.
TV News: ‘Breaking Bad,’ ‘Modern Family’ Top 2014 Emmy Awards
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 26, 2014 - 7:45am- 2014
- 66th Primetime Emmy Awards
- Billy Crystal
- Breaking Bad
- Bryan Cranston
- Emmy Awards
- Game of Thrones
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- Louie
- Mad Men
- Modern Family
- NBC
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- Robin Williams
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- Theater, TV, DVD & Blu-Ray
LOS ANGELES – It was one more lap around the victory track for the AMC-TV show ‘Breakling Bad,’ as the gritty drama about a teacher turned meth dealer took home six Primetime Emmy Awards at the 66th ceremony on August 25th. ‘Modern Family’ took home the statue for Outstanding Comedy Series for a a fifth straight year.
Exclusive Portraits: Michael Rooker of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 25, 2014 - 12:36pmCHICAGO – “Guardians of the Galaxy” returned to the top of the box office this weekend, and Michael Rooker – as Yondu Undonta – was a vital part of the film. Rooker also was in Chicago recently, to promote the Illinois Department of Transportation video campaign, “The Driving Dead,” which refers to TV’s “The Walking Dead.”
Film Review: ‘Are You Here’ Feels Like Mashup of Two Different Films
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 25, 2014 - 10:27amCHICAGO – You would think that a film written and directed by Matthew Weiner – the creator of “Mad Men” – would be worthwhile company, especially when the cast includes Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson and Amy Poehler. It is disappointing to note that not only was this cliché-ridden mess unpalatable, but it also switched gears two-thirds of the way through to evoke a different mood, and that schizophrenia didn’t help the overall product.
Film Review: Psychological, Religious Edge to ‘The Possession of Michael King’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 22, 2014 - 6:01pmCHICAGO – The problem with most horror films is that they don’t understand what really scares us, and substitute bloody messes or the jack-in-the-box “boo!” instead of what really gets under our skins. “The Possession of Michael King” is a rare and special exception, taking demonic possession to broad depths of psychological and religious symbolism.
Film Review: ‘Land Ho!’ a Funny Film Driven by Memorable Characters
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 22, 2014 - 4:13pmCHICAGO – The pure, character-driven film is as rare as a comic book movie with a bad opening weekend. “Land Ho!” is one of those celluloid treats, the simple story of “Odd Couple” senior citizens – portrayed unforgettably by Earl Lynn Wilson and Paul Eenhoorn – who take a trip to the country of Iceland, and learn how to, and how not to, get along.
Film Review: ‘If I Stay’ Can’t Rinse its Too-Sudsy Soap Opera
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 22, 2014 - 8:58amCHICAGO – We hate it when they grow up. Chloë Grace Moretz, a former child actor, takes on a first-teen-love role, and the results are decidedly mixed. The extreme emotions, the circumstances and Ms. Moretz’s performance undermine the soapy “If I Stay.”
Film Review: ‘Sin City: A Dame to Kill For’ Breaks No New Ground
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 21, 2014 - 8:48pm- Bruce Willis
- Christopher Lloyd
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- Frank Miller
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- The Weinstein Company
CHICAGO – When the first “Sin City” (2005) was released – based on the graphic novels by Frank Miller – the conversion of a film to a noir-like comic book atmosphere was pioneering. The sequel “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” has heightened that look, but this time has much less to say.