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+.
Robert De Niro
Blu-ray Review: ‘New Year’s Eve’ Wants to Ruin Your Holidays
Submitted by BrianTT on May 7, 2012 - 1:09pmCHICAGO – By now, you’re surely aware of the general hatred for Garry Marshall’s horrendous ensemble romantic comedy “New Year’s Eve.” HollywoodChicago.com said ““New Year’s Eve” is so garish and manipulative that it doesn’t really qualify as a film – it’s a product, no more an actual movie than a Hallmark card is a piece of poetry.”
Film Review: Robert De Niro Triumphs Again in ‘Being Flynn’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 9, 2012 - 6:12pmCHICAGO – The intensity that Robert De Niro puts into his movie characters had slackened a bit, as he bent his reputation on more commercial roles. But Director Paul Weitz has revived the old legend with a meaty, purposeful character, and De Niro delivers it with his old fire. ‘Being Flynn’ is not a comeback, but a gratefully received reboot.
Interview: Director Paul Weitz Has Tips on ‘Being Flynn’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 8, 2012 - 9:37amCHICAGO – Part of the fun in watching movies is experiencing the career evolution of a particular director. One such career is Paul Weitz, who began with the memorable “American Pie,” went a bit more serious with “About a Boy” and “In Good Company,” and cements his credibility in the insightful “Being Flynn.”
Blu-ray Review: Universal Releases New Wave of 100th Anniversary Classics
Submitted by BrianTT on March 6, 2012 - 4:50pmCHICAGO – Did Universal know that Meryl Streep was going to win her third Oscar for “The Iron Lady”? Someone should investigate because two of her most acclaimed performances hit Blu-ray this week as a part of Universal’s 100th Anniversary Collector’s Series — “Out of Africa” and “The Deer Hunter.” With a combined twelve Oscars among the two, these are two of the most powerful films in the Universal library and great choices for the Collector’s Series upgrade. Meanwhile, Universal continues to supply this catalog, released “Charade,” “My Man Godfrey,” and “Sullivan’s Travels” under the same banner on DVD-only.
Blu-ray Review: ‘Killer Elite’ is Lackluster Release For Lackluster Film
Submitted by BrianTT on January 16, 2012 - 5:43pmCHICAGO – “Killer Elite” is one of those home releases that makes me wonder about the future of Blu-ray. It’s clearly not an edition designed for fans of this awful action movie, even if one does assume that it’s a very small group of people since it has practically no special features. And there really aren’t any Blockbusters any more, buying these things in bulk with a design on renting them. So, why not just download it? With more and more people able to download in HD, lackluster releases like that for “Killer Elite” are going to be the first to go the way of the VHS tape.
TV News: ‘Goodfellas’ TV Series Picked Up By AMC
Submitted by TimBMartens on January 10, 2012 - 2:16pmCHICAGO – Big news in the TV world, and it is definitely not funny like a clown. Martin Scorsese’s classic 1990 film “Goodfellas” is officially being turned into a television series. Rumored for the better part of two years, the possibility for the series gained serious momentum about a year ago when Scorsese came on as a producer, joining the film’s original producer, Irwin Winkler, and the original writer, Nicholas Pileggi.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 5 ‘Killer Elite’ Blu-rays With Robert De Niro, Jason Statham
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on January 4, 2012 - 6:15pmCHICAGO – In our latest action edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Blu-ray, we have 5 Blu-rays up for grabs for the home entertainment release of “Killer Elite”!
Film Review: Shallow, Garish ‘New Year’s Eve’ Ruins Your Holiday
Submitted by BrianTT on December 9, 2011 - 10:54amCHICAGO – “New Year’s Eve” is so garish and manipulative that it doesn’t really qualify as a film – it’s a product, no more an actual movie than a Hallmark card is a piece of poetry. It is corporate junk at its worst, so shallow that it’s almost remarkably thin, as if director Garry Marshall were trying to win a contest for lack of subtlety.
Film Review: ‘Killer Elite’ Mistakes Cliché For Action
Submitted by BrianTT on September 23, 2011 - 9:19amCHICAGO – “Killer Elite” is an exhausting, nonsensical, illogical, loud collection of action clichés masquerading as a modern action film. It features characters less three-dimensional than most cartoons doing and saying things that are only done and said in movies. Bad movies. Really bad movies.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 40 Pairs of Chicago Passes to ‘Killer Elite’ With Robert De Niro, Jason Statham
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on September 14, 2011 - 10:48amCHICAGO – In our latest action/thriller edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 40 admit-two movie passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of the new film “Killer Elite” starring Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro!