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+.
HollywoodChicago.com Arts & Entertainment News
DVD Review: Average Release For ‘Burn Notice: Season Three’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 21, 2010 - 1:06pmCHICAGO – The most recent season of one of the sexiest and most stylish shows on television was released on DVD this month and the show itself is still entertaining enough to warrant a look but the home release for it is a bit mediocre. USA’s “Burn Notice” has loyal fans who would undeniably appreciate a more extensive home release than this average one.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Unthinkable’ Wastes First-Rate Cast, Solid Premise
Submitted by mattmovieman on June 21, 2010 - 12:01pmCHICAGO – Samuel L. Jackson is an A-list actor stuck in the persona of a B-movie crowd-pleaser. His preference for schlock has made it difficult for viewers to take him seriously in roles that aren’t intended to be quoted by fanboys at Comic-Con. When his formidable interrogator in “Unthinkable” declares, “What I have to do, Agent Brody, is…unthinkable,” the line hits the exact wrong note of credibility-killing cheese that has marred Jackson’s career.
Blu-Ray Round Up, June 21, 2010: ‘Bad Boys,’ ‘Darkman,’ ‘Flash Gordon’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 21, 2010 - 11:38amCHICAGO – It’s been some time since HollywoodChicago.com’s beloved Blu-ray Round-Up column made an appearance to highlight a few recently released HD titles that may have slid just a bit below your radar while you were busy seeing “Toy Story 3” this weekend. We try but can’t devote the time for a full-length review to every title but we wanted to make sure you knew these potential purchases were out there, waiting for your hard-earned paycheck.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 30 Chicago Passes to ‘Knight and Day’ With Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on June 21, 2010 - 10:23amCHICAGO – In our latest action/comedy edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 30 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of the new film “Knight and Day” starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz!
Theater Review: ‘Sugar’ is an Artificial Sweetener
Submitted by Alissa Norby on June 21, 2010 - 1:18amCHICAGO – Few but the most professorial of Broadway aficionados recall with clarity the short-lived “Sugar,” which is one of the first film-to-stage transfers that premiered on the Great White Way in 1972 to lowly acclaim and even lower financial prowess. Though serving as a harbinger for the soon-to-be endowed trend of film derivatives, “Sugar” debuted in the throws of an era thirsty for the provocation of Michael Bennett and the insight of Stephen Sondheim.
New Chicago Extras Being Cast For FOX TV Cop Drama ‘Ride-Along’
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on June 20, 2010 - 2:25pmCHICAGO – Chicago casting for new “Ride-Along” extras will begin in “a few weeks,” HollywoodChicago.com has confirmed with Chicago casting director Darlene Hunt of ExtraOrdinary Casting.
TV Review: Promising Supernatural Thrills of ABC’s ‘The Gates’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 20, 2010 - 10:22amCHICAGO – After years of simply giving up to cable networks like AMC, USA, and TNT, the broadcast networks are trying to reclaim summer viewers; none more aggressively than ABC with three new shows debuting this week — “Scoundrels,” “The Gates,” and “Rookie Blue.”
TV Review: Scattered ‘Scoundrels’ Has Great Cast, Weak Writing
Submitted by BrianTT on June 19, 2010 - 10:59amCHICAGO – Based on a hit New Zealand series entitled “Outrageous Fortune,” ABC’s “Scoundrels” is a hit-and-miss affair at best. The network is aggressively trying to counterprogram new series against the summer cable hits like “Mad Men,” “Royal Pains,” and “The Closer,” but viewers are unlikely to return for a show as inconsistent as this one without some major changes.
Just for Laughs Chicago: Bob Odenkirk, Robert Smigel Are ‘Not Inappropriate’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 19, 2010 - 7:32amCHICAGO – The just-opened Mayne Stage on Chicago’s north side was the setting for “The Not Inappropriate Show,” featuring comedians Bob Odenkirk and Robert Smigel. Both are in town as part of the TBS network’s “Just for Laughs Chicago,” playing through Saturday, June 19th.
TV Review: TNT’s ‘Leverage’ Returns For Promising Summer Season
Submitted by BrianTT on June 18, 2010 - 4:02pmCHICAGO – The team behind “Leverage,” including producer/director Dean Devlin and star Timothy Hutton are back with a headline-grabbing summer diversion. With articles calling for the head of BP and reports on the continued economic crisis, this “Robin Hood” for the modern age or “Ocean’s 11” if Danny Ocean were a bit more philanthropic is as timely as the day it premiered. And it’s more consistently entertaining.
‘Toy Story 3’ is a Perfect Play Date For the Entire Family
Submitted by BrianTT on June 18, 2010 - 2:38pmCHICAGO – Very few recent films are as purely entertaining or thematically satisfying as Pixar’s “Toy Story 3,” not only one of the best films of the year but one of the best in the history of animation. Brilliantly tying up the two films that came before in a way that so many sequels fail to do, the geniuses at Pixar have done it again. It’s another masterpiece.
‘Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work’ Reveals the Woman Behind the Face
Submitted by BrianTT on June 18, 2010 - 11:32am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – One of the most revealing insights to be gleaned from “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work” is the lifelong desire of its titular comedienne to be a serious actress. The sad irony is that Rivers has rendered her most vital acting tool (her face) utterly immobile, thus making her ineligible for any dramatic screen role, save for the Elephant Man.
Josh Brolin, Megan Fox Dash Between the Explosions in ‘Jonah Hex’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 18, 2010 - 9:21amCHICAGO – Delving deep into the comic book lexicon, the latest page-to-film adaptation is “Jonah Hex,” featuring Josh Brolin, Megan Fox and John Malkovich. Hex is a scarred bounty hunter whose primary job seems to be saving America, when he isn’t in the midst of or causing things to blow up real good.
