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CHICAGO – Happy Pride Month 2024! One of the most beautiful and spirited LGBTQ+ films on the festival circuit last year was “The Mattachine Family,” written by Danny Vallentine and directed by his husband Andy Vallentine. Andy Vallentine talked to HollywoodChicago.com about his film that was partially autobiographical. “The Mattachine Family is now available to rent on all major streaming platforms.

“The Mattachine Family” features the very-much-in-love married couple Thomas (Nico Tortorella) and Oscar (Juan Pablo Di Pace) in a story about family, both made and found. When their foster child reunites with his birth mother, Thomas and Oscar deal with the loss in very different ways, and realize they have differing ideas on what makes a family. Loosely based on director/writer Andy Vallentine and writer Danny Vallentine’s own lived experiences as husbands and potential fathers, the film is a journey on the universality of love, family, and community.

‘The Mattachine Family,’ Directed by Andy Vallentine
Photo credit: Giant Pictures

In a Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, director Andy Vallentine of “The Mattachine Family” regards family and history in the context of “The Mattachine Family” …

Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com reviewed “The Mattachine Family” during the Morning Mess with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM, Monroe, Wisconsin, May 30th, 2024 …

Trailer, “The Mattachine Family” …

”The Mattachine Family” is available to stream on all major platforms. Featuring Nico Tortorella, Juan Pablo Di Pace, Emily Hampshire, Carl-Clemons Hopkins and Heather Matarazzo. Written by Danny Vallentine. Directed by Andy Vallentine. Not Rated.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – On a dark and overcast night in Chicago, Judah & the Lion took the stage after an extended rain delay at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island, radiating charisma and positive energy. HollywoodChicago.com’s Music Editor and photographer Jeff Doles was there to capture the action and cover the performance.

Judah & the Lion, an alt-folk band from Nashville, Tennessee, was formed in 2011. They have released four studio albums and five EPs. The band currently consists of Judah Akers (vocals, guitar), Brian Macdonald (mandolin, vocals) and Nate Zuercher (banjo). The band released their fifth studio album, “The Process,” on Friday, May 10th, 2024. Akers, as the lead singer and main songwriter, endured a series of devastating events, including the loss of family members to suicide and a divorce from his wife, all within approximately six months. Overwhelmed and numb, Judah turned to music for healing.

Judah & the Lion’s songs blend folk, rock, and hip-hop, and their live performances are infused with positivity through crowd interaction, choreographed dancing, and an upbeat style and energy, and that was all evident at the Chicago show. Their banjo-picking is high-energy. passionate and uplifting, with songs that are as heartfelt live as they are on the radio.

Their recent 19-track album is a soul-baring song cycle that grapples with the five stages of grief – Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance – ultimately finding beauty and purpose within the pain. Named iHeart’s Best New Alternative Artist in 2019, Judah & the Lion’s debut album went platinum, and their last record reached the Top 20 on the Billboard Album charts. Their song “Take It All Back” held the Number One spot on the alternative chart for over a month. Their music has been featured in Target ads and Netflix shows, amassing over 700 million global streams.

Upcoming 2024 shows include July 4th in Summit Park (Blue Ash, Ohio), August 3rd at the Basilica Block Party (Minneapolis, Minnesota) and a complete fall tour beginning in Tulsa, Oklahoma on October 4th. Click the band link below the Slideshow for details.

Click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through the slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos © Jeff Doles for HollywoodChicago.com.

1. JUDAHLION1: Judah Akers of Judah & the Lion.
2. JUDAHLION2: Nate Zuercher of Judah & the Lion.
3. JUDAHLION3: Another view of Judah.
4. JUDAHLION4: Brian Macdonald of Judah & the Lion
5. JUDAHLION5: Young Fan at Judah & the Lion, Northerly Island, Chicago.

For more information about Judah & the Lion (including their upcoming U.S. Tour Dates), click JudahAndTheLion.com. For more photos and coverage by HollywoodChicago.com music editor Jeff “Doc” Doles, click Jeff Doles, Music Editor.

Review by: Jeff Doles, Music Editor
Published by: Patrick McDonald, Site Editor, HollywoodChicago.com

© 2024 HollywoodChicago.com LLC

CHICAGO – Today (June 5, 2024) is the premiere online for one of the most thought provoking and original ideas in short film. “She’s Clean” is scene-by-scene cinema of a woman who decides to create a path of expression for herself through different sexual partners. What she learns is unexpected. Jenn Harris writes, directs and stars in this revealing story.

“She’s Clean” involves a woman (Harris) finding herself in a factual aspect that women achieve a sexual peak in their mid-to-late thirties. Taking advantage of our current hook-up cyberspace, she engages a number of partners. Her rules of engagement are simple … all of the prospects must clean themselves to perfection, and all must trust the moment. This simplicity is upended by the various comments and insecurities of the men, but in the end all is not lost.

She’s Clean
Photo credit: Jenn Harris

Jenn Harris is both a filmmaker and character actress. She achieved a recent breakthrough as one of the ensemble in the Oscar nominated “American Fiction” as Aileen Hoover, an author that main character Monk (Jeffrey Wright) sits on committee with to determine a literary prize. She has emerged also as a writer/director of note, and “She’s Clean” is her second award-winning short.

In Part One of a Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, writer/director/lead actor Jenn Harris on the themes that embrace “She’s Clean” …

In Part Two, a continuance on the short film and a bit about “American Fiction” …

In a video clip, Jenn Harris talks about how to look at “She’s Clean” …

AND NOW … the online premiere of (click to access) SHE’S CLEAN.

”She’s Clean” features Jenn Harris, Randy Harrison, Louis Canclmi, Becca Blackwell, Eric Taback, Michael Borrelli, Ryan Bourque, Keith Contreras, David J. Cork, Ryan Czerwonko and Gjermund Gjesme. Written and directed by Jenn Harris. Not Rated, with nudity and sexual situations.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – Run for your lives, Chicago, or run to the historic Music Box Theatre for “Godzilla vs. Music Box,” an unprecedented mega-festival celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the World’s Most Famous Reptile. Besides presented by the Music Box and the Japanese Arts Foundation, GvMB is programmed and curated by Kyle Cubr, Music Box Senior Operations Manager by day, Godzilla Enthusiast through at all other times. The series unspools from June 7th-13th, 2024, for schedule, tickets and details, click GvMB for tickets/details.

Godzilla is a prehistoric and reptilian “kaiju” (monster), awakened and empowered after many years by nuclear radiation. With the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki still fresh in the Japanese consciousness, Godzilla was conceived as a metaphor for nuclear weapons, among other metaphors (as Kyle explains in the Podtalk below). The selection of films reflects the international and iconic pop culture status of the “King of the Monsters,” who has appeared in 33 Japanese films produced by Japan’s Toho Studios, five American films, and numerous video games, novels, comic books, and television shows. It’s good to be the King.

There Goes Chi-ca-go: ‘Godzilla vs. Music Box’
Photo credit: MusicBoxTheatre.com

The Opening Night on Friday, June 7th, will feature two of the most recent Japanese entries in series, “Shin Godzilla” (2016) and last year’s Visual Effects Oscar-winning “Godzilla Minus One.” Between the films, Saira Chambers of the Japanese Culture Center/Japanese Arts Foundation will lead a panel discussion, “Godzilla, the Atomic Age Anti-Hero,” featuring Dr. Yuki Miyamoto and other guests. Dr. Miyamoto is a professor at DePaul University whose work focuses on nuclear ethics and the cultural aftermath of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Other highlights include a 24 hour marathon of all 15 “Showa-Era” (1954-75) on Saturday, June 8th, and a Godzilla Y2K-era double feature on Sunday the 9th. “Destroy All Monsters” (1968) has a special screening is on Monday, June 10, introduced by legendary horror host SVENGOOLIE, who will also be signing autographs in the Music Box Lounge from 5:30-7:30pm. For info, click the link above.

Senior Operations Manager Kyle Cubr has been a Music Box Theatre “distinguished person of many roles,” having begun at the theatre ten years ago as a concessions worker, and performing diverse tasks including rentals, website input, floor managing and programming.

In a Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, programmer Kyle Cubr of “Godzilla vs. Music Box” provides the background …

In a video clip, Kyle gives the pitch …

”Godzilla vs Music Box” takes place at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre June 7th-13th, 2024. For more information about the Music Box, click MusicBox.com.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – Comcast recently announced unprecedented streaming bundle options … Xfinity StreamSaver™ is a service for new and existing Xfinity Internet/TV customers nationwide, and when combined with NOW TV can offer Peacock, Netflix AND Apple TV+ for one low monthly price. For deets, click XFINITY STREAMSAVER.

With StreamSaver, customers can enjoy TV shows and movies like Netflix’s “Bridgerton” and “Atlas,” Peacock’s “Bel-Air” and “The Traitors,” and “The Morning Show” and “Slow Horses” from Apple TV+. They will also have access to live sports including MLB Friday Night Baseball from Apple TV+; NFL Football and WWE (starting in 2025) from Netflix; and NFL Football, Big Ten, Premier League, FIFA World Cup, Golf, WWE, NASCAR and every minute from the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics from Peacock.

Xfinity StreamSaver from Comcast
Photo credit: Xfinity.com

Go to the link above, but the basic information is current and new Xfinity Internet or TV customers can add Xfinity StreamSaver for an everyday price of $15 per month, with no annual contracts. Customers can also combine the bundled apps with NOW TV for one all-in-monthly price of $30. Together, the NOW StreamSaver bundles represents a great value in live TV and entertainment with access to programming from three of the most popular streaming apps alongside 40+ live TV channels including, AMC, A&E, Hallmark, History Channel, Lifetime, WEtv, plus over two dozen integrated FAST channels like AccuWeather, NBC News, TODAY All Day and Xumo Movies.

Xfinity StreamSaver™ is currently available for new and existing Xfinity TV/Internet customers. Go to Xfinity.com for all the details and information.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

NEW YORK – The legendary Tribeca Film Festival, celebrating its 23rd edition, will again be the talk of New York, as it kicks off Wednesday, June 5th, with “Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge.” There are the in-person thrills and an option for at-home screenings. CLICK TRIBECA 2024.

The 2024 Tribeca Festival, presented by Web3 tech company OKX, brings artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment.

Diane von Furstenberg was only 22 years old when she had an idea that would change the fashion industry forever. The wrap dress was celebrated as a 1970s symbol of feminine power and liberation when it was first introduced, launching von Furstenberg’s career as a designer and fashion icon. Tribeca alumni Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Trish Dalton’s wildly entertaining portrait goes behind the scenes with Furstenberg herself as she prepares for a museum exhibition showcasing her life’s work. This event, is combined with the story of her mother, a Holocaust survivor whose influence shaped her into the determined, independent “woman in charge” she is today.

23rd Edition: June 5th-16th, 2024
Photo credit: TribecaFilm.com

The Tribeca Festival was founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Craig Hatkoff and actor Robert De Niro as a reactive strike back at the September 11th attack in 2001 on New York City and the nearby Tribeca neighborhood.The film category in the 2024 23rd edition will showcase 103 feature films from 114 filmmakers across 48 countries – with 86 World Premieres – and will have screenings and awards for U.S. Narrative Films, World Narrative Films, Short Film Competition, Best Documentary, the Spotlight Competition and Best New Narrative and Documentary Filmmakers, among it’s presentations.

“Each year, the Tribeca Festival reflects our culture, capturing the essence of the present moment. We’re thrilled to showcase our 23rd edition, delving into captivating explorations of artificial intelligence with Demis Hassabis, thought-provoking discussions on the future of democracy, and so much more,” Tribeca Co-Founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal. “Storytelling possesses a remarkable ability to bring us together, offering hope in these challenging times. We eagerly anticipate engaging with audiences on difficult yet timely subjects.”

Trailer for “Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge” …

Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com will be providing coverage of 2024 Tribeca Festival throughout the duration of the Festival.

The 2024 Tribeca Festival will take place from June 5th through June 16th. For tickets, events schedule and all information click on TribecaFilm.com

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – “With Love, Mommie Dearest” is a new book by A. Ashley Hoff, chronicling the making of the camp classic. Chicago’s Music Box Theatre will screen “Mommie Dearest” and Hoff will sign his new book on June 4, 2024. Click CRAWFORD for tickets/details.

The 1981 film “Mommie Dearest” has a place in cultural history, and author A. Ashley Hoff decided to do a deep dive into the history of the film in his new book (the subtitle is “The Making of an Unintentional Camp Classic”). The story of this only-in-show-business happening starts with its production history, culminating in the film’s release – anticipated with studio backing and awards consideration prestige – only to devolve quickly after early screenings.

‘With Love, Mommie Dearest: The Making of an Unintentional Camp Classic’ by A. Ashley Hoff
Photo credit: Chicago Review Press

When Paramount Studios understood that audiences were reacting with laughter to the extreme nature of the melodrama … adapted from a best-selling book by Christina Crawford, about the relationship with her movie-star mother Joan Crawford … the company quickly shifted the marketing to emphasis this somewhat gleeful camp value, and the angle cemented its cult status. “No wire hangers!”

The plot of “Mommie Dearest” features Joan Crawford (Faye Dunaway, in a performance that can best be described as histrionic) adopting Christina (Mara Hobel as child, Diana Scarwid as adult) and raising her under a iron fist, which included psychological and – as depicted in the film – physical abuse. The arc of their mother/daughter dynamic, from childhood to Christina’s acting career, contains a number of confrontations that pushed the boundaries of dramatic taste to the level of weird hilarity.

The ‘Mommie Dearest’ Event
Photo credit: MusicBoxTheatre.com

A. Ashley Hoff looks at this funhouse mirror of the movie “Mommie Dearest” through the hows and whys of the making and its aftermath as camp. He is also the author of “Match Game 101: A Backstage History of Match Game” and “My Huckleberry Friend: Holly Golightly and the Untold History of Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” He previously worked for talent agencies in Chicago and Los Angeles, and has written articles on Hollywood history for The Advocate and Films in Review.

In Part One of a Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, author A. Ashley Hoff starts our journey down the rabbit hole with “With Love, Mommie Dearest: The Making of an Unintentional Camp Classic” …

In Part Two, regarding director Frank Perry, Faye Dunaway and Joan Crawford of “Mommie Dearest” …

In Part Three, no wire hangers and Hoff’s favorite line of dialogue …

In a video clip, A. Ashley Hoff gives the deets for his appearance at the Music Box Theatre on June 4th for the “Mommie Dearest” event …

A. Ashley Hoff appears on behalf of his new book “With Love, Mommie Dearest: The Making of an Unintentional Camp Classic” … available wherever books are sold … with a screening and book signing at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre on June 4th, 2024 (7pm).

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – “The Girl Who Wore Freedom,” a documentary created by filmmaker Christian Taylor, is a film that speaks not only of the celebration of France’s appreciation for the Allies liberation of the country in World War II (beginning with D-Day), but also of the remembrance that this vital story evokes every June 6th, as in 2024 with the D-Day 80th Anniversary. The documentary will be on 300 screens across the U.S. from now through June 9th. Chicago area screenings are through Classic Cinemas (see end of article below). For a complete map of all U.S. screenings, click TheGirlWhoWoreFreedom.com.

The genesis of the documentary centers on an obscure story, which would have been lost to time if not for its discovery by the filmmaker. Danielle Patrix was a little girl in 1944 during the World War II liberation of France that occurred after D-Day, and in honor of the Allied troops – but especially the U.S. soldiers – her mother made her a red, white and blue American outfit out of discarded parachutes. Her story led to another, as Taylor contrasts the French remembrance with interviews of U.S. WWII veterans who participated in the liberation.

Dani Patrix Boucherie in the 1940s, ‘The Girl Who Wore Freedom’
Photo credit: Virgil Films

The creative force behind the doc is Christian Taylor, who lives in the Chicago area, and is a longtime entertainment veteran known for her voiceover work, but also as a hybrid of producer, director, casting director, coach and talent. She got her BA in Theater and Broadcasting from The Catholic University, while at the same time starting her career working in the Senate Building in their TV/Radio department, interviewing the power brokers of the era. “The Girl Who Wore Freedom” is her first film as director, co-writer and producer.

In Part One of a Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, filmmaker Christian Taylor talks origins and themes in “The Girl Who Wore Freedom” …

In Part Two, the war inside France and the filmmaker’s passion to bring the documentary to completion …

Trailer, “The Girl Who Wore Freedom” …

“The Girl Who Wore Freedom” commemorates the 80th Anniversary of D-Day with special screenings throughout the U.S. through June 9th, 2024, including Chicago and Illinois area screenings at Classic Cinemas Oak Park, Carpentersville, St. Charles, Oswego and Kankakee. Click ClassicCinemas.com for theaters and showtimes. For more information about the film, click TheGirlWhoWoreFreedom.com.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – I call him the Rosetta Stone of Show Business for the modern comedy era. Rob Smigel will appear in Chicago as the legendary Triumph the Insult Comic Dog at the Den Theatre LIVE on Monday June 3rd, 2024, with “Let’s Make a Poop,” featuring special guests and more! Get tickets and more info at POOP.

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (voice of Rob Smigel) brings his celebrated game show “Let’s Make A Poop” to Chicago with celebrity panelists former (and disgraced) Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, Cubs legend Ryan Dempster, WGN Weatherman Paul Konrad and more surprises to come.

Let’s Make a Poop
Photo credit: TheDenTheatre.com

After years of toiling in the Catskills burying hookers for Henny Youngman, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog became an overnight national treasure after first appearing on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” in 1997. He has famously pooped on the Westminster Dog Show, “Hollywood Squares”, Bon Jovi, Star Wars fans, the VMAs, J Lo and Eminem, Comic Con, the Michael Jackson trial, “American Idol”, “Real Housewives of Atlanta”, the World Cup, Bonnaroo, the Chabad Telethon, Chicago’s Wiener’s Circle, Ralph Nader, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, the Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Awards, the province of Quebec, Donald Trump’s inauguration and impeachment trial, the January 6th hearings and more.

The humanity behind Triumph is Rob Smigel, who has become a legend in his own right. He is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, producer AND puppeteer, known for his SNL ”TV Funhouse” cartoon shorts (the “Ambiguously Gay Duo”) and the voice behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. He started his career in Chicago at the Players Workshop, before becoming a writer on SNL during the 1985-86 season, where he participated in the classic Da Bears SuperFan’s roundtable and wrote the William Shatner “Get a Life” sketch, among many others. With Conan O’Brien, he wrote the cult favorite “Lookwell” pilot with Adam West and was Conan’s first head writer for “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” He also co-wrote (with Adam Sandler) the first two “Hotel Translyvania” films and “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan “ (in which he also appeared).

In Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, Rob Smigel talks about the “Let’s Make a Poop” Game Show …

In video clip, the pitch is made and the catchphrase is uttered …

“Let’s Make a Poop,” a Game Show featuring Triumph the Insult Comic Dog will be LIVE at the Den Theatre on Monday, June 3rd, 2024 (8pm). For more information about the Den Theatre, click here.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Ben Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on May 30th, reviewing “Jim Henson: Idea Man,” directed by Ron Howard and featuring Frank Oz and The Muppets. Streaming on Disney+ beginning May 31st.

Jim Henson was born in Mississippi and raised there and in Maryland. He answered an ad for a Washington, D.C. television station in the 1950s … they were looking for a puppeteer … and astoundingly, Henson got the job with no previous puppetry experience. Partnering with Jane Nebel, who would eventually become his wife, the two created the beginnings of the Muppet phenomenon by gearing their comedy towards adults. Eventually forming a company, Jim and Jane were able to get by through commercials and TV work through the 1960s, until Henson practically invented Sesame Street in 1969. Always itching for new avenues of creativity, he launched “The Muppet Show” in 1976, and began the juggernaut that he was about to sell to Walt Disney Studios right before his death. Along the way he continued his fascination with pushing the boundaries of creativity and his own imagination with cohorts like Frank Oz (voice of Miss Piggy) and Carroll Spinney (Big Bird).

“Jim Henson: Idea Man” is streaming on Disney+ beginning May 31st. Featuring Frank Oz, Carroll Spinney and the Muppets. Written by Mark Monroe. Directed by Ron Howard. Not Rated.

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s on-air review of “Jim Henson: Idea Man”

Jim Henson: Idea Man
Photo credit: Disney+

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s on-air review of “Jim Henson: Idea Man”

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Ben Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on May 30th, reviewing “Ezra,” featuring Bobby Cannavale and Robert De Niro as a son and father, struggling to help raise an autistic boy. In theaters on May 31st.

William Fitzgerald portrays the title character, an autistic boy in New York City who is being co-raised by his divorced parents Max (Bobby Cannavale) and Jenna (Rose Byrne). Max is an at-the-brink stand up comedian who lives with his father Stan (Robert De Niro). When Max attacks one of Ezra’s doctors, he is forced into a restraining order, but decides to take matters into his own hands and kidnaps his son, and takes a road trip while learning that he’s landed a gig on the Jimmy Kimmel show. As law enforcement, his ex-wife and Stan pursue Max and Ezra, the whole situation comes into focus.

“Ezra” is in theaters on May 30h. Featuring William Fitzgerald, Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Rainn Wilson and Vera Farmiga. Written by Tony Spiridakis. Directed by Tony Goldwyn. Rated “R”

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s on-air review of “Ezra”

Ezra
Photo credit: Bleecker Street Media

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s on-air review of “Ezra”

CHICAGO – When Sandra Abrevaya met her future husband Brian Wallach while on the staff of Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, their future seemed bright. But then Brian was was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and his prognosis was dim. Their story is told in “For Love & Life: No Ordinary Campaign.”

The films tells that Brian was given just six months to live, which inspired the couple’s expertise to create legislation to help other ALS patients to gain access to new experimental drugs and disability benefits. Brian decided to become a face of the disease, recruiting other patients to become a founder of “I Am ALS.” In the story of Brian and Sandra’s efforts to cut through the red tape of Washington, D.C., the highest level of inspiration, passion and success is the result. The film is currently streaming on Prime Video since May 28th, 2024.

For Love & Life: No Ordinary Campaign
Photo credit: Prime Video

Brian Wallach is one of the most impressive individuals I have ever met, and with his wife Sandra Abrevaya define the power couple. Their work in using the labyrinth of government for true progress and healing … not to mention preserving Brian’s life … is a lesson in its process, energy and unrelenting love and passion. Not only will Brian and Sandra inspire you, but they are a beacon for what is possible when using the resources and skills of their humanity … the doc is must-see positivity and the audacity of hope.

Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago talked to the power couple Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya (from the 58th Chicago International Film Festival), about process, expression and the extraordinary journey ... "For Love & Life.”

In a video clip from the interview with Sandra Abrevaya and Brian Wallach, the couple talks about the challenges of their campaign. The rest of the interview is transcribed …

HollywoodChicago.com: When you decided to give ALS a public face in this campaign, starting with yourself, what was the reaction initially from other ALS sufferers to expose themselves so to speak, when the first and forgivable instinct is to go away before eventually going away because of the terminal nature or the disease?

Brian Wallach: I think that has been the best thing about ‘I am ALS,’ it has created a community where people do not feel ashamed or afraid to share their story. Instead, they see the power in their lived experience and their ability to give voice to what we live through with ALS.

So for me, the whole reason we did this was to make sure that people see that ALS can and does affect anyone, and is part of the solution to many neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimers and beyond.

HollywoodChicago.com: How did the film become part of what you were doing in the campaign, and how did you and director Christopher Burke decide how to tell the story, and keep creating the narrative, without the intrusiveness of constant filming?


Wallach: It began as Chris just tagging along with us and capturing footage that he knew would never be repeated because of my progression. What we ultimately did was try to tell the story that has the personal exposure which allows people to really engage with the film, but to balance that with the campaign itself. I will say also that we had to redo the film three or four times because we kept having amazing victories and we wanted to capture them.

Sandra Abrevaya: Yes, to that point we thought we were done with the film and then last December the ALS Act passed, so we thought that’s the real ending of the film. And then, just three weeks ago this first new drug in five years for ALS treatment – called Amylyx – was approved. So we held off submitting the film to the Chicago International Film Festival because we had to change the ending again.

HollywoodChicago.com: I’ve read Lou Gehrig’s biography, and the honesty about the disease in its last stages for him was counter to the notion of the “luckiest man” narrative … what problematics, in your point of view, was it to name ALS after him, but hide his public face as the disease ravaged him, as it affects everyone afflicted?


Wallach: The benefit of naming the disease after Lou Gehrig is that there is a whole lot of people who know about him, and don’t know the details of ALS. And this is an issue I’ve struggled with myself, because I’m so public, and I don’t want to make everything about the bad days.

Instead, I want to find a balance where I can educate people about ALS and how hard it is. As you can see right now I’m in a wheelchair, and I have to talk through Sandra … and no one ever wants to talk through their spouse. [laughs] But I also want to show there is real reasons for hope for patients living with ALS right now, and that has never been true for the 150 years previously … so we have a chance to help patients avoid the ending that Lou himself went through.

Sandra Abrevaya & Brian Wallach in ‘For Love & Life: No Ordinary Campaign’
Photo credit: Prime Video

HollywoodChicago.com: As human beings in general, we tend sometimes to collapse into our own selfishness, depression and anger … those being natural and human emotions. How does being selfless in this fight and campaign help to change your attitude about moments of selfishness, depression and anger? And what acts or work counter those emotions most effectively?

Abrevaya: Brian and I met while doing public service, it’s clearly something that even before we were diagnosed it fueled us, it made us feel good. So when we were diagnosed, we knew that we could … through a version of public service … change the course of this disease with our community and our network, we knew that would make us feel good. That’s the path we took for lots of reasons, but mostly because we saw possibility and that opening that we knew would fuel us.

Wallach: Adding to that, as we’ve been on this campaign I think we’ve become more open to and aware of the bad emotions and the good ones. So for me, I will say that each day I have a bad moment when I become depressed or when I feel selfish, but I will balance those out with an appreciation for all the amazing things that I’m lucky to have around me, and with a community that helps inspire each of us to dream bigger, and to do the impossible.

HollywoodChicago.com: To give someone an idea of what it is like to go from healthy to debilitated, what normal activity can you honestly say that you’ve missed the most, or have expressed that you have missed the most?

Wallach: There are two examples. Number one, it’s not being able being able to carry my daughters. I cannot do that anymore. And secondly, it’s having a conversation with my daughters as well. They often ask, “what did you say Dad?”

HollywoodChicago.com: What are the close-up elements of Barack Obama, that people do not consider, that if history serves him will carve his name into our story as one of the greatest of U.S. presidents?

Wallach: There is actually an amazing line from the documentary that didn’t make the final film. President Obama said when when you have community organizing you have the organization, but even more importantly you have community.

Abrevaya: One of the most remarkable things that President Obama did for Brian and I was in addition to teaching us the skills of organizing, he created this community … we call it the greater Obama family network. It has rallied around us in this remarkable way and has been a key part of this new campaign and made such an impact. In everything he’s doing, sharing and speaking about now, he’s encouraging the next generation to become leaders and believe in their ability to drive change.

We hope we’re carrying that torch in part, along with so many others, and it’s been a remarkable gift from him to give that to us and others.

Wallach: Most people focus on how smart he is us, but for me the most important trait is how he is able to be down to earth, and that is something we are missing because a lot of people tend to retreat into their silos. For example, when you have a president like Obama, and he walks into a restaurant and sits down with people, he will push them to revisit their pre-conceived notions about their fellow human beings. That would be the most important thing for us to carry forward.

Trailer, “For Love & Life: No Ordinary Campaign” …

HollywoodChicago.com: We live in divisive times, but your success in getting major legislation passed for ALS patients proved the power of the collective spirit and government to actually help people. In that experience, how can that continue despite our divisions?

Wallach: First, thank you. I think the thing I took away from this challenge that despite the background noise in politics today, if we’re able to reduce policy to a few key things that we all agree have to be done – that are not political but human – then we can actually see people come together and make them real.

It won’t be perfect, but look at the ALS Act … what I wrote the first time with member of Congress Mike Quigley and others was different from what was passed. But in what we did, we were able to say that it was not a “blue” or “red’ issue, this an issue about doing right with our fellow human beings. And with that mantra we were able to push through a bill forward that should have never passed because of the current political climate.

I’m always an optimist, and maybe we can use the same framework to do a few key things for our country. And once we do them, people will move away from defining truth about being whatever they want, and make truth be about how we help each other. That is what I hope the movie helps make real, among other things.

HollywoodChicago.com: Brian, what do you fear most about death or more importantly what don’t you fear as a lesson to all of us?

Wallach: What I fear most is not being here to watch my daughters grow up and have the time with Sandra to do more amazing things. On the other hand, I fear death a lot less than I used to, because as was once written, a person dies two times … the day that their body expires and the last day somebody mentions their name.

And for me I know that if my journey ends tomorrow my hope is I will have inspired people to keep dreaming and I will have given them the tools to make good trouble and to change the world. And that is all I can ask for.

”For Love & Life: No Ordinary Campaign” is streaming on Prime Video since May 28th, 2024. Featuring Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya. Directed by Christopher Burke.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – There is a new movie theater in Chicagoland’s Highland Park, with the Grand Opening of Wayfarer Theaters at 1850 2nd Street. On May 31st, the official start of a new era in theatergoing in Highland Park begins, with multiple screenings of “Ezra” from the theater’s sister company, Wayfarer Studios. For complete information on these FREE SCREENINGS and the theater, click WAYFARER.

Wayfarer Theaters Highland Park will open the space as a multi-use facility for films, live events, and conversation, following extensive renovations to the street-level lobby and second floor gallery, along with updates to auditoriums to provide an enhanced audience experience. The theater will also retain the spaces that were modernized in 2023, with luxury reclining seating options in two of the five auditoriums and an inviting café area that was added to the second floor.

May 31st, 2024
Photo credit: WayfarerTheaters.com

The Grand Opening free screenings of “Ezra” involves an autistic boy (William Fitzgerald) in New York City who is being co-raised by his divorced parents Max (Bobby Cannavale) and Jenna (Rose Byrne). Max is an at-the-brink stand up comedian who lives with his father Stan (Robert De Niro). When Max attacks one of Ezra’s doctors, he is forced into a restraining order, but decides to take matters into his own hands and kidnaps his son, and takes a road trip while learning that he’s landed a gig on the Jimmy Kimmel Show. As law enforcement, his ex-wife and Stan pursue Max and Ezra, the whole situation comes into focus.

In Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, General Manager Clayton Stamper of Wayfarer Theaters touts the Grand Opening …

In video clip, GM Stamper provides the pitch …

The Grand Opening of Wayfarer Theaters Highland Park takes place on May 31st, 2024, with complimentary screenings of “Ezra,” at 1850 2nd Street, Highland Park, Illinois. Click the link above for ticket purchase and information.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – When the word “Opera” is defined today, the person that would illustrate the word is Renée Fleming. The lyric soprano has done most major female opera roles, and has written a new book … “Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness” … and recently appeared at the Chicago Humanities Festival.

Renée Fleming has performed coloratura, lyric, and lighter spinto soprano operatic roles in Italian, German, French, Czech, and Russian, aside from her native English. A significant portion of her career has been the performance of new music, including world premieres of operas, concert pieces, and songs composed for her by André Previn, Caroline Shaw, Kevin Puts, Anders Hillborg, Nico Muhly, Henri Dutilleux, Brad Mehldau, and Wayne Shorter. 

Renée Fleming at the Chicago Humanities Festival, May 8, 2024
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Renée Lynn Fleming was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and got her Masters of Music from the Eastman School at the University of Rochester. She gave her first performance in what would become a signature role … Countess Almaviva in Mozart’s “Le nozzle di Figaro” … in 1984. She continued her study with a Fulbright Scholarship and the Julliard School, won New York’s Metropolitan Opera auditions in 1988, and made her debut with the New York City Opera as Mimi in “La Boheme.”

Her notable opera roles over the years are numerous and legendary … but her signature roles include the aforementioned Countess Almaviva, Desdemona in Verdi’s ”Otello,” Violetta in Verdi’s ”La traviata,” the title role in Dvořák’s ”Rusalka,” the title roles in Massenet’s ”Manon and Thaïs,” Tatyana in Tchaikovsky’s ”Eugene Onegin,” the title role in Richard Strauss’s ”Arabella,” the Marschallin in Strauss’s ”Der Rosenkavalier,” the Countess in Strauss’s ”Capriccio,” and Blanche DuBois in André Previn’s ”A Streetcar Named Desire.”

Ms. Fleming has been nominated for 18 Grammy Awards and has won five times. In June 2023, she was one of the five artists recognized at the 2023 Kennedy Center Honors. Other notable honors won by Fleming have included the Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur from the French government, Germany’s Cross of the Order of Merit, Sweden’s Polar Music Prize and honorary membership in England’s Royal Academy of Music. 

Renée Fleming and Her New Book
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Renée Fleming has also been an advocate for the study of the relationship between music and health, as well as the utility of music in neuroscience research. On April 9, 2024, Fleming’s anthology “Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness” was published and has a collection of essays about the health benefits of music and the arts, by scientists from leading research institutions, practitioners, educators, arts leaders, musicians, artists and writers.

HollywoodChicago.com photographer Joe Arce got the Exclusive Portraits of Renée Fleming at her appearance at the Chicago Humanities Festival on May 8th, 2024.

“Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness” by Renée Fleming is available wherever books are sold. The Chicago Humanities Spring Season 2024 is ongoing … click ChicagoHumanities.org for complete information on upcoming events, which take place through June 13th. Primary source material for this article is from Wikipedia.com.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – The excellent new film “Babes,” which screened at the 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival (CCFF) on May 4th, was the feature film director debut from a familiar name … Pamela Adlon (“Better Things”). “Babes” expanded nationwide on May 24th for Memorial Day weekend.

Pamela Adlon at the 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

“Babes” is a hilarious riff on women friendships/bonding and an unexpected pregnancy. Eden (Ilana Glazer, also co-writer) and Dawn (Michelle Buteau) are besties, having grown up together in New York City, and are now firmly in different phases of adulthood. When carefree and single Eden finds herself pregnant after a one night stand, she decides to have a baby on her own, and her friendship with Dawn will face its greatest challenge. “Babes” is a hilarious and heartfelt comedy about the bonds of friendship and the messy, unpredictable challenges of adulthood and becoming a parent.

Pamela Adlon is a mighty force of show biz awesomeness. In her early career, she was in the classic films “Say Anything … “ and “Grease 2.” She made name recognition with her husky-voiced characterization of Bobby Hill on the seminal animated series “King of the Hill,” which led to a varied animation VoiceOver career. She also had major supporting roles in “Californication” and “Louie” (on which she also produced and wrote episodes). But her big TV splash was on FX’s “Better Things,” the five-season series that she co-created, wrote, produced, directed and starred in.

Pamela Adlon Strikes Another Pose
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com photographer Joe Arce got the Exclusive Portraits of Pamela Adlon on the Red Carpet at the Chicago Critic’s Film Festival on May 4th, 2024.

In Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com on the Red Carpet from the 2024 CCFF, Director Pamela Adlon gives the pitch for “Babes” …

CLICK HERE for the 4.5/5 review of “Babes” by Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com.

“Babes” released nationwide on May 24th. See local listings. Featuring Ilana Glazer, Michelle Buteau, Hasan Minhaj, Stephan James, Sandra Bernhard, Oliver Platt. Written by Ilana Glazer and Josh Rabinowitz. Directed by Pamela Adlon. Rated “R”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2024 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for The Beach Boys,” the latest rock documentary on the most famous California band of the 1960s, featuring insights from Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson and Al Jardine. Currently streaming on Disney+ since May 24th.

The core of The Beach Boys were the Wilson brothers … vocalist/guitarist Carl, drummer Dennis and composer Brian, they were joined initially by cousin Mike Love and high school buddy Al Jardine. They caught a wave from 1962 and the next couple of years … combining the tight harmonies of the folk groups with the symphonic guitar sounds of the surf bands, The Beach Boys were on their way with their California Sound on hits like Surfin’ Safari, Surfer Girl, Surfing USA and later Fun Fun Fun and I Get Around … ten Top 10 singles up to 1964. When Brian wanted a new direction, which eventually became the pop masterpiece “Pet Sounds,” the band was also on its way to the next phase of their career.

“The Beach Boys” is currently streaming on Disney+, since May 24th. Written by Mark Monroe. Directed by Thom Zimney and Frank Marshall. Rated “PG-13”

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s audio review of “The Beach Boys”

The Beach Boys
Photo credit: Disney+

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s audio review of “The Beach Boys”

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for “The Garfield Movie,” an animated film based on the popular comic strip by Jim Davis, and featuring the Monday-hating, lasagna-loving Orange Tabby cat (voice of Chris Pratt) and his friends. In theaters on May 24th.

Garfield is introduced to his new generation audience as the fat cat owned by Jon (Nicholas Hoult) and lives with his “intern dog” Odie. After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father Vic (Samuel L. Jackson), Garfield and Odie find themselves part of a dairy farm heist involving Otto the Bull (Ving Rhames), Jinx the Persian Cat (Hannah Waddingham) and a security guard name Marge (Cecily Strong).

“The Garfield Movie” is in theaters on May 24th. Featuring the voices of Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicolas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Bowen Yang and Snoop Dogg. Screenplay adapted by Paul A. Kaplan, Mark Torgove and David Reynolds. Directed by Mark Dinal. Rated “PG”

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s audio review of “The Garfield Movie”

The Garfield Movie
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Releasing

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s audio review of “The Garfield Movie”

CHICAGO – It’s no “Fury Road,” but “Furiosa” is a suitably high octane summer blockbuster that delivers the eye popping action that Mad Max fans come for. The film is a prequel to that Oscar winning film, with Anya Taylor-Joy taking over for Charlize Theron as the one armed, shaved headed all around world-class bad ass.

The film starts with a pint-sized Furiosa picking a piece of fruit in a lush landscape known as The Green Place. She’s abducted by a biker gang and taken back to Dementus’ fiefdom. Her mother nearly pulls off a daring rescue by cutting down bikers with a sniper rifle and fighting off whole hoards single handedly. Furiosa is held captive by Dementus and then essentially traded to rival warlord Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme) after Dementus lays siege to Gastown, one of the three fortresses of the wasteland, along with Immortan Joe’s Citadel, which controls water, and the Bullet Farm.

“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” is in theaters beginning May 24th. Featuring Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne and Lachy Hulme. Written by George Miller and Nick Lathouris. Directed by George Miller. Rated “R”

Continue reading for Spike Walter’s full review of “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Continue reading for Spike Walter’s full review of “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for the “Wildcat,” co-written and directed by Ethan Hawke and featuring his daughter Maya as 20th Century writer Flannery O’Connor. Currently in select theaters since May 17th. See local listings.

Flannery O’Connor (Maya Hawke, who also portrays numerous roles in the short stories that are depicted) is a struggling writer of fiction in the late 1940s/early ‘50s who is flitting between New York City and her home is Georgia. When she begins to feel ill and breaks out in rashes, she is diagnosed with the autoimmune disease Lupus. Writing in her room for the rest of her life … she died at 39 … she produced three novels and 31 short stories, gathered in collections like “Everything that Rises Must Converge.”

“Wildcat” is in select theaters now, see local listings. Featuring Maya Hawke, Laura Linney, Steve Zahn, Vincent D’Onofrio, Alessandro Nivola and Liam Neeson. Written by Ethan Hawke and Shelby Gaines. Directed by Ethan Hawke. Not Rated.

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s audio review of “Wildcat”

Wildcat
Photo credit: Oscilloscope Laboratories

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s audio review of “Wildcat”

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for the new documentary “Power,” directed by Yance Ford, as a supplement informational survey of the history and militarization of the U.S. police force. Currently streaming on Netflix since May 17th.

Power in policing began with the patrols that went after runaway slaves pre the civil war, and from those white supremacist roots escalated and evolved to today’s police, equipped with paramilitary gear and aggressive and sometimes shoot-first tactics. With police unions demanding and for the most part receiving immunity from their actions, it becomes only these policing forces that can use violent POWER.

“Power” is currently streaming on Netflix. Written by Yance Ford and Ian Olds. Directed by Yance Ford. Rated “R”

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s audio review of “Power”

Power
Photo credit: Netflix

CLICK HERE for Patrick McDonald’s audio review of “Power”