December 2010

Film Feature: The 10 Worst Films of 2010

CHICAGO – Happy New Year’s Eve! The glorious life of the film critic – swimming pools, movies stars, etc. – unfortunately includes the necessary but cruel viewing of 2010’s worst films. Ten candidates made the low grade even after thankfully avoiding some of the more egregious sins (“Marmaduke” comes to mind). This list represents my personal worst from 2010.

DVD Review: Toni Collette, Diablo Cody Shine in ‘United States of Tara: The Second Season’

United States of Tara Season 2 DVD

CHICAGO – It’s difficult to think of a role better suited for the chameleon-like abilities of Toni Collette than Tara Gregson, a devoted wife and mother struggling with dissociative identity disorder. Every episode holds an element of surprise, since viewers are never quite sure which of Tara’s “alters” will emerge next. Will it be the perky ’50s housewife, the flirtatious teenager or the testosterone-oozing Vietnam vet?

Film Review: Kevin Spacey Comes Up Aces in ‘Casino Jack’

CHICAGO – The halls of the Capitol Building are paved with money. It takes a long time beyond civics class and history to realize that. Kevin Spacey illustrates that concept precisely playing “super lobbyist” and convicted larcenist Jack Abramoff in “Casino Jack”.

Kevin Spacey Comes Up Aces in ‘Casino Jack’

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 4.5/5.0
Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – The halls of the Capitol Building are paved with money. It takes a long time beyond civics class and history to realize that. Kevin Spacey illustrates that concept precisely playing “super lobbyist” and convicted larcenist Jack Abramoff in “Casino Jack.”

Slideshow: Nine-Image Gallery of Chicago-Filmed ‘The Dilemma’ With Vince Vaughn From Ron Howard

| Image 1 of 9 |
Left to right: Winona Ryder, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly and Vince Vaughn.


CHICAGO – Universal Pictures on Wednesday released new production stills for the new film “The Dilemma,” which was filmed in Chicago. The film, which stars Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder and Jennifer Connelly from director Ron Howard, opens on Jan. 14, 2011.

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Step Up 3’ Delivers Exactly What it Promises

Step Up 3 Blu-Ray

CHICAGO – “Step Up 3” is not a film so much as a slickly photographed collage of superbly performed dance sequences. Its structure harkens back to the golden age of screen musicals where the plot merely functioned as an intermission between numbers. There’s no need to visit the previous “Step Up” installments before stepping into this one, since their plots are more or less identical.

Film Feature: The 10 Best Films of 2010, Part Two

CHICAGO – On the heels of HollywoodChicago.com’s 10 Best Films of 2010 by Brian Tallerico and Top Overlooked Films of 2010 by Matt Fagerholm, I offer the 10 Best Films of 2010, Part Two, by Patrick McDonald.

Interviews: Michael Gross, Meredith Baxter in a ‘Family Ties’ Reunion

CHICAGO – Steven and Elyse Keaton were the super-parents of a certain generation. “Family Ties” was the 1980s TV show featuring Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter as the Keatons.

Blu-Ray Review: Self-Possessed M. Night Shyamalan Fails Again in ‘Devil’

Devil Blu-Ray

CHICAGO – M. Night Shyamalan’s career is a morbidly fascinating train wreck. Here’s a man who seduced the mainstream viewing public and film lovers alike with the wonderful psychological drama, “The Sixth Sense,” and the enticing mystery, “Unbreakable.” Both films garnered the director a legion of devoted fans eager to see what material he would tackle next.

Interviews: Three Actresses Speak Out at 2010 Chicago Comic Con

Angie Everhart, photo by Joe Arce.

CHICAGO – The 2010 Wizard World Chicago Comic Con was a great place to see up-and-coming stars and old favorites for pictures and autographs. Attending the show in August were actresses Kristanna Loken (”Terminator 3”), Julia Jones (The Twilight Saga) and Angie Everhart (”The Real Gilligan’s Island”).

Film Feature: The Top Overlooked Films of 2010

CHICAGO – Some films never get a fair shot with audiences. They open in a handful of art house theaters scattered throughout the country before inconspicuously landing on DVD.

Slideshow: 30-Image Star Gallery From Hollywood Celebrities & Memorabilia Show

| Image 1 of 30 |
Ruth Buzzi, from the original cast of ‘Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In.’

CHICAGO – The Hollywood Celebrities & Memorabilia Show is an opportunity for Chicago area film and television fans to interact with their favorite stars twice a year. The last show, on September 25th, 2010, featured celebrities from all eras and varieties of the entertainment spectrum.

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole’ Wastes Talent

Legend of the Guardians Blu-Ray

CHICAGO – The best parts of a Zack Snyder picture have consistently been the opening title sequences, from “Dawn of the Dead”’s apocalyptic montage to “Watchmen”’s brilliant prologue scored to Bob Dylan’s “The Time They Are A-Changin’.” Snyder’s latest problematic novel adaptation, “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole” is no exception.

Exclusive Portrait: Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino of ‘Jersey Shore’

CHICAGOMTV’s “Jersey Shore” features Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, who recently was in Chicago promoting his book, “Here’s the Situation: A Guide to Creeping on Chicks, Avoiding Grenades and Getting in your G.T.L. on the Jersey Shore” at Borders Books Lincoln Park.

Film Review: ‘Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale’ Substitutes Elves With Zombies

CHICAGO – “What you are about to see now may traumatize you for life.” So reads a warning near the beginning of Finnish filmmaker Jalmari Helander’s 2005 short, “Rare Exports: The Official Safety Instructions.” The film was a clever follow-up to his 2003 effort, “Rare Exports Inc.”, which seemed to milk its one-joke premise for all it was worth.

‘Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale’ Substitutes Elves With Zombies

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.0/5.0
Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – “What you are about to see now may traumatize you for life.” So reads a warning near the beginning of Finnish filmmaker Jalmari Helander’s 2005 short, “Rare Exports: The Official Safety Instructions.” The film was a clever follow-up to his 2003 effort, “Rare Exports Inc.”, which seemed to milk its one-joke premise for all it was worth.

Film Review: Jack Black, Emily Blunt Think Big in ‘Gulliver’s Travels’

CHICAGO – Call it too much holiday eggnog, but the re-imagining of the immortal classic “Gulliver’s Travels,’ starring Jack Black, Emily Blunt and Jason Segal, has a little Yuletide fun and hurts no one. If you like Jack Black, you’ll enjoy the film. If you don’t, find another way to spend 93 minutes this tinsel time weekend.

Jack Black, Emily Blunt Think Big in ‘Gulliver’s Travels’

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Call it too much holiday eggnog, but the re-imagining of the immortal classic “Gulliver’s Travels,’ starring Jack Black, Emily Blunt and Jason Segal, has a little Yuletide fun and hurts no one. If you like Jack Black, you’ll enjoy the film. If you don’t, find another way to spend 93 minutes this tinsel time weekend.

Film Review: Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart Avoid Melodrama in Moving ‘Rabbit Hole’

Rabbit Hole
HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 4.5/5.0
Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – John Cameron Mitchell’s “Rabbit Hole” tells a story not uncommon to cinema in its exploration of the emotional minefield that comes after the loss of a child but it does so with such restraint and humanity that it sets itself apart. With some of the best performances of the year from Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, and Dianne Wiest, this is one of the strongest dramas of the awards season.

Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart Avoid Melodrama in Moving ‘Rabbit Hole’

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 4.5/5.0
Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – John Cameron Mitchell’s “Rabbit Hole” tells a story not uncommon to cinema in its exploration of the emotional minefield that comes after the loss of a child but it does so with such restraint and humanity that it sets itself apart. With some of the best performances of the year from Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, and Dianne Wiest, this is one of the strongest dramas of the awards season.

Film Review: Ryan Gosling Cannot Save Disjointed ‘All Good Things’

All Good Things
HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 2.5/5.0
Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Having loved Andrew Jarecki’s “Capturing the Friedmans” and having recently named Ryan Gosling the best actor of his generation for his year-best work in “Blue Valentine,” I was psyched to fall for their collaboration on the true-crime thriller “All Good Things.” Sadly, my anticipation quickly turned to disappointment as this muddled work lurched toward a bizarre conclusion. Gosling and co-stars Kirsten Dunst and Frank Langella don’t do anything wrong here but the movie is such a mash-up of tones, fiction, and reality that it never comes together into anything coherent.

Ryan Gosling Cannot Save Disjointed ‘All Good Things’

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 2.5/5.0
Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Having loved Andrew Jarecki’s “Capturing the Friedmans” and having recently named Ryan Gosling the best actor of his generation for his year-best work in “Blue Valentine,” I was psyched to fall for their collaboration on the true-crime thriller “All Good Things.” Sadly, my anticipation quickly turned to disappointment as this muddled work lurched toward a bizarre conclusion. Gosling and co-stars Kirsten Dunst and Frank Langella don’t do anything wrong here but the movie is such a mash-up of tones, fiction, and reality that it never comes together into anything coherent.

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Kevin Spacey-Signed ‘Casino Jack’ Poster Plus ‘The Usual Suspects,’ ‘American Beauty’ DVDs

Casino Jack with Kevin Spacey

CHICAGO – In our latest Kevin Spacey edition of the HollywoodChicago.com Hookup, we have a Kevin Spacey-signed poster for the new film “Casino Jack” up for grabs plus these Kevin Spacey DVDs: “The Usual Suspects,” “American Beauty” and “Swimming With Sharks”!

Blu-Ray Review: Hilarious ‘Laugh it Up, Fuzzball: The Family Guy Trilogy’

CHICAGO – The opening crawl of “Family Guy: It’s a Trap!” jokingly suggests that the viewer should lower his expectations since the writers had totally run out of steam by this point and were pressured by Fox into doing a spoof of “Return of the Jedi” to close out their “Star Wars” trilogy, now released in one Blu-ray set known as “Laugh It Up, Fuzzball: The Family Guy Trilogy.”

Blu-Ray Review: Funny ‘The Other Guys’ With Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg

The Other Guys

CHICAGO – What does a smart man like Will Ferrell do after a total disaster like “Land of the Lost”? Return to the man who has proven that he knows how to use him best, regular collaborator Adam McKay (“Anchorman,” “Talladega Nights,” “Step Brothers”), delivering the laughs that his fans have come to expect and even a few that they won’t see coming. Recently released on DVD and Blu-ray, “The Other Guys” is a funny movie with a few too many jokes that hit the floor to be considered great but an entertaining diversion nonetheless.

Blu-Ray Review: Final Season of FOX Hit ‘24’ With Kiefer Sutherland

24: Season Eight Premiere

CHICAGO – 2011 will be an undeniably different year on the television landscape as it will be the first in some time with no “Lost” and no “24.” When the history books are written about the most-influential and important programs of the first decade of the new millennium, they would be incomplete without a chapter on Jack Bauer and the incredible success of FOX’s “24.” The final season is now available on Blu-ray and DVD, closing an important program with a comparably-lackluster installment but a great BD.

Blu-Ray Review: Ben Affleck Reaches New Career Peak in ‘The Town’

The Town Blu-Ray

CHICAGO – For filmmaker Ben Affleck, “The Town” marks a return to his roots in more ways than one. It’s a fresh and assured sophomore effort by the promising director, whose cinematic perspective on Boston is becoming as distinctive and exciting Scorsese’s take on New York City. Yet the picture also finds Affleck returning to the themes that have obsessed him ever since “Good Will Hunting.”

Interview: Director Andrew Jarecki Expresses ‘All Good Things’

CHICAGO – Family secrets seems to be a specialty of Director Andrew Jarecki. He made a big splash with his 2003 Oscar nominated documentary, “Capturing the Friedmans,” which explored the real life matters of the title family, and in his debut feature film narrative he uncovers a prominent New York City family in “All Good Things.”

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  • Manhunt

    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+.

  • Topdog/Underdog, Invictus Theatre

    CHICAGO – When two brothers confront the sins of each other and it expands into a psychology of an entire race, it’s at a stage play found in Chicago’s Invictus Theatre Company production of “Topdog/Underdog,” now at their new home at the Windy City Playhouse through March 31st, 2024. Click TD/UD for tickets/info.

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