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+.
May 2011
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 35 Pairs of Chicago Passes to TNT’s VIP ‘Franklin & Bash’ Early Screening Party
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 9, 2011 - 2:16pmCHICAGO – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: TV, we have 35 admit-two passes up for grabs to the Chicago VIP early screening party for TNT’s new comedy series “Franklin & Bash” with stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer in attendance for a Q&A!
Blu-Ray Review: Heartbreaking ‘Blue Valentine’ With Michelle Williams, Ryan Gosling
Submitted by BrianTT on May 9, 2011 - 1:33pmCHICAGO – I have shown a lot of love for “Blue Valentine,” putting it in my Top Ten Films of 2010 while also including its stars in my piece on The Best Performances of 2010. Clearly, I’m a fan. Rent the Blu-ray or DVD, hitting stores this week, and you’re likely to become one as well.
Blu-Ray Review: Vince Vaughn Stars in Inconsistent ‘The Dilemma’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 9, 2011 - 1:14pmCHICAGO – It’s easy to write off bad romantic comedies like “Something Borrowed” or “Valentine’s Day” but Ron Howard’s “The Dilemma” lives up to its title for this critic. There are elements that truly work but the film is tonally inconsistent and features a few near-awful supporting performances. Ultimately, it’s a marginally successful film, an unusual movie that passes the time without being truly memorable.
TV Feature: 2011 Fall Network TV Schedule Predictions
Submitted by BrianTT on May 9, 2011 - 10:27amCHICAGO – A week from today - May 16, 2011 - the TV networks will begin the annual unveiling of their fall schedules, and a very-hazy picture will be much clearer by the end of next week. There will be a few miracles, but some hearts will surely be broken. With more programs on the bubble than ever before, what will be renewed and what will be shown the door?
On WGN Radio: HollywoodChicago.com’s Brian Tallerico on Bubble Shows Including ‘Chuck,’ ‘The Chicago Code,’ ‘Blue Bloods,’ More
Submitted by BrianTT on May 9, 2011 - 9:06amCHICAGO – Brian Tallerico guests on Bill Moller’s show on WGN-Radio in Chicago on May 7, 2011 to take listener calls about bubble shows for the Fall 2011 schedule including “Blue Bloods,” “Chuck,” “Off the Map,” “The Good Guys,” “The Chicago Code,” “Harry’s Law,” “Traffic Light,” and more.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 3 ‘Justin Bieber: Never Say Never’ DVDs, Prize Packs
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 8, 2011 - 10:48pmCHICAGO – In our latest music edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: DVD, we have three prize packs with DVDs up for grabs in advance of the home entertainment release of “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never”!
Exclusive Portrait: Olympic Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 8, 2011 - 8:23pmCHICAGO – Kristi Yamaguchi has parlayed her Olympic-level Gold Medal figure skating career into multiple successes, including finishing first on the popular TV show “Dancing with the Stars.” She was in the Chicago area recently greeting fans and signing her new children’s book, “Dream Big, Little Pig.”
Film News: As ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ Begins Filming, First Set Image Leaks
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 7, 2011 - 11:29pmLatest update: Monday, May 9, 2011 at 4:45 p.m.
CHICAGO (potential spoiler alert) – This weekend, three news gems surfaced on the highly anticipated “The Dark Knight Rises”. First, filming officially began on May 6, 2011 in Jodhpur, India. Second, fan spies have already snapped and leaked the first official set image: an enigmatic green pool.
Film Review: Despite Loveless Love Story, ‘Thor’ Deserves Your Popcorn-Flick Dollar
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 7, 2011 - 10:51pmCHICAGO – When big-budget films set their sights on being the next Hollywood blockbuster, they’re almost always built on a formulaic groundwork of proven ingredients.
Despite Loveless Love Story, ‘Thor’ Deserves Your Popcorn-Flick Dollar
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 7, 2011 - 9:13pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – When big-budget films set their sights on being the next Hollywood blockbuster, they’re almost always built on a formulaic groundwork of proven ingredients. While these films often lose points for much of the same and little of the new, plunking a mighty $150 million into the production “Thor” has found a way to be both formulaic and successful.
Film Review: Rutger Hauer Stars in Grindhouse Lunacy of ‘Hobo With a Shotgun’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 6, 2011 - 2:13pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – What do you expect from a movie called “Hobo With a Shotgun” (other than perhaps the most truthful title since “Snakes on a Plane”)? If you’re spending hard-earned money on a movie about a vengeful homeless person played by Rutger Hauer, you probably know what you’re in for. On those grindhouse terms, “Hobo With a Shotgun” totally works. It’s so far over-the-top that it makes “Machete” look believable, but that’s why it’s effective. Unlike so many movies you will see this season, “Hobo With a Shotgun” delivers.
Rutger Hauer Stars in Grindhouse Lunacy of ‘Hobo With a Shotgun’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 6, 2011 - 2:10pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – What do you expect from a movie called “Hobo With a Shotgun” (other than perhaps the most truthful title since “Snakes on a Plane”)? If you’re spending hard-earned money on a movie about a vengeful homeless person played by Rutger Hauer, you probably know what you’re in for. On those grindhouse terms, “Hobo With a Shotgun” totally works. It’s so far over-the-top that it makes “Machete” look believable, but that’s why it’s effective. Unlike so many movies you will see this season, “Hobo With a Shotgun” delivers.
Film Review: Mickey Rourke, Megan Fox Sleepwalk Through ‘Passion Play’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 6, 2011 - 12:12pm Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Mickey Rourke must be a publicist’s nightmare. In the last few weeks, he’s been going around giving refreshingly honest reviews of his new film “Passion Play,” co-starring Megan Fox, Bill Murray, and Kelly Lynch and opening in New York and Los Angeles today, May 6th, 2011. He went as far as to call the film “terrible,” which might make viewers even more curious before this thing hits DVD at the end of this month. Is it THAT bad? Would Mickey lie to you?
Mickey Rourke, Megan Fox Sleepwalk Through ‘Passion Play’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 6, 2011 - 12:04pmRating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Mickey Rourke must be a publicist’s nightmare. In the last few weeks, he’s been going around giving refreshingly honest reviews of his new film “Passion Play,” co-starring Megan Fox, Bill Murray, and Kelly Lynch and opening in New York and Los Angeles today, May 6th, 2011. He went as far as to call the film “terrible,” which might make viewers even more curious before this thing hits DVD at the end of this month. Is it THAT bad? Would Mickey lie to you?
Film Review: ‘Nuremberg [The Schulberg/Restoration]’ Preserves Vital Footage
Submitted by mattmovieman on May 6, 2011 - 9:33amCHICAGO – In the opening moments of Stuart Schulberg’s invaluable 1948 documentary, “Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today,” shell-shocked men, women and children emerge from the wreckage of what appears to be a post-apocalyptic landscape. A street lamp juts out from the carnage, twisted out of all recognition, much like the human bodies later viewed in the footage.
‘Nuremberg [The Schulberg/Restoration]’ Preserves Vital Footage
Submitted by mattmovieman on May 6, 2011 - 9:21am Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In the opening moments of Stuart Schulberg’s invaluable 1948 documentary, “Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today,” shell-shocked men, women and children emerge from the wreckage of what appears to be a post-apocalyptic landscape. A street lamp juts out from the carnage, twisted out of all recognition, much like the human bodies later viewed in the footage.
Film Review: No Leap of Faith to Enjoy ‘Jumping the Broom’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 6, 2011 - 5:41amCHICAGO – There is a tradition within the African American community during weddings. It stems from the past, when marriage was deemed illegal for the race, and provides the title for a new film, “Jumping the Broom.” The now symbolic gesture is the basis for a clash between families and social classses in one seriocomic marriage weekend.
No Leap of Faith to Enjoy ‘Jumping the Broom’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 6, 2011 - 5:36amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There is a tradition within the African American community during weddings. It stems from the past, when marriage was deemed illegal for the race, and provides the title for a new film, “Jumping the Broom.” The now symbolic gesture is the basis for a clash between families and social classses in one seriocomic marriage weekend.
Film Review: ‘Something Borrowed’ is Something Bad
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 6, 2011 - 5:20amCHICAGO – Wedding movies, the wedding industrial complex, weddings as women’s literature, where does it end? (divorce) It’s that time of year, and the wedding film makes its ritualistic appearance, here represented by the morally bankrupt “Something Borrowed.”
Kate Hudson in ‘Something Borrowed’ is Something Bad
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 6, 2011 - 5:15am Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Wedding movies, the wedding industrial complex, weddings as women’s literature, where does it end? (divorce) It’s that time of year, and the wedding film makes its ritualistic appearance, here represented by the morally bankrupt “Something Borrowed.”
Film Review: Mel Gibson Delivers in Jodie Foster’s Daring ‘The Beaver’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 5, 2011 - 8:13pmCHICAGO – What does it take to crawl out of a hole so deep that you can no longer see the sky? For some people, depression isn’t just a bad mood or an off day, it is as debilitating as a disease, and it can kill.
Mel Gibson Delivers in Jodie Foster’s Daring ‘The Beaver’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 5, 2011 - 8:08pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – What does it take to crawl out of a hole so deep that you can no longer see the sky? For some people, depression isn’t just a bad mood or an off day, it is as debilitating as a disease, and it can kill. One such man is Walter Black (Mel Gibson), and the unusual way that he survives his affliction is chronicled in the fascinating, memorable, accomplished “The Beaver.”
DVD Review: Frank Vincent Stars in Local Drama ‘Chicago Overcoat’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 5, 2011 - 12:51pmCHICAGO – Frank Vincent brings gravity to the somewhat generic tale of “Chicago Overcoat,” a local production about an aging hitman trying to do one last job before trying to retire from a profession that doesn’t come with pension plans. After traveling the festival circuit for sometime, the hitman drama is now available on DVD.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Street Kings 2’ Makes Original Look Like Masterpiece
Submitted by BrianTT on May 5, 2011 - 12:10pmCHICAGO – 2008’s “Street Kings” may not have been a critical darling or commercial smash but it’s the kind of action film that surely did real well on Blu-ray and DVD. And it’s a movie I happen to think was underrated in its balls-to-the-wall chronicle of police corruption and take-no-prisoners style. So, I was curious when a straight-to-DVD sequel starring Ray Liotta and Shawn Hatosy popped up. I’m here to warn you against the same curiosity. This is a total waste of time.
Interview: Legendary Jodie Foster Discusses Life With ‘The Beaver’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 5, 2011 - 11:34amCHICAGO – The Oscar-winning actress and director Jodie Foster is primed for a major 2011 with the release of her controversial “The Beaver” this week and a starring role in Roman Polanski’s “Carnage” later this year. She recently sat down with us to talk about her excellent new film, the one that inspired her in the first place, if she watches her old films, and much more.
Blu-Ray News: ‘Star Wars: The Complete Saga’ Debuts on Blu-Ray in Sept. 2011
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 4, 2011 - 7:29pmSAN FRANCISCO – Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has announced the release date for “Star Wars: The Complete Saga” on Blu-ray Disc. September 12th is the international debut and September 16th is the date for North America.
DVD Review: BBC’s ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ Makes Triumphant Return
Submitted by BrianTT on May 4, 2011 - 5:17pmCHICAGO – The original “Upstairs, Downstairs” series became such an international phenomenon that the title has become a well-known phrase. How many programs have become so culturally relevant that their name can be used apart from them in order to describe a social or cultural situation? Very few. “Upstairs, Downstairs” returned for Christmas 2010 in the U.K.(and aired here on PBS recently as a part of “Masterpiece Theatre”) and now the three hour-long episodes are available in a two-disc set from BBC and Warner Bros.
Film Feature: The Marvel Comics Movie Awards
Submitted by BrianTT on May 4, 2011 - 4:01pmCHICAGO – When “Thor” hits theaters this Friday, it will be 22nd Marvel Comics movie to make it to the big-screen since “Blade” rebooted Marvel’s box office potential back in 1998. There have been more Marvel movies if you count such Marvel-owned properties as “Men in Black” or “Kick-Ass” (or if you count the cheesy straight-to-VHS Marvel movies of the 80s and 90s), but “Blade” was the first “modern” Marvel superhero flick.
Interview: Angela Bassett Takes a Leap in ‘Jumping the Broom’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 4, 2011 - 8:01amCHICAGO – Angela Bassett has a quiet sophistication, when combined with her movie star presence only enhances her unique beauty. She is also a superior actor, taking on an intriguing role as a matriarch in the upcoming film “Jumping the Broom.”
Blu-Ray Review: Jane Campion’s ‘Sweetie’ Continues to Tantalize, Provoke
Submitted by mattmovieman on May 4, 2011 - 7:19amCHICAGO – “Excuse me, I don’t feel anything,” announces the young, saucer-eyed woman to her meditation instructor. In fact, she feels many things, though meditative tranquility is not among them. Whenever she closes her eyes, a series of nightmarish images emerge from the depths of her heightened paranoia. At the center of her fears is a dark force in the form of her sister, lovingly nicknamed, “Sweetie.”
