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
Video Game Review: Return to ‘Call of Duty’ With Excellent ‘Escalation’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 3, 2011 - 3:15pmCHICAGO – Proving yet again that they know how to keep fans happy with their downloadable content, Activision and Treyarch have released another excellent batch of multiplayer maps for their mega-hit “Call of Duty: Black Ops.” The DLC named “Call of Duty: Black Ops — Escalation,” available exclusively on the Xbox, includes four new maps and a new zombie adventure named “Call of the Dead” that would be worth the $15 price on its very own.
Blu-Ray Review: Peter Weir Presents Human Fortitude of ‘The Way Back’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 3, 2011 - 3:08pmCHICAGO – “Nature is your jailer, and she is without mercy.” So says the guard at the Siberian prison that houses the leads in Peter Weir’s harrowing true story of escape, pain, and survival, “The Way Back.” It’s so desolate, freezing, and dangerous in the wilds of Siberia, that prisons barely need walls or guards. Where would people go? A group of seven men were willing to find out and their story has been documented in “The Way Back,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD.
Blu-Ray Review: Look at Our World From a Different Angle With ‘Human Planet’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 3, 2011 - 1:53pmCHICAGO – The team behind the riveting and best-selling “Planet Earth” and “Life” have produced another multi-part documentary series that will show off your HDTV in ways you probably haven’t seen since the in-store demonstration. “Human Planet” is a mostly-riveting examination of the way we interact with the world around us, featuring unique stories and personalities unlike any documentary you’ve ever seen.
Video Game Review: ‘Prince of Persia Trilogy HD’ Packages Classic Games
Submitted by BrianTT on May 3, 2011 - 11:29amCHICAGO – I’m nervous that future generations will remember “Prince of Persia” more for the awful Jake Gyllenhaal movie than the massively-influential and beloved video games on which it was based. To combat this possibility, Ubisoft has released the trilogy that really turned the franchise into a phenomenon in the mid-’00s in one value-packed release called “Prince of Persia Trilogy HD,” now available in stores exclusively for the PS3.
Is There a Kim Kardashian Curse?
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 2, 2011 - 8:22pmCHICAGO – Kim Kardashian has emerged as one of the biggest personalities in Hollywood in recent years.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: VIP Prize Pack, DVD For Mob Film ‘Chicago Overcoat’ With Frank Vincent
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on May 2, 2011 - 6:59pmCHICAGO – Listen up, fans of “The Boondock Saints”! In our latest Chicago-filmed edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: DVD, we have one VIP prize pack up for grabs for “Chicago Overcoat” from Chicago’s Beverly Ridge Pictures!
Blu-Ray Review: Fox Cashes in With ‘Glee Encore’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 2, 2011 - 2:42pmCHICAGO – You truly know that something has become a phenomenon when a studio begins to take advantage of its fans with repetitive releases designed to pry open the purses or wallets of teenagers who must have everything related to their favorite pop culture trend. Witness “Glee: Encore,” a Blu-ray release with nothing new and little reason for anyone who owns the excellent first season to pick it up.
Blu-Ray Review: Brian De Palma’s Thriller ‘Blow Out’ With John Travolta
Submitted by BrianTT on May 2, 2011 - 12:38pmCHICAGO – When Brian De Palma was at his peak in the ’70s and ’80s, he was simply one of the best living directors. Some wanted to write him off as nothing more than an Alfred Hitchcock wannabe, but that was a criticism that I never understood.
On WGN Radio: HollywoodChicago.com’s Brian Tallerico on ‘In Plain Sight,’ ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent,’ More
Submitted by BrianTT on May 2, 2011 - 11:46amCHICAGO – Brian Tallerico guests on Bill Moller’s show on WGN-Radio in Chicago on Apr. 30, 2011 to preview and review new shows for the next week including USA’s “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” & “In Plain Sight,” along with answering listener questions about NBC’s “Harry’s Law,” ABC’s “Detroit 1-8-7,” FOX’s “The Chicago Code,” NBC’s “Parenthood,” and more.
Blu-Ray Review: Jack Black Hams it Up in Exhausting ‘Gulliver’s Travels’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 2, 2011 - 11:37amCHICAGO – It’s not uncommon to see truly talented people sucked into awful family fare. I think some actors, perhaps after doing a few too many “dark” roles in films aimed at adults, jump at the opportunity to do something light-hearted, fun, and for the little ones. How else to explain people as talented as Emily Blunt and Jason Segel getting sucked into the disappointing comedy “Gulliver’s Travels,” another piece of evidence in the mounting case against Jack Black?
Exclusive: Mark Ruffalo Answers Your ‘Sympathy For Delicious’ Questions
Submitted by BrianTT on May 1, 2011 - 5:55pmCHICAGO – A few weeks ago we asked you, the HollywoodChicago.com readers, what you wanted to ask Oscar-nominated star Mark Ruffalo about his directorial debut “Sympathy For Delicious,” now playing in New York City.
TV Review: Vincent D’Onofrio Returns For Final Season of ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 1, 2011 - 8:23amCHICAGO – It may have never earned the press or praise of “Law & Order” or “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” but the third child of Dick Wolf, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” has some hardcore fans.
Interview: Director I. Michael Toth Conjures Up ‘The Dream Play’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 1, 2011 - 7:45amCHICAGO – “The Dream Play” is a new, significant film work from first-time feature director I. Michael Toth. It is part of the film project called “Gray in White and Black,” with a separate but connected film called “The Choice.” The Dream Play will have its Chicago premiere at the Midwest Independent Film Festival on May 3rd.
Exclusive Portrait: Amy Sedaris of ‘Strangers With Candy’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 1, 2011 - 12:05amCHICAGO – Amy Sedaris is well remembered in Chicago for her work at the Second City Troupe, as well as the Annoyance Theater. The comedian, actor, author and entrepreneur recently wrote a new book, “Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People!,” which is her wacky perspective on crafting and entertaining.
