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+.
November 2011
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ Just Misses Target
Submitted by BrianTT on November 1, 2011 - 2:42pmCHICAGO – Even the name makes it sound like a prequel. There are definitely elements of Joe Johnston’s “Captain America: The First Avenger” that work and the film is certainly worth a rental and certainly better than “Green Lantern” (although nowhere near the entertainment value of “X-Men: First Class”) but I can’t shake the feeling that this blockbuster won’t stand the test of time on its own. It’s an introduction to next year’s “The Avengers,” a way to get the character into the modern Marvel vernacular, that gets less interesting as it goes along. It is very likely that both Joss Whedon’s film and the inevitable sequel to this one will be superior pieces of entertainment but this “First” chapter is a bit of a disappointment.
Blu-Ray Review: Twisted Comedy Carnage of Unique ‘Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 1, 2011 - 2:06pmCHICAGO – There’s a beautiful irony in the clever comedy/fantasy/thriller “Rare Exports” in that the majority of the action of the piece is begun by kids acting naughty. Remember who knows when you’re naughty? Why, Santa knows, of course. This wonderfully unique Christmas tale reimagines the legend of Santa Claus as a decrepit, immortal killing machine, one that has been buried for years and only recently unearthed and happened upon by some unlucky hunters.
TV Review: Piper Perabo Stars in USA’s Improved ‘Covert Affairs’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 1, 2011 - 10:12amCHICAGO – In the mid-season premiere of “Covert Affairs,” Annie Walker (Piper Perabo) is learning what it’s like to be alone. The fact is that CIA Operatives don’t have many friends. It’s too dangerous for both sides of the relationship. How can you keep your friends and family around when you know they could get killed? And what do you when it’s your very family who you learn you can’t trust?
Interview: Felicity Jones, Drake Doremus Aim For Authenticity in Festival Hit ‘Like Crazy’
Submitted by mattmovieman on November 1, 2011 - 7:20amCHICAGO – From the moment filmmaker Drake Doremus and actress Felicity Jones won big at the Sundance Film Festival, their film “Like Crazy” has been garnering a good deal of award season buzz. Jones’ star-making portrayal of Anna, a British college student attempting to sustain a long-distance relationship with her American boyfriend, Jacob (Anton Yelchin), has become the focus of media hype that threatens to drown out the film itself.
