CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio review for the doc series “Charlie Hustle & the Matter of Pete Rose,” about the rise and bitter fall of the major league legend, the MLB’s all-time hits leader, only to be banned from the sport because of gambling. Streaming on MAX and on HBO since July 24th.
April 2012
Blu-ray Review: Strong Set For Disappointing ‘Torchwood: Miracle Day’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 12, 2012 - 6:49pmCHICAGO – When “Torchwood: Miracle Day” premiered on Starz, I was completely up for the ride. My 4/5 review displayed a little bit of concern given that the show was often 5/5 in its original BBC America airings (and in the brilliant “Children of Earth”) but I held out hope that the show would iron out its wrinkles and deliver on the potential of its clever set-up. In fact, the opposite happened. Stretched to meet a running time that the writers couldn’t deliver on and ultimately cheesy where the original “Torchwood” had been edgy, “Miracle Day” is a disappointment. The Blu-ray release is still strong and there are some things to like here, but only diehard fans should apply (see every episode and “Children” before this…twice) and they’ll likely be the most disappointed.
Blu-ray Review: Inconsistent ‘South Park: The Complete Fifteenth Season’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 12, 2012 - 6:33pmCHICAGO – They were likely distracted by the massive success of “The Book of Mormon” (and basically admit as much on the spectacular documentary “6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park,” included on this release), but the fifteenth season of Comedy Central’s often-brilliant “South Park” was a bit of a rollercoaster ride in terms of quality. There were still some brilliant episodes like the season premiere, “Humancentipad,” which merges Apple’s Terms of Service with “The Human Centipede,” but there are were some outings this year that just didn’t work.
Video Game Review: ‘Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13’ Offers More of the Stellar Same
Submitted by BrianTT on April 12, 2012 - 4:44pmCHICAGO – I adored “Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters,” the best golf game for the PS3 generation yet produced. Where does a franchise go from there? How could “Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13” differ much from its award-winning predecessor?
Film Review: Pretentious ‘Blue Like Jazz’ Can’t Find the Right Groove
Submitted by BrianTT on April 12, 2012 - 4:02pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Donald Miller’s “Blue Like Jazz” is a beloved book that spent 43 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and sold over 1.5 million copies. I haven’t read it. But I have to believe that it worked on its fans in a way that Steve Taylor’s film simply cannot. This is clearly a personal story, one that touched people by relating to issues they’ve grappled with in their own lives. By taking Taylor’s memories and turning them into cinema, the ability to touch has been removed another degree of separation and the resulting film is a misstep, the kind of work that thinks it’s saying something important but feels more pretentious than precious.
Film Review: Great Performances Nearly Save ‘The Lady’ From Remarkable Convention
Submitted by BrianTT on April 12, 2012 - 3:58pmRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I love every decision made by the great Michelle Yeoh and David Thewlis in Luc Besson’s historical biopic “The Lady” and yet I cannot recommend the film. It is a wild understatement to call the film conventional and those who did not know that it was from the director of such personality-heavy films as “La Femme Nikita” and “The Fifth Element” would never guess that the man behind it was anything more than a director for hire. To be fair, Besson does draw the best out of his two leads but “The Lady” is a film about an extraordinary woman. So why is it such an ordinary film?
Pretentious ‘Blue Like Jazz’ Can’t Find the Right Groove
Submitted by BrianTT on April 12, 2012 - 3:46pmRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Donald Miller’s “Blue Like Jazz” is a beloved book that spent 43 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and sold over 1.5 million copies. I haven’t read it. But I have to believe that it worked on its fans in a way that Steve Taylor’s film simply cannot. This is clearly a personal story, one that touched people by relating to issues they’ve grappled with in their own lives. By taking Taylor’s memories and turning them into cinema, the ability to touch has been removed another degree of separation and the resulting film is a misstep, the kind of work that thinks it’s saying something important but feels more pretentious than precious.
Great Performances Nearly Save ‘The Lady’ From Remarkable Convention
Submitted by BrianTT on April 12, 2012 - 3:42pmRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I love every decision made by the great Michelle Yeoh and David Thewlis in Luc Besson’s historical biopic “The Lady” and yet I cannot recommend the film. It is a wild understatement to call the film conventional and those who did not know that it was from the director of such personality-heavy films as “La Femme Nikita” and “The Fifth Element” would never guess that the man behind it was anything more than a director for hire. To be fair, Besson does draw the best out of his two leads but “The Lady” is a film about an extraordinary woman. So why is it such an ordinary film?
Film Review: Take a Fantastic Trip to Drew Goddard’s Brilliant ‘The Cabin in the Woods’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 12, 2012 - 9:09amCHICAGO – Drew Goddard’s “The Cabin in the Woods” is a brilliant dissection of not just the clichés of the horror film genre but how they have played a role in the darkest corners of our society for centuries. It’s also a damn blast, as fun a time as you’ll have in a movie theater this season (and probably next).
Take a Trip to Drew Goddard’s Brilliant ‘The Cabin in the Woods’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 12, 2012 - 9:06am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Drew Goddard’s “The Cabin in the Woods” is a brilliant dissection of not just the clichés of the horror film genre but how they have played a role in the darkest corners of our society for centuries. It’s also a damn blast, as fun a time as you’ll have in a movie theater this season (and probably next). It’s one of those rare films that’s just pulsing with energy on so many levels — as genre-loving comedy, as straight-up horror, and as something you’ve simply never seen before. “The Cabin in the Woods” is a great film.
Film News: Columbia College’s ‘Cinema Slapdown’ to Feature Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 11, 2012 - 9:53pmCHICAGO – Mark your calendars for Thursday, April 12th at 7pm as Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com participates in “Cinema Slapdown,” presented by the Film & Video Department at Columbia College in Chicago. Screening at the event is the film “Melancholia,” directed by Lars von Trier, followed by a “debate” between McDonald and Penelope Steiner of Peneflix.com. The exchange will be “refereed” by Film & Video Associate Professor and “Talk Cinema” host Ron Falzone.
Interview: Al Jardine of The Beach Boys on New Solo Album, 50th Anniversary Band Tour
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 11, 2012 - 7:44pmCHICAGO – Both rock ‘n roll and the California culture would be completely different without the sound and influence of The Beach Boys. One of the founding members of the legendary band is Al Jardine, who in 1961 was a schoolboy friend of Brian Wilson when he joined the fledgling group. Jardine has released a new solo album called “A Postcard from California” and embarks on a 50th Anniversary Tour with The Beach Boys starting later this month.
TV Review: ABC’s Promising But Inconsistent ‘Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 11, 2012 - 9:43amCHICAGO – “Don’t Trust the B—— in Apartment 23” may seem at first like a cynical, modern program, but it’s really a throwback to sitcoms of the ’70s and ’80s when you think about it’s structure.
Blu-ray Review: Banal Romance Sinks ‘In the Land of Blood and Honey’
Submitted by mattmovieman on April 11, 2012 - 9:01amCHICAGO – Cinema is one of the most powerful tools of communication that mankind can utilize to shed light on gravely overlooked areas on our planet. Yet good intentions are not enough to achieve success with this art form. If the scripted drama rings false, the message, however vital, gets lost in a sea of disinterest.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 25 Pairs of Chicago Passes to Tim Allen’s ‘Chimpanzee’ From Disneynature
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on April 10, 2012 - 11:29pmCHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 25 admit-two movie passes up for grabs to the advance screening of the new true-life film “Chimpanzee”!
TV News: HBO Renews ‘Game of Thrones’ For a Third Season
Submitted by BrianTT on April 10, 2012 - 11:55amCHICAGO – The saga of HBO’s brilliant “Game of Thrones” will continue for at least another season as the network just announced that the hit program has been renewed for a third outing. Michael Lombardo, President of HBO Programming, made the unsurprising announcement today, after only two episodes of the second season have aired to enormous ratings.
Blu-ray Review: Lavish Set For Steven Spielberg’s ‘War Horse’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 10, 2012 - 11:32amCHICAGO – Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse” is a well-intentioned and well-made film that nonetheless comes off as a major disappointment both in the context of the filmography of one of our most important filmmakers and the potential of the storytelling here. It’s a technically strong film and so its strengths are amplified by HD and the Blu-ray includes a healthy quantity of special features but the movie is a disappointment.
Blu-ray News: Restored Version of ‘Jaws’ in HD Coming on Aug. 14, 2012
Submitted by BrianTT on April 10, 2012 - 8:52amCHICAGO – The news that millions of movie lovers have been waiting for finally came this morning with the press release announcing that a restored HD version of Steven Spielberg’s masterful “Jaws” will hit Blu-ray on August 14th, 2012. With an all-new, feature-length documentary feature about the making of the film along with a fully restored and digitally remastered picture (and a 7.1 surround sound system), this will be one of the Blu-ray highlights of not just 2012 but the format to date.
Interview: Greta Gerwig of ‘Damsels in Distress’ on Girls, Writing & Fencing
Submitted by mattmovieman on April 10, 2012 - 8:39amCHICAGO – It takes a special kind of talent to appear wholly natural on-camera. Delivering dialogue with dramatic inflection is easy.
Interview: Drew Goddard Gives Tour of His ‘Cabin in the Woods’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 9, 2012 - 4:52pmCHICAGO – You may not know Drew Goddard’s name but you almost certainly know his work. Or at least you should. He’s one of the most influential and important TV writers of the last several years on key episodes of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” “Alias,” and “Lost.”
Blu-ray Review: Fantastic Release for Timeless Classic ‘Chinatown’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 9, 2012 - 2:34pmCHICAGO – There are a few movies that I absolutely adore — the ones that come to mind when people ask me what I think are the best films ever made. More often than not, they are the films that first shaped the way I look at cinema when I first moved past the New Releases section at the video store to the classics of the medium. One such film is Roman Polanski’s stunning “Chinatown,” a film that has lost absolutely none of its timeless power in its recently-released Blu-ray restoration complete with new special features and interviews. It may sound cliched, but “Chinatown,” especially in HD, really looks like it could have come out last year. And it would have been the year’s best movie.
TV News: FOX Renews Comedies ‘Glee,’ ‘New Girl,’ ‘Raising Hope’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 9, 2012 - 1:28pmCHICAGO – FOX announced today that they have renewed their three biggest critical hits, the Tuesday night comedies “New Girl,” “Raising Hope,” and “Glee.” Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company, made the announcement via press release, in advance of the company’s official May Fall schedule announcement. The renewals for smash hit “New Girl” and reliable performer “Glee” came as a surprise to no one. “Raising Hope” was closer to the bubble and so the early renewal makes for good news for its fans.
Video Game Review: Non-Stop Action Can’t Hide Flaws of ‘Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 9, 2012 - 12:54pmCHICAGO – I adore the “Resident Evil” franchise to such extremes that I kept trying to find ways to overlook the notable flaws of the action spin-off “Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City” but they add up to the point that they can no longer be ignored.
Blu-ray Review: ‘Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close’ Marred By Awful Acting
Submitted by mattmovieman on April 9, 2012 - 8:38amCHICAGO – So there I was at a packed awards consideration screening for Stephen Daldry’s latest prestige-filled tearjerker. Though a few of my fellow colleagues were grumbling about the grim task of sitting through more Daldry Oscar bait, my heart was filled with goodwill. I loved Daldry’s feature debut, “Billy Elliot,” and had plenty of favorable things to say about “The Hours” and “The Reader.”
TV News: Kelsey Grammer to Be Honored in Chicago at Hugo Television Awards
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 9, 2012 - 8:06amCHICAGO – Cinema/Chicago and the Chicago International Film Festival will be honoring television icon Kelsey Grammer at their 48th Hugo Television Awards, in Chicago on April 19th. Grammer portrayed Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcom “Cheers” and the spin-off “Frasier” for 20 years, tying a record for playing the same TV character continuously.
TV News: Legendary Reporter Mike Wallace of ‘60 Minutes’ Passes Away at 93
Submitted by BrianTT on April 8, 2012 - 9:38amCHICAGO – TV news icons don’t come much bigger than Mike Wallace, the legendary CBS News reporter and fixture for decades on the network’s hit “60 Minutes.” CBS just reported on their morning news program on April 8, 2012 that he has passed away at the age of 93. Details on his death are minimal at this point but his influence will be felt for many years to come.
TV Review: Amazing Actresses Anchor Showtime Season Premieres of ‘Nurse Jackie,’ ‘The Big C’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 8, 2012 - 9:08amCHICAGO – Emmy-winning “Nurse Jackie” starts its fourth season and the highly-acclaimed “The Big C” joins it for its third on Sunday nights starting tonight, April 8, 2012.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 10 Pairs of Anytime Passes to ‘L!fe Happens’ With Kate Bosworth
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on April 7, 2012 - 4:55pmCHICAGO – In our latest “R”-rated, single-motherhood comedy edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 10 admit-two run-of-engagement anytime movie passes up for grabs to the new film “L!fe Happens” starring Kate Bosworth!
Film Review: Director Mario Van Peebles Orchestrates ‘We the Party’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 6, 2012 - 4:42pmCHICAGO – Mario Van Peebles is a second generation filmmaker, following the footsteps of his revolutionary director father, Melvin Van Peebles. In keeping with the family business, Mario has included his children in his latest film, “We the Party,” a high school movie about this particular time in history for youth and their culture, and the impact this era has on them.
Director Mario Van Peebles Orchestrates ‘We the Party’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 6, 2012 - 4:33pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Mario Van Peebles is a second generation filmmaker, following the footsteps of his revolutionary director father, Melvin Van Peebles. In keeping with the family business, Mario has included his children in his latest film, “We the Party,” a high school movie about this particular time in history for youth and their culture, and the impact this era has on them.
TV Review: Starz Creates Luscious World in ‘Magic City,’ Lacks Memorable Characters
Submitted by BrianTT on April 6, 2012 - 2:08pmCHICAGO – The new Starz drama “Magic City” is a beautiful show to look at it with its “Mad Men”-esque degree of period detail and half-naked people looking smooth, suave, and sexy.
