May 2012

Judi Dench Checks Into ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’

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

CHICAGO – Seven desperate souls are taking risks to save some part of their world, which describes both “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and “The Avengers.” Which will win the box office war? The “heroes” of the Marigold residence include Judi Dench, Tom Wilkerson, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith and Dev Patel.

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 50 Pairs of Chicago Passes to ‘Battleship’ From ‘Hancock’ Director

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 50 admit-two movie passes up for grabs to the advance screening of the highly anticipated blockbuster “Battleship” from “Hancock” director Peter Berg!

Film Review: ‘A Simple Life’ Celebrates the Transcendent Beauty of Human Selflessness

A Simple Life Film Review

CHICAGO – The inherent drama of reality is trickier to capture on camera than one might suspect. Cinéma verité failed as soon as filmmakers utilized manipulative techniques to contrive on-camera drama. The staged shouting matches, comedic barbs and tearful breakdowns prevalent on Reality TV are as phony (or, dare I say, phonier) than the human behavior witnessed in scripted productions.

‘A Simple Life’ Celebrates the Transcendent Beauty of Human Selflessness

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

CHICAGO – The inherent drama of reality is trickier to capture on camera than one might suspect. Cinéma verité failed as soon as filmmakers utilized manipulative techniques to contrive on-camera drama. The staged shouting matches, comedic barbs and tearful breakdowns prevalent on Reality TV are as phony (or, dare I say, phonier) than the human behavior witnessed in scripted productions.

Film Review: Kate Hudson Reveals Hell in ‘A Little Bit of Heaven’

CHICAGO – Kate Hudson portrays a dying woman in “A Little Bit of Heaven,” and the film is so annoying that her extinguishment can’t come fast enough. The film insults both living and dying, and virtually everything in between, and brings along Lucy Punch, Kathy Bates, Gael Garciá Bernal, Peter Dinklage and Whoopi Goldberg for the funeral.

Kate Hudson Reveals Hell in ‘A Little Bit of Heaven’

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 1.0/5.0
Rating: 1.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Kate Hudson portrays a dying woman in “A Little Bit of Heaven,” and the film is so annoying that her extinguishment can’t come fast enough. The film insults both living and dying, and virtually everything in between, and brings along Lucy Punch, Kathy Bates, Gael Garciá Bernal, Peter Dinklage and Whoopi Goldberg for the funeral.

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 40 Pairs of Chicago Passes to Sacha Baron Cohen’s ‘The Dictator’

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 40 admit-two movie passes up for grabs to the advance screening of the highly anticipated “R”-rated comedy “The Dictator” from the warped mind of Sacha Baron Cohen (“Borat,” “Brüno”)!

TV News: The CW Renews ‘The Vampire Diaries,’ ‘Supernatural,’ ‘90210’

The Vampire Diaries

CHICAGO – In advance of their full Fall schedule, The CW has announced that they have renewed three of their only hits — “The Vampire Diaries,” “Supernatural,” and “90210.” The net’s biggest show, “Vampire,” will return for its fourth season while solid hit “Supernatural” will mark its eighth. “90210,” believe it or not, will air a fifth season from 2012-13. The network is in desperate need of a new hit but these three veterans do perform well enough to justify the early renewal.

Video Game Review: Say Hello to a Very Little ‘Scarface’ for iOS

CHICAGO – I wonder when Brian De Palma and Al Pacino were making “Scarface” if they had any idea how much of a phenomenon they were about to unleash on the world. “Scarface” is no mere movie. It has had more of a shelf life than most of the superhero, fantasy, and typically fan-centric films of its day.

DVD Review: ‘Young Goethe in Love’ Enchants With Bittersweet Romance

Young Goethe in Love DVD

CHICAGO – “Young Goethe in Love” is not the sort of title guaranteed to send American audiences to the theater in droves. For one thing, the title sounds too much like “Shakespeare in Love,” though its original German title, “Goethe!” sounds like a giddy musical along the lines of “Oliver!” Perhaps Goethe’s name should’ve been cut from the title altogether and relegated to a snappy tagline like, “Love Can Cometh and Goethe in an Instant.”

Film Review: Jenna Fischer Stars in Sweet ‘The Giant Mechanical Man’

CHICAGO – Don’t let the awful title fool you — “The Giant Mechanical Man” is not sci-fi. This cute dramedy tackles well-trod ground in the world of indie film but Lee Kirk conveys enough honest affection for his well-crafted characters that the piece works.

Jenna Fischer Stars in Sweet ‘The Giant Mechanical Man’

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

CHICAGO – Don’t let the awful title fool you — “The Giant Mechanical Man” is not sci-fi. This cute dramedy tackles well-trod ground in the world of indie film but Lee Kirk conveys enough honest affection for his well-crafted characters that the piece works.

Video Game Review: Amazing RPG Action of Impressive ‘The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings’

CHICAGO – I had heard the buzz about “The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings” when it was released for PC last May. It even made a few top ten lists for the best games of 2011, but I don’t have a PC rigged up enough to play it.

Blu-ray Review: Steven Soderbergh’s Fun, Energetic ‘Haywire’ Gets Average Release

Haywire

CHICAGO – Audiences really didn’t take to “Haywire” like critics as the film bombed at the box office, grossing only $19 million domestically and just over $30 million worldwide. It’s the kind of flick that I think polarized its two potential audiences. Action movie fans didn’t think it had enough action. Steven Soderbergh fans thought it had too much. Personally, I think everything Soderbergh does is interesting and this is no exception. Which makes the lackluster HD release disappointing.

DVD Review: Hysterical Stand-up of ‘Patton Oswalt: Finest Hour’

Patton Oswalt Finest Hour

CHICAGO – Patton Oswalt is one of the funniest stand-up comedians alive. You may not know the name but you almost certainly know who he is. He’s had such a diverse career, including scene-stealing work on TV (“King of Queens”), the lead role in a beloved Pixar film (“Ratatouille”), great indie flicks (“Big Fan”), cable series (“The United States of Tara”), and even a CFCA-nominated performance in last year’s “Young Adult.” As GREAT as all of that is, Patton Oswalt’s greatest gift (outside of perhaps being one of the people for whom Twitter was invented) may be on a stand-up comedy stage. Watch the Grammy-nominated “Patton Oswalt: Finest Hour,” recently released on DVD, and tell me I’m wrong.

DVD Review: ‘Return’ Features Oscar-Caliber Work From Linda Cardellini

Return DVD Review

CHICAGO – It’s an evening typical of so many American homes. Tom Bergeron’s smarmy voice fills the air as televised pratfalls are accompanied by the mechanical laughter of a studio audience. A father chuckles and winces at the mindless spectacle while relaxing on the couch with his children. His wife, on the other hand, remains restless. She fails to find any sense of comfort in the nightly routine.

Blu-ray Review: Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave in Classic Musical ‘Camelot’

Camelot

CHICAGO – I’ve never been a huge fan of “Camelot” but I love musicals of this era (including a few Lerner & Loewe hits like “Brigadoon” and “My Fair Lady”) and I adore both Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave. So I approached the recent Blu-ray release hoping that the many years since I had last seen “Camelot” would improve the film. Sadly, it’s still not one of my favorites even if this is a strong HD release.

Blu-ray Review: Ti West’s ‘The Innkeepers’ Offers Slow Burn Horror

The Innkeepers

CHICAGO – Ti West’s “The Innkeepers” is one of the most divisive films of the year, a love-it-or-hate-it affair — my favorite kind of movie. I see both sides. I get how the slow burn doesn’t work for some people (and, honestly, it didn’t really work for me in West’s “House of the Devil”) and I get how modern horror fans might be upset at the lack of a sure payoff in this ghost story.

Film Review: Summer Movie Season Explodes with ‘The Avengers’

CHICAGO – When I was a kid, summer movies were an event. They weren’t just marketing tricks, young adult adaptations, or unnecessary sequels. They were blockbusters that you put on the calendar and counted the days until their arrival.

Summer Movie Season Explodes with ‘The Avengers’

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

CHICAGO – When I was a kid, summer movies were an event. They weren’t just marketing tricks, young adult adaptations, or unnecessary sequels. They were blockbusters that you put on the calendar and counted the days until their arrival. Something of that summer movie magic has been lost in recent years – the sense that you weren’t just seeing a movie, you were experiencing something special.

Film News: ‘Think Like a Man’ Tops Box Office For Second Weekend

Think Like a Man

CHICAGO – “Think Like a Man” – starring Kevin Hart and Gabrielle Union – held its own, securing the top spot for a second week in a row with a weekend gross of $17.6 million ($60.4 million total). “The Five-Year Engagement” written by and starring Jason Segel was expected to top the box office this past weekend but came in at a disappointing fifth place with a weekend gross of $10.6 million. The second and third spots were held respectively by new release family animated movie “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” ($11.1 million total) and “The Hunger Games” ($372 million total).

Blu-ray Review: ‘Dark Tide’ Finds Halle Berry Shipwrecked in Sea of Clichés

Dark Tide Blu-ray

CHICAGO – Poor Halle Berry. Apparently ravishing good looks, fine acting chops and an Academy Award for Best Actress aren’t enough to earn decent roles in Hollywood. Since her triumphant turn in 2001’s “Monster’s Ball,” Berry has had only two big screen roles that managed to hint at her gifts as an actress. Yet “Things We Lost in the Fire” and “Frankie & Alice” were largely ignored by critics and audiences.

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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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