CHICAGO – Love is a powerful enough force to transcend any obstacle that you may put in its path.
February 2020
Podtalk: Erica Duffy Introduces Rebooted Midwest Film Festival in Chicago on Feb. 22, 2020
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 20, 2020 - 10:15amCHICAGO – Facing extinction, the Midwest Independent Film Festival was resurrected through the efforts of new Executive Director Erica Duffy, who will introduce the rebooted “Midwest Film Festival” to Chicago on February 22nd, 2020.
Exclusive Photo: Jessica Simpson for Her New ‘Open Book’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 19, 2020 - 11:38am- Anderson’s Book Shop
- Daisy Duke
- Dukes of Hazzard
- Employee of the Month
- Exclusive Photo
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Illinois
- In This Skin
- Jessica Simpson
- Joe Arce
- MTV
- Naperville
- New York Times Bestseller List
- Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica
- Nick Lachey
- Open Book
- Patrick McDonald
- The Jessica Simpson Collection
CHICAGO – When your life is an open book, it’s appropriate to finally get around to putting it on paper. Jessica Simpson – singer, actress, reality TV star, fashion designer and now author – has just released her new memoir “Open Book,” and it has shot to number one on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Interview: Matthew Weinstein on ‘A Missed Connection’ at Beloit Film Fest, Feb. 21-22, 2020
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 19, 2020 - 10:38amCHICAGO – Writer/director Matthew Weinstein is bringing a bit of Chicago to the Beloit (Wisconsin) International Film Festival this upcoming weekend (February 21st and 22nd) as he presents his short made-in-Chicago film, “A Missed Connection.” Featuring a couple, a chance encounter and a meditation on the past, more information on the screening is available by
Film Review: ’Sonic the Hedgehog’ is Fast & Furry But Not Funny
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 14, 2020 - 10:43amCHICAGO – It may be damning with faint praise, but I can assure you that “Sonic the Hedgehog” is no longer the stuff of nightmares. The-Island-of-Dr-Moreau-like creation which seemed half human and half hedgehog in the film’s first trailer, has been replaced by something more akin to the Sonic we know from video games and cartoons. He’s cute. He’s fast. But he’s not particularly funny.
‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ is Fast & Furry But Not Funny
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 14, 2020 - 10:41am Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It may be damning with faint praise, but I can assure you that “Sonic the Hedgehog” is no longer the stuff of nightmares. The-Island-of-Dr-Moreau-like creation which seemed half human half hedgehog in the film’s first trailer, has been replaced by something more akin to the Sonic we know from video games and cartoons. He’s cute. He’s fast. But he’s not particularly funny.
Podtalk: Melissa Grubbs of Chicago's Reckless Records on ‘High Fidelity’ Pop Up, Feb. 13-15, 2020
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 13, 2020 - 11:06amCHICAGO – “High Fidelilty” is back! The iconic 2000 film, which was set in Chicago, is being rebooted as a Hulu series featuring Zoë Kravitz.
Film News: ‘Parasite’ Makes History at 92nd Academy Awards
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 10, 2020 - 10:15amCHICAGO – In a surprising sweep, the South Korean film “Parasite” – created through the vision of director Bong Joon Ho – won all the major creative categories, including Best Original Screenplay and Director, as well as securing Best International Film and making Oscar history as the first non-English-speaking Best Picture.
Podtalk: Director Lulu Wang on ‘The Farewell,’ 2020 Independent Spirit Best Picture
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 8, 2020 - 6:44pmCHICAGO – One of the hottest films from the first half 2019 festival season was an emotional story about family, and scored the Best Picture at the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards on February 8th. “The Farewell” is a breakout for both the lead actor Awkwafina (“Crazy Rich Asians”), Zhao Shuzhen (who won the Indie Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress) and their director Lulu Wang. Wang’s story of her grandmother became a universal spirit about our relative connections.
Film Feature: HollywoodChicago.com 2020 Oscar Predictions
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 8, 2020 - 3:01pmCHICAGO – Let’s make this important! The 92nd Academy Awards are on Sunday, February 9th, 2020, and HC.com film/entertainment contributors Patrick McDonald, Michael “Spike” Walters and Jon Lennon Espino are ready to add their Swami-like powers to eight major categories, plus three wild cards. Let the predicting begin.
Film News: Champion Movie Star Kirk Douglas Dies at 103
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 6, 2020 - 2:10pm- 000 Leagues Under the Sea
- 20
- Ace in the Hole
- Blacklist
- Catherine Zeta-Jones
- Dalton Trumbo
- Film News
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- In Harms Way
- It Runs in the Family
- Kirk Douglas
- Lust for LIfe
- Michael Douglas
- Paths of Glory
- Seven Days in May
- Spartacus
- The Bad and the Beautiful
- The Fury
- The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
- Tough Guys
- Young Man with a Horn
LOS ANGELES – From his chiseled-from-marble good looks to his actor intensity on screen, Kirk Douglas defined the very concept of Movie Star. The actor also broke records for longevity, living to the ripe old age of 103. Kirk Douglas died of natural causes on February 5th, 2020, at his home in Los Angeles.
Podtalk: Writer/Director Kitty Green Reveals ‘The Assistant’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 5, 2020 - 5:21pmCHICAGO – Gratefully, we live in a post-Weinstein environment of #metoo, and one of the first films to comment upon it is “The Assistant,” written and directed by Kitty Green. Coming off its run at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, the film explores a low level female production assistant (PA) as she navigates an office overwhelmed by a successful-but-abusive bossman.
