October 2020

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on October 22nd, 2020, reviewing the new Sacha Baron Cohen redux of “Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm,” and the last weekend of the 56th Chicago International Film Festival.

CHICAGO – The Chicago International Film Festival was founded in 1965 by Michael Kutza, and is the longest running “competitive film festival” in North America. So with that in mind it’s time for the 56th festival to confer those awards.

CHICAGO – The Midwest Film Festival continues their 2020 Fall Drive-In Programs on October 21st, 2020, with the presentation of “Ad Community Shorts Night.” Doors open at 5:30pm at the Chi-Town Movies Drive-In near the Pilsen neighborhood … click here for ticket purchasing information.

MARIN COUNTY, CALIF. – James “Jamie” Redford was on a righteous mission. The activist filmmaker created documentaries that spoke of the ills society is facing, including “Toxic Hot Seat” (chemicals in households), “Paper Tigers” (childhood psychology), “Resilence” (a deeper dive into Adverse Childhood Experience) and his recent “Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution.” Jamie Redford died of bile duct cancer on October 16th, 2020, at his home in Marin County, California. He was 58.

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on The Eddie Volkman Shoe on WSSR-FM (Star 96.7 Joliet, Illinois) on October 16th, 2020, reviewing the new Liam Neeson action movie, ‘Honest Thief, also featuring Robert Patrick of “Terminator 2.”

CHICAGO – The 56th Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF) is virtual and online RIGHT NOW, so go download some movies! This is your last chance for INDUSTRY DAYS (through October 18th), where you can rub virtual elbows with some of the movers and shakers in the film industry here in Chicago.

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on October 15th, 2020, reviewing the new rock documentary “Harry Chapin: When in Doubt, Do Something,” and a preview of the 56th Chicago International Film Festival.

CHICAGO – The 56th Chicago International Film Festival will honor a prime comic force on its Opening Night on Wednesday, October 14th, 2020. The premiere of the Showtime documentary “Belushi” is a chronicle of John Belushi, directed by R.J. Cutler.

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on October 8th, 2020, reviewing the new live action film “The War with Grandpa,” featuring Robert De Niro.

CHICAGO – One of the great and now traditional Fall cinema events in Chicago is the Shortcut 100 International Film Festival, and this year there will be a hybrid of in-person and virtual/online events associated with the 8th annual short film celebration.

CHICAGO – Fact or fiction is a current debate in news programming, especially as people naturally digest “the news” that makes them comfortable. A new five-episode web series created by filmmaker Ashton Swinford, “Miss Information,” is a satire-oriented show that seeks to entertain and educate viewers on the bias, fake news and bot infiltration that litters social media.

CHICAGO – When a prominent and influential producer made the transition into solo directing, she sought stories that matched her intuitive and natural passions. Lydia Dean Pilcher chose “A Call to Spy,” a World War II-era drama that focuses on three women who defied their obstacles and became early war heroes.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on October 1st, 2020, reviewing the new films On the Rocks” (In select theaters October 2nd and on AppleTV+ starting October 23rd.) and “A Call to Spy” (In theaters & Video-On-Demand).