December 2021

Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on December 30th, 2021, reviewing the directorial debut of actor Maggie Gyllenhaal, “The Lost Daughter,” currently streaming on Netflix.

CHICAGO – The Devil is in the Details. The old adage, which primarily describes accounting, is the basis for author Lorraine Evanoff’s third novel in her Louise Moscow Spy Thriller series, “Devil’s Ledger.” This time, her intrepid financial sleuth Louise Moscow investigates the failure of the world’s oldest bank … a mystery that may also contain the key to a hidden treasure.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on December 16th, 2021, reviewing the latest film of writer/director Sean Baker, “Red Rocket” currently in select theaters, see local listings.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on December 23rd, 2021, reviewing the third film in the KINGSMEN series, an origin prequel entitled “The King’s Men,” currently in theaters.

Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on The Eddie Volkman Show on WSSR-FM (Star 96.7 Joliet, Illinois) on December 22nd, 2021, reviewing the latest remake of “The Matrix Resurrections,” opening in theaters on Wednesday, December 22nd.

CHICAGO – The lines go around the block next to Chicago’s northside Music Box Theatre this time of year, as their annual holiday double feature is presented – “White Christmas” (1954) and “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946). And leading the pre-show sing-along … along with Santa … is the resident organist Dennis Scott.

Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on December 16th, 2021, reviewing the film noir remake of “Nightmare Alley,’ directed by Guillermo del Toro, in theaters on December 17th, 2021.

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on December 16th, 2021, reviewing the much anticipated Marvel Studios film, of “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” in theaters on December 17th, 2021.

CHICAGO – The sweeping and majestically searing “The Power of the Dog,” directed by Jane Campion, was named Best Picture in 2021 by the Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) on Wednesday, December 15th. The film also received recognition as Best Director, Actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), Supporting Actor (Kodi Smit-McPhee), Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography and Original Score.

Rating: 2.0/5.0

CHICAGO – “Being the Ricardos” tries to tell the story of a comedy icon with a star who wouldn’t know physical comedy if it slapped her in the face. Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball isn’t the only problem weighing down this biopic, but anytime this lead-footed and ponderous production threatens to build up a little momentum, Kidman stops it in its tracks.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on December 9th, 2021, reviewing the much anticipated remake of “West Side Story,” directed by Steven Spielberg, in theaters on December 10th, 2021.

CHICAGO – The challenge of creating a “Christmas Romance” TV movie, in a field that is saturated with contenders, would perplex even Orson Welles. But Chicago-based director Jack C. Newell was up to the task, as he took a script from Rebecca Weaver and put his spin on the holiday rom-com “Christmas with Felicity,” now available on the AMC+ app.

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Ben Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on December 2nd, 2021, reviewing a Christmas film currently streaming on HBO Max, a nostalgic look back on a 1980s childhood aptly entitled “8 Bit Christmas.”

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Ben Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on December 2nd, 2021, reviewing the latest film by director Paul Thomas Anderson (“Boogie Nights”), the back to the 1970s relationship epic “Licorice Pizza,” currently in select theaters.