October 2022

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Ben Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on October 27th, 2022, reviewing “Till,” a narrative re-telling of the Emmett Till civil rights incident from 1955, in wide release beginning October 28th.

CHICAGO – In this spooky season of Halloween, why not get “Bewitched” by three women Sopranos, under the group name Tres Belle. Marisa Buchheit, Kimberly Jones and Kirsten Leslie will perform an eclectic set of opera, show tunes, the Great American Songbook and even pop at their appropriately entitled show “Bewitched: A Spooky Night of Song with Tres Belle.” Click BEWITCHED for details and tickets.

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Anna Diop on the Red Carpet for ‘Nanny.’

CHICAGO – The spotlight that is the 58th Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF) shines on the future big names in the movies, and this years festival was no exception.

CHICAGO – One of the greatest challenges of any actor is the portrayal of a person in history that is familiar to most of the culture. Orson Welles is such a man, and Jewell Wilson Bridges took on his persona in the new film “Voodoo MacBeth.” He plays Welles as the “Boy Genius” stage director, age 21 in 1936.

CHICAGO – The Reverend Al Sharpton has been a “Loudmouth” … as the new documentary on his life and work is called … virtually all his life. His outspoken activism began a year after Dr. King was killed, when Sharpton became Youth Director of Operation Breadbasket at age 15, and continues to today, especially around the killing of George Floyd. Rev. Al Sharpton appeared on the Red Carpet at the 58th Chicago International Film Festival.

CHICAGO – The final studio album from The Beatles was entitled “Abbey Road,” which was named after the studio they recorded their run of now-iconic musical history. That history and more about the studio is highlighted in the new documentary “If These Walls Could Sing.” The doc is directed by Mary McCartney, daughter of Paul.

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on October 20th, 2022, reviewing “Ticket to Paradise” an old fashion movie star movie featuring George Clooney and Julia Roberts, opening in theaters beginning October 21st..

CHICAGO – Once again Dwayne Johnson finds himself in a vehicle unworthy of his considerable charms and talents. Johnson stars as “Black Adam,” a demigod from a mythical middle eastern country who was given power from a counsel of wizards to protect his homeland from injustice. He’s woken from a 5000 year sleep to protect the country again from foreign interlopers...

CHICAGO – When Sandra Abrevaya met her future husband Brian Wallach while on the staff of Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, their future seemed exceedingly bright. But then Brian was was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease), and his prognosis was dim. It was time for the couple to use their knowledge to make change.

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 October 13th, 2022, reviewing “Raymond & Ray,” a story of brothers written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia, currently in select theaters and streaming on Apple TV+ beginning October 21st.

CHICAGO – The film “Till” is the story of Emmett Till, a black Chicago boy who was murdered in 1955 while visiting relatives in the American South. Instead of hiding the killing, Till’s mother Mamie (Danielle Deadwyler) chose to show the world the result of her son’s hate crime murder. Chinonye Chukwu directed the film.

CHICAGO – One of the buzziest films of the Awards season is “The Whale,” featuring an high-level performance by Brendan Fraser and directed by Darren Aronofsky (“Requiem for a Dream,” “The Wrestler”). The 58th Chicago International Film Festival (CIFFl had “The Whale” as a showcase, and Aronofsky walked the Red Carpet.

CHICAGO – The honoring of an institution in the City of Chicago via the documentary “Art and Pep” – the owners of the iconic Sidetrack gay bar in Chicago’s “Boystown” LGBTQ+ neighborhood – was supported by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who walked the Red Carpet at the 58th Chicago International Film Festival on October 14th.

CHICAGO – A legacy in Chicago LGBTQ+ history took center stage at the 58th Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF) on October 13th. “Art and Pep” is a documentary about life partners Art Johnson and Pepe Peña, the proprietors of Sidetrack, the largest gay bar in the Midwest. There will be one more screening on October 16th, click ART/PEP for location/tickets.