CHICAGO – If you’ve never seen the farcical ensemble theater chestnut “Noises Off,” you will see no better version than on the Steppenwolf Theatre stage, now at their northside Chicago venue through November 3rd. For tickets and details for this riotous theater experience, click NOISES OFF.
August 2023
Podtalk: Co-Writers & Director on New Film ‘The Road Dog,’ at Pickwick Theatre, Sep. 1-7, 2023
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 31, 2023 - 2:47pmCHICAGO – “The Road Dog” refers to the stand-up comic who lives that life from town to town. The new film by the same name is co-written by Tony Boswell and Greg Glienna (also director), and will screen at the Park Ridge (IL) Pickwick Theatre (click here).
Audio Film Review: From the Dregs to Destiny with ‘Bottoms’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 29, 2023 - 3:47pmCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for “Bottoms,” a dark comedy parody of the high school caste system, featuring jocks, cheerleaders, freaks and geeks, directed and co-wrttien by Emma Seligman (“Shiva Baby”). In theaters since August 25th.
From the Dregs to Destiny! Audio Review of ‘Bottoms’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 29, 2023 - 3:42pmRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for “Bottoms,” a dark comedy parody of the high school caste system, featuring jocks, cheerleaders, freaks and geeks, directed and co-wrttien by Emma Seligman (“Shiva Baby”). In theaters since August 25th.
Podtalk: Brett & Jason Butler on Their Film ‘Unfriending’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 26, 2023 - 11:20amCHICAGO – Currently touring the film festival circuit, the new film “Unfriending” … by writer/director/brothers Brett and Jason Butler … is a pitch black comedy on our weirdly filtered world today. The Canadian filmmakers are veterans of five features, and have been building their reputations since the mid-2000s.!—break—>
Film Review: ‘Gran Turismo’ Gets Stuck in First Gear
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 25, 2023 - 10:56pmCHICAGO – “Gran Turismo” uses the life story of a gamer named Jann Mardenborough to get its message across … he was a college dropout in the UK who used the hours spent behind the steering wheel in his bedroom to become a real race car driver. While the racing scenes deliver the goods, this poorly conceived piece of product placement never gets its narrative out of first gear. !—break—>
Scenario of ‘Gran Turismo’ Gets Stuck in First Gear
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 25, 2023 - 10:52pmRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Gran Turismo” uses the life story of a gamer named Jann Mardenborough to get its message across … he was a college dropout in the UK who used the hours spent behind the steering wheel in his bedroom to become a real race car driver. While the racing scenes deliver the goods, this poorly conceived piece of product placement never gets its narrative out of first gear.
On-Air Film Review: Following Prime Minister Prime in ‘Golda’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 25, 2023 - 8:45amCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on August 25th, reviewing “Golda,” set in a tense period in the career of 1970s Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. In theaters on August 25th.!—break—>
Prime Minister Prime! On-Air Review of ‘Golda’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 25, 2023 - 8:39amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on August 25th, reviewing “Golda,” set in a tense period in the career of 1970s Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. In theaters on August 25th.
Podtalk: Actor Colin Ford on His Role in Latest Film ‘The Hill’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 24, 2023 - 10:35pmCHICAGO – Catching a young actor in an early career stride is like catching lightning in a bottle. Colin Ford has such a breakthrough role portraying Rickey Hill, a Texas ballplayer who is battling a degenerative disease that may not give him enough time to fulfill his major league dreams. The film is aptly titled “The Hill.”!—break—>
Interview: Allison Torem Presents ‘Road Head’ at Midwest Film Festival, August 28, 2023
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 24, 2023 - 11:13amCHICAGO – One of the Midwest Film Festival’s greatest strengths is its sense of community. The way they branch out and reach out to all in the Chicago filmmaker/actor/crew collective is without precedent in this evolving cinema city. Monday, August 28th, will feature Women & Gender Non-Conforming Filmmaker Night, and one of the films making its Chicago debut is “Road Head” by Allison Torem.
Podtalk: Eddie Muller for ‘Noir City Chicago,’ Aug. 25-31, 2023
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 23, 2023 - 6:37pmCHICAGO – The Czar of Noir is coming to town, bringing his very popular “Noir City Chicago” back to the Music Box Theatre for 2023. Eddie Muller, the host of Turner Classic Movies “Noir Alley,” will appear on behalf of a specially curated series of noir genre classics. For more information, full schedule and tickets, click NOIR CITY.
Podtalk: Writer/Director Jennifer Reeder on ‘Perpetrator’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 23, 2023 - 10:52amCHICAGO – One of the finest genre filmmakers from Chicagoland is releasing her latest horror epic. Writer/director Jennifer Reeder has created “Perpetrator,” her fourth feature film, and it will have a run at select theaters, including Chicago’s Music Box Theatre (LINK HERE) as well as streaming on SHUDDER beginning September 1st.
Audio Film Review: ‘Landscape with Invisible Hand’ Phones Home
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 20, 2023 - 9:22pmCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for “Landscape with Invisible Hand,” a space alien science fiction film with highly symbolic overtones to our current society, based on a novel by M.T. Anderson and featuring Tiffany Haddish. In theaters since August 18th.!—break—>
Audio Film Review: ‘Landscape with Invisible Hand’ Phones Home
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 20, 2023 - 9:22pmCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for “Landscape with Invisible Hand,” a space alien science fiction film with highly symbolic overtones to our current society, based on a novel by M.T. Anderson and featuring Tiffany Haddish. In theaters since August 18th.!—break—>
Phone Home! Audio Review of ‘Landscape with Invisible Hand’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 20, 2023 - 9:17pmRating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for “Landscape with Invisible Hand,” a space alien science fiction film with highly symbolic overtones to our current society, based on a novel by M.T. Anderson and featuring Tiffany Haddish. In theaters since August 18th.
Film Review: ‘Strays’ Poops Out on Its Hard-R Talking Dog Premise
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 20, 2023 - 9:46amCHICAGO – “Strays” is a film that features a cast full of legitimately funny people, but this Hard-R-Rated talking dog movie poops out long before the final credits roll. The film tries to have heart, but is too busy making labored poo-poo jokes to give the schmaltz much gusto. !—break—>
‘Strays’ Poops Out on Its Hard-R Talking Dog Premise
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 20, 2023 - 9:44amRating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Strays” is a film that features a cast full of legitimately funny people, but this Hard-R-Rated talking dog movie poops out long before the final credits roll. The film tries to have heart, but is too busy making labored poo-poo jokes to give the schmaltz much gusto.
On-Air Film Review: They’ll Follow the Son in ‘Blue Beetle’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 20, 2023 - 9:07amCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on August 17th, reviewing “Blue Beetle,” the DC Comic Universe latest film. In theaters since August 18th.!—break—>
They’ll Follow the Son! On-Air Review of ‘Blue Beetle’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 20, 2023 - 9:03amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on August 17th, reviewing “Blue Beetle,” the latest superhero film from the DC Comic Universe. In theaters since August 18th.
On-Air Film Review: Ira Sach’s 'Passages’ Features Fluid Coupling
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 15, 2023 - 12:53pmCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on August 9th, reviewing “Passages,” directed by Ira Sachs (“Married Life,” “Love is Strange”) and featuring Ben Whishaw. In theaters since August 11th.
Fluid Coupling! On-Air Review of Ira Sachs Directed ‘Passages’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 15, 2023 - 12:49pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on August 9th, reviewing “Passages,” directed by Ira Sachs (“Married Life,” “Love is Strange”) and featuring Ben Whishaw. In theaters since August 11th.
Podtalk: Nicole Bernardi-Reis on ‘With This Light,’ in Chicagoland on August 11th, 2023
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 8, 2023 - 7:06pmCHICAGO – Nicole Bernardi-Reis is a veteran local producer, yet found another calling within the film arts as co-director … with Laura Bermúdez … of “With This Light.” The documentary is the story of Sister Maria Rosa Leggoi, a Honduran nun who spent her life building and providing shelter for orphaned, poverty stricken and abused children. “With This Light,” makes its Chicagoland premiere on August 9th, 2023, and begins a one week run at the Wayfarer Theaters in Highland Park (Illinois) on August 11th. Click LIGHT for details.
Podtalk: Oscar-Winner Mira Sorvino on Her Journey to Now
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 8, 2023 - 11:23amCHICAGO – The celebrity line-up at the upcoming FAN EXPO Chicago is top of the pops, and making a prime appearance is actor Mira Sorvino, who made a big splash by winning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for “Mighty Aphrodite” in the 1990s. The FAN EXPO takes place from August 10-13, 2023.
Podtalk: Andrew Moyes of FAN EXPO Chicago, August 10-13, 2023
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 7, 2023 - 4:32pmCHICAGO – One of the greatest celebrity shows and entertainment gatherings in the country is landing in Chicago in three days, and the line-up for potential autograph seekers/meet and greet is top of the line. FAN EXPO takes place from August 10-13, 2023. For tickets and information, click FAN EXPO Chicago.
Podtalk: Roger Kelly Smith, Author of Thriller ‘No Place to Die’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 6, 2023 - 10:04amCHICAGO – As summer winds down, there are still many beach reading opportunities, and you won’t find a more tense thriller than “No Place to Die,” the debut novel of Roger Kelly Smith. The setting is a near-future colony on the moon, with a geo-political struggle between the U.S. and China that has implications for Mother Earth.
Music News: Chicago’s ‘Thirsty Ears’ Classical Music Festival on Aug. 5-6, 2023
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 5, 2023 - 9:47amCHICAGO – Lollapalooza is not the only music festival in town. Access Contemporary Music (ACM) … a lesson and appreciation conservatory … presents the annual Thirsty Ears” Classical Music Street Festival, bringing the art and “classical gas” to the Ravenswood neighborhood in the Windy City. For more information and performer schedules, click THIRSTY EARS.!—break—>
Podtalk: Executive Director Frank Carr for the YippieFest Happening on August 4-6, 2023
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 4, 2023 - 10:35amCHICAGO – YIPPIE! It’s back, in the neighborhood of its roots. YippieFest 2023 will be August 4th-6th in the Lakeview/Buena Park venue of PRIDE ARTS, 4139 North Broadway in Chicago. The space is less than a half mile from the former Mary-Arrchie Theatre, whose “Abbie Hoffman Festival” was the template for the three-day performance celebration. Tickets prices are for one day or all three days, so click YiPPIE FEST 2023.
On-Air Film Review: ‘Shortcomings’ Proves the Karma of Title
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 4, 2023 - 10:06amCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Ben Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on August 3rd, reviewing “Shortcomings,” directed by Randall Park in his feature debut, based on a graphic novel. In theaters beginning August 4th.!—break—>
Karma of the Title! On-Air Review of ‘Shortcomings’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 4, 2023 - 9:59amRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Ben Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on August 3rd, reviewing “Shortcomings,” directed by Randall Park in his feature debut, based on a graphic novel. In theaters beginning August 4th.
Podtalk: Author Shelley Herman Remembers ‘My Peacock Tale’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 4, 2023 - 9:48amCHICAGO – When a smart and ambitious California girl moves from her “one horse town” to early 1970s Los Angeles, what better way to break into the show business than being an NBC-TV Studio Page for “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and other programs of the era. Author Shelley Herman tells “My Peacock Tale.”