CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.
HollywoodChicago.com DVD Reviews
Blu-Ray, DVD Round Up, July 3, 2009: ‘Madea Goes to Jail,’ ‘Spaceballs’
Submitted by BrianTT on July 3, 2009 - 7:00amCHICAGO – The Round-Up is back to provide our loyal readers with synopsis and feature details on a few titles that may have slipped on to DVD or Blu-Ray under your radar but might make the right purchase choice this holiday weekend.
DVD Review: HBO’s Hilarious ‘Eastbound and Down’ Gets Great Release
Submitted by BrianTT on July 2, 2009 - 7:00amCHICAGO – Danny McBride (“Pineapple Express,” “Land of the Lost”) gave one of the best TV performances of the last several years as the over-the-top anti-hero of HBO’s hysterical “Eastbound & Down,” a sitcom about a raging a-hole sports star brought back to Earth and forced to work as a gym teacher in the small town he grew up in, now available on DVD.
DVD Review: Criterion Collection Invites You to ‘My Dinner With Andre’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 30, 2009 - 7:00amCHICAGO – I have to admit to having more respect for “My Dinner With Andre” than getting actual enjoyment from the talkative film itself. I understand the praise and awards that the film won and can see how it would have sent a ripple through the art movie world in 1981 when it was released, but I’ve never been a fan of Wallace Shawn, Andre Gregory, and Louis Malle’s film that brings new meaning to the phrase “dialogue-based”.
DVD Review: Chuck Jones’ Masterful ‘Tom and Jerry’ Shorts Finally Available
Submitted by BrianTT on June 29, 2009 - 7:00amCHICAGO – Like a lot of people, “Tom and Jerry” was a major part of my childhood. When I was younger, there weren’t nearly as many choices for children’s entertainment and I wonder if kids nowadays even know who Tom and Jerry are. We may not have had 500 channels, but when you have Tom, Jerry, the Looney Tunes gang, and the Muppets, you don’t need them.
DVD Review: Take a Bite Out of ‘The Hunger: The Complete First Season’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 22, 2009 - 7:00amCHICAGO – “The Hunger” is one of the more unusual entries in the history of the TV anthology series, a personal favorite sub-genre of this writer raised on “The Twilight Zone,” “The Outer Limits,” “Tales From the Crypt,” and “Amazing Stories”. It has amazing star power, a loose relation to a great ’80s horror movie, and enough thrills to entertain, but has been largely forgotten by TV history.
Blu-Ray, DVD Round Up, June 16, 2009: ‘Crossing Over,’ ‘Woodstock,’ ‘The Cell 2’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 16, 2009 - 8:00amCHICAGO – It’s time to dig a little deeper at HollywoodChicago.com and pull out a standard and HD edition of the Round-Up, our regular column that gives you the synopsis, features, and technical details on several titles that we either couldn’t get around to full-length reviewing or we didn’t think deserved the time.
DVD Review: Groundbreaking TV Pioneer Featured in ‘The Norman Lear Collection’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 11, 2009 - 12:04pmCHICAGO – Sony’s “The Norman Lear Collection” is a gorgeous collectible DVD box set that will make an amazing gift for parents this upcoming Father’s Day. With 19 discs, hours of spectacular television, and never-before-seen special features, how can one complain about “The Norman Lear Collection”? Well, what if you already own 17 of the 19 discs?
DVD Review: Jeff Buckley Returns in ‘Grace Around the World’
Submitted by BrianTT on June 11, 2009 - 10:59amCHICAGO – I can vividly remember where I was for two major events related to the life of Jeff Buckley - the first time I heard “The Last Goodbye” and when I heard about his tragic death. Buckley’s “Grace” is still one of my most beloved albums and watching him again on the new DVD/CD, I honestly miss the man and lament the loss of what could have been.
DVD Review: ‘Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog’ Phenomenon Comes to DVD
Submitted by BrianTT on June 10, 2009 - 10:57amCHICAGO – I know I’m the last person with internet access to catch up with “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” but I am now officially one of the converted masses. Joss Whedon’s incredibly clever, award-winning internet phenomenon starring Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”) and Nathan Fillion (“Firefly,” “Castle”) has now been widely released on DVD.
TV Review: TNT’s ‘Raising the Bar’ Presents Opening Arguments For Season Two
Submitted by BrianTT on June 8, 2009 - 1:49pmCHICAGO – I’m a huge Stephen Bochco fan and like most of the cast of TNT’s “Raising the Bar,” returning tonight to start season two and recently released on DVD in a first season set. But I can’t handle the tone changes, two-dimensional characters, and complete lack of judicial realism on this show, one that has promise on paper but has never worked in episode form.
