CHICAGO – The great and lofty Steppenwolf Theatre of Chicago has brought the current political season right on target with “POTUS: Or Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive,” now extended through December 17th. Click POTUS.
Abigail Breslin
Running Deep! On-Air Review of ‘Stillwater’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 30, 2021 - 4:31pm 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 July 29th, 2021, reviewing the new film “Stillwater,” featuring Matt Damon. In theaters beginning July 30th.
'Zombieland: Double Tap' Not As Fresh But Still Has Some Life Left
Submitted by JonHC on October 21, 2019 - 1:04pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO - Zombieland: Double Tap lacks the freshness or the belly laughs of its predecessor, but I was surprised to see that this outrageously overqualified cast has not worn out its welcome. It’s ridiculous that three Oscar nominees and one Oscar winner headline a movie devoted solely to blowing zombies up. But when you employ Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin, you’re going to get some unexpected surprises.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dour Zombie Drama ‘Maggie’
Submitted by NickHC on May 8, 2015 - 6:59pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – A common quagmire during a zombie outbreak, as expressed in the 367 films about the topic made about such an event since 2000, concerns what to do when your loved one is infected. For many movies, it makes for the tearful, climactic moment; for the dour drama “Maggie,” it’s the total narrative examination that just about fills half a movie, featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a rugged, lumberjack dad who is disturbed by the ailing conditions of his infected daughter (played by Abigail Breslin).
Family Secrets, Fine Acting in ‘August: Osage County’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 10, 2014 - 9:02am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There will be inevitable comparisons to the Pulitzer Prize-winning stage version of “August: Osage County” from the thousands of people who have been touched by the stage play. But in giving the film version a chance, there is the same passion, drama and heat of family dysfunction within it, with a dream cast.
‘Ender’s Game’ Loses Personality in Journey From Book to Film
Submitted by BrianTT on October 31, 2013 - 10:31am Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Gavin Hood’s “Ender’s Game” may be the best example of a current problem with science fiction: From “Oblivion” to “After Earth” to most of “Star Trek Into Darkness” and now this adaptation of the Orson Scott Card book, modern science fiction has become so depressingly sterile as to drain the genre of most of its joy.
Tense Thriller Has Halle Berry Answering ‘The Call’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 15, 2013 - 11:20pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “The Call” rises above the usual crime drama for a couple of reasons. First, it is a thriller that runs at a breakneck speed, using the driving culture of Los Angeles in a cat-and-mouse chase. Secondly, it symbolically emphasizes the plight of women, and honors their empowerment.
Shallow, Garish ‘New Year’s Eve’ Ruins Your Holiday
Submitted by BrianTT on December 9, 2011 - 9:51am Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “New Year’s Eve” is so garish and manipulative that it doesn’t really qualify as a film – it’s a product, no more an actual movie than a Hallmark card is a piece of poetry. It is corporate junk at its worst, so shallow that it’s almost remarkably thin, as if director Garry Marshall were trying to win a contest for lack of subtlety.
Johnny Depp Spins Animation Gold in Hilarious ‘Rango’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 4, 2011 - 2:44pmRating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – When we first see the chameleon named Lars (Johnny Depp), soon to be ‘Rango,’ he is doing acting voice exercises. He is basically warming up a film that is a real hoot, and has wonderful heart.
Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg Deliver Action, Laughs With Great ‘Zombieland’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 2, 2009 - 2:08pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The horror/comedy “Zombieland” is one of the few 2009 films to honestly deserve the overused phrase “thrill ride.” From the opening shots to the best post-credits tag in years, “Zombieland” attempts nothing but pure fun and completely delivers.
‘My Sister’s Keeper’: An Emotional Look at a Modern Moral Dilemma
Submitted by Ebeth on June 28, 2009 - 2:47am Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The advancement of medicine has brought about many things: longer life-expectancy, treatments for serious illnesses such as cancer, artificial conception, and genetic modification. Though there are positive aspects to each of these things, inherent within each are moral dilemmas we will have to face.
