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+.
Patrick McDonald
‘Closed Circuit’ is a Tense Reminder of Our Times
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 28, 2013 - 7:55amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The threat of terrorist acts defies security. That is a fundamental truth. With 7 billion people on the planet – and an infinite number of motivations within them – all the security cameras, techniques and agencies cannot stop a determined group or individual, as depicted in “Closed Circuit.”
Jane Rolls Over Again for Wretched ‘Austenland’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 23, 2013 - 4:41pmRating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – One of the most incorrect assumptions in literature iconography is the focus on Jane Austen as a purely romantic writer – skipping the depth of character, humor and cynicism in her work, for the sake of mooning over “Mr. Darcy.” The new film “Austenland” continues this trend.
Nothing New in ‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 21, 2013 - 2:49pmRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The last time I checked, I am not a swoony teenage girl, looking to be romanced by a hunky-but-shadowy demon hunter. Thus the margin for enjoying “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” falls off like a leaf on an autumn tree. Even Kristen Stewart, I mean Lily Collins, can’t save it.
‘In a World...’ Reveals a Voiceover of Heart, Hilarity
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 16, 2013 - 7:22pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – One the most familiar movie clichés is the sonorous voice that intones “In a world…” to begin a movie trailer, and then extols the virtues of that upcoming feature. Lake Bell, who wrote, directed and stars in the new movie, “In a World…,’ creates a delightful and gentle satire of voiceover artists and their journeys.
Ashton Kutcher Portrays the Ethereal Hero in ‘Jobs’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 16, 2013 - 5:33pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The revolution in technology, that has allowed the world to change completely in just two generations, was led in part by dreamers in a garage. One of those “Edisons” was Steve Jobs – the creator of Apple Computers – portrayed with an inventor’s instinct by Ashton Kutcher.
Deep Two Character Drama Flavors ‘Prince Avalanche’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 16, 2013 - 4:10pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Take actors Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch, make them highway line painters, put them in a fire-ravaged woodland and the makings for a savory two character portrait is realized in “Prince Avalanche.” David Gordon Green adapted and directed this appealingly offbeat art film.
Family Emotions Uplift ‘Lee Daniels’ The Butler’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 16, 2013 - 8:11amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In one of the more intriguing ways to frame the 1960s civil rights movement, “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” places the context of that African American struggle through the filter of family dynamics, focusing on the father as a butler in the White House, through six presidents.
Notoriety Triggers the Breaking Point in ‘Lovelace’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 9, 2013 - 9:13amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It was one of the strangest star-is-born stories in show business history. One porn film – “Deep Throat” – permeates the American consciousness at precisely the right time. The “lead” actress in the film becomes a household name – and then becomes a victim of it – in ‘Lovelace.’
Horrible ‘We’re the Millers’ Wastes Huge Potential
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 7, 2013 - 4:15pmRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There was a point in “We’re the Millers” when the story fell off the table like a Slinky from a mountaintop. It’s as if other writers took over from a far superior dark comedy, and injected “heart” and middle age “stripping.” This all adds up to a difficult 110 minutes of lost life time.
‘Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters’ is Driven by Myth
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 7, 2013 - 9:08amRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Although on the surface, the Percy Jackson stories may seem like Harry Potter rip-offs, the use of a mythology theme and a slyer sense of humor does give them some distinction and life. It also provides several moments of unintentional laughs in “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.”