CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio review for the doc series “Charlie Hustle & the Matter of Pete Rose,” about the rise and bitter fall of the major league legend, the MLB’s all-time hits leader, only to be banned from the sport because of gambling. Streaming on MAX and on HBO since July 24th.
Pierce Brosnan
Dwayne Johnson Like a Rock as Star of ‘Black Adam’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 21, 2022 - 12:49pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
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.
The Glass Slippery! On-Air Review of ‘Cinderella’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 2, 2021 - 4:10pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on September 2nd, 2021, reviewing the new film “Cinderella” – an musical update of the classic – streaming on Amazon Prime Video beginning September 3rd, 2021.
Will Ferrell on the Music Charts? On-The-Air Review of “Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga”
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 12, 2020 - 2:53pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on July 9th, 2020, reviewing the instant cult classic from Netflix, “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.”
‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’ is a Bubbly Musical
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 20, 2018 - 10:26am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I give in. “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” the sequel to the much derided “Mamma Mia,” is a bubbly, frothy here-come-the-good-times musical that fits summer like a glove. The flashback format will also answer all the burning questions that were left unanswered from the first film, and the cast includes Cher!
Probable Events is the Situation in Tense ‘No Escape’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 26, 2015 - 5:11pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In a very unstable world, and in a sense that these problems are international, we all can be stuck in war at any time – there is no way to get away from it. “No Escape” takes this notion to the extreme, with an American family – led by Owen Wilson – caught in a war zone.
‘The November Man’ a Stealthy Late-Summer Spy Thriller
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 27, 2014 - 10:55am Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “The November Man” is better than its bland title and late August release date would suggest. It’s no gem, but it gets as far as it does almost solely on the strength of Pierce Brosnan’s breezy performance as an ex-CIA agent called back into duty for one last job.
More is Preferred in ‘Love is All You Need’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 10, 2013 - 5:48pmRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Creating the lofty name for this film, “Love is All You Need” – from a translation of its original title, “Den skaldede friser” – is intently ambitious considering its source is a lyric from one of The Beatles most famous songs. The film has its moments, but cannot sustain itself in a stew of high drama and mixed emotions.
Sarah Jessica Parker in ‘I Don’t Know How She Does It’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 16, 2011 - 4:18pm Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – She produced and starred in one of the great TV-to-film franchises of the last 15 years. She has made millions in endorsements for the fashion industry. She is married to a prominent celebrity who once played Ferris Bueller. Regarding Sarah Jessica Parker, “I Don’t Know How She Does It.”
Touching ‘The Greatest’ With Carey Mulligan Transcends Melodrama
Submitted by BrianTT on April 9, 2010 - 10:16amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The surprisingly good “The Greatest” opens and closes with two very different car rides — one silent and mournful and one loud and full of laughter; one on the way from death and one on the way to life. They are bookends for a well-performed tearjerker of the kind that mostly transcends its melodramatic set-up to become something genuinely moving.
Robert Pattinson Anchors the Forgettable ‘Remember Me’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 12, 2010 - 9:47amRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The hottest actor of the moment, smoldering Robert Pattinson, gets the opportunity to ditch the “Twilight” fangs and sink his teeth into a drama about New York City and the splintering factions of family in “Remember Me.”
