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.
HollywoodChicago.com Arts & Entertainment News
TV Review: Amy Poehler Brings the Funny to ‘Parks and Recreation’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 8, 2009 - 4:11pm Television Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The Emmy Award-winning team behind NBC’s massively successful “The Office” returns to the mockumentary format with the similar “Parks and Recreation,” an effective comedy starring Amy Poehler of “Saturday Night Live,” Rashida Jones (“I Love You, Man”), Aziz Ansari (“Observe and Report”), and Paul Schneider (“Lars & the Real Girl”).
Blu-Ray Review: Jim Carrey Continues to Stumble With Mediocre ‘Yes Man’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 8, 2009 - 3:33pm Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – What has happened to Jim Carrey’s career? The comedy superstar has stumbled more in the last few years than he ever had before with the awful “The Number 23,” dull “Fun With Dick and Jane,” and now the mediocre “Yes Man”. This return to the slapstick style that made Carrey a star isn’t a complete disaster but it’s just not that funny and the average movie has been given average special featues on its Blu-Ray release.
TV Review: ABC’s Quirky ‘The Unusuals’ Off to Promising Start
Submitted by BrianTT on April 8, 2009 - 12:15pmTelevision Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – After the failure of the underrated “Life on Mars,” ABC brings another bizarre cop show to the same timeslot called “The Unusuals”.
Blu-Ray Review: Adam Sandler’s ‘Bedtime Stories’ Family Friendly Entertainment
Submitted by BrianTT on April 8, 2009 - 8:37am Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Adam Shankman’s “Bedtime Stories” is far from perfect but it also was undeservedly lambasted by critics. Is this great family fare? Heck no, but I’d still take this variation of Sandler’s persona over his cartoonish characters in most of his silly comedies and the movie has an easy-going likability that’s hard to deny. The Blu-Ray leaves a lot to be desired but the movie itself is probably better than you think.
Video: Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Inglourious Basterds’ Trailer With Brad Pitt
Submitted by BrianTT on April 8, 2009 - 8:34amCHICAGO – We’re back with our latest addition to our new-and-expanding video library of Summer 2009 movie previews. Today’s installment is easily one of the most anticipated films of the season, Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” starring Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, B.J. Novak, Samuel L. Jackson, Cloris Leachman, Mike Myers, and Diane Kruger. Check it out and see what you think. The film opens on August 21st, 2009.
Video Game Review: ‘The Godfather II’ Gives Fans Bang For Their Buck
Submitted by BrianTT on April 7, 2009 - 5:17pm Video Game Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Some games are easy to pick up and put down when you’ve got a small window of time. “The Godfather II” is not one of those games. Like being willing to watch Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather Trilogy” in one sitting, the game loosely based on the second film will take not just minutes or hours but days of your life.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Marley & Me’ Effective Crowd Pleaser, Great Blu-Ray
Submitted by BrianTT on April 7, 2009 - 1:29pm Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Marley & Me” is that rare, old-fashioned crowd pleaser that honestly pleases. The movie just works. Yes, it’s sentimental, melodramatic, and a bit long, but it’s completely effective and was underrated in theaters. This is going to be a movie that fans love for years to come and Fox has given their family-friendly hit a gorgeous three-disc Blu-Ray treatment.
Video: HBO’s ‘True Blood: The Complete First Season’ Available on May 19th
Submitted by BrianTT on April 7, 2009 - 11:09amCHICAGO – HBO sent over the details on the complete first season of their excellent “True Blood” with Anna Paquin today and included a video preview that we just had to share. Details on the release below the video.
TV Review: Denis Leary Continues to Shine on Consistent ‘Rescue Me’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 7, 2009 - 10:51amTelevision Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Denis Leary, Peter Tolan, and Evan Reilly were forced to take a lot of time between “Rescue Me” seasons due to the writer’s strike but they’re back with an amazing 22-episode season planned for FX starting tonight, April 7th, 2009 at 9pm CST. Seamlessly picking up where we left off, “Rescue Me” continues to entertain and maintain its tricky balance between goofy comedy and deadly serious subjects.
Video: ‘Terminator: Salvation’ Trailer With Christian Bale, Bryce Dallas Howard
Submitted by BrianTT on April 7, 2009 - 8:50amCHICAGO – We’re spending this week funneling some of the most exciting Summer 2009 previews into our awesome new video player and Tuesday’s entry is one of the most anticipated sequels of the year, “Terminator: Salvation”. The film, directed by McG, stars Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Moon Bloodgood, Bryce Dallas Howard, Common, Jane Alexander, and Helena Bonham Carter. It opens on May 21st, 2009.
Blu-Ray Review: Everyone Needs to Own ‘The Matrix’ in HD
Submitted by BrianTT on April 7, 2009 - 8:36am Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Like a lot of movie fans, one of the first DVDs I owned in the early days of the technology was the revolutionary “The Matrix,” starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano from directors Andy and Larry Wachowski. Not only was this sci-fi action extravaganza an easily re-watchable film but it looked amazing with DVD quality. Of course, HD was developed for movies like “The Matrix,” now available as a stand-alone Blu-Ray release for the first time.
Interviews: Here’s the Story of The Brady Bunch, Plus 4 Female Stars
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 6, 2009 - 8:48pmCHICAGO – Wrapping up HollywoodChicago.com’s summary of the Hollywood Collector Show in Chicago, many more television and movie stars sat down for interviews with us.
Blu-Ray Review: Pair of Oscar-Winning Musicals Tap to HD Beat
Submitted by BrianTT on April 6, 2009 - 11:49amBlu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Two of the most beloved musicals of all time recently made their debut on Blu-Ray with extravagant collections of special features, beautiful HD, and crystal clear audio. All musical fans will want to add the Best Picture-winning “An American in Paris” and “Gigi” to their Blu-Ray collection.
