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
Blu-Ray Review: Anna Faris Shines in ‘The House Bunny’ But Average Blu-Ray
Submitted by BrianTT on December 23, 2008 - 12:53pmCHICAGO – “The House Bunny” never quite comes together as a consistent comedy but its charismatic and talented star, Anna Faris, and an ensemble willing to follow her bubbly lead should help viewers get over the rough spots in the screenplay.
To Our Readers: HollywoodChicago.com Improves Site Performance, Hires Content Director
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on December 23, 2008 - 12:37pmCHICAGO – On behalf of all of us at HollywoodChicago.com, I’m pleased to announce two exciting and significant developments for this Chicago-based arts and entertainment publication and ultimately for our readers.
Blu-Ray Review: Remake of ‘The Women’ Fails on Every Level
Submitted by BrianTT on December 23, 2008 - 9:55amCHICAGO – The long-delayed remake of “The Women”, the 1939 classic film that has been in the pipeline for years, should have stayed in terminal development hell.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Burn After Reading’ Hilarious Movie, Horrible Blu-Ray
Submitted by BrianTT on December 22, 2008 - 12:23pmCHICAGO – It’s impossible for a critic to thoroughly defend something he finds funny but fully realizes that a large majority of the audience may not. Sometimes a film just hits your funny bone in right way. “Burn After Reading” does so for me, but may not for audiences without a little bit of a mean streak.
Video Game Review: ‘Tomb Raider: Underworld’ Buries Treasure With Awkward Gameplay
Submitted by BrianTT on December 22, 2008 - 12:19pm Video Game Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The best way to explain my reaction to “Tomb Raider: Underworld”, the latest next-gen console adventure for the legendary Lara Croft, can be summed up with an anecdote.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Casablanca’ is a Blu-Ray Gift Set For the Ages
Submitted by BrianTT on December 22, 2008 - 12:13pmCHICAGO – An edition of The Hollywood Reporter in January of 1942 announced that Warner Brothers was moving forward with a film called “Casablanca” and that it would star Ann Sheridan, Ronald Reagan and Dennis Morgan.
Clint Eastwood Idles With Caricature Over Character in ‘Gran Torino’
Submitted by BrianTT on December 19, 2008 - 10:54amCHICAGO – With his second film in just a few months, Clint Eastwood makes one of his biggest missteps of his illustrious career as one of the more esteemed American directors in the history of the medium.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Traitor’ Betrays With Exploitation Over Genuine Drama
Submitted by BrianTT on December 18, 2008 - 1:23pmCHICAGO – “Traitor” walks a fine line between escapism and exploitation and essentially falls in the cracks in between, working as neither a thriller nor a topical drama. Great performances from Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, and Jeff Daniels almost make Jeffrey Nachmanoff’s film worth a rental, but the lackluster Blu-Ray presentation doesn’t help a film that already had some serious problems become more than a marginal recommendation.
‘WALL-E,’ ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ ‘The Dark Knight’ Win Awards From Chicago Film Critics Association
Submitted by BrianTT on December 18, 2008 - 10:21amCHICAGO – The Chicago Film Critics Association announced their winners for the best of 2008 and an animated robot, superhero movie villain, wrestling star, and former teen actress walked away with big prizes. “Wall-E” was the big winner of the day, taking home an amazing four prizes, the most presented to any one movie this year.
The 10 Best Film Documentaries of 2008
Submitted by BrianTT on December 17, 2008 - 4:39pmCHICAGO – One of the most wonderful things about the world of documentary film is the complete unpredictability of the form. It seems much easier to look at a list of upcoming works from major and minor narrative directors and know what’s going to stand out at the end of the year than to even attempt the same thing with an upcoming batch of documentaries.
DVD Review: ‘Generation Kill’ Defines New Face of American War
Submitted by BrianTT on December 17, 2008 - 3:26pmCHICAGO – David Simon and Ed Burns, two of the television geniuses behind “The Wire”, turned their eyes and ears from the gang-ridden streets of Baltimore to the bullet-strewn bodies of Iraq in the incredible seven-part HBO mini-series “Generation Kill”, now available in a box set from HBO Home Video.
DVD Review: ‘American Teen’ Doesn’t Graduate With Lackuster Release
Submitted by BrianTT on December 17, 2008 - 1:50pmCHICAGO – The concept of “American Teen” is undeniably interesting but the execution is another story and the DVD assembled by Paramount to bring this acclaimed film to home audiences is a disappointment on nearly every level.
The 10 Most Underrated Film Performances of 2008
Submitted by BrianTT on December 16, 2008 - 10:47pmCHICAGO – From Heath Ledger’s searing portrayal of The Joker in “The Dark Knight” to Sean Penn’s riveting embodiment of Harvey Milk in “Milk,” 2008 has been an excellent year for on-screen performances.
