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
Kyra Sedgwick, Ensemble Cast Continue to Bring it Home on ‘The Closer’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 21, 2009 - 8:25pm Television Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – TNT’s “The Closer” has an easy-going charm that rarely gets the critical praise it deserves but has turned the show into one of the most highly rated scripted program on basic cable. “The Closer” beats most network programs and is, cable or not, one of the bigger hits on TV. The mid-season premiere, “Good Faith,” airing Monday, January 26th, 2009, makes it easy to see why.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Saw V’ Delivers Exactly What Fans Expect
Submitted by BrianTT on January 21, 2009 - 7:59pm Blu-Ray Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The latest entry in the neverending Saw franchise, “Saw V” hit Blu-Ray this week and, well, it’s a little difficult to review. The video and audio are better-than-average, but the features are sub-par at best and, the movie, well, it’s basically exactly what you’d expect it to be. There’s a reason they hold these movies back from critics. Reviews of the actual film barely seem to matter.
‘The Dark Knight’ Returns to IMAX Theaters on Jan. 23, 2009
Submitted by BrianTT on January 21, 2009 - 4:13pmCHICAGO – You can celebrate the very likely Oscar nominations for “The Dark Knight” or lament the film’s snubbing by the academy by revisiting Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece in all of its IMAX glory starting this Friday on Jan. 23, 2009.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘The Bourne Trilogy’ Sets Bar For Blu-Ray Box Sets
Submitted by BrianTT on January 21, 2009 - 10:48am Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Your Blu-Ray collection should expand by three movies next week when “The Bourne Trilogy” finally hits the format in a beautiful three-disc box with perfect picture and sound and an amazing collection of special features.
DVD, Blu-Ray Round Up, Jan. 20, 2009: ‘Henry Poole is Here,’ ‘The Pink Panther,’ ‘King Kong’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 20, 2009 - 5:05pmCHICAGO – This week’s edition of the Round-Up - HollywoodChicago’s recurring feature of titles that might fall through the cracks if we don’t shine a spotlight on them, however briefly - includes proof that while not all remakes fail some certainly do, Chris Rock is still the most talented stand-up comedian alive, and the Brits usually do TV better than Americans.
Excellent Ensemble, Quality Writing Click on TNT’s ‘Trust Me’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 20, 2009 - 1:35pmTelevision Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – We have good news for fans of “Will & Grace” and “Ed”. The stars of those two shows have been lucky enough to have lightning strike their careers again with TNT’s “Trust Me”.
Blu-Ray Review: Horror of ‘Mirrors’ Shatters on Closer Inspection
Submitted by BrianTT on January 20, 2009 - 12:38pmCHICAGO – “Mirrors” is a so-so horror movie helped a bit by its interesting director’s visual flourishes and a better-than-average ensemble but ultimately shattered by an incoherent screenplay and dialogue that is more likely to produce laughter than shivers.
USA’s ‘Burn Notice’ Returns Better Than When it Left With Great Mid-Season Premiere
Submitted by BrianTT on January 19, 2009 - 4:18pm Television Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Who’s ready for a summer diversion in the middle of the winter? USA hopes you are. When the very good “Burn Notice” left the air at the end of last summer, it had scored ratings that would make it the #1 scripted show on cable for the entire year in the coveted 18-49 demo.
Blu-Ray Review: Valentine’s Day Gift Lists Start With ‘The Notebook’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 19, 2009 - 1:15pmCHICAGO – It may not have been a massive hit when it was first released, but in just a few short years, “The Notebook” has become one of the more beloved romantic dramas of the last few decades. People adore The Notebook, propelling the film to a sales total of more than nine million units to date.
‘Lie to Me’ With Tim Roth Mistakes Concept For Content
Submitted by BrianTT on January 19, 2009 - 11:23am Television Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “The Mentalist” is the only significant new hit for the 2008-2009 season and the number one rule in TV is that if something works once, try and replicate it. Viewers can expect to see dozens of clones of the Simon Baker series in the next few years. It is into this atmosphere that Fox hopes their newest crime series, “Lie To Me,” can find a loyal audience.
2008 in Review: The Top 5 Film Interviews of HollywoodChicago.com
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 17, 2009 - 10:19pmCHICAGO – After participating in close to 25 interviews in 2008 for HollywoodChicago.com, the mechanics of each sit down are interestingly similar. The reporters gather at a pre-determined spot (usually a Chicago downtown hotel).
Free Chicago Screenings to ‘Underworld: Rise of the Lycans,’ Autographed Posters With Star Kevin Grevioux
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on January 17, 2009 - 4:35amCHICAGO – “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” star Kevin Grevioux will be in Chicago on Jan. 19, 2009 to give away a limited amount of autographed posters for the film as well as admit-two passes to the movie. Want to know where and when to show up for this special event? Read on as HollywoodChicago.com dishes to you the scoop.
Hookup: 20 Admit-Two VIP Passes to Chicago Premiere of TNT Series ‘Trust Me’ With Tom Cavanagh
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on January 16, 2009 - 10:13pmCHICAGO – In a special edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: TV, we have 20 admit-two VIP passes up for grabs to the exclusive Chicago premiere of the new TNT drama “Trust Me” about a Chicago advertising agency. The series stars Eric McCormack (“Will & Grace”), Tom Cavanagh (“Scrubs,” “Ed”) and Monica Potter (“Boston Legal,” “Saw,” “Along Came a Spider,” “Patch Adams,” “Con Air”) from the producers of “Nip/Tuck” and “The Closer”.
