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
Epic, Gorgeous ‘Everlasting Moments’ Lingers Like a Dusty Photograph
Submitted by BrianTT on March 13, 2009 - 1:36pm Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Jan Troell’s epic “Everlasting Moments,” a Golden Globe-nominee for Best Foreign Language Film of 2008 and Sweden’s entry in the same category for the Oscars (notoriously making “Let the Right One In” ineligible because of the stupid “one country, one movie” rule), is a haunting, beautiful movie about small, emotional movements set against a backdrop of national change.
Documentary ‘Brothers at War’ is Heartfelt But Narrow in Scope
Submitted by BrianTT on March 13, 2009 - 1:05pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The market has been flooded with documentaries about the failure of the Iraq War, which makes the arrival of a human story about real people on the ground something notable and refreshing. Sadly, Jacob Rademacher’s “Brothers at War” is as myopic as any piece of “left-wing propaganda” about the failure of the war, missing both the big picture and the human one due to its filmmaker’s refusal to ask the dark questions.
Effective Remake of ‘The Last House on the Left’ a Powerful Horror Film
Submitted by BrianTT on March 13, 2009 - 12:35pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Dennis Illiadis’ remake of “The Last House on the Left” is the exception the proves the rule that most horror movie remakes are a complete waste of time. With an incredible performance by Garret Dillahunt (“Deadwood,” “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”) and great supporting work by Monica Potter, Sara Paxton, Tony Goldwyn, and others, “Last House” is the best mainstream horror movie in a long time.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Cadillac Records’ With Beyonce Knowles a Greatest Hits Album of Blues Legends
Submitted by BrianTT on March 12, 2009 - 7:58pm Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There’s a lot to like about the individual parts of “Cadillac Records,” now on Blu-Ray, but they never come together to form a cohesive sum. A frustratingly episodic film, “Records” crams too many stories into one movie, ending up more like a greatest hits album than a creative vision of its very own.
DVD Review: Anne Hathaway’s ‘Rachel Getting Married’ Deserves Huge Audience on DVD
Submitted by BrianTT on March 12, 2009 - 6:28pm DVD Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Jonathan Demme’s “Rachel Getting Married” was easily one of the best films of 2008, featuring Oscar-worthy work by Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, screenwriter Jenny Lumet, and its acclaimed director.
Interview: Writers/Directors Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore on Playboy-Centric Film ‘Miss March’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 12, 2009 - 4:41pmCHICAGO – Zach Cregger and Trevor Moore – best known as members of the TV comedy troupe “The Whitest Kids U’ Know” (now on the Independent Film Channel) – make their directorial feature-film debut with the release of “Miss March”.
Juan Antonio Bayona Will Direct ‘Twilight’ Sequel ‘The Twilight Saga’s Eclipse’
Submitted by BrianTT on March 12, 2009 - 12:09pmCHICAGO – It was just a rumor yesterday but it was made official last night when Variety announced that Juan Antonio Bayona will direct the upcoming sequel to “Twilight” and “The Twilight Saga’s New Moon,” “The Twilight Saga’s Eclipse”. The third film in the Stephenie Meyer series will star Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, and more.
Interview: Five Questions For Craig Robinson of New Film ‘Miss March,’ TV’s ‘The Office’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 12, 2009 - 11:53amCHICAGO – Craig Robinson is one busy character actor. Besides his recurring role as Darryl Philbin in the popular NBC show “The Office’, he co-stars in the comedy film “Miss March” (releasing on Friday) as the strangely named Horsedick.MPEG.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ With Hannibal Lecter Finally Available in HD
Submitted by BrianTT on March 12, 2009 - 10:54am Blu-Ray Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – When the HD revolution was announced, most hardcore movie fans had an instant wish list of titles that they dreamed about seeing in the next generation of video and audio.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Transporter 3’ With Jason Statham Speeds to High-Definition Nowhere
Submitted by BrianTT on March 11, 2009 - 6:26pm Blu-Ray Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – If you’re a big Jason Statham fan, you can move on to another Blu-Ray review. After the pain inflicted on critics in 2008 with the trifecta of “In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale,” “Death Race,” and “Transporter 3,” you won’t read many kind words about him in this one.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘South Park’ Rocks in HD With 12th Season Blu-Ray Box Set
Submitted by BrianTT on March 11, 2009 - 4:53pmBlu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I honestly never though Trey Parker and Matt Stone would still be pumping out “South Park” episodes in the era of HD Blu-Ray. It’s not that I’m not a fan. I’ve seen the brilliant movie, “South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut” a dozen or so times, but I thought that would be near the end of the phenomenon of Stan, Kyle, Kenny, & Cartman. Years later, it looks like it was just the beginning.
Interview: Alex Proyas, Director of ‘Knowing’ With Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne
Submitted by BrianTT on March 11, 2009 - 1:57pmCHICAGO – “I want to make movies that touch people in unique ways and affect people in unique ways. And, you know, that’s what I’ve tried to do with this film.”
‘Orphanage’ Director Juan Antonio Bayona Rumored to Direct ‘The Twilight Saga’s Eclipse’
Submitted by BrianTT on March 11, 2009 - 11:50amCHICAGO – There were rumors last month that Drew Barrymore might be tapped to direct the third film in Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment’s “The Twilight Saga’s Eclipse,” but this morning The Hollywood Reporter’s Risky Biz blog reported the Spanish director of “The Orphanage,” Juan Antonio Bayona, a protege of Guillermo Del Toro, could be the man to take on the third film in the “Twilight“ franchise.
