Benedict Cumberbatch

CHICAGO – “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” proves that more Doctor Stranges do not necessarily equal more fun. And more so than other comic book adventures, this seems like a cog in the Marvel machine first, and an adventure in its own right a very distant second.

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on December 16th, 2021, reviewing the much anticipated Marvel Studios film, of “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” in theaters on December 17th, 2021.

CHICAGO – The sweeping and majestically searing “The Power of the Dog,” directed by Jane Campion, was named Best Picture in 2021 by the Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) on Wednesday, December 15th. The film also received recognition as Best Director, Actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), Supporting Actor (Kodi Smit-McPhee), Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography and Original Score.

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on November 18th, 2021, reviewing the new film adapted and directed by Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog” in select theaters, before streaming on Netflix December 1st.


CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on February 18th, 2021, reviewing the new film “Mauritanian,” in theaters now and available through Video-On-Demand on March 2nd.

CHICAGO – It is a solid assertion that actor Michael Shannon is one of the finer performers currently working in stage and film. Recently he brought to light the real-life character of George Westinghouse, as he was rival to Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) for control of the new fangled electricity grid in ‘The Current War.’

CHICAGO – They should have left well enough alone, didn’t anybody learn anything from the trainwreck of the Jim Carrey live-action-as-The-Grinch? Apparently not. A more kid friendly and modern animated version of “The Grinch” opens six weeks before Christmas, and already I want to return it.

CHICAGO – Coming off the multi-textured “Black Panther,” Marvel Studios now turns its assignment towards an Avengers movie, and man, everything is on the table. This overstuffed, somewhat overindulged journey of a tale never loses its flavor, and has surprises around every corner. Anticipate “Avengers: Infinity War.”

CHICAGO – We’ve reached a point where comic book films are no longer a scarcity, but an eventuality. With several coming out every year, each one competes for our attention even though the originality behind their approach has the opposite effect. A great cinematic fatigue is almost upon us, but “Doctor Strange” shows a promising deviation that could possibly alter the franchise’s fate.

CHICAGO – Humor is subject to the receiver, of course, and what is funny is as distinct to each individual as a fingerprint. Having said that, I found “Zoolander 2” to be hilarious, as it delivered again what made the first film work – tweaking the self-importance of fashion and celebrity.