Brian Tallerico

What to Watch: Oct. 1-7, 2013

The Bling Ring

CHICAGO – Another week of Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming options for you to peruse courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com’s “What to Watch.” Every week, we gather a select few of the most recent Blu-ray & DVD releases, toss in at least one On Demand option we’ve seen, and present them in a checklist order for you to knock out through Amazon, iTunes, Netflix, or good, old-fashioned Blu-ray (yes, that sounds funny to me too). This week’s is the strongest yet by far. Everything in here is worth a look, all the way down to #9. This is just the order you should watch ‘em in more than anything else.

Blu-ray Review: Great Gift Set Comes Early in ‘The Dark Knight Trilogy’

The Dark Knight Trilogy

CHICAGO – Believe it or not, it’s already time to start holiday shopping, which means it’s the time of year that studios release lavish gift sets for their most beloved films. No one is better at this holiday season product design than Warner Bros., who has released great Limited Edition sets for “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factor,” “Ben-Hur,” and the “Harry Potter” films in recent years. The first one this year is one of the best I’ve seen, a gorgeously packaged and beautifully accompanied collection for “The Dark Knight Trilogy,” including awesome physical collectibles and 90 minutes of new special features.

TV Review: NBC’s Struggles Continue with ‘Sean Saves the World,’ ‘Welcome to the Family’

CHICAGO – People often ask me why low-rated NBC shows like “Community” keep getting renewed (or how “Whitney” and “Up All Night” got a second season) and I often turn to a sports analogy — they have no one in the minor leagues to replace them.

Film Review: ‘Muscle Shoals’ Conveys Magic of Musical Hotbed

Muscle Shoals
HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.5/5.0
Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Greg Camalier’s “Muscle Shoals” is a robust, entertaining piece of work that captures the power of a place that has produced some of the most remarkable music in the history of the recorded form. It’s a testament to power of the “Muscle Shoals sound” that so many music legends sat down for Camalier to discuss it but the director wisely doesn’t turn this into cavalcade of stars, keeping the focus as much on the man who built this hotbed of creativity and the musicians who played behind the household names.

Film Review: Alfonso Cuaron’s ‘Gravity’ Rekindles Wonder of Cinema

CHICAGO – There used to be a stronger sense that films could take us someplace new. From the days of audience members screaming at the train coming at the camera because they didn’t understand that they wouldn’t be run over to Dorothy’s trip to Oz to young Skywalker’s family problems, movies captured a sense of wonder that’s been lost in an era when CGI is in KFC commercials and it feels like Hollywood has run out of new places to take us.

Streaming Feature: Best of New to Netflix October 2013

CHICAGO – We’re back. Last month’s list of ten interesting new additions to the Netflix library was a huge success and it’s time for your October edition. Every one of the ten films/shows listed below has been added in the last 30 days, and the emphasis this time is on things you may not have seen.

Blu-ray Review: ‘La Cage Aux Folles’ Joins Criterion Collection

La Cage Aux Folles

CHICAGO – 1978’s release of the French farce “La Cage Aux Folles” was a cultural event in New York City, where it played for months to audiences who had never seen anything like it. History has somewhat reappraised the film, especially so after the release of the Mike Nichols’ remake “The Birdcage,” and seen it as more than mere popular entertainment, crediting it with opening minds to lifestyles previously closeted.

TV Review: NBC’s ‘Ironside’ is Worst New Drama of 2013

CHICAGO – As the TV world was bombarded by new shows last week, I heard a number of complaints about the new dramas and comedies. “Hostages” was too cliched. “The Blacklist” wasn’t believable. “SHIELD” wasn’t fun enough. “Lucky 7” was, well, just awful. People, those shows will look even better if you happen to stumble upon “Ironside,” premiering tomorrow night on NBC.

What to Watch: Sept. 24-30, 2013 – Film Edition

Room 237

CHICAGO – We’re back with the new releases on Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming services from the last week that we think are the most interesting. Our fearless leader, Adam Fendelman, will have a lot to say about “Mr. Nobody,” now On Demand, in coming weeks and we’ll include that in next week’s What to Watch, but these are the four new Blu-ray/DVD releases that are most likely to grab your attention.

What to Watch: Sept. 24-30, 2013 – TV Edition

Doctor Who S7

CHICAGO – There’s too much TV being released on Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming services this time of year to watch it all. There literally aren’t enough hours in the day. So how do you work through it all, find what you want to watch, and set it aside for you valuable free time? What to Watch, once again this week split into two editions — one focusing on TV and the other on film. We’ll start with the boob tube one, which features a cult hit, two animated shows, a multiple Emmy winner, and one of CBS’s biggest comedies. In the order that we’d recommend you buy ‘em…

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  • Manhunt

    CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.

  • Topdog/Underdog, Invictus Theatre

    CHICAGO – When two brothers confront the sins of each other and it expands into a psychology of an entire race, it’s at a stage play found in Chicago’s Invictus Theatre Company production of “Topdog/Underdog,” now at their new home at the Windy City Playhouse through March 31st, 2024. Click TD/UD for tickets/info.

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