CHICAGO – Excelsior! Comic book legend Stan Lee’s famous exclamation puts a fine point on the third and final play of Mark Pracht’s FOUR COLOR TRILOGY, “The House of Ideas,” presented by and staged at City Lit Theater in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. For tickets/details, click HOUSE OF IDEAS.
HollywoodChicago.com Arts & Entertainment News
Podtalk: A Toast to Jean de St. Aubin, Executive Director of the Gene Siskel Film Center
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 27, 2023 - 7:48pmCHICAGO – In November 2022, the Executive Director of Chicago’s Gene Siskel Film Center … Jean de St. Aubin … announced she will leave the position in February of 2023. Ms. de St. Aubin joined the Film Center in 2003, snd has overseen many transition points during her tenure, including of course the closure due to the pandemic.!—break—>
Audio Film Review: Mother’s Day in Court in ‘Saint Omer’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 25, 2023 - 9:46pmCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for “Saint Omer,” the French film narrative debut of documentary maker Alice Diop, based on a real trial that she had observed. Currently in select theaters, see local listings.
Film News: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Opens in Chicago’s Wrigleyville on Jan. 27, 2023
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 25, 2023 - 9:15pmCHICAGO – Alamo Drafthouse Cinema … which began 26 years ago as a single screen in Austin, Texas, and has expanded to 38 locations … is opening in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood on January 27th, 2023.
Audio Film Review: As the Tree Bends, So Grows ‘The Son’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 24, 2023 - 4:27pmCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for “The Son,” a follow up film by writer/director Florian Zeller (“The Father”) … which is another family drama also based on his own play. in theaters beginning January 20th.
On-Air Series Review: Jinkies! Scooby-Doo Gang Reboot of 'Velma'
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 22, 2023 - 1:18amCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on The Eddie Volkman Show with Hannah B on WSSR-FM (Star 96.7 Joliet, Illinois) on January 20th, reviewing the new series reboot “Velma,” created by Mindy Kaling and featuring the Scooby-Doo gang. Currently streaming on HBO Max.
On-Air Film Review: They Must Be Crazy in ‘New Gods: Yang Jian’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 20, 2023 - 8:07pmCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on January 19th, 2023, reviewing “New Gods: Yang Jian” another in a series of animated features by director Ji Zhao. In select theaters beginning January 20th.
On-Air Film Review: Call Me ‘When You Finish Saving the World’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 20, 2023 - 3:38pmCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on January 19th, 2023, reviewing “When You Finish Saving the World,” the directorial debut from actor Jesse Eisenberg. In select theaters beginning January 20th.!—break—>
Theater News: 5th Chicago Intl. Puppet Fest Through Jan. 29th, 2023
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 18, 2023 - 11:43amCHICAGO – Call me an Ismael puppet. We’ll never know if that was the opening line Herman Melville intended for his classic “Moby Dick,” but the 5th Chicago International Puppet Festival presents their Opening Night marionette version on January 18th, 2023 (7:30p), and the fest runs through January 29th. For tickets and info, click 5TH PUPPET FEST.
On-Air Film Review: Come Fly with Gerard Butler in ‘Plane’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 12, 2023 - 7:10pmCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Ben Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on January 12th, 2023, reviewing “Plane,” the latest action thriller featuring Gerard Butler. In theaters beginning January 13th.
Feature: Top 25 Celebrity Portraits of 2022, by Photographer Joe Arce
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 7, 2023 - 12:54pm- 2022
- 25
- Best
- Bryan Cranston
- Chicago Critics Film Festival
- Chicago Humanities Festival
- Chicago International Film Festival
- Darren Aronofsky
- Entertainment News
- Feature
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Jessica Lange
- Joe Arce
- Jon Bernthal
- Kathryn Hahn
- Katie Couric
- Kevin Smith
- List
- Misty Copeland
- Molly Shannon
- Patrick McDonald
- Photography
- Photos
- Pictures
- Portraits
- Selma Blair
- Top 25 2022
CHICAGO – 2022 was a year of change and transformation. The former leader of the free world morphed into a horribly photoshopped digital trading card spokesmodel and pitch man. That and a full on spy challenging the DOJ to find the stolen classified documents in a shell game of 3 card monte exactly like a subway car hustler.
On-Air Film Review: Domo Arigato Child Roboto in ‘M3GAN’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 7, 2023 - 10:29amCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on January 5th, 2023, reviewing “M3GAN” a term pronounced “Megan” but short for Model 3 Generative Android. This robot film is in theaters beginning January 6th.!—break—>
Film Review: ‘A Man Called Otto’ is O-T-T-Oh No for Tom Hanks
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 5, 2023 - 9:29amCHICAGO – Tom Hanks finds himself – as the title character – stranded in a slough of artificiality in this clumsy manipulative attempt at a crowd pleaser. He plays a grump in “A Man Named Otto,” a remake of a 2015 Swedish film. The setting has been transferred to the grey rust belt of Pittsburgh, and Hanks is a widower with a lot of chips on his shoulder about the world today. !—break—>
Film Feature: The 10 Best Films of 2022, By Patrick McDonald
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 30, 2022 - 2:41pm- 10 Best Movies 2022
- 2022
- Eddie Volkman
- Emily the Criminal
- Film News
- Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
- Hannah B
- Happening
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- List
- Moonage Daydream
- Official Competition
- Patrick McDonald
- Pompo the Cinephile
- Scott Thompson
- Ten
- Ten Best Films 2022
- Top Ten 2022
- Vengeance
- WBGR-FM
- White Noise
- WSSR-FM
CHICAGO – Lists are very arbitrary, but the exercise in determining a personal 10 BEST FILMS list of any year is a celebration of what I love, and there ain’t nothing wrong with that. The filtering of experiences that form our opinions is a great gift, and the journey I’ve had with film criticism and reporting has been the greatest of my life.!—break—>