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: Comedian Melinda Hill for Stand-Up Special ‘Inappropriate’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 17, 2020 - 2:10pmCHICAGO – Combine the hilarity of prime observational comedy with the zen of inner peace, and you have Melinda Hill’s downloadable stand up special “Inappropriate.” This sharp master of laughs delivers an hour of riffs on her life and loves, including her viral tweet on fellow comedian Louis CK (#MeTooSoon).
Podtalk: Okema 'Seven' Gunn of ‘Black Mama Sable’ at 26th Black Harvest Film Fest
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 15, 2020 - 11:13amCHICAGO – The 26th edition of Chicago’s Black Harvest Film Festival (BHFF) continues with online and virtual access. One of the short films, in the program “Voices of Our Time,” is writer/director Okema “Seven” Gunn’s “Black Mama Sable.”
Film Review: He’s a Super Freak! On-Air Review of ‘Freaky'
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 13, 2020 - 7:56pmCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on November 12th, 2020, reviewing the new horror comedy “Freaky,” featuring Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton and Alan Ruck.
Film Feature: Preview for 37th Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, Thru Nov. 22, 2020
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 13, 2020 - 1:23pmCHICAGO – The great advantage of film festivals this year, if we’re to see a silver lining, is that most of the offerings are available to a wider audience via online virtual screenings. The 37th Chicago International Children’s Film Festival will be virtual/online and available to children of all ages from November 13th-22nd, 2020.
Podtalk: Lonnie Edwards’ ‘Periphery' at CUFF 27 Drive-In, Nov. 13, 2020
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 13, 2020 - 10:28amCHICAGO – Artist Lonnie Edwards is traveling the film festival circuit again, exhibiting his latest short “Periphery,” and this time it will appear at the 27th Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF 27) Chicago Shorts Program 2, at the Chi-Town Movies Drive-In on Friday, November 13th, 2020.
Podtalk: Elizabeth Coffman & Mark Bosco of ‘Flannery,’ at the CUFF 27 Drive-In, Nov 12, 2020
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 12, 2020 - 2:35pmCHICAGO – The 1950s/60s Southern author Flannery O’Connor gets an overdue documentary by co-directors Elizabeth Coffman and Mark Bosco. “Flannery” screens at the 27th Chicago Underground Film Festival Drive-In on November 12th, 2020.
Podtalk: David Weathersby of ‘The District’ at 26th Black Harvest Film Fest, thru Nov. 30, 2020
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 9, 2020 - 3:02pmCHICAGO – On Friday, November 6th, 2020, the 26th edition of Chicago’s Black Harvest Film Festival (BHFF) opened for online and virtual access. The BHFF is one of the country’s most prestigious black-oriented film celebrations in the country, and will run throughout the month of November until Monday the 30th.
Film Feature: Preview for 27th Chicago Underground Film Festival, Running Nov. 9-22, 2020
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 9, 2020 - 10:51amCHICAGO – The one great off-the-beaten-track cinema festival remains the Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF). Like all festivals around 2020, CUFF 27 will be virtual and online from November 9th-22nd, 2020, with special Drive-In events.
Podtalk: Director Seth Savoy of ‘Echo Boomers,’ at Chicago's Music Box Theatre, Nov, 13, 2020
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 8, 2020 - 9:32pmCHICAGO – “Echo Boomers,” the feature directorial debut of Seth Savoy, will have its Chicago run at the Music Box Theatre starting November 13th, 2020. The locally made film features Patrick Schwarzenegger, Michael Shannon, and Alex Pettyfer.
Film Review: On-Air Reviews of ‘Let Him Go’ & ‘Jungleland’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 6, 2020 - 6:34amCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on November 5th, 2020, reviewing the new films “Let Him Go” (in theaters) and “Jungleland” (limited theaters and VOD).
An Appreciation: Sean Connery Defined in Two Quotes
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 1, 2020 - 11:49amCHICAGO – Sean Connery, who began a sensation when he first introduced himself as “Bond, James Bond” in his role as the spy in “Dr No” (1962) – and was able to redefine himself as a character actor after 10 years as Bond – passed away on October 31st, 2020, at his home in the Bahamas.
Film Review: It’s Very Very Fine! On-Air Review of ‘His House’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 30, 2020 - 7:19pmCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on The Eddie Volkman Show on WSSR-FM (Star 96.7 Joliet, Illinois) on October 16th, 2020, reviewing a new Netflix Halloween release, “Our House,” plus a preview of the produced-in-Chicago film “The Misadventures of Mistress Maneater.”
Theater News: Final Weekend for Possibilities Theatre Company’s “Free Space,” Oct. 29-31, 2020
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 29, 2020 - 6:17amCHICAGO – Yes Virginia, there still is live theater. The Possibilities Theatre presents “Free Space,” a play by Tara Meddaugh, via Zoom and a special live performance (weather permitting) in its final weekend October 29th-31st, 2020. For more information, including tickets, click here.
