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+.
John Lennon
Film News: Peter Fonda, Forever the ‘Easy Rider,’ Dies at 79
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 17, 2019 - 9:44amLOS ANGELES – Peter Fonda, part of Hollywood acting royalty, had many memorable roles in his long career. But he will forever be known as the “Easy Rider,” the 1969 feature (coincidentally, the film was the number one film exactly 50 years ago today) that ushered in a new wave of filmmaking. Portraying a biker named Captain America, his character was “born to be wild” as he motored across the country. Peter Fonda died in Los Angeles due to complications of lung cancer. He was 79.
Film Review: ‘Yesterday’ is a Can’t-Miss Premise That Still Misses
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 28, 2019 - 10:12amCHICAGO – As a Beatles fanatic who has a band because of their existence, the premise of “Yesterday” was can’t miss. A man wakes up after an accident to discover he’s the only person to know that The Beatles existed? Sign me up and buy me popcorn. It’s unfortunate that the story went in a direction that did miss.
Interview: Scott Freiman on ‘Deconstructing the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper Album’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 4, 2017 - 10:29amCHICAGO – Scott Freiman is an entrepreneur, producer, composer and musicologist, and turned his primary passion – painstakingly delving into the song production techniques of The Beatles – into a series of lectures called “Deconstructing The Beatles.” He has turned those lectures into films, and “Deconstructing The Beatles Sgt. Pepper Album” will screen in Chicago at area Landmark Cinemas on February 6th, 2017.
Film Review: History & Pure Fun in ‘The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 20, 2016 - 10:32amCHICAGO – They were the greatest show on earth, for what it was worth. But what they also were was one of the most fascinating show business stories in history. Director Ron Howard encapsulates John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr during their initial meteoric rise in the descriptively titled ‘The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years.’
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 15 Pairs of Guaranteed Anytime Passes to ‘Danny Collins’ With Al Pacino
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on April 2, 2015 - 11:29amCHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 15 pairs of guaranteed anytime movie tickets up for grabs to the new dramedy “Danny Collins” starring Al Pacino! Pick your own theatre and time throughout Chicago/land!
Film Review: Imagine What Could Have Been for ‘Danny Collins’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 27, 2015 - 10:20amCHICAGO – “Danny Collins” is a shoulda-woulda-coulda film. It was inspired by the true story of a John Lennon letter acquired by a musician 40 years after he was suppose to to have received it, and then re-imagined as a cheap soap opera, punctuated by far superior John Lennon songs.
Interview: Director Dan Fogelman on Nurturing ‘Danny Collins’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 23, 2015 - 4:45pmCHICAGO – Dan Fogelman is a familiar behind-the-scenes creator, having wrote scripts and screenplays for “Cars,” “Fred Claus,” “Tangled,” “The Guilt Trip” and “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” He takes on his first directorial effort, the story of “Danny Collins,” a faded rock star who finds redemption through a lost letter from John Lennon.
Interview: Anson ‘Potsie’ Williams on His Book ‘Singing to a Bulldog’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 18, 2014 - 1:20pmCHICAGO – When is comes to appreciating life, one great practitioner is Anson Williams, better known as the character “Potsie” from the 1970s TV series “Happy Days.” Williams wants to remind everybody to “pay it forward,” as he does in highlighting his unlikely mentor in his new book, “Singing to a Bulldog.”
Film Review: It’s Been ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ Then, Now & Forever
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 5, 2014 - 10:42amCHICAGO – If you are lucky enough to have the 50th Anniversary edition of “A Hard Day’s Night” playing in your area, drop everything and go see it, especially if you’ve never seen it before. The Beatles – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr – are ageless and timeless in a new print restoration and sound remastering of their 1964 debut film.
Blu-ray Review: The Beatles’ ‘Help!’ Given Loving HD Restoration
Submitted by BrianTT on July 2, 2013 - 12:55pmCHICAGO – After the massive success of “A Hard Day’s Night,” director Richard Lester was given more money and more creative freedom to direct “Help!,” a film seen as a disappointment by many at the time, including The Beatles themselves, but historically appreciated (as are most things John, Paul, George, and Ringo). The Beatles 1965 classic has been given a loving restoration, particularly in the sound department, and accompanied by interesting special features and attractive packaging. It’s a great gift idea for The Beatles fan in your family.