Patrick McDonald

CHICAGO – There will be inevitable comparisons to the Pulitzer Prize winning stage version of “August: Osage County” from the thousands of people who have been touched by the stage play. But in giving the film version a chance, there is the same passion, drama and heat of family dysfunction within it, with a dream cast.

CHICAGO – 2013 was another great year for Demetri Martin. The dry comedian released a new book, “Point Your Face at This” and co-starred in a well received independent film, “In a World…” Martin made an appearance in Chicago at the Barnes & Noble DePaul Center Loop store in April, and HollywoodChicago.com got the Exclusive Portrait.

CHICAGO – Gathering an ensemble cast for a film version of a Pulitzer Prize winning stage play is a tricky assignment. Some of the actors selected for “August: Osage County” – play and screenplay by Tracy Letts – are a mix of veterans (Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale) and relative newcomers (Julianne Nicholson).

CHICAGO – He is one of the greatest coaches in NBA history, achieving the NBA record of 11 championships in two incredible decades. He is also known as the “Zen Master,” for his holistic approach to his life and work. He is former Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Laker coach Phil Jackson, and his new book is “Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success.”

CHICAGO – Happy 18th Birthday to Gabrielle “Gabby” Douglas, who made history at the 2012 London Olympic Games by becoming the first U.S. Olympian to win gold in both the individual and team competitions at the same Olympics, and the first African American U.S. gymnast to become individual all-around champion.

CHICAGO – Why are those three Oscar winners – Susan Sarandon, Robert De Niro and Diane Keaton – laughing on that fourth poster below? Because they managed to cash a paycheck on the way to participating in one of the Worst Films of 2013.

CHICAGO – The year caught up with me. 2013 was characterized by a soft start and a strong finish, but overall there were impressive contenders throughout the year and some fine examples of great storytelling and filmmaking. Risks were taken, some truth emerged and even in more “mainstream” films, there were flashes of promise.

CHICAGO – It’s a Happy Birthday for Joe Manganiello. The “True Blood” hunk was born on December 28th in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has a red-hot career after co-starring last year in “Magic Mike,” with Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey. Manganiello was in Chicago recently meeting fans and signing his new book.

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Danny Trejo of the films ‘Machete’ and ‘Machete Kills.’

CHICAGO – The “Days of the Dead” convention is an annual gathering in Chicago and elsewhere, that brings together admirers of the horror film genre, cult movies enthusiasts and panel discussions on a myriad of subjects related to film and collectibles. Several celebrities also attended the Chicago event, including Danny Trejo of the “Machete” film series, Jason Mewes and Brian O’Halloran of “Clerks,” and Joanna Cassidy of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?,” and they posed for the HollywoodChicago.com camera.

CHICAGO – The memory of South Africa freedom fighter Nelson Mandela, who passed away on December 5th, is filled with deserved accolades and iconography. Director Justin Chadwick and actor Idris Elba brings the man to human life in the essential “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.”