CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio review for the doc series “Charlie Hustle & the Matter of Pete Rose,” about the rise and bitter fall of the major league legend, the MLB’s all-time hits leader, only to be banned from the sport because of gambling. Streaming on MAX and on HBO since July 24th.
HollywoodChicago.com Arts & Entertainment News
Podtalk: Actor Anders Holm Feels Lucky in ‘About My Father’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 23, 2023 - 7:46amCHICAGO – If you’re a “Workaholics” fan, Anders Holm needs no introduction. The actor was a co-creator of the farcical series on Comedy Central, and from there has carved a niche as a character actor. He portrays Lucky in the new comedy “About My Father,” which features Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro.
Podtalk: Director Ric Roman Waugh Takes Us to ‘Kandahar’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 22, 2023 - 8:31amCHICAGO – Ric Roman Waugh is a man of action, as this stuntman-turned-director is approaching his tenth film, several of which involving his actor partner Gerard Butler. The duo takes on the Afghanistan War from the CIA undercover operative angle with the new film “Kandahar,” opening in theaters on May 26th.
Audio Film Review: Family Transitions Begin in ‘L’Immensitá’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 20, 2023 - 4:13pmCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for a 2022 foreign language film distributed in the U.S. by Chicago’s Music Box Films … and featuring Penélope Cruz … entitled “L’Immensitá.” In select theaters beginning May 19th, see local listings.
Film Review: ‘Fast X’ is a Full Scale Assault on the Laws of Logic
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 18, 2023 - 11:43pmCHICAGO – A lot of blockbusters require you to check your brain at the door. “Fast X” requires a full scale lobotomy. To the uninitiated, Vin Diesel’s blatant disregard for the laws of gravity and physics represents a full scale assault on the senses, reason, and logic in its effort to bring audiences down to its star’s lunkheaded level.
Audio Film Review: Lord in the Dance for ‘The Starling Girl’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 18, 2023 - 6:26pmCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for the first feature film debut from writer/director Laurel Parmet … set in a fundamentalist Christian community in Kentucky … entitled “The Starling Girl.” In select theaters beginning May 19th, see local listings.
Podtalk: Icon Bernadette Peters Takes Refuge in ‘HIgh Desert’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 17, 2023 - 9:08amCHICAGO – How has actor/singer/Broadway icon Bernadette Peters ended up in the arid lands of California? She is featured in the new Apple TV+ series “High Desert.” It has an ensemble cast led by Patricia Arquette as Peggy Newman, a recovering human being in an odd and spiritual place. The series begins streaming on May 17th.
On-Air Feature: Expressing the Heroics in Superhero Movies
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 15, 2023 - 9:43amCHICAGO – Often on my weekly appearances on WGBR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin), there is a topic associated with that week’s reviews. I don’t usually publish them, but the result of May the 4th was special. Host Dan Baker and I did a ranking of our favorite superhero movies on “Guardians 3” release day, and the talk was lively and surprising.
Exclusive Portrait: Congrats to Sheryl Crow on 2023 Induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 13, 2023 - 9:45amCHICAGO – Everyday is a Winding Road, as pop-rocker Sheryl Crow once reminded us. But one of her recent days included the announcement that Ms. Crow was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. The new class will be inducted on November 3rd, 2023.
On-Air Film Review: Called CrackBerry, Addicted to ‘BlackBerry’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 13, 2023 - 8:23amCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on May 11th, reviewing “BlackBerry,” the story of the rise and fall of the world’s first smartphone. In theaters on May 12th.
On-Air Film Review: ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ Turns the Page
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 12, 2023 - 9:37amCHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on May 11th, reviewing “Book Club: The Next Chapter,” the sequel to the popular film from 2018. In theaters on May 12th.
CCFF23: 'Theater Camp' is Chicago Critics Film Fest Closing Night
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 11, 2023 - 7:29amCHICAGO – All great things must come to an end, as the 2023 Chicago Critics Film Festival (CCFF) Closing Night is on Thursday, May 11th, with the anticipated “Theater Camp” at the Music Box Theatre. The Fest spanned six days, click CCFF FINALE for closing night ticket info.
Podtalk: Director Davis Guggenheim on ‘Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 10, 2023 - 3:32pmCHICAGO – An essential documentary will stream on Apple TV+ beginning May 12th. “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” directed by Davis Guggenheim (“An Inconvenient Truth”) combines interview, re-creations and most telling, clips of Fox’s film/TV appearances to highlight his triumph and later, his Parkinson’s Disease.
Interview: Actor Jill Thiel on Eclectic Full Contact Theatre ‘The Wonder,’ Thru May 13, 2023
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 10, 2023 - 1:20pmCHICAGO – One of the oddest cases of unknown Illinois history involves the “Watseka Wonder.” In the the 19th Century, the tiny town in the Land of Lincoln drew nationwide attention for a certified case of “spiritual” possession.
