Viola Davis

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on November 26th, 2020, reviewing the new animated sequel “The Croods: A New Age,” featuring the voices of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone and Peter Dinklage..

CHICAGO – 2018 was a killer year. I lost both my father and my childhood guitar idol|/mentor Ed King (of Lynyrd Skynyrd) within four days of each other. Both men played instrumental roles in starting and supporting my chosen photographic journey.

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Liam Neeson portrays Henry in ‘Widows.’

CHICAGO – Liam Neeson “Released the Superstars” on October 13th, 2018, as the all-star cast of the new film “Widows” walked the Red Carpet before a premiere screening at the 54th Chicago International Film Festival. Joining Liam was Oscar winner Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez (“Fast & Furious” series), as well as supporting actors Cynthia Erivo and Brian Tyree Henry, plus author/screenplay adapter Gillian Flynn and director Steve McQueen (“12 Years a Slave”).

CHICAGO – It was star power to the max on Saturday, October 13th, 2018, at the 54th Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF) as the cast and director of the new film Widows walked the Red Carpet, including Liam Neeson, Viola Davis and Michelle Rodriguez.

CHICAGO – DAY FOUR of the 54th Chicago International Film Festival on Saturday, October 13th, 2018… to kick off a huge festival weekend… continues with Industry Days from 10am-5pm (click here for details), a CINEYOUTH “Best of the Fest” screening (click) and the a mega-Red Carpet for the film “Widows,” including Liam Neeson.

CHICAGO – And the winner was… a wild and bizarre ending to the 89th Academy Awards, as Best Picture presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were given a wrong envelope, resulting in a call of “La La Land” as top movie, but after an on-stage melee, it was further revealed that the Best Picture was actually “Moonlight.”

CHICAGO – It was a musical-oriented, high octane night at the 74th Golden Globe Awards on January 8th, 2017. Hosted by Jimmy Fallon of NBC-TV’s “The Tonight Show,” the Globes celebrated the best in TV and film in 2016, and selected Best Pictures “La La Land” (Comedy/Musical) and “Moonlight” (Drama), and honored the Best TV Shows with “Atlanta” (Comedy, FX) and “The Crown” (Drama, Netflix).

CHICAGO – Viola Davis and Denzel Washington are actors who are likely to give plays adapted for the screen a good name. Their commitment to the material shines through in the new film “Fences.” Davis and Washington have a well worn familiarity with the characters –having portrayed them on Broadway in the 2010 revival of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize winning play.

CHICAGO – The film adaptation of a stage play by August Wilson, the late playwright known for his “Pittsburgh Cycle” of dramas, was aided by Denzel Washington, both portraying the lead role and directing “Fences.” Washington had done the play on Broadway, and recruited to the film his stage mate Stephen McKinley Henderson and newcomer Jovan Adepo.

CHICAGO – DC Entertainment, feeling the heat from Marvel Studios and the tepid response from “Batman v Superman,” comes back stronger with “Suicide Squad,” an overblown yet psychological comic book film about sociopathic villains who somehow have to save the world.