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+.
HollywoodChicago.com Arts & Entertainment News
Blu-Ray Review: ‘It Might Get Loud’ Climbs Stairway to Rock Heaven
Submitted by mattmovieman on January 8, 2010 - 7:50amCHICAGO – “It Might Get Loud” might not be the great rock documentary fans were hoping for, but it’s still quintessential viewing for anyone mesmerized by the visceral power of the electric guitar.
HollywoodChicago.com’s Top 10 Films of 2009
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 8, 2010 - 12:45amCHICAGO – They came, we saw and in the end, who conquered? HollywoodChicago.com Senior Writer Patrick McDonald weighs in on the Top Ten of 2009. From the rich palette of choices, the challenge is always to winnow it down to ten.
Video Game Review: Atmospheric, Effective ‘Silent Hill: Shattered Memories’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 7, 2010 - 10:04pmCHICAGO – I used to approach a new “Silent Hill” game with heightened anticipation but the franchise has been so lifeless for the last few years that I somewhat dreaded entering its world again in the alleged reimagining of “Silent Hill: Shattered Memories,” now available for the Nintendo Wii. Much to my surprise, Konami’s latest is an effective, atmospheric title with only a few flaws.
TV Review: ‘Nip/Tuck’ Begins Final Season Without Much Fanfare
Submitted by BrianTT on January 6, 2010 - 10:45amCHICAGO – Ryan Murphy’s “Nip/Tuck” begins its final cosmetic procedure this evening, starting a nine-episode arc that will end this once-promising series that has been in need of a face lift for a few years now.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 25 Passes to ‘Crazy Heart’ With Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on January 6, 2010 - 4:30amCHICAGO – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 25 admit-two run-of-engagement movie passes up for grabs to the new film “Crazy Heart” with Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Robert Duvall!
Blu-Ray Review: Inspired ‘Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs’ Given Great Release
Submitted by BrianTT on January 5, 2010 - 5:37pmCHICAGO – Watching the inspired “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” again on Blu-ray with the wife, the word she kept using to describe it was “creative”. It’s an appropriate word for a very funny comedy with one of the best voice casts in years, an enjoyable visual aesthetic, a heartwarming message that doesn’t come off over-cooked, and a gorgeously transferred Blu-ray release. It’s a great way to start the HD decade.
Video Game Review: Mediocre ‘Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen!’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 5, 2010 - 1:58pmCHICAGO – Being a film critic makes it hard to find people willing to play “Scene It?” with you. Consequently, I haven’t become familiar with the video game versions of the popular DVD/board game and hadn’t played any incarnation of the franchise in years. The Nintendo Wii version of the latest release doesn’t make me long for missed years of “Scene It?” gaming but should provide a pleasant diversion for movie nuts.
Video Game Review: Inventive, Clever ‘The Saboteur’ Gives Vengeance Good Name
Submitted by BrianTT on January 4, 2010 - 4:06pmCHICAGO – Gamers have fought so many battles of World War II from so many different viewpoints that I have to admit that I approached the late-year release of EA and Pandemic’s “The Saboteur” with more than a little bit of trepidation.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘A Perfect Getaway’ is Surprisingly Effective Thriller
Submitted by BrianTT on January 4, 2010 - 3:17pmCHICAGO – David Twohy’s surprisingly effective thriller “A Perfect Getaway” features good-to-great performances from Milla Jovovich, Timothy Olyphant, Steve Zahn, and Kiele Sanchez, and a taut, interesting screenplay with enough twists and turns to keep the audience entertained for its scant running time. A gorgeously transferred HD picture should help this underrated film find an audience at home.
Blu-Ray Review: Worst Comedy of 2009 is ‘All About Steve’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 4, 2010 - 2:53pmCHICAGO – Sandra Bullock may have had a spectacular 2009, headlining hits “The Proposal” and “The Blind Side” and being named Entertainment Weekly’s Entertainer of the Year, but she also reached the low point of her career (yes, lower than “Speed 2”) in the horrendous, awful, laugh-free “All About Steve,” a worthy candidate for the worst film of the year just passed and now available on Blu-ray and DVD.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Darkside’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 4, 2010 - 1:51pmCHICAGO – It probably found its way under a few trees this Christmas, but if you have a gift card burning a hole in your wallet and are a fan of “Family Guy” without the latest straight-to-DVD release from Seth MacFarlane and his talented team then you should definitely use your holiday credit on the “Star Wars” (or, more specifically, “The Empire Strikes Back”) spoof “Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Darkside”.
Blu-Ray Review: Great ‘District 9’ Given Amazing HD Release
Submitted by BrianTT on January 2, 2010 - 7:36pmCHICAGO – The Blu-Ray release of “District 9” is one of the best of 2009, a perfectly transferred film with a great selection of special features that enhance the viewer experience of the film itself. “District 9” is one of the most beloved films of last year and Sony deserves credit for treating its diehard fans as well as any studio in the last twelve months with only one major flaw in an otherwise perfect package.
Video Game Review: Full Albums Available For ‘The Beatles: Rock Band’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 2, 2010 - 1:46pmCHICAGO – What better way to begin the decade than with full albums from The Beatles now available for the best music-based title of the year? Fans of the great “The Beatles: Rock Band” can now download “Abbey Road,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” and “Rubber Soul,” and make this amazing game even more fulfilling.
