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 Movie Reviews
Considering Sore Subject Matter of ‘Chapter 27,’ ‘Why?’ is Only Plausible Reaction
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on April 21, 2008 - 9:50pm
CHICAGO – As a contemporary of the John Lennon assassination in 1980 and an ardent admirer of the late Beatle, I had a hard time figuring out the reasons for making the film “Chapter 27”.
‘The Visitor’ Works Out America’s Demons Following Sept. 11, 2001
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on April 20, 2008 - 10:53pm
CHICAGO – “The Visitor” is a subtle film. Created by the unique talent of writer and director Thomas McCarthy – who also generated the equally subtle world of “The Station Agent” – this new work explores the nature of who belongs where.
Judd Apatow Again Fashions Gimmick Into Gold in Uproarious ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on April 18, 2008 - 11:00am
CHICAGO – After being blitzed by an onslaught of attention-demanding advertising that begged the question “who is Sarah Marshall?” even before you realized it’s a film, anticipation was ravenous.
‘Zombie Strippers’ an Intentionally Killer ‘B’ Movie That Loves the Skin It’s In
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on April 18, 2008 - 11:00amCHICAGO – As the title implies, “Zombie Strippers” has everything and more. How many films about strippers who are zombies also quote the bible and Friedrich Nietzsche? This film is loads of fun because it has loads of everything.
Blueberries Meet Luscious Taste Buds in ‘My Blueberry Nights’ With Jude Law, Rachel Weisz
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on April 18, 2008 - 9:01am
CHICAGO – We see sensual close-up shots of blueberry pie overflow with aqueducts of vanilla ice cream in Wong Kar-Wai’s opening sequence of “My Blueberry Nights”. This dreamy scene sets the tone of the latest film from the famous Chinese director as he confronts the West with his unique cinematic style.
Ellen Page’s ‘Smart People’ Only as Scholarly as Zealous Senior in High School
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on April 11, 2008 - 2:05am
CHICAGO – I’m flummoxed. I know “Smart People” was supposed to be comedic drama with a splash of romance. Instead, I have been misled. It’s not a comedy. It’s not a tragedy. It’s not even a tragicomedy.
Ignoring Old Show-Business Rules, Rolling Stones Brightly ‘Shine a Light’
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on April 4, 2008 - 3:52am
CHICAGO – In The Beatles versus The Rolling Stones debate (which no one under 40 would have), I’m decidedly in the corner of the Fab Four. I do acknowledge, however, the sheer stamina and staying power of The Rolling Stones.
Despite Stylistic Inconsistency, George Clooney’s ‘Leatherheads’ Feels Good
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on April 4, 2008 - 1:46amCHICAGO – George Clooney’s latest film, “Leatherheads,” brings light-hearted, screwball antics and slapstick blunders to the screen with a romantic tale that tells how professional football came to be.
Veteran Michael Caine Makes ‘Flawless’ Sparkle, Reveals Great Crime Behind Great Fortune
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on March 31, 2008 - 11:20pmCHICAGO – As this year of heist films set in London continues (“The Bank Job” was last month), “Flawless” does adhere to the rules of successful application of this genre.
Sundance Winner ‘Teeth’ Bites Right to Point of Men’s Greatest Sexual Fear
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on March 26, 2008 - 2:35amCHICAGO – In one of the great light bulb ideas that could only happen in association with making movies, along comes “Teeth” to bite us in the – well, to bite us hard. Writer and director Mitchell Lichtenstein has fashioned a one-of-a-kind horror epic (based, of course, on a Japanese film) that at the same time tangles with significant social and cultural issues.
Academy Award-Nominated ‘Beaufort’ Ponders Question of Why We Fight
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on March 25, 2008 - 11:35pmCHICAGO – History eludes us. It’s what happens when we’re busy making other plans. In his new film “Beaufort,” director Joseph Cedar turns his lens toward the history and misery of a Mideastern soldier’s outpost eight years ago that was both defended and attacked while highlighting the human element that has to endure when protecting the territory of warfare.
Brazillian Indie ‘The Year My Parents Went on Vacation’ a Tender Window to the World
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on March 23, 2008 - 11:38pmCHICAGO – Film is often at its best when it offers a “window to the world” or surprising and personal stories about other countries and cultures dealing with issues that life in the U.S. never imagines. “The Year My Parents Went on Vacation” is a meticulous, fascinating and tender story of Brazil in 1970 when revolution was in the air and the World Cup was the hope of bringing a country back together.
‘Snow Angels’ an Essential Examination of Yin, Yang in Our Vulnerable Lives
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on March 22, 2008 - 6:50pmCHICAGO – Staying sane is truly an edge-of-the-knife proposition. We are all the sum of our past environments, our present circumstances and our future worries. The sludge that is generated by such a mixture becomes the psyche that’s ready to interact with other psyches we deem important or are forced to be around through family or commerce.
