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
Midnight Show Vibe in ‘Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 2, 2012 - 5:47pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The midnight movie show, popularized by “Rocky Horror,” always needs new candidates. The raunchy, hit-and-miss “Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie” is fresh midnight meat, stamped with “love” from Tim Heidecker and Eric Warheim of Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim (”Tom Goes to the Mayor”).
Oscar-Winning ‘Undefeated’ Stands Among Best Sports Docs
Submitted by BrianTT on March 2, 2012 - 1:53pm Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Undefeated” takes some time to connect. It’s like a football team that starts slow and can’t quite find the right play calls for the first quarter. I’ll admit to being nonplussed at the start of the film as it seemed unfocused and a bit disconnected. Then something amazing happens.
‘Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax’ Boasts Strong Voice Cast But Weak Storytelling
Submitted by BrianTT on March 2, 2012 - 1:50pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” certainly isn’t an awful film by any stretch of the imagination. It features some solid voice work, a few lessons worth learning by the iGeneration, and some nifty visuals. It’s also pretty damn boring. Even the little ones at the family screening I attended seemed to lose interest in how this timeless story has been stretched to the demands of a modern family film. It just never quite connects in the way fans of this legendary character hope it would.
Memorable Central Character Drives Depressing ‘Bullhead’
Submitted by BrianTT on March 2, 2012 - 1:45pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The central character in the Oscar-nominated “Bullhead” is a force of nature not unlike Jake La Motta in Scorsese’s “Raging Bull” or the title character in Refn’s “Bronson.” He is less human than hormone as he injects himself with steroids like a bull being fattened to make better steaks. And his story is clearly one that it is going to end tragically. This dark, vicious film gets a bit muddled at times but the strength of its lead performance and a strong visual palette make it a stark but worthwhile trip.
‘The Snowtown Murders’ Marks Auspicious Debut For Director, Lead Actors
Submitted by mattmovieman on March 2, 2012 - 9:27am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – With a mixture of brooding unease and morbid fascination, the camera in Justin Kurzel’s fact-based thriller has a tendency to follow characters from behind as they enter a new realm of darkness. It’s the darkness residing outside the dingy walls of a hazardous home in South Australia that draws a damaged young man like a moth to a flame. He’s seeking a father figure, but what he finds is something unspeakable.
Good Times Do a Snowball Roll in Fun ‘Project X’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 2, 2012 - 9:22amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The legendary high school party is often the myth of memory than actual events, but most people have been there, and that is what makes “Project X” so much fun. Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper and Jonathan Daniel Brown are the party masters, rocking in Pasadena, California.
Avenging Pursuit Motivates Amanda Seyfried in ‘Gone’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 24, 2012 - 10:42pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The premise of “Gone” is a beguiling notion. What if the victim of a traumatic crime can’t get authorities to believe her? The evidence doesn’t add up, there are no physical signs of struggle and no crime scene is found. Amanda Seyfried plays such a victim, and her very sanity is questioned.
‘Act of Valor’ a Puzzling Example of a War Film
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 24, 2012 - 10:34amRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The military soldier is one of the most fascinating character studies in art. He or she works at the highest level their training allows, and routinely go into battles based on decisions made far away from their own reality. “Act of Valor” attempts to define that loyalty - to themselves, their fellow soldiers and their country.
Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston Take Funny Trip to Hippie Nirvana in ‘Wanderlust’
Submitted by BrianTT on February 23, 2012 - 5:59pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – David Wain’s “Wanderlust” is a deeply flawed movie. The female lead is woefully underwritten and the script pretty much falls apart at the end as characters do things they wouldn’t do and it rushes to its credits to wrap everything up in an awkward montage. But here’s the thing – it’s also DAMN funny.
Troubled ‘Thin Ice’ With Greg Kinnear Barely Works
Submitted by BrianTT on February 23, 2012 - 5:57pmRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Over a decade ago, Jill & Karen Sprecher made waves on the indie scene with “Clockwatchers” and “Thirteen Conversations About One Thing” but then virtually disappeared. They’re back with another arthouse piece, a “Fargo”-esque black comedy called “Thin Ice,” starring Greg Kinnear, Billy Crudup, Alan Arkin, and more. The strong ensemble makes the relatively weak script (as presented…more on that later) easier to take as the film skates over some treacherous rough patches but never falls through.
‘Crazy Horse’ Basks in the Artful Sensuality of Scintillating Dancers
Submitted by mattmovieman on February 23, 2012 - 1:10pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – A simple glance at the premise of “Crazy Horse” may cause skeptical viewers to dismiss the film as a two-hour peep show. What could possibly be gleaned from endless footage of near-nude Parisian burlesque performers apart from diverting titillation? Yet under the lens of legendary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, the footage becomes something else entirely.
Sirens Flash Red For Woody Harrelson in ‘Rampart’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 17, 2012 - 5:56pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The “thin blue line” is a police term. It represents the designation between the protection the police provides and the anarchy that is on the other side of that protection. The cop that Woody Harrelson portrays in “Rampart” crosses that line repeatably, formulating his own retribution.
‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’ Begs Audience to Accept Mediocrity, Stupidity
Submitted by BrianTT on February 17, 2012 - 3:10pm Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – At the very least, I can take some comfort in knowing that the YouTube montage of Nicolas Cage freaking out has some new (and golden) material. As cursed as Cage’s Johnny Blaze character is by the demon inside him known as the Ghost Rider in the newest chapter, “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance,” so is this movie cursed by unthinkable dialogue, lackluster acting, obnoxious camerawork, and confusing editing.
