CHICAGO – Excelsior! Comic book legend Stan Lee’s famous exclamation puts a fine point on the third and final play of Mark Pracht’s FOUR COLOR TRILOGY, “The House of Ideas,” presented by and staged at City Lit Theater in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. For tickets/details, click HOUSE OF IDEAS.
HollywoodChicago.com Movie Reviews
Lady Gaga Characterizes the Title ‘A Star is Born’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 4, 2018 - 3:53pm Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Stefani Joanne Angelina Gemanotta, also known as Lady Gaga, is the only reason to see the latest iteration of ‘A Star is Born.’ The luminous stage presence that propelled her to music superstardom is present in her major film debut, taking the female lead reins from Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand.
Gilda Radner Becomes Live Again in ‘Love, Gilda’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 29, 2018 - 12:46pm- 1975
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 Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It’s always something, as the great Gilda Radner often said (through her character Roseanne Roseannadanna), and the documentary “Love, Gilda” is about all her somethings… her childhood, the early comedy days, the rise through “Saturday Night Live” and her succumbing to the dread disease of cancer. She had it all, did it all, but as always “it” could not save her, and eventually us.
Keira Knightley is Ahead of Her Times as ‘Colette’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 28, 2018 - 10:01am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The maturation of Keira Knightley… from ‘Bend it Like Beckham” to “Pride and Prejudice” to the current “Colette,” has had the actor delivering an evolving depth and purpose to her roles. The latest is a fantastic overview of an ahead-of-her-time French novelist, as the rest of society tried to catch up.
‘Night School’ Can’t Get to a Passing Grade
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 28, 2018 - 8:09am Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Night School” is the latest undistinguished product to come off the Kevin Hart assembly line. If you’re a fan of Hart’s motormouthed and hyperactive small time schtick, you’ll find that this will just barely passed the test. But if you’re not, this movie won’t change anyone’s mind.
Fate of a Nation is Contemplated in ‘Fahrenheit 11/9’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 22, 2018 - 9:22pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – You might think that “Fahrenheit 11/9,” the latest advocate documentary from provocateur Michael Moore, is all about Donald Trump and his diffident administration. But that’s not the whole thing, which is the strength of the film. Moore goes back to hometown Flint, Michigan, and other places in the USA, which exposes the symptoms rather than the Trump disease.
‘The House With a Clock in Its Walls’ is Movie Magic
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 20, 2018 - 11:43pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “The House With The Clock In Its Walls” is a surprisingly restrained and endearing haunted house pic for kids just getting rid of their training wheels. It’s all a spooky atmosphere with cobwebs galore, creaking doors, a stained glass window which changes on its own, and a library of books which at times resemble the avifauna predators from the Hitchcock classic “The Birds.”
Entertaining ‘A Simple Favor’ Can’t Maintain Its Mojo
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 15, 2018 - 11:34am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – As the secrets are revealed in “A Simple Favor,” filtered through the witty and entertaining directorial style of Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids”), the story moves with charm and energy for three-quarters of its running time. But as the mystery gets solved, the conclusion doesn’t live up to the promising beginning.
‘The Predator’ is the Best Sequel Reboot of the Series
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 13, 2018 - 4:11pmRating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – By the standards of Predator sequels, “The Predator” is easily the best of the bunch. But that’s a depressingly low bar to clear… kind of like saying you got the nicest looking “Yugo” on the lot. Coming 31 years after Arnold Schwarzenegger battled the original “one ugly mother f**ker,” this reboot brings the space alien with the heat seeking vision to the suburbs.
‘Peppermint’ Offers Nothing New in Revenge Genre
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 10, 2018 - 5:07pm Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – When a revenge film gets a bit stale, as they tend to do, the best way to pass the time is to start counting how many people are indiscriminately killed. “Peppermint,” which has the former “Alias” star Jennifer Garner going back to an action mode, had 36 (give or take) quality kills, with the last one taking the longest between executions.
‘Kin’ Overcomes Early Portrayal Issues to Score Big
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 31, 2018 - 10:08amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The concept of “family” has been romanticized to death in the movies in the last generation, coinciding with the increasing decline of actual togetherness. The new film “Kin” is essentially about family, but it also is about otherworldly weaponry, gritty crime lords and the old on-the-road story.
A Bit of Pop/Rock Magic Spins in ‘Juliet, Naked’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 26, 2018 - 10:14amRating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The story of a drop-out rock and roll star… usually disappearing at the height of their fame… has fascinated the movies in both fiction (“Eddie and the Cruisers”) and documentary (“Waiting for Sugarman”). “Juliet, Naked” takes the premise and creates a charming, romantic story about fandom and redemptive decisions.
‘Papillon” Still Packs a Classic & Compelling Story
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 26, 2018 - 9:57amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The remarkable true-ish story of “Papillon” is difficult to mess up. Henrí Charriére published the “autobiographical novel” in 1969, and the first film version dropped in 1973, with Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman as the two leads no less. The latest film has Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek in those leads, as two French prisoners constantly trying to escape.
‘The Happytime Murders’ Shoots Its Wad Too Early
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 24, 2018 - 3:46pmRating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The most noteworthy feature of the puppet-noir comedy “The Happytime Murders” is its use of felt and fluff for nefarious ends, and while that’s not exactly new, there’s no reason it shouldn’t work. But the movie shoots its wad early, and doesn’t have much imagination after that beyond turning silly string into a bodily fluid.
