CHICAGO – Just in time for Pride Month, Strawdog Theatre Co. presents an updated staging of the Oscar Wilde classic, “The Importance of Being Earnest.” Strawdog policy … the tickets are FREE (donations encouraged), but you must put in a reservation by clicking EARNEST.
Antonio Banderas
Trip to the Stable! On-Air Review of ‘Journey to Bethlehem’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 10, 2023 - 10:41am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Ben Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on November 9th, 2023, reviewing “Journey to Bethlehem,” a re-telling of the Baby Jesus story as a musical! In theaters on November 10th, 2023.
Indy the Fifth in ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 28, 2023 - 3:41pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – By all accounts the Indiana Jones series had nowhere to go but up after the woebegone “Crystal Skull.” But “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” manages to clear that admittedly low bar to add a sense of adventure back to the tales of the graying archeologist. That said there’s a certain pointlessness to the whole endeavor.
The Holidays Are Granted in ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 22, 2022 - 2:12pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The Shrek franchise, which had been showing signs of creative exhaustion dating all the way back to “Shrek The Third,” gets an unexpected dose of new life with this belated – and better than it has any right to be – sequel “Puss In Boots: The Last Wish,” focusing on the swashbuckling feline (voice of Antonio Banderas).
Face Off Faces! Audio Film Review of ‘Official Competition’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 3, 2022 - 7:28pm Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review on “Official Competition,” a new Spain/Argentina film about a trio – two actors and a director – trying to get a film out of rehearsal and in front of the cameras. It opened in select theaters on July 1st, 2022, see local listings.
Say Hello to Your Mother and Kid! On-Air Review of ‘Uncharted’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 18, 2022 - 5:59pm Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on The Eddie Volkman Show on WSSR-FM (Star 96.7 Joliet, Illinois) on February 18th, 2022, reviewing the new release, “Uncharted,” based on the popular video game, in theaters on February 18th.
Wive’s Tale! On-Air Review of ‘HItman’s Wife’s Bodyguard’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 17, 2021 - 8:12pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on June 17th, 2021, reviewing the new film “Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard,” in theaters beginning June 16th.
Terence Malick’s Feverish Dream in ‘Knight of Cups’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 11, 2016 - 10:46amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I’ve been quoting Martin Scorsese over the years, that he said “movies are a psychotic’s feverish dream on display.” In searching for those words, I found he never said it. He did say they are “dreams with eyes open.” So let us combine the two quotes in analyzing Terence Malick’s “Knight of Cups.”
‘The 33’ Adds Depth to the Trapped Miners of Chile
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 13, 2015 - 12:21pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In the art of film, the best way to approach a based-on-truth story – where the outcome is well known – is to create a point-of-view vision for the narrative. The story of “The 33,” the trapped miners from Chile who were rescued with worldwide attention, is a prime example of that vision.
‘The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water’ Squeezes Out More Fun
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 6, 2015 - 12:46pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water” squeezes another big-screen adventure out of America’s favorite undersea fry cook, and introduces some tantalizing comic possibilities that ramp up the series – including winking meta references – but it’s ambitions remain distinctly small scale.
‘Machete Kills’ So Over the Top, it Has No Bottom
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 11, 2013 - 8:16amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – You gotta love director Robert Rodriguez. When other filmmakers are slogging through their important films, he’s out convincing big stars to blow off cinematic fireworks, giggling all the time. The excess is the thing, more so and more so, in his new film “Machete Kills.”
