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+.
Film Review
‘Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues’ Defies Pattern of Comedy Sequels
Submitted by BrianTT on December 17, 2013 - 1:38pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
Comedy sequels are SO rarely worthwhile. Most good comedy is dependent on being fresh, new, and unpredictable – words not commonly uses to describe sequels. For every “Wayne’s World 2,” there are a dozen films of the caliber of “Ghostbusters 2,” “Arthur 2,” and “Caddyshack II” – movies that are so bad that they almost diminish the legacy of their predecessors.
‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ Solidifies Franchise
Submitted by BrianTT on December 12, 2013 - 11:46amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
Peter Jackson and Bilbo Baggins find their groove in the entertaining “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” an improvement over “An Unexpected Journey” in every single department. Whereas the first one suffered from a tumultuous pre-production process and the fact that it was all prologue, “Smaug” expands this universe in ways that are narratively engaging, while also providing enough of that gorgeously shot and perfectly choreographed fantasy action that made “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy such a phenomenon.
Great Performances Drive Entertaining ‘American Hustle’
Submitted by BrianTT on December 11, 2013 - 10:43amRating: 4.5/5.0 |
As career con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) introduces newly-undercover FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) to his world of criminal enterprise, he shows him a Rembrandt painting in a museum, revealing that it’s a fake. Millions of people have seen and admired it, not realizing that it’s not the original. Does it matter if they get the same artistic enjoyment out of it?
Great Cast Can’t Find Truth in False Plotting of ‘Out of the Furnace’
Submitted by BrianTT on December 6, 2013 - 11:18amRating: 1.5/5.0 |
One overriding thought dominated my time with Scott Cooper’s stunningly disappointing “Out of the Furnace” – I just don’t care. When I wasn’t picking apart the gigantic plot holes in the narrative, I was marveling at the overheated characters who have been crafted from cliché instead of the real world.
‘Blood Brother’ Has Genuine Spirit Despite Limitations
Submitted by NickHC on November 28, 2013 - 11:17amRating: 3.0/5.0 |
Winner of both the Grand Jury Prize in Documentary and Audience Award at Sundance 2013, “Blood Brother” is a film about a great Pittsburgh guy by the name of Rocky, who left America to create a new life in India. Over the course of three years, he became a rock star at a shelter for children with AIDS, caring for them in all manners, and creating strong relationships with them.
Eric England’s ‘Contracted’ Can’t Keep Itself Together
Submitted by BrianTT on November 28, 2013 - 10:51amRating: 2.0/5.0 |
Eric England’s “Contracted” has the potential to turn into a truly disturbing slice of bodily horror a la some of David Cronenberg’s best work. The tale of a lesbian woman who literally starts falling apart after a sexual encounter at a party could have been a commentary on sexuality, a riff on our national obsession with looking perfect, a cautionary tale about drinking, or even just a twisted slice of grotesque horror.
Spike Lee’s ‘Oldboy’ Remake Merely Echoes Superior Original
Submitted by BrianTT on November 26, 2013 - 3:47pmRating: 1.5/5.0 |
After years in development hell, Spike Lee’s remake of Park Chan-wook’s beloved “Oldboy” is finally here. Does it live up to the high expectations set by the original? Does it mark a return to form from the director of some of the most important movies of his era or is it another disappointment? No and no. Sadly, what’s so remarkable about “Oldboy,” especially when one considers the darkness of its themes and graphic violence, is that it’s just so forgettable. It’s an echo of Park’s film and will be quickly dismissed in the legacy of its director.
Disney’s ‘Frozen’ Enchants Viewers This Holiday Season
Submitted by BrianTT on November 26, 2013 - 12:39pmRating: 4.5/5.0 |
Disney’s marvelous “Frozen” fits snugly in the lineage of princess stories that the studio has been crafting for decades while also looks forward to empower girls in ways that its predecessors never considered. It is a remarkably fun movie, especially in 3D, alive in ways that so many of its peers in this lackluster year for animation simply are not. With great voice work, fantastic music, and a script that feels like its themes emerge naturally from its story and characters instead just being forced upon them, “Frozen” is Disney’s best animated feature since “The Lion King.”
Dark, Daring Storytelling of ‘A Touch of Sin’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 22, 2013 - 8:08pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
A woman who works at a massage parlor/sauna is beaten with money by a man who demands she service him as a prostitute. A coal miner goes through life stunned that the villagers around him pay honor to a man who has given nothing back to them. A young worker is injured on the job and given nothing in compensation because he happened to be making “small talk” at the time.
Entertaining, Complex ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 19, 2013 - 11:47am- Amanda Plummer
- Brian Tallerico
- Donald Sutherland
- Elizabeth Banks
- Film Review
- Francis Lawrence
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Jeffrey Wright
- Jena Malone
- Jennifer Lawrence
- Josh Hutcherson
- Lenny Kravitz
- Liam Hemsworth
- Philip Seymour Hoffman
- Sam Claflin
- Suzanne Collins
- The Hunger Games
- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
- Woody Harrelson
Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Second acts to incredibly popular and entertaining mainstream fare can be a tough prospect. For every “The Dark Knight,” there are too many films like “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” – works that essentially just repeat what audiences fell in love with instead of trying to expand on the world of their predecessors.