CHICAGO – Theatrical satires of the Star Wars Universe are like the number of TV series the universe has wrought … too many to figure out if anything is worthwhile. But “Trade Federation” (subtitled “Or Let’s Explore Globalization Through the Star Wars Prequels”), presented by Otherworld Theatre in Wrigleyville Chicago, gets it right on.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
No Strings Attached! On-Air Film Review of ‘Pinocchio’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 8, 2022 - 10:32pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on September 8th, 2022, reviewing “Pinocchio,” the live-action remake of the 1940 animated classic, directed by Robert Zemeckis. It’s streaming on Disney+ beginning September 8th.
HollywoodChicago.com On-Air Reviews of ‘7500’ & ‘Da 5 Bloods
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 23, 2020 - 9:56amRating: 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 18th, 2020, discussing new film releases “7500” (Amazon Prime) and “Da 5 Bloods” (Netflix).
Oliver Stone’s ‘Snowden’ a Lesson for Our Times
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 18, 2016 - 7:28pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The experience of director Oliver Stone, to look underneath the slimy rocks of government secrecy and bureaucracy, produces an excellent history lesson in “Snowden,” an overview of Edward Snowden, a whistleblower against the government who is still in exile.
Spirit Starts Early in Fun, Raunchy ‘The Night Before’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 20, 2015 - 10:29amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The tradition of the holiday party gets a workout in “The Night Before,” as three friends take a Christmas Eve walk through the environs of New York City, and make their merry journey an unforgettable night of libation enhancement, magic moments and yes, the Holiday Spirit.
Not Too Many Good Reasons to Experience ‘The Walk’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 30, 2015 - 11:32am Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I am not opposed to dramatic retellings of true events from history, but I think the drama should at least be as entertaining as a PBS documentary on the same subject. “The Walk” tells the true story of a French wire walker and the twin tower World Trade Center in the mid-1970s…when he strung a wire between them, and then proceeded to walk from one tower to the other without a net more than a thousand feet in the air.
More Risqué ‘Sin City: A Dame to Kill For’ Doesn’t Dare to Trailblaze Again
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on August 22, 2014 - 9:36pm- Adam Fendelman
- Bruce Willis
- Christopher Lloyd
- Dennis Haybert
- Eva Green
- Frank Miller
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Jeremy Piven
- Jessica Alba
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt
- Josh Brolin
- Julie Garner
- Lady Gaga
- Mickey Rourke
- Movie Review
- Powers Boothe
- Ray Liotta
- Robert Rodriguez
- Rosario Dawson
- Sin City
- Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
 Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Sex sells, sure, but the film-noir sequel “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” makes you feel dirty if you’re left thinking that’s enough.
Nine years since the visually groundbreaking, avant-garde hit “Sin City,” Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez’s biggest mistake with their next incarnation is replacing the first film’s bloodthirsty impact with too much nudity.
‘Sin City: A Dame to Kill For’ Breaks No New Ground
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 21, 2014 - 8:44pm- Bruce Willis
- Christopher Lloyd
- Dennis Haybert
- Eva Green
- Frank Miller
- HollywoodChicago.com Content
- Jeremy Piven
- Jessica Alba
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt
- Josh Brolin
- Mickey Rourke
- Movie Review
- Patrick McDonald
- Powers Boothe
- Ray Liotta
- Robert Rodriguez
- Rosario Dawson
- Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
- The Weinstein Company
Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – When the first “Sin City” (2005) was released – based on the graphic novels by Frank Miller – the conversion of a film to a noir-like comic book atmosphere was pioneering. The sequel “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” has heightened that look, but this time has much less to say.
Wondrous Last Act for Hayao Miyazaki in ‘The Wind Rises’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on March 1, 2014 - 9:54am Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The master animator and film legend Hayao Miyazaki (“Howl’s Moving Castle,” “Spirited Away,” “Princess Mononoke”) announced his retirement after his latest film, “The Wind Rises.” He is often called “Japan’s Walt Disney,” but there is more to him then that, a soul and a mystery that is revealed in the stages of his animated art, and his contribution to artistic culture will continue to influence for generations to come. “The Wind Rises” is nominated for Best Animated Film at the 2014 Academy Awards.
‘Lincoln’ Magnificently Humanizes the Man, Our History
Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 9, 2012 - 11:37amRating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There is an argument that Steven Spielberg is the most “American” of directors, at least in his generation. He deftly and brilliantly teams up with playwright Tony Kushner and actor Daniel Day-Lewis to humanize and realize our 16th president in “Lincoln.”
Stunning, Creative Vision of ‘Looper’ with Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Submitted by BrianTT on September 6, 2012 - 9:41pm Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – It’s so refreshing to see a talented filmmaker that has been allowed to bring his unique vision to the screen without compromise. You know the feeling when you’re watching a product of a marketing focus group or producer interference and when you’re seeing something fresh, new, and personal.
