CHICAGO – The funny meter of Netflix went off the scale last week, as the animated series “Chicago Party Aunt” made its debut on September 17th. What began as a Twitter account by comic actor Chris Witaske (who also provides his voice talent) has morphed into the cartoon adventures of Aunt Diane Dumbowski, her nephew Daniel, and an array of familiar Chicago-isms and characters.
Riz Ahmed
Crush Groove! On-Air Review of ‘Sound of Metal’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on December 11, 2020 - 2:40pm Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on December 10th, 2020, reviewing the new film “Sound of Metal,” now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Spreading Comic Book Fatigue to Everyone, ‘Venom’ Poisons the Well
Submitted by JonHC on October 5, 2018 - 5:20am Rating: 1.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I was one of the last sentinels; a conscientious objector in the war against comic book films. The handful of these that come out yearly had yet to weigh heavy on my film soul, especially when so many of the newer ones creating unique experiences, like “Deadpool” and “Thor: Ragnarok”. Even DC films, in all their failure, are products of their time. “Venom” changed all that.
Disturbingly Refreshing, Jake Gyllenhaal in ‘Nightcrawler’ is an Anti-Hero You Can’t Stop Watching
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 31, 2014 - 5:20pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “No one talks like that,” I kept thinking to myself about this noir thriller. But that said, “Nightcrawler” is driven by just about the most entertaining dialogue from one person I’ve seen all year.
Jake Gyllenhaal is Eerily Seductive as the ‘Nightcrawler’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 30, 2014 - 9:58pm Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – This film can be defined as “Network” meets Norman Bates, but it also exposes virtually all our modern sins, in a chilling story about a loser who spouts business self help while taping bloody crimes that sell on the morning news. Jake Gyllenhaal is the “Nightcrawler.”
Profiling Transforms ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on May 3, 2013 - 4:03pm Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Given the recent media coverage of the Boston bombings, the issue of profiling – judging a individual as suspect based on religion or appearances – is an ongoing problem. Director Mira Nair explores profiling in the context of September 11th in “The Reluctant Fundamentalist.”
Frieda Pinto Takes a Sad, Tragic Journey in ‘Trishna’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 20, 2012 - 9:43pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Transitions are one of the juiciest themes to have in a film, as a character or circumstance takes a path from one way-of-life to another. Director Michael Winterbottom has created “Trishna,” a story based on a 19th Century British novel, but woven into the present day India. Frieda Pinto (“Slumdog Millionaire”) stars as the title character.
‘Four Lions’ Dares to Humanize Terrorists Through Satire
Submitted by mattmovieman on November 12, 2010 - 7:56am Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – If the objective of war is to drain the enemy of all humanity, then “Four Lions” is one of the best anti-war movies in recent years. Many people prefer thinking of terrorists in the same abstract terms that the terrorists themselves think of their victims. If war is all about demonizing “the other side,” how can we ever hope to come to a mutual understanding?
