CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio review of the new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray version of 1979’s “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” the first film of one of the most successful film franchises in movie history, spun off from the original breakthrough sci-fi TV series of the 1960s. Beam me up.
Roadside Attractions
Barrel of Service! On-Air Film Review of ‘Gigi & Nate’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 2, 2022 - 8:02am Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on September 1st, 2022. reviewing “Gigi & Nate,” a connection story between a troubled young man and his service monkey. The film is in theaters beginning September 2nd.
Soulful Larceny! On-Air Film Review of ‘Emily the Criminal’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on August 13, 2022 - 10:45amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on August 11th, reviewing “Emily the Criminal,” featuring Aubrey Plaza (“Parks and Recreation). The film is in theaters beginning August 12th.
No Air in the Closet! Audio Film Review of ‘Benediction’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on June 3, 2022 - 7:25pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review on “Benediction,” the biography film of Siegfried Sassoon, a prominent early 20th Century poet who lived his life as a closeted gay man … a somber kick-off to Pride Month. In select theaters, see local listings for theaters and show times.
Hit the Road Joe! On-Air Film Review of ‘Joe Bell’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 23, 2021 - 8:25amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on July 22th, 2021, reviewing the new film “Joe Bell” – featuring Mark Wahlberg – in theaters beginning July 23rd.
Energy of Visual Cinema is the Power of ‘Wonderstruck’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 31, 2017 - 11:02am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In one of the coolest visual films of the Fall Season thus far, “Wonderstruck” is another winner from director Todd Haynes (“Carol”), who adapts a Young Adult graphic novel by Brian Selznick (who also wrote the screenplay). The wonder of it all, baby.
Jake Gyllenhaal Turns Up His Power in ‘Stronger’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on September 23, 2017 - 9:47amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The second major film about the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing (after last year’s “Patriots Day”) is “Stronger,” and it wisely focuses on one individual rather than the bigger event. Jake Gyllenhaal portrays Jeff Bauman, a spectator near the explosion that lost both his legs.
Strong Performance Makes ‘Lady Macbeth’ a Cogent Character Study
Submitted by JonHC on July 24, 2017 - 2:36amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Separating a performance from the rest of the film is usually an easy task. One may be stronger than the other, or vice versa, but either way, they can be judged individually and as a whole. “Lady Macbeth” proves to be that rare character study where a single performance (from breakout actress Florence Pugh) not only makes the film but essentially is the film.
Tom Hanks Delivers in ‘A Hologram for the King’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 25, 2016 - 10:25pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Tom Hanks is using his golden years as a vehicle to stretch his performance skills, and his role as a sort of “Death of a Salesman” spin in “A Hologram for the King” gives him an opportunity to keep stretching. The stylish film floats within the focus on his character, and he delivers.
‘Touched With Fire’ Contains a Different Perspective
Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 21, 2016 - 4:58pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – How do you explain air? That is what our thoughts are, after all – carbon-based cells interacting with circumstantial environment, sending the “message.” What if those cells send the thought receiver something outside “normal”? This is the exploration in the new film ‘Touched With Fire.’
Elegy for a Different Superhero in ‘Mr. Holmes’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on July 17, 2015 - 10:51amRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Sherlock Holmes is the most famous fictional detective in literary history, and his character adaptation into movies, TV and other media shows no sign of slowing down. But what if Holmes were real, and lived as an old man past World War II? This scenario is explored in “Mr. Holmes.”
