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+.
HollywoodChicago.com Movie Reviews
Aimee Teegarden Discovers ‘Prom’ Isn’t So Bad
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 29, 2011 - 9:36am Rating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – There are many essential questions in life. What is my purpose? How do I find my place in the universe? Where did I put my mobile phone? But the most important of all, as Aimee Teegarden is about to experience, is who will I get to take me to “Prom.”
Dark Vision of the Future in Atmospheric ‘Stake Land’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 29, 2011 - 8:43amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Playing not unlike a much darker version of “Zombieland” (in that the post-apocalyptic creatures are similar and the veteran/rookie duo at the core not far off Woody & Jesse), “Stake Land” is a confident piece of genre filmmaking that not only deserves a wider audience but hints at truly great things to come for its talented director. It’s far from perfect but it’s incredibly promising, unlike the future of the characters it presents.
Tensionless ‘Water For Elephants’ Fatally Mismatches Leads, Casts Spot-On Supporters
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on April 23, 2011 - 12:25am Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – While Robert “Twilight” Pattinson has persuasively branched out beyond his typecasting of reanimated and preternatural corpses, his miscast union in the tensionless “Water for Elephants” with pin-up circus spectacle Reese Witherspoon works as well as an elephant trying to spoon a sworn-enemy lion.
Director Tom Shadyac Tells of Personal Revelations in ‘I Am’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 22, 2011 - 11:26am Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Tom Shadyac was on top of the world. He had directed several blockbuster comedies including “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” “Bruce Almighty,” “The Nutty Professor” and more. When he got into an accident and found himself the victim of a syndrome that made him welcome coming death, he reached that revelatory moment that often happens to people in horrible situations as he reassessed not only his value system but that of the entire world.
Morgan Spurlock Hawks ‘The Greatest Movie Ever Sold’
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 22, 2011 - 12:50am Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – In a remarkable idea for a film, director Morgan Spurlock (”Supersize Me”) funds his new documentary, “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold,” by selling sponsorships for financing. However, the process is redundantly explored, and no new ground is broken.
‘The Conspirator’ Has Lessons That Resonate Today
Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 15, 2011 - 5:16pm Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – The Latin term “Inter arma silent leges.” (There is no law on the battlefield) is coldly stated in “The Conspirator,” directed by Robert Redford. In plain truth, the new film recreates one of the most controversial military trials in American history.
Susanne Bier’s Oscar-Winning ‘In a Better World’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 15, 2011 - 2:24pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Susanne Bier’s “In a Better World” was a surprising winner at the Academy Awards when Best Foreign Language Film was announced, leading many to wonder what could have beaten the critically-acclaimed “Dogtooth” or “Biutiful,” which clearly had a lot of love considering its Best Actor nomination.
Animated, Colorful ‘Rio’ Blends Into Mediocre Blur
Submitted by BrianTT on April 15, 2011 - 1:20pmRating: 2.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Rio” is a film that nearly defies critical review. There’s nothing particularly wrong with it and I can virtually guarantee you that the little ones in your family will be captivated by the talking, dancing birds with the colorful plumage. But it’s also a film that’s strikingly unmemorable.
Meditative ‘Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 15, 2011 - 8:30amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives” opens with one of its most striking, memorable, and essential images. A buffalo stands in a forest at what appears to be dusk, as we can see him only in shadow. He moves slowly around a tree, almost ghostly, before escaping and running through a field and into a forest.
‘Miral’ Succeeds as Historical Drama, Falters as Character Study
Submitted by mattmovieman on April 15, 2011 - 7:35amRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – No matter how many films he makes, Julian Schnabel may always consider himself a painter first. Watching one of his cinematic efforts is akin to being pulled headfirst into the vivid and visceral canvas of a true neo-expressionist. His work aims to engulf the viewer. It shatters the barriers between a contrived character’s existence and that of the flesh-and-blood audience.
Wes Craven Returns to Form With Entertaining ‘Scre4m’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 14, 2011 - 10:15pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – Wes Craven’s legendary franchise returns this weekend with a decade since its last installment and to a genre that has been almost entirely bereft of creativity since its director started to lose his prominence as one of its best. Can “Scre4m” rejuvenate the slasher genre like the first film did or will it fall victim to the rule that horror sequels almost always suck?
Fishbone is Red Hot in ‘Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 14, 2011 - 12:51pmRating: 3.5/5.0 |
CHICAGO – “Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone” aspires to be more than an episode of “Behind the Music” and succeeds largely due to the amazing talent of the band it chronicles, the stunning, one-and-only Fishbone. It’s common for a critic to call a great, underrated band influential but Fishbone doesn’t really qualify because what they did was so unique that it’s impossible to copy.
Memorable, Informative ‘The Elephant in the Living Room’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 13, 2011 - 4:33pmRating: 4.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – You will not soon forget Lambert the lion. His story is as tragic to this viewer as any seen in documentary filmmaking in recent years for he never should have been in the situation chronicled in the excellent “The Elephant in the Living Room,” opening this Saturday at the Siskel Film Center in Chicago and playing in other major markets already.
