01 May
By
On
In Special Series

THE COEN BROTHERS: THE MEN WHO WEREN’T THERE My friends at the Trylon Cinema, along with the Heights Theater, are hosting a MASSIVE Coen Brothers marathon. It all starts with one of my all-time favorite movies, Fargo. Here is their description of the series and a breakdown of what movies, what format, and when to see them St. Louis Park’s Coen Brothers have built a career of brilliant films that defy classification. Their supremely entertaining creations take cues from such directors as Howard Hawks, David Lynch, and Preston Sturges—and from westerns, film noir, screwball comedies, and musicals. You always know it’s a Coen Brothers movie.Read More →

06 December
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On
In Movie Reviews

THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS Director: Joel and Ethan Coen Starring: Tim Blake Nelson, Liam Neeson, Tom Waits, Zoe Kazan, Tyne Daly, Brendan Gleeson The Coen brothers are known to be risk takers with every project they take on. They have turned their latest film, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, into a collection of six short films posing as chapters of a book about the American frontier. The stories range from a singing cowboy (Nelson) with a quick shot to an old and lonely gold digger (Waits) concluding with one about a stagecoach of strangers carrying two bounty hunters. Here’s my reviewRead More →

11 July
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On
In Special Series

TRYLON PRESENTS: HOLLYWOOD’S NORTH STAR: MINNESOTANS IN THE MOVIES I’ve praised the Trylon many times before with a variety of their series like Joan vs. Bette and their annual Hitchcock Festival. If you’re from Minnesota, you know how much pride we have in our state and any local connection we can make to the movie industry. Every Thursday in July, Trylon is hitting the road and showcasing Minnesota talent at the Heights Theater in Columbia Heights, MN. It’s one of my favorite little arthouses in town. Here’s the line-up: July 6: KISS ME, DEADLY (1955) Starring: Ralph Meeker, Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart MN Connection: RalphRead More →

17 November
By
On
In My Criterion Collection

CRITERION COLLECTION SALE AT BARNES & NOBLE It’s that time of year again for the fall Criterion Collection sale at Barnes & Noble. It happens twice a year when their entire catalog is 50% off. Plus, you can save another 10% with your member card. Sorry to say that no other coupons can be added on. Apparently Criterion has caught on to the sneaky tricks we’ve all been pulling over the last few years. The sale has been going strong all month and will conclude on November 28th. I’ve only picked up two titles so far, Robert Altman’s McCabe & Mrs. Miller and Richard Linklater’sRead More →

05 February
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On
In Movie Reviews

HAIL, CAESAR! Director: Joel and Ethan Coen Starring: George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Channing Tatum, Frances McDormand, Scarlett Johansson, Jonah Hill, David Krumholtz, Fred Melamed, Wayne Knight Joel and Ethan Coen are back with a tribute to the golden days of Hollywood. Eddie Mannix (Brolin) is the studio fixer for Capitol Pictures Studios. Their current film Hail, Caesar: A Tale of the Christ is the studio’s biggest film to date. He doesn’t want to offend anyone in its depiction of Christ so he’s brought on some advisors to get their opinion on the matter. I’ll have more on that laterRead More →

19 October
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On
In Movie Reviews

BRIDGE OF SPIES Director: Steven Spielberg Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, Austin Stowell, Jesse Plemons, Billy Magnussen, Will Rogers Steven Spielberg has tackled many war stories before with Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Lincoln, and War Horse. His latest film, Bridge of Spies, focuses in on the height of the Cold War in 1957. Tom Hanks stars as James Donovan, a Brooklyn insurance lawyer who is asked to defend Rudolf Abel (Rylance). He’s a Soviet spy who’s been captured and arrested for conspiracy to commit espionage. While most people would like to see him found guilty, Donovan believes he deserves a fair defense.Read More →

10 October
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On
In Movie Trailers

HAIL, CAESAR! Directors: Joel and Ethan Coen Starring: George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Channing Tatum, Scarlet Johansson, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill, Frances McDormand, David Krumholtz, Alden Ehrenreich The Coen Brothers head back to the Golden Age of Hollywood for their next film. George Clooney stars as Baird Whitlock, the lead actor in an epic new film called “Hail, Caesar”. Baird does not appear to be the best actor out there, and now he’s been kidnapped by a group who refer to themselves as The Future. Now it’s up to a studio fixer Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) to get his actors (Johansson, Tatum, Ehrenreich) in line andRead More →

05 June
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On
In Movie Trailers

BRIDGE OF SPIES Director: Steven Spielberg Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda, Amy Ryan, Billy Magnussen You all know how much I love Steven Spielberg and his accomplishments to the silver screen. My childhood was shaped by films like Jurassic Park, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, and Jaws. As an adult, it’s hard not to be moved by films like Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan. His latest film is another collaboration with Tom Hanks, who has previously starred in three of his films (SPR, Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal). Hanks plays James Donovan, a Brooklyn insurance lawyer who has been tasked byRead More →

05 January
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On
In Movie Reviews

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS Director: Joel and Ethan Coen Starring: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberland, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, Adam Driver, Max Casella, F. Murray Abraham If you are involved in the arts in some fashion, you are probably familiar with that vagabond that is looking for his next gig traveling from place to place and bumming couches when needed. Llewyn Davis (Isaac) is at that point in his career. He used to perform as a singing duo with his friend Mike who recently committed suicide. Since Mike’s death, Llewyn has been trying to make it as a solo artist playing at the Gaslight CafeRead More →

28 February
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On
In Movie Trailers

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen Starring: Oscar Issac Carey Mulligan John Goodman Justin Timberlake F. Murray Abraham Garrett Hedlund “Folk songs? I thought you said you were a musician?” The Coen Brothers newest offering takes us inside the world of the 1960s folk music scene in Greenwich Village. It is based loosely on Dave Van Rank’s memoir The Mayor of MacDougal Street. Frequent Coen Brothers collaborator John Goodman stars in the film with another odd haircut. According to the Hollywood Reporter, T. Bone Burnett and The Punch Brothers are involved in producing the music in the film, and Marcus Mumford and JustinRead More →