03 August
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On
In Dear Readers

DETROIT Director: Kathryn Bigelow Starring: Will Poulter, John Boyega, Anthony Mackie, Algee Smith, Jacob Latimore, Jason Mitchell, Jack Reynor, John Krasinski, Ben O’Toole I never walk into a Kathryn Bigelow film thinking it’s time to sit back, relax, and mindlessly take in entertainment. The Oscar winning director of The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty isn’t interested in making those kinds of popcorn movies. Instead, she takes you inside a modern day headline hoping to get you thinking and talking about an issue affecting society. In Detroit, she goes back to the race riots in Detroit during July 1967. The movie starts with members ofRead More →

17 April
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On
In Dear Readers, Special Series

THE MINNEAPOLIS HITCHCOCK FESTIVAL       Trylon takes pride in the fact that they are the Twin Cities classic film specialists. Every year they partner with the Riverview Theater and Heights Theater to present a variety of films from the Master of Suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock. He is one of my favorite directors, so I always think it’s a treat to see his films on the big screen whenever opportunity arises. No matter how many times I’ve seen some of these, they never get old and I usually notice something new with each viewing. Plus, we will get those classic Bernard Herrmann scores, SaulRead More →

31 December
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On
In Dear Readers

PAUL’S YEAR AT THE MOVIES: 2014 EDITION Every year I like to take a look back at my year at the movies. I stole the idea from my friend Max who likes to list every new movie he sees in any given year. This year I sat down and watched 128 new movies. By new, I mean movies that I was seeing for the very first time, whether they were old classics or 2014 releases. 94 of those 128 were 2014 releases. According to my 2013 Edition, I saw 119 films 81 of which were 2013 releases. I suppose 128 is a decent number, butRead More →

11 April
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On
In Dear Readers, Twin Cities Live

DEAR READERS,         It has been a few weeks since the last time I wrote a “Dear Readers” piece. Life has been pretty hectic, what can I say. For those that may not know, I have a new gig as the movie critic for a local Minnesota based talk show called “Twin Cities Live” doing some movie reviews. I had my first appearance on March 26th and have done three segments so far. It airs 3:00-4:00 pm CST every day on the local ABC affiliate, and I will be on every Wednesday. If you are interested in watching them, but don’t liveRead More →

07 March
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On
In Dear Readers

DEAR READERS The In Memoriam segment of the Oscars is always a tough part to watch as we say goodbye to those that have touched us in some way. This year’s piece was especially sad as one of my idols, Roger Ebert, was included. I wrote about him last year soon after he passed away. They also paid tribute to the hilarious Harold “Don’t cross the streams” Ramis and the extremely gifted Philip Seymour Hoffman. I wanted to spend a little time looking back at these two gentlemen and their fine work. PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN (1967-2014) If I remember correctly, my first encounter with PhilipRead More →

21 February
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On
In Dear Readers

DEAR READERS, This weekend brings a few more releases that you may find a bit lackluster. I was not able to attending any screenings of 3 Days to Kill starring Kevin Costner or Pompeii starring “Game of Thrones” hunk Kit Harington, so I cannot report whether they are worth your time, effort, and hard earned money. The Oscars are less than 10 days away, so it is time to get scrambling if you are feeling behind. There are some documentaries and foreign films I still need to check out. Check back for reviews of those to come soon! If you are feeling behind, I wouldRead More →

06 February
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On
In Dear Readers

DEAR READERS, You may have noticed that I have bit a bit sparse lately on some of the new releases that have it your local multiplex. You may have checked in for my thoughts on the likes of Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, The Nut Job, I, Frankenstein, or even Labor Day. I do love me some Kate Winslet, so tonight I will be seeing Labor Day . A review of that will be coming soon. George Clooney’s latest,The Monuments Men, opens this weekend. Hopefully, I can check that one off the list as well. The January/February months at the theater tend to be a bitRead More →

25 December
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On
In Dear Readers

MERRY CHRISTMAS   Merry Christmas to all of my loyal readers! I hope you have a joyous holiday.   Even though my favorite Christmas movie is the James Stewart classic It’s a Wonderful Life, my favorite Christmas song is Judy Garland’s version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” from Meet Me in St. Louis.   Here it is and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!Read More →

28 November
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On
In Dear Readers

HAPPY THANKSGIVING   Steve Martin and John Candy in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Dear Readers, On this Thanksgiving Day, I would like to send my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to all of my devoted readers. I started this blog in 2010 and have seen it grow and gain new readers every month. I am thankful for all of the comments and discussions we have had about the movies we have watched over the years. Whether they are on Facebook, Twitter, in person, or here on the blog, I read every one of them and cherish the discussions we have had about the movies we haveRead More →

08 November
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On
In Dear Readers

BE KIND. REWIND MY YOUTH. A few days ago, Blockbuster Video announced they would be closing the doors at its remaining 300 stores and end it’s mail service that is similar to Netflix. Many stern film buffs may have hated its corporate feel, their lack of hard to find titles, small selection of foreign titles, or even the fact they refused to carry NC-17 titles. I, on the other hand, have many fond memories of my local Blockbuster Video. Shockingly enough, I never worked at one. I ended up working at Big 10 Video in Mounds View, MN which was one of those independently ownedRead More →