Unimpressive "Mysteries of the Great Lakes" at the Omnitheater
November 24, 2008
by Brian Moen, East-Lake.net • 11/10/08 •
Not realizing until we heard the song twice this morning that today was the anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald sinking, Tricia and I went to the Science Museum of Minnesota for the Omnitheater showing of Mysteries of the Great Lakes yesterday afternoon.
arts orbit is a multisource blog about the local arts scene, featuring both original contributions by daily planet writers and entries reprinted from partner blogs and online publications. follow artsorbit on twitter and subscribe to the weekly arts newsletter for the latest scoop.
I love the Great Lakes and really enjoy learning about them so I was quite looking forward to this, thinking that it would have some amazing video of flying over the trees, along the shore, and crashing into the waves like we were a giant ship. Video like that is what makes movies at an IMAX screen so exiting—that queasy feeling you get from the large image surrounding you is so exciting and different.
Unfortunately, Mysteries of the Great Lakes had very little of this. The opening minutes had clips of Niagara Falls, Mackinac Bridge, and some shoreline along the Canadian coast. But that was about it. Most of the movie was about a biologist in Wisconsin that was trying to solve the sturgeon mystery of the Great Lakes: how there are 99% less lake sturgeon then there were just 100 years ago. It was a very interesting story, but not something that benefited from being on the large screen.
The movie also told the story of how the Great Lakes were created, and the computer graphics they used to show this was very impressive and looked great on the large screen, but even this was fairly short.
Mysteries of the Great Lakes was 45 minutes long and we left very unsatisfied and unimpressed. Partly because our expectations were so high, but also because of what we remembered most IMAX movies to be like. The overall story was great and very interesting, but I would have rather just watched it at home on PBS, rather than pay $15 for the two of us to see it on the big screen.
Maybe we should have just driven up to Split Rock Lighthouse for the Beacon Lighting and Commemoration of the Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
ARTS ORBIT is a multisource blog about the local arts scene, featuring both original contributions by daily planet writers and entries reprinted from partner blogs and online publications. Follow on twitter and subscribe to arts orbit radar for the latest scoop.
Minnesotans losing homes A record 92,500 Minnesota homes are either in foreclosure or in danger of foreclosure, reports the Star Tribune. Altogether, that's just over ten percent of the 900,000 home loan mortages in the state. Some 62,000 mortgage holders were behind don their mortgages during the third quarter. MORE
My friend Ken writes "I know that food shelves are really hurting this year," and then passes along a painless way to send donations:MORE »
KARE 11 & Land O'Lakes are donating $1 for every person who clicks on their web site. Go to the website listed below and on the right side of the screen (at the top) there is the green area where it says: You Click, We Donate. It's that easy. Please pass to all of your friends.
It is tricky business reviewing a work in progress, putting the writer in a barely tenable position. How can you be fair to the playwright, casting comment on a script that's still in development? Critique the weaknesses and you're a villain for kicking the play's legs out from under it before it's had a chance to actually stand on them. Praise the strengths and you're a cheerleader clapping the author on the back before the job's finished being done.MORE »
These are some of the stories we are working on. If you would like to contribute information or opinions, please e-mail the writers!
• Emerald ash borer Ramsey and Hennepin Counties are under quarantine for Emerald Ash Borer. Have you been affected? Email sheila@tcdailyplanet.net
• Thanksgiving recipes No - not the turkey and the pumpkin pie. We're looking for your favorite non-traditional recipe, like Aunt Harriet's vegetarian non-meat loaf. Send them to editor@tcdailyplanet.net
• What's your story? Is there a story you'd like to write? Or a story you think we should be covering? Email editor@tcdailyplanet.netMORE »
Comments
Post new comment