Jim Brunzell III

What's the definition of a "summer movie"? Not an easy question to answer, but most summer movies usually feature big movie stars (Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Bruce Willis, Charlize Theron) in romantic comedies (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World), big-budget action explosions (The Bourne Legacy), intergalactic aliens attacking earth (Men in Black 3), superheroes based on comic books or graphic novels (The Amazing Spider Man), sequels, prequels, remakes (Total Recall starring Colin Farrell), films looking to become another franchise with sequels and prequels hopefully to follow (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter). Or how about a heavily-advertised animated feature (Ice Age: Continental Drift) or an idea based on a popular board game (Battleship)—and that probably is not even close to covering half of the targeted 100+ films being released this summer.MORE »

At the halfway point of MSPIFF, the theaters have been packed, audiences have been bouncing from theater to theater—mostly with smiles, some with panicked looks (my guess is, trying to make another screening before it starts)—and there has been plenty of entertainment down at the Aster Café, just down the street from St. Anthony Main Theatre. For the most part, of the 29 titles I’ve seen, most of them have been fairly good. MSPIFF has brought in some titles I didn’t think I’d get a chance to see including two French-Canadian titles over the past weekend: Anne Emond’s sexual charged drama Nuit #1 and Jean-Marc Vallee’s sprawling family drama Café de Flore, both of which will both get released later in the year courtesy of Adopt Films.MORE »

Over the next three weeks, I’ll be discussing some of my favorite films, some bona fide stinkers, and other film happenings going on at the biggest and longest film festival in Minnesota: the 2012 Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival.MORE »

Those familiar with musician and performance artist Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, one of the pioneers in the 1970s industrial music scene and in bands such as Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV, may want to check out the fascinating and surprisingly moving documentary The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye, which makes its Twin Cities debut Wednesday, April 4 at the Walker Art Center before opening at the Lagoon Cinema two days later.  Those who are unfamiliar with Genesis or her story may want to come see the film anyway, as the documentary not only focuses on the history of her music, but a relationship and marriage with the Lady Jaye (Jacqueline Breyer) that would change their lives forever. It's a story that very few know about, one that has never been captured in film before.MORE »