Entertainment
MOVIE REVIEW | "Flying Monsters 3D": High times with David Attenborough
The documentary Flying Monsters 3D is clearly meant to impress us with just how crazy things used to be back in the Cretaceous Period, but given that immediately previous to seeing the film I was hanging out in a near-empty IMAX theater in a St. Paul suburb at 9 a.m., eating Dippin' Dots, wearing 3D glasses, and listening to "Copacabana," giant flying carnivorous lizards seemed about par for the course.MORE »
SATURDAY PICK | Serious fun at the Washburn A Mill Tour
Chances are you dig these cities we live in; and there's a lot to like too. The Mill City complex, situated in the scenic part of downtown, is definitely one reason, and is as historic as it is beautiful ... and also highly photographed. It's no coincidence that the old mill is situated on the Mississippi RIver—that river being the energy source that brought work and people up north to Minnesota. The Washburn A Mill Tour takes you on a guided walkabout of the building—the only opportunity of its kind, actually. I know it sounds like a glorified grade school field trip, but it's more than just a history lesson. I took my sister to "visit the most explosive museum in the world" last spring and we both still talk about how much random weird fun we had. When else are you going to get to take a picture with a giant box of Bisquick?MORE »
SUNDAY PICK | Folk Baroque: String fusion at the Baroque Room
I was nonplussed at the Portland Cello Project, but just to prove that I don't hate the entire concept of classical fusion, I'm going to go ahead and give a shout-out to Folk Baroque, an ensemble who explore the full range of the violin/fiddle repertoire. Folk and classical music have been elegantly wed many a time, from Dvořák's New World symphony to the stylings of Minnesota's own Orange Mighty Trio, and Folk Baroque's May 27 performance at the Baroque Room looks likely to please a varied crowd.MORE »
MONDAY PICK | Go see a summer blockbuster
Here at the Daily Planet we typically steer you towards independents and hyper-local events, but Memorial Day is here, summer is in full effect, and the time is ripe to shamelessly settle in for a big-budget blockbuster. I've recently reviewed three such films in the Daily Planet, and can guiltlessly send you to the multiplex.MORE »
FRIDAY PICK | At the Trylon, comic books on (a slightly smaller) screen
Comic books have always been enticing subjects for filmmakers, and as The Avengers continues to wallop the competition in the macrocinemas, the Trylon Microcinema is showcasing some of the lesser-known translations of comics into movies. The series begins on May 1 with a screening of Heavy Metal, the 1981 animated film based on the sci-fi/erotica comics magazine. That means, predictably, lots of animated nudity as well as, less predictably, the vocal talents of Eugene Levy and the late John Candy. Succeeding films in the series include Persepolis, Fritz the Cat, Flash Gordon, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and Crumb.
THURSDAY PICK | Minouk Lim and Emily Johnson dance the Seoul streets at the Walker Art Center
If writing about music, as Martin Mull may or may not have said, is like dancing about architecture, then what is dancing in sculpture? That's what Korean artist Minouk Lim and local performer Emily Johnson will be doing on May 31 at the Walker Art Center, "animating" Lim's wearable sculptures on the opening day of Lim's exhibit Heat of Shadows. Lim's work concerns urban alienation, a favorite theme for dancers as well, so I have a hunch we're going to be seeing a lot of come-here-come-here-come-here-come-here-get-away-get-away-get-away-get-away moments. Isn't that what life is all about?
The next next step
Lissa Jones has me on as her guest for “Urban Agenda” (KMOJ – Radio), May 31, 6pm. Since neither us are known for holding our tongues, should be a lively chat.
Elsewise, weighed in at MN Spokesman-Recorder with Something I Said commentary on the CeCe McDonald travesty. Also in MSR, obit for Donna Summer.MORE »
FRIDAY PICK | Memory Lanes Block Party: Is there such a thing as too much rock?
The Twin Cities' summer block party season gets fuller and fuller each year, and the Memory Lanes Block Party has firmly claimed pole position as the season opener. In the spirit of Prince's guitar solo on "Let's Go Crazy," the Memory Lanes fest leads with excess: this year, 30 artists play over the course of three days on three stages. Headliners include Needles (Friday), the Hood Internet (Saturday), and Los Straitjackets (Sunday). Bring open ears and an iron stomach: event sponsors include Jameson, Absolut, Summit, PBR, Malibu Rum, Red Bull, and—for the win—Hormel. Pink slime for everyone!
Chill summer: Claire de Lune, Theresa Andersson, Chicha Libre
This spring, I've had to eat my words. For the past few years, I've been advising bands to skip the physical CDs and just send download links to journalists—the hard copies, I've said, get tossed in a pile that may or may not ever get excavated. Then last month I bought a car that has a working CD player, and lo and behold! Suddenly making it into that pile is the best way to get my attention. Some of the discs I've had to resist tossing straight out the window (Dwight Hobbes said it all when it comes to Paul Spring: I should've had a V8), but three have made for very chill soundtracks for warm-weather cruising.MORE »
WEDNESDAY PICK | Bedlam's 10-Min Play Fest: A mixed bag (in a good way) at Mixed Blood
Rumor has it that Bedlam Theatre, after nearly two years in its temporary Seward home, is closing in on a deal that will land it in a new permanent home. In the meantime, though, Bedlam is building on its long-time relationship with Mixed Blood Theatre—just down the street from Bedlam's former West Bank space—by staging its annual 10-Minute Play Festival on the Mixed Blood stage. Whereas in previous years the short plays have appeared in series, this year Bedlam's making it easy on us by staging them all back-to-back at six performances over five days. The watchword for these little plays is innovation, so don't expect any tidy little dramas: settle in to your seat, and hold onto your hat.MORE »
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