Daily Planet Originals
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 »
Stadium Village Station Area Plan: What do you think?

Minneapolis residents are encouraged to provide feedback on the Stadium Village Station Area Plan through June 14 before the framework goes to the city planning commission and City Council for final approval this summer.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 »
North Minneapolis block party celebrates, remembers
On May 22, 2011, three tornados spiraled down on North Minneapolis, killing one person and injuring 30 more, leaving homes heavily damaged and thousands without power. On Saturday, Northside residents gathered at Logan and 30th Avenue North to mark the anniversary of last year’s devastating tornados and celebrate the rebuilding effort.MORE »
Ice House Plaza opening marks a new era on Eat Street
Ice House Plaza, a new privately owned public green space at 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in Whittier, officially opened on Friday, May 18 with a dedication that included food and beverages from the surrounding businesses (with proceeds benefitting the Whittier Alliance) and music by The New Standards. The celebration came at the heels of news the return of Azia to the corner (the restaurant will reopen as Azia Market Bar & Restaurant at 2550 Nicollet in mid-June) as well as the opening of Icehouse Restaurant. That restuarant, opening on June 7, will feature live music (a cross between the Dakota and the Turf Club, according to co-owner Brian Liebeck) and small plates dining with meats made in-house.MORE »












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