Twin Cities Daily Planet (https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/author/jim-brunzell-iii/page/9/)
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. Continue Reading
The stage was brightly lit with the black stenciled numbers “400” beaming behind the instruments and microphone stands as a soft hum came from the speakers at the 400 Bar, Friday March 23, as Omaha indie rockers Cursive were about ready to take the stage. My expectations were surprisingly low for the concert: I’d just about given up on Cursive after their two previous albums, 2009’s Mama, I’m Swollen and 2006’s Happy Hollow, seemed to be somewhat underwhelming after 2000’s Domestica and 2003’s The Ugly Organ.
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. Continue Reading
When I presented my first “Defenders” selection back in August of 2011 at the Trylon Microcinema, someone asked me what movie I’ve seen the most times. There are a few that come to mind: Back to the Future, Drugstore Cowboy, Ed Wood, Babe, and Harold and Maude. I’ve seen Harold and Maude three or four times in the theater—most recently when it was shown as a midnight movie at the Uptown in March of 2006—but I’ve probably seen it over a dozen times in total, including annual screenings on DVD. While I consider a dozen times a lot for watching the same film, that’s nothing given that Harold and Maude screened at the now long-gone Edina Westgate Theater (located at 4500 France Avenue, now Edina Dry Cleaners) from 1972 through 1974, for an astronomical 115 weeks and 1,956 screenings! Continue Reading
Last month The Simpsons eclipsed the 500th-episode plateau and will continue to have new episodes for another two seasons to total 25 all together; I, for one, could not have been happier to hear such news. According to Wikipedia, “The Simpsons is the longest-running American sit-com animated series and in 2009 it surpassed Gunsmoke as the longest-running American primetime, scripted network show.” The Simpsons have been dear to my heart and my favorite television show ever since I was in elementary school! I continue to watch The Simpsons every Sunday and even go back to seasons on DVD to revisit episodes almost weekly. They first premiered as shorts in between episodes of The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987. Due to the success of the shorts, Fox developed the shorts into 20-minute episodes and had their first show on December 17, 1989. The Simpsons were created by Matt Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon, even though, Simon left in 1993 due to creative differences among him, Groening, and Brooks. However, Simon made an agreement to be credited as an executive producer on the show, even if he has not worked on the show for almost 20 years. Continue Reading
Now that the Oscars are over we probably won’t see Billy Crystal for another year (a note to the Academy: please have Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, or someone funnier than Crystal host next year), and you can catch up on most of the Oscar-nominated films in theaters or DVD/Blu-Ray. Aside from the few Oscar-nominated films that have not yet been released locally, March looks to be filled with some great film events, series, and other openings around the Twin Cities; here are some of the highlights. Continue Reading
From celebrated Turkish writer/director/producer Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Distant, Climates, Three Monkeys) comes his latest and perhaps his best film to date, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia. Bringing a striking new vision to the police procedural mystery and the aftermath of a crime, this film takes viewers on a journey of uncertainty and wonderment through Turkey’s epic countryside. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia opens this Friday at St. Anthony Main, and audiences willing to take a gamble on a film running over two and half hours will find themselves discussing not only the beautifully-shot vistas but also asking questions about what really happened on a ride to recover a deceased body and what lies ahead for these men involved in the search party. Continue Reading
The 84th Academy Awards are this upcoming Sunday and many Oscar pundits have started making their predictions on various websites. Having been a fan of the Oscars since elementary school, I’ve already tried my hand at predicting the winners and for the most part, I’ve done a decent job in previous years at naming the winners in advance. This year, I’ve not really attempted to pick the winners, but there are individuals and films I’ll be rooting for on Sunday night. Continue Reading
It was a first this year that, due to scheduling conflicts, I was unable to catch anything at the Slamdance Film Festival. When I say I was not able to catch a film, I mean that it was the first time I have not been able to attend a Slamdance screening in the five years I’ve been heading out to Park City, Utah for the simultaneous Sundance Film Festival. I was bummed that I missed my chance to catch musician/filmmaker Neil Young and filmmaker/producer Jonathan Demme speak at a morning coffee panel to talk about their careers. Continue Reading
From what I have seen of Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay’s films, they are indeed “Rough and Tumble,” and perhaps not the most uplifting films you’ll ever see. But they are challenging and provocative; an upcoming Walker Art Center film series focuses on Ramsay’s filmography, beginning this Friday with her highly acclaimed new film We Need to Talk About Kevin, which was up for the prestigious Palme d’Or award at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. Continue Reading