Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others), 2006. Written and Directed by Florian Hanckel von Donnersmarck. Starring Ulrich Muhe, Sebastian Koch, Christa-Maria Sieland, Ulrich Tukur, Thomas Thieme, Hans-Uew Bauer, and Volkmar Kleinert. Now showing exclusively at the Uptown Theatre. Legend has it that Lenin, upon encountering Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata, claimed that he could not … Read more
It’s my Megan’s day to bring breakfast treats for her 1st hour English class. Is there something wrong with me that I can’t settle for the donuts at SuperAmerica? Krispy Kremes are too predictable, and over-rated besides, and bringing cereal and milk would feel like a sad surrender. Of course we hauled our keesters to … Read more
Interesting piece today from former Rake writer Al Eisele on The Huffington Post. He’s entirely correct in citing another terrific piece of work by the upper echelon of mainstream journalism. But do keep on reading, as Eisele’s readers rip HIM for giving the MSM a nano-second’s break from the hellstorm over their far more egregious … Read more
This is what I’m doing tonight. And tomorrow, since I’m taking the day off, I’ll toss off my agenda in advance: After all this time, I’m finally going to a rock ‘n’ roll show–The Alarmists (along with Melismatics and Friends Like These) at the T-Rock, just after the boyfriend and I take his grandma out … Read more
Le Fils (The Son), 2002. Written and directed by the Dardenne brothers. Starring Olivier Gourmet and Morgan Marinne. Showing Friday night at 7pm. and for the children: Les Contes de la Rue Broca. Directed by Pierre Gripari. Showing Sunday afternoon at 2pm. Both films are being shown downtown at the Alliance Francaise de Minneapolis/St. Paul. … Read more
I don’t currently subscribe to either XM or Sirius satellite radio. But there have been times I would have sold my mother to the Arabs, (to quote Woody Allen), for anything that offered relief from the unmitigated crap that qualifies as “local broadcasting” across huge swaths of the continental USA. I mean, westbound out of … Read more
rocco and jeffrey forever! Just for fun, from Gawker … Jeffrey Chodorow is unhappy with NYT food critic Frank Bruni’s review of Kobe Club, Chodorow’s new steakhouse. THROWDOWN! Jeffrey, of the Rocco’s-media-fabulocity-failure and head of China Grill restaurant group, has taken out a full-page ad in the Dining section giving Frank the what-for. Salient points … Read more
Now that we’re hip-deep in the muck of the winter movie season, we can look ahead to some of the more promising flicks–March and April, in particular, offer some tantalizing choices. I recall my younger days back in old Mt. Pleasant, MI, and the spring giving us little more than cheap horror, lousy John Hughes … Read more
Ugh. Ash Wednesday. The day on which my Catholic guilt really kicks in. Even though I no longer go to church like I used to, I still feel inclined, every year, to sacrifice something for Lent. What on earth will it be this year, when I’ve already given up so much and seem to have … Read more
Brother. Everyone following the next great transition at the Star Tribune ought to read this posting on MnSpeak. The high key vernacular — phrases like, “leaving in droves” and such — are standard with disgruntled, PO’d sales reps at every TV and radio station in town. So take that with a grain of salt. But … Read more