Language purists might think that the most alien thing about this nine-disc DVD set is the newly coined word in the title; we’re guessing Fox Home Video didn’t trust its audience to know that four related dramatic works are properly called a tetralogy. But whatever you call it, Sigourney Weaver’s sci-fi quartet (see, there’s another … Read more
They don’t make them like Cary Grant any more. Sure, George Clooney’s got many of his good points—the good looks, the one-two combo of great comic timing and solid dramatic chops. But only the guy born Archibald Leach a century ago this month has so many classics to his credit that a three-week retrospective like … Read more
Remember the good old days of mom-and-pop bookstores? Back when Ruminator had healthy operations in both Minneapolis and St. Paul, we might have walked in the door, charged right up to the counter, and asked a real person: Can you tell which city readers are from by the books they buy? With the recent unpleasantness, … Read more
Aki Kaurismäki comes from a land populated by emotionally reserved Nordic types and mosquito-breeding lakes, where it is cold and dark for six months out of the year. That would be Finland, though Fridley fits the bill. Specializing in low-budget movies that are smart, deadpan, and inspired equally by European art cinema and American rock … Read more
A five-year labor of love by French writer/director Sylvain Chomet, Triplets is a pure visual delight that ought to appeal both to young children and the snootiest of the arthouse crowd. Chomet’s warped sense of humor and sheer inventiveness keeps the film percolating with comic energy, reminding us that there’s more going on in the … Read more
There was some surprise around town last week when the Minneapolis Fire Department said they’d already started selling advertising on city fire trucks. They’ll begin with hose covers promoting an unimpeachably responsible product: a smoking cessation program called Quit Plan. Still, thoughtful people were alarmed, and we were intrigued. When times are tough, our city … Read more
A seventies doll made to look like Mrs. Beasley,A Victorian soldier whose joints move quite easily, Batman, The Matrix, and Lord of the Rings,These are a few of our favorite things.Wonders small and smaller are on display at the History Center in this exhibit detailing the social history, growing popularity, and production of those posable, … Read more
The history of the 1804 Lewis and Clark expedition, which first revealed much of the interior of the continent to white Americans, has been covered quite thoroughly in recent years by both Ken Burns and Stephen Ambrose. Brian Hall takes a slightly different approach to the material in I Should Be Extremely Happy in Your … Read more
Award-winning local author Benitez has found much inspiration in her dual Latin American and Midwestern heritage, and her books have a way of persuading you to cheer for both sides of the story. Her latest, Night of the Radishes, ought to please fans of her earlier, critically acclaimed novels, like The Weight of All Things. … Read more
It’s not a trend we favor, but there’s a notable tendency these days for authors to turn their swords on each other in the name publicizing themselves. It probably started with that insufferable Jonathan Franzen, whose open sneer at Oprah’s Book Club was largely directed at the authors she chose. Then there’s New Republic critic … Read more