Tag: Opinion

May 2015 featured one of the biggest weekends of entertainment ever

The most traditional ways movies and sports collide is in a sports movie. Often about underdogs overcoming tremendous odds.

However, other times, it just so happens that big movies are released around the same time major sporting events take place. That’s what occurred in the first weekend of May, 10 years ago, and there was definitely no underdog. These were heavyweights going at it across the world of entertainment, with screens of all sorts filled with events.

All of five of the major professional sports leagues were in play. The NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, MLB all had events, on top of the “Avengers” sequel being released. Oh yeah, there was also the biggest horse race and boxing fight taking place. Here’s a breakdown of that legendary weekend.

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The End of the Beginning: My hometown theater, Cine 5, closes

UPDATE: Since the closure, Cine 5 has reopened and is back in operation. I’m so thankful for that development. I plan to keep this piece up as a tribute to the theater and as a reminder of the importance of theaters in smaller communities.

For a film buff, living near a movie theater is a great bit of geographic luck.

That’s what I had growing up in International Falls, Minn. From when I was born until I moved away for college, I never lived more than a block or two away from the local theater, the Cine 5.

Sadly, like I’ve done twice already on this site, I’m having to write a farewell piece to place I spent countless hours and created numerous memories. The Cine 5 closed recently, marking the end of another theater that I attended.

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Phase 4 shows the MCU is running on empty

No, I’m not being paid by Warner Bros. or DC to write this.

Honestly, for the longest time I rejected this notion. Marvel Studios had a really good track record here at this site. Aside from “Thor: The Dark World,” most entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe received a 3 out of 5 or higher from yours truly.

For those who may not know, that’s enough to get a “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes. That was true right up through the summer of 2019.

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Four Great Movie Presidents for July 4

It’s almost the Fourth of July, a time of year to put out the stars and stripes while enjoying some BBQ and parades.

Since it’s an American holiday, it’s worth taking a look at American leaders from movies. Here are who I consider some of the best fictional presidents featured in movies.
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Assessing the loss of Uptown and Edina

I don’t live in the Twin Cities metro area. The Uptown Theatre and Edina Cinema weren’t my go to places to see movies, mainly since I live a four hours drive north of them.

Despite not being a frequent visitor to these two locations, though, the nearly 20 times I did watch a film at either theater were very memorable. Plus, many of the films were quite good.

That’s what makes their closure hard to stomach.

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16 Superb Summer-Related Flicks

After a rather chilly May, a heat wave has been hitting Minnesota in the month of June.

It has been hot here. Maybe not reaching the temperatures that our neighbors in the southern states experience, but up north, anything above 80F feels like a scorcher. 

The warm weather certainly makes it feel truly like summer, though, and plenty of fine films have been set during the hottest season. This is a list including some of my favorite movies set between spring and fall.

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2021 Oscar Docs: A Look at the nominees

The Academy Awards sometimes gets a bad rap for being a night where Hollywood “pats itself on the back.”

While that does happen, though, the Oscars do play another important role. It shines a spotlight on films that can sometimes go under the radar. This is especially true for documentaries, which are often not found at major movie theaters that people go to on a Friday night.

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Taking a year off may be good for audiences

The new broke Wednesday that the Marvel film “Black Widow” has been delayed again, pushing back the studio’s whole superhero line up in the process.

The news is obviously a hit to theaters and Hollywood. There’s no doubt that Marvel and its all powerful umbrella company want their movies to hit theaters for the immediate success they bring.

This is true of course with all other movie studios that have had to make delays, too. Warner Bros. has had to consistently push back “Wonder Woman,” which has moved from mid-summer to Christmas. Universal, meanwhile, has shoved the next “Fast and Furious” film back a whole year to 2021.

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A Theater Going Dark: Remembering Breckenridge’s Cinema 6

The movie theater in Breckenridge, Minn., had just six screens. It wasn’t a megaplex. It didn’t have stadium seating. It didn’t have recliner seats. It didn’t even have a huge concessions selection.

What it did have, though, was a dedicated staff and a small town charm. For a town with a population of 3,199, bordering the city of Wahpeton, N.D., with a 7,753 population count, it was a serviceable cinema.

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Great movies about drama in the home

In day-to-day life, one’s home is a place to hang their hat and relax, or invite friends and family for an event.

In movies, though, a house can become a rather chaotic place, especially when it’s filled with different, and at times, conflicting personalities bouncing off each other. In certain flicks, it can even be a trap that one can’t escape from.

Considering most of us have been and will likely continue spending a lot of time at home because of the corornavirus pandemic situation, I decided to make a list all about films largely taking place at one house.

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