The Minnesota Movie Digest: Issue No. 131

The Minnesota Movie Digest: The Rule of Mickey 17

Welcome to The Minnesota Movie Digest, the official newsletter from the Minnesota Film Critics Association (MNFCA)!

The MNFCA is a collective of individuals dedicated to celebrating and critically examining the art of film. In this recurring publication, we’ll share a selection of insightful film reviews, absorbing essays, and interviews with film professionals.

Each issue of The Minnesota Movie Digest features a diverse array of perspectives and content. Our members have shared their most recent work with us, covering the latest releases and revisiting classic films that dissect the craft of filmmaking. Explore the links below and get a front-row seat to critically examine the art of film.

Check out the MNFCA Members page to meet our all-star lineup.

And now… The Minnesota Movie Digest.

Joe Botten – The MN Movie Man

Though The MN Movie Man spent much of last week trying to figure out how Demi Moore lost the Best Actress Oscar (could it have to do with a certain Best Picture winner spending 3x their budget on campaigning?), he managed to publish reviews of The Rule of Jenny Pen, Bloat, and The Fetus.

Be sure to follow The MN Movie Man on Instagram, Letterboxd, and Facebook for his weekly early looks at upcoming films and other updates between newsletters!

Hunter Friesen – The Cinema Dispatch

At The Cinema Dispatch, Hunter reviewed Mickey 17 and Novocaine.

C.B. Jacobson – Picturegoer

In this week’s issue of the “Picturegoer” newsletter, “Captain America: Brave New World”; Preston Sturges and Betty Grable collaborate (unhappily) on “The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend”; Howard Hawks hits his stride with “The Dawn Patrol”; the beautiful empathy of “Mask”; the (intended) schlocky delights of “Upgrade”; and the latest in an ongoing series on the original ’60s “Star Trek”. Follow the link: https://picturegoer.substack.com/p/picturegoer-vol-3-issue-6-captain

Ruth Maramis – FlixChatter

It’s been a busy week for Ruth over at FlixChatter. On the Monday after the Oscars, she posted a recap of the event: Full Winners list & the Highs + Lows of the 97th Academy Awards.

She reviewed the Disney Plus’ Daredevil: Born Again series and the newly released Last Breath, a gripping underwater survival tale based on the North Sea miracle.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, she posted three reviews of films directed by women:

On Becoming A Guinea Fowl (2024) – Family secrets come to light in this unsettling but captivating dark comedy
Special Double Reviews: VERMIGLIO and MAESTRA – two wonderful films directed by women; an Italian historical drama + a documentary about women conductors.