Category: Jay Gabler

The Minnesota Movie Digest: Issue No. 138

The Minnesota Movie Digest, from the Minnesota Film Critics Association, showcases film reviews, essays, and interviews, highlighting latest releases and classic films. Stay updated with film critiques through their social media channels.

The Minnesota Movie Digest: Can Ochi and The Accountant survive Until Dawn?

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.

Brian Eggert – Deep Focus Review

On Deep Focus Review, Brian reviewed:

Hunter Friesen – The Cinema Dispatch

At The Cinema Dispatch, Hunter reviewed The Accountant 2, Havoc, and April. He believes the latter title is one of the best films of this year and the decade.

Jay Gabler – Duluth News Tribune

For The Tangential, Jay reviewed the new season of Andor.

Kyle Goethe – Goat Film Reviews

Over at GOAT Film Reviews, you can find reviews of several new, recent, and upcoming releases, including:

These appear along with several other reviews from the recent Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, or MSPIFF.

Over on the GOAT Film Reviews YouTube Channel, you can find an Unboxing for the recent Kino Lorber Blu-Ray Collection of The Classic Ghosts, a 1970s television anthology series of gothic horror films featuring notable stars like Susan Sarandon and Vincent Gardenia.

New Episode of Kyle & Nick on Film: Memories of Murder (2003).

C.B. Jacobson – Picturegoer

In this week’s issue of the “Picturegoer” newsletter, Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners”; Lily Tomlin and Bette Midler co-star with Lily Tomlin and Bette Midler in “Big Business”; Matt Damon and Ben Affleck win the Hollywood lottery with “Good Will Hunting”; Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre get bumped up to star billing in “The Mask of Dimitrios”; the silent Western “Riders of the Purple Sage”; and Larry McMurtry’s “Lonesome Dove” sequel “Streets of Laredo”. 

Follow the link: https://picturegoer.substack.com/p/picturegoer-vol-3-issue-12-sinners

Catherine Krummey – Veg Out Recipes

Catherine has two new reviews on The Feed: “The Shrouds” and “The Legend of Ochi.”

She also did a first-time viewing marathon of the “Final Destination” movies and published a new auteur list on Letterboxd: The Films of David Cronenberg.

Erik Larson – Hamline Oracle

Erik wrote one review this week, covering this year’s Razzie winner for Worst Picture.

Ruth Maramis – FlixChatter

Ruth reviewed The Legend of Ochi: A24’s first family-friendly movie brings a sense of awe and wonder to a familiar creature feature, and posted about Portugal in the Movies/TV: Films + series set in Lisbon, Algarve, and the Portuguese Riviera.

She will be going on a 10-day holiday to Portugal and taking a blog break during that time.

Paul McGuire Grimes – Paul’s Trip to the Movies

Check out the latest from Paul McGuire Grimes!

The Accountant 2 review

Twin Cities Live 4/18 – Interviews for The Wedding Banquet, MobLand, and Your Friends & Neighbors

Paul filled in and was co-hosting on My Talk 107.1 on 4/24 and 4/25 on The Bradley & Dawn Show: Listen Here!

Mark McPherson – Movies With Mark

Film Reviews:

Brian Orndorf – Blu-Ray.Com

Film Reviews:

Blu-ray/UHD Reviews:

Nicholas Palodichuk – St. Paul Filmcast

Reviews for Warfare and The Shrouds.

Keep your eyes peeled for the latest film critiques, reviews, and news from the Minnesota Film Critics Association! 🎬🍿

Follow Us On Social Media
Instagram: @mncritics
Twitter: @MNCritics

The Minnesota Movie Digest: Issue No. 132

The Minnesota Movie Digest, from the Minnesota Film Critics Association, showcases film reviews, essays, and interviews, highlighting latest releases and classic films. Stay updated with film critiques through their social media channels.

The Minnesota Movie Digest: The Black Bag is in The Electric State

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

Looking over the latest batch of reviews from The MN Movie Man, it’s a good time to go to the movies!  Here are the reviews of new theatrical releases Black Bag, Novocaine, and Opus.  For streaming horror, consider Control Freak on Hulu.  If you combine the budgets of all four of these films, you’d likely be halfway to the total cost of producing The Electric State on Netflix.  Find out how much that is in Joe’s review.

Finally, Joe published his first review as a new contributor on Loud and Clear Reviews, Borderline.

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!

Eli Brau – Cinephile Corner

Eli has a few new pieces this week over on Cinephile Corner. In their movie reviews section, he has reviews for the following new releases:

He also has reviews for the following classic movies:

Lastly, he has a few updated lists in their movie rankings section, including the best Robert Pattinson movies ranked, the best Steven Yeun movies ranked, the best Steven Soderbergh movies ranked, and every Bong Joon-ho movie ranked.

Brian Eggert – Deep Focus Review

On Deep Focus Review, Brian recently reviewed:

Brian also recently appeared on two podcasts as a guest: He joined Film Trace to discuss the 1969 and 2010 versions of True Grit, and then Reel Mental with Dr. Marcia Sirota to talk about Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door.

On his Patreon, Brian posted a new entry in his essay series, The Definitives, about Fritz Lang’s M (1931)

Last but not least, the Independent Film Critics of America (IFCA) has named Brian Eggert as 2024’s recipient of the Critic of the Year award. Read about the announcement on the IFCA website or Deep Focus Review.

Hunter Friesen – The Cinema Dispatch

At The Cinema Dispatch, Hunter reviewed Black Bag, The Electric State, and Opus.

Jay Gabler – Duluth News Tribune

Jay spoke with Minnesota Film Festival director Vera Bianchini for a Duluth News Tribune preview of this year’s festival, which takes place in Duluth from March 19-23.

Kyle Goethe – Goat Film Reviews

Over on the GOAT Film Reviews Website, you can find reviews of two new releases, Novocaine and Black Bag!

You can also find unboxing videos of two recent Severin home video releases on the GOAT Film Reviews YouTube Channel:

  • Dario Argento’s Deep Cuts is a 4-disc set with a ton of previously unavailable television work from horror maestro Dario Argento!
  • Hard Wood: The Adult Features of Ed Wood is a 3-disc collection of Ed Wood’s risque adult films, made during the end of his career in order to feed his alcohol dependency, these films are certainly what you’d imagine adult films from Ed Wood would be like.

New Episode of Kyle & Nick on Film: Novocaine

Eric Houston – North Metro TV

Movie Man Eric escapes from the Planet of the Apes!

C.B. Jacobson – Picturegoer

This week in the “Picturegoer” newsletter, Mel Gibson and Mark Wahlberg pose a “Flight Risk”; Richard Linklater combines truth and fiction in “Bernie”; the boundaries of bad taste are pushed by John Waters in “Female Trouble” and by Pedro Almodovar in “Matador”; Sam Peckinpah bids farewell to the old west in “Ride the High Country”; and the latest in a series on the classic ’70s sitcom “Taxi”.  Follow the link: https://picturegoer.substack.com/p/picturegoer-vol-3-issue-7-flight

Catherine Krummey – Veg Out Recipes

Catherine paired the underappreciated 2011 romcom “Beginners” with pizza rolls and paired the 2006 unconventional love story “Stranger Than Fiction” with white chocolate walnut cranberry oatmeal cookies as a double feature to celebrate the third anniversary of Veg Out.

Plus, she has four new reviews on The Feed: “Superboys of Malegaon,” “The Monkey,” “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” and “Novocaine.”

She also wrapped up her month-long Comfort Collab Instagram series with 28 people pairing beloved baked goods with comfort shows and movies.

Erik Larson – Hamline Oracle

This is Erik’s first week as a member of the MNFCA, and here are his most recent movie reviews:

Ruth Maramis – FlixChatter

Ruth over at FlixChatter posted a review of the recent Oscar-winning animated film FLOW – a captivating journey of visual storytelling makes this animated movie a timeless classic.

She also reviewed two new releases:

MICKEY 17 (2025) – Robert Pattinson’s comedic flair energizes Bong Joon-ho’s grand but uneven sci-fi satire

BLACK BAG (2025) – Soderbergh’s sleek, sexy spy caper makes the most of its impressive ensemble cast

Paul McGuire Grimes – Paul’s Trip to the Movies

Check out what Paul’s been working on this week!

And follow him across social media: @PAULSMOVIETRIP

Mark McPherson – Movies With Mark

Film Reviews:

Brian Orndorf – Blu-Ray.Com

Film Reviews:

Blu-ray/UHD Reviews:

Nicholas Palodichuk – St. Paul Filmcast

Film Reviews:

Interview with Kae Dusosky

Keep your eyes peeled for the latest film critiques, reviews, and news from the Minnesota Film Critics Association! 🎬🍿

Follow Us On Social Media
Instagram: @mncritics
Twitter: @MNCritics

The Minnesota Movie Digest: Issue No. 129

The Minnesota Movie Digest, from the Minnesota Film Critics Association, showcases film reviews, essays, and interviews, highlighting latest releases and classic films. Stay updated with film critiques through their social media channels.

The Minnesota Movie Digest: The Unbreakable Monkey

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

After taking a few weeks off to enjoy the February chill, The MN Movie Man is playing catch-up with reviews!  There’s something for every genre fan this week — take your pick!  Check out reviews for The Monkey, Cleaner, Liza: A Truy Terrific Absolutely True Story, Millers in Marriage, Anacoreta, Ex-Husbands, Grand Theft Hamlet, Inhabitants, The Gorge, Suze, Armand, Paddington in Peru, The Dead Thing, The Quiet Ones, & Bonus Track.  (There is a 10-star review in this batch…can you find it?)

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! 

Eli Brau – Cinephile Corner

Eli has a few new pieces this week over on Cinephile Corner. In their movie reviews section, he has reviews for the following new releases:

He also has reviews for the following classic movies:

Lastly, he has a few updated lists in their movie rankings section, including the best Miles Teller movies ranked, the best Anya Taylor-Joy movies ranked, and every Marvel MCU movie ranked from worst to best.

Brian Eggert – Deep Focus Review

Brian reviewed the new releases The Monkey and Cleaner, as well as last year’s Vermiglio.

For his Patreon subscribers, he wrote a reader-commissioned piece about Pedro Almodóvar’s All About My Mother (1999) for his essay series, The Definitives.

Hunter Friesen – The Cinema Dispatch

At The Cinema Dispatch, Hunter reviewed The Monkey.

Jay Gabler – Duluth News Tribune

For the Duluth News Tribune, Jay wrote a guide to this year’s Oscar nominees for Best Picture. He also reported on a movie called Murder at the Lighthouse, filmed in northeastern Minnesota and premiering February 23 on Lifetime.

Looking to the future — in two senses — he wrote a feature about a planned movie called The 7th, which may become the first $10+ million production in northern Minnesota since 2005’s North Country.

Kyle Goethe – Goat Film Reviews

Over on the GOAT Film Reviews YouTube Channel, you can find several first reactions to new releases, as well as a brand-new Unboxing Video for Severin’s 4k release of 2020 Texas Gladiators! Look for a Physical Media Review of the set soon!

Unboxing Severin’s 2020 Texas Gladiators (1983)

Kyle & GOAT Film Reviews were also featured in Rent.com this week! You can find more info here: Featured in Rent.com!

New Episode of Kyle & Nick on Film: 3:10 to Yuma (1957)

C.B. Jacobson – Picturegoer

In this week’s “Picturegoer” newsletter, Pamela Anderson as “The Last Showgirl”; the Monty Python gang’s first foray into feature filmmaking, “And Now for Something Completely Different”; Michael Rennie arrives for “The Day the Earth Stood Still”; Samuel L. Jackson and Jurnee Smollett visit “Eve’s Bayou”; Francis Coppola’s epic passion project “One from the Heart”; and the first volume of Simon Callow’s magisterial Orson Welles biography.  Follow the link.

Ruth Maramis – FlixChatter

Ruth over at FlixChatter reviewed two new releases: 

Paddington in Peru: The friendliest talking bear gets a bit lost in the wieldy jungle adventure but still packs a lot of charm

AppleTV+’s The Gorge: This amusingly romantic creature feature can’t sustain the intense build-up

In light of recent news, longtime Bond fan Ruth wrote about (lamented on) the fate of the British spy franchise: 

Shaken AND stirred! Musings on Amazon MGM Studios taking creative control of the JAMES BOND franchise from the Broccolis family business.

Paul McGuire Grimes – Paul’s Trip to the Movies

Paul is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of “Saturday Night Live” Here, he looks back at his interviews with current and past cast members of the legendary late night sketch comedy series.

Looking Back at SNL – Paul Interviews the Cast of Saturday Night Live

Follow Paul on Social Media!

Mark McPherson – Movies With Mark

Film Reviews:

Brian Orndorf – Blu-Ray.Com

Film Reviews:

Blu-ray/UHD Reviews:

Keep your eyes peeled for the latest film critiques, reviews, and news from the Minnesota Film Critics Association! 🎬🍿

Follow Us On Social Media
Instagram: @mncritics
Twitter: @MNCritics

The Minnesota Movie Digest: Issue No. 119

The Minnesota Movie Digest, from the Minnesota Film Critics Association, showcases film reviews, essays, and interviews, highlighting latest releases and classic films. Stay updated with film critiques through their social media channels.

The Minnesota Movie Digest: Kraven’s Carry-On is a A Complete Unknown

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)

It’s almost time to unwrap The MN Movie Man‘s Best/Worst of the year, but there’s no peeking until after Christmas!  While you wait, check out reviews for Carry-On and Kraven the Hunter as well as the landing page for all six volumes of the 60+ films he saw at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.  

Be sure to follow The MN Movie Man on Instagram and Facebook for his weekly hot takes and other updates between newsletters! 

Eli Brau (Cinephile Corner)

EEli has a few new pieces this week over on Cinephile Corner. In their movie reviews section, they have reviews for the following new releases:

Fly Me to the Moon review

Nickel Boys review

Flow review

September 5 review

Saturday Night review

Last Summer review

Brian Eggert (Deep Focus Review)

Brian reviewed A Complete Unknown, Queer, Flow, September 5, Nickel Boys, and Kraven the Hunter.

For his Patreon subscribers, he posted two new lengthy AMA responses and wrote about his favorite TV show of 2024. Check out his Patreon.  

Hunter Friesen (The Cinema Dispatch)

At The Cinema Dispatch, Hunter reviewed A Complete Unknown, Kraven the Hunter, and Carry-On.

Jay Gabler

For the Duluth News Tribune, I reviewed A Complete Unknown and reported on Timothée Chalamet’s visit to a Minneapolis preview screening.

Also for the News Tribune, I reviewed the British Arrows, presented by the Walker Art Center. For The Tangential, I reviewed the new Star Wars show Skeleton Crew

Zach Hammill

This week, Zach reviews A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, as well as capsule reviews of DIDI, BABES, NIGHTBITCH, THE SACRED OF THE SACRED FIG, MOTHERS’ INSTINCT, QUEER, and A REAL PAIN.

Jason Hemming

Nominated for Best Animated Film at The Golden Globes and Critics Choice Award.  Flow tells a very beautiful story about animals surviving with no dialogue at all and it is phenomenal.

The Vern is joined again by Cayley of Once Over with Cayley to discuss the 2003 remake of Willard starring Crispin Glover.

The Vern is joined by Becca of Do You Expect Us To Talk to discuss Alfred Hitchcock’s classic, Psycho and even defend the Gus Van Sant remake

C.B. Jacobson

 The latest issue of my newsletter, Picturegoer; containing reviews of “Gladiator II”, “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, “Hell’s Hinges”, “Inside Man”, “The Mechanic” and Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None”.

Catherine Krummey

Catherine paired “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” with butter beer ice cream floats on Veg Out. Plus, she has four new reviews on The Feed: “Nickel Boys,” “Queer,” “A Complete Unknown” and “Kraven the Hunter.” The In Memoriam series she hosted wrapped up, and she continued her FYC Friday series with quick thoughts on “Flow,” “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” and more.

Ruth Maramis

Musings on Golden Globes 2025 Nominations – 5 Glaring Snubs + 5 Great Surprises

Double Reviews: Based-on-real-events thrillers THE ORDER + SEPTEMBER 5

A Complete Unknown (2024) review – Timothée Chalamet captures Bob Dylan’s freewheelin’ vibe in James Mangold’s engrossing musical biopic

Paul McGuire Grimes (Paul’s Trip to the Movies)

Here are links for The Digest

Paul has new reviews and interviews to share!

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN review

MARIA review

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN Cast Interviews with Timothee Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Edward Norton, and Monica Barbaro

Twin Cities Live segment with Paul’s interview with Colman Domingo and reviews of Moana 2 and Skeleton Crew

You can follow Paul on social media @PAULSMOVIETRIP and his YouTube channel Paul’s Trip to the Movies

Mark McPherson (Movies With Mark)

Brian Orndorf (Blu-Ray.Com)

Films

Blu-ray/UHD

Nicholas Palodichuk

Interview with MNFCA member Cat Krummery

Keep your eyes peeled for the latest film critiques, reviews, and news from the Minnesota Film Critics Association! 🎬🍿

Follow Us On Social Media
Instagram: @mncritics
Twitter: @MNCritics

The Alliance Lately: Issue No. 99

Minnesota Film Critics Alliance Newsletter

The Alliance Lately: The Eternal Twisters Oddity

Welcome to The Alliance Lately, the official newsletter from the Minnesota Film Critics Alliance (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 Alliance Lately 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 Alliance Lately.

Joe Botten (The MN Movie Man)

In addition to reporting on the biggest release of the past weekend, Twisters, The MN Movie Man also featured reviews of Oddity, My Spy The Eternal City, Clear Cut, and The Abandon.

Brian Eggert (Deep Focus Review)

This week on Deep Focus Review, Brian Eggert reviewed Twisters.

For his Patreon subscribers, Brian continued his “Filmmaker in Focus” series about Bertrand Bonello with a review of Saint Laurent (2014) and also wrote an exclusive review of the original Twister (1996).

Hunter Friesen (The Cinema Dispatch)

At The Cinema Dispatch, Hunter published a review for Twisters. He also appeared on the Reel Chronicles Podcast to discuss the 85th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz.

Jay Gabler

Making his debut in The Alliance Lately is longtime MNFCA-er, Jay Gabler with a review of Young Woman and the Sea.

Zach Hammill

Double the Trouble (and reviews) with Twisters!

Catherine Krummey (Veg Out Recipes)

Catherine paired the 2009 romcom “(500) Days of Summer” with a cookies and ice cream pie as part of her continuing Summer of Scoops series on Veg Out.

She also published two new reviews on The Feed: “Scala!!!” and “Lady in the Lake.”

Additionally, Catherine was part of an AFI 3.0 collaboration on Letterboxd to rethink the top 100 American films of all time and published her reactions to the 2024 Emmy nominations. Plus she highlighted Summer Getaways-themed movies as part of another collab.

Matthew Liedke

Matthew shares his thoughts on the highly anticipated sequel:

Ruth Maramis (FlixChatter)

Ruth has been busy this week with her insightful reviews and commentary:

Paul McGuire Grimes (Paul’s Trip to the Movies)

Paul offers a mix of reviews and interviews:

Mark McPherson (Movies With Mark)

Mark delves into a mix of animation, action, and more:

Brian Orndorf (Blu-Ray.Com)

Brian brings a comprehensive list of movie and Blu-ray reviews:

Keep your eyes peeled for the latest film critiques, reviews, and news from the Minnesota Film Critics Alliance! 🎬🍿

Follow Us On Social Media
Instagram: @mncritics
Twitter: @MNCritics