The Alliance Lately: Issue No. 105

Minnesota Film Critics Alliance Newsletter

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.

Continuing his trend of covering smaller titles that have emerged in the last few weeks, The MN Movie Man reviewed The Wasp, Slingshot, Merchant Ivory, and Out Come the Wolves.

Stay tuned for a wave of reviews coming out of Canada, where he’ll be reporting from the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival for the next few weeks.

Eli has a few pieces this week for Cinephile Corner.

Over on their movie reviews section, they have articles for a few new releases, including Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1The InstigatorsThe BikeridersKnox Goes Away, and A Quiet Place: Day One, and a classic review of Eraserhead (1977).

On Deep Focus Review, Brian Eggert reviewed the new Blumhouse release, AfrAId.

For his Patreon subscribers, Brian posted a new entry in his essay series, The Definitives, about Víctor Erice’s The Spirit of the Beehive  (1973). He also shared a Reader’s Choice review of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope (1948).

At The Cinema Dispatch, Hunter updated his Oscar predictions and detailed what the fall festivals mean for this year’s awards race.

Movie Man Eric Houston presents classic educational and industrial shorts on Movie Man Short Shorts. Each installment features two classic shorts and behind-the-scenes info about the people who made the movies. In the latest episode, he presents Command Performance, which looks at how vinyl record albums were made.

Catherine pairs the beloved 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice with blueberry lavender ice cream for the final entry in the Summer of Scoops series on Veg Out.

She also has a new review on The Feed of You Gotta Believe and collaborated on a Layered Favorites post, highlighting multifaceted movies and shows on Netflix.

It’s a bit of a slow time before the Fall Movie Season kicks into high gear. Paul is using that time to recharge, but here is a review for Lee Daniels’ new film The Deliverance.


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


The Alliance Lately: Issue No. 104

Minnesota Film Critics Alliance Newsletter

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.

With the new release offerings slim this past weekend, The MN Movie Man focused on smaller gems that often slip through the cracks when blockbusters rule the multiplex.  Throughout the past week, he published reviews for Hostile DimensionsStrange DarlingHell HoleBetween the TemplesThe Secret Art of Human Flight, and Black Dog.

And remember to browse the archive! You can try a random letter and see what reviews pop out at you.  This week, Joe suggests the letter “V”


Over on the movie reviews section of the Cinephile Corner we have articles for a few new releases, including The People’s JokerFirebrandChimeJanet PlanetEvil Does Not Exist, and The Watchers, and a classic review of Magnolia.

We also have two lists in our rankings section, including Luca Guadagnino’s movies ranked and Paul Thomas Anderson’s movies ranked

Here’s my latest piece on Bronson in Europe that I’m planning to continue in a couple more installments:
Le Sacre Monstre: Charles Bronson in Europe

On Deep Focus Review, Brian Eggert reviewed the new releases Blink Twice and Good One.

At The Cinema Dispatch, Hunter published a review for The Deliverance

Here’s a link to capsule reviews of the last several films I’ve seen, including this week’s new release Between the Temples:
The Last Few Things I Watched and My Brief Thoughts on Them

Two Purple Rain related projects for its 40th anniversary:

Catherine pairs the iconically awful 1997 movie Batman & Robin with matcha pandan frozen custard for the penultimate entry in the Summer of Scoops series on Veg Out.

Find her latest reviews and Letterboxd lists on The Feed.

Movies
The Crow, Between the Temples, The Killer, Incoming, The Deliverance, Greedy People, The Clean Up Crew, Catching Dust, The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat, Hell Hole

Blu-ray/UHD
Death to Smoochy, The Instructor, Observe and Report


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


The Alliance Lately: Issue No. 102

Minnesota Film Critics Alliance Newsletter

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.

At The MN Movie Man, Joe reviewed new releases It Ends with Us, Dance First, and Peak Season. He also expanded on his original review of NEON’s newest thriller, Cuckoo, after seeing it in May at the Chicago Critics Film Festival.

This week, horror aficionados Kelly Florence and Meg Hafdahl invite you to watch their review of I Saw The TV Glow and more here.

On Deep Focus Review, Brian Eggert reviewed several new releases:

Brian also continued his “Filmmaker in Focus” series about Bertrand Bonello by reviewing 2011’s House of Pleasures for his Patreon community.

Read more of Brian’s work at Deep Focus Review.

At The Cinema Dispatch, Hunter published a review for It Ends with Us.

Kyle and Nick bring you two fresh takes on the latest thrillers, plus Kyle goes solo for a classic from the silent era.

Zach has two reviews for you this week!

Catherine paired the beloved 1990s chick flick Fried Green Tomatoes with fried tomato basil sorbet balls as part of her continuing Summer of Scoops series on Veg Out. She also published four new reviews on The Feed: Dìdi, The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat, Sing Sing and The Instigators. Additionally, Catherine collaborated on two film and TV posts: Must Watch with Chocolate and Childhood Favorites.

At FlixChatter, Ruth covers a wide array of cinematic experiences this week, from Indigenous stories to the Taiwanese-American experience:

More reviews and an interview came out of Paul’s Trip to the Movies this week!

Mark has a little bit of everything this week, covering classic cinema to modern animated series:

This week, Brian has a variety of films and Blu-ray releases to talk about, offering his thoughts on everything from romantic dramas to cult classics.

For Cinefied, Strandberg wrote a review for the new M. Night Shyamalan film Trap.

On his personal website, Strandberg published his predictions for the Lead Acting and Supporting Acting categories for the 2024 Oscar Season


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


The Alliance Lately: Issue No. 101

Minnesota Film Critics Alliance Newsletter

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.

Eli has a few pieces this week for Cinephile Corner.

Over on their movie reviews section, they have articles for a few new releases, including LonglegsTwistersThe Strangers Chapter 1In a Violent Nature, and The Last Stop in Yuma County

They also have two lists in their rankings section, including the best movies of 2023 so far, and the best serial killer movies ever to coincide with the release of Longlegs.

At The Cinema Dispatch, Hunter published reviews for Kneecap and The Instigators. He also appeared on the Reel Chronicles Podcast to discuss the 20th anniversary of Entourage.

Catherine paired the comedy series “A Black Lady Sketch Show” with cookie butter ice cream sandwiches as part of her continuing Summer of Scoops series on Veg Out. She also published two new reviews on The Feed: Kneecap and Between the Temples. Additionally, Catherine led a collaborative post highlighting back-to-school movies.


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


The Alliance Lately: Issue No. 100

Minnesota Film Critics Alliance Newsletter

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.

It was a week full of new releases, and The MN Movie Man had a lot of ground to cover!

On Deep Focus Review, Brian Eggert reviewed the new releases Deadpool & Wolverine and Starve Acre.

Brian also reviewed this year’s La chimera for his Patreon community, after members selected the film in a Reader’s Choice poll.

Read more of Brian’s work at Deep Focus Review.

At The Cinema Dispatch, Hunter published a review for Deadpool & Wolverine and did a deep dive into what the fall festival lineups mean for this year’s Oscar race. He also appeared on the Reel Chronicles Podcast to discuss the 60th anniversary of Mary Poppins.

Kyle & Nick on Film:

GOAT Film Reviews:

Catherine paired the underrated 2022 romcom Fire Island with limoncello gelato as part of her continuing Summer of Scoops series on Veg Out. She also published four new reviews on The Feed: Deadpool & Wolverine, Time Bandits, Sleep No More and Mapantsula.

Additionally, Catherine was the featured guest on last week’s episode of the St. Paul Filmcast, and she highlighted movies with Vegan Vibes as part of a collaborative post.


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


The Alliance Lately: Issue No. 99

Minnesota Film Critics Alliance Newsletter

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.

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.

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).

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.

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

Double the Trouble (and reviews) with Twisters!

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 shares his thoughts on the highly anticipated sequel:

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

Paul offers a mix of reviews and interviews:

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

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! 🎬🍿


The Alliance Lately: Issue No. 96

Minnesota Film Critics Alliance Newsletter

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 wrapped up June with a series of new reviews.
Check out his thoughts on these latest releases:

On Deep Focus Review, Brian Eggert wrote a short take on Daddio and full-length reviews of Annie Baker’s debut Janet Planet, the prequel A Quiet Place: Day One, and Yorgos Lanthimos’ anthology Kinds of Kindness.

Read more of Brian’s work at Deep Focus Review.

At The Cinema Dispatch, Hunter published reviews for A Quiet Place: Day OneA Family Affair, and Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1.

He also appeared on the Reel Chronicles Podcast to discuss the 35th anniversary of Batman.

Kyle & Nick on Film have new episodes covering a range of films:

Matt reviewed Daddio on FandomWire. Read the full review here.

Zach Hammill has posted several new reviews on his site:

To wrap up Pride Month, Catherine paired the 2022 coming-of-age rom-com Crush with crushed pineapple sorbet as part of her continuing Summer of Scoops series. She also published two new reviews on The Feed: Kinds of Kindness and Daddio.

Ruth has shared several new reviews, as well as older reviews from films making their streaming debut on Netflix:

Paul has a mix of reviews, interviews, and a local TV appearance for you this week!

Mark reviews this week include:

It was another busy week for Brian over on Blu-ray.com!


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


The Alliance Lately: Issue No. 94

Minnesota Film Critics Alliance Newsletter

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, aka The MN Movie Man, has been busy watching and reviewing the latest films. Here are some of his recent reviews:

This week, Brian Eggert wrote about a few releases, including A24’s fantastical tearjerker Tuesday, Pixar’s Inside Out 2, and the Malaysian coming-of-age horror movie Tiger Stripes.

Read more of Brian’s work at Deep Focus Review.

At The Cinema Dispatch, Hunter published full reviews for Cannes titles The SubstanceEmilia Perez, and Anora. He also did a roundup of short reviews for several other films he saw within the lineup. And then he reviewed the new release of Tuesday.He also appeared on the Reel Chronicles Podcast to discuss the 40th anniversary of Ghostbusters.

Here’s what Matt Hambridge was watching this week:

Here are Zach’s latest submissions:

To celebrate Pride, Catherine Krummey paired Cheryl Dunye’s 1996 New Queer Cinema classic The Watermelon Woman with a summer-ready recipe for watermelon sorbet. Read her essay on the film here.

Dive into Matthew’s recent film adventures:

Here are the latest flicks Ruth has been talking about!

Here are Paul’s latest submissions:

Mark has been writing up reviews for some fascinating films recently:

Brian has been busy reviewing a variety of Blu-rays and UHD releases. Here are some of his latest reviews:

Brian’s Movie Reviews

Brian’s Blu-ray & UHD Reviews Brian also reviewed a variety of Blu-rays and UHD releases. Here are some of his recent reviews:

For more detailed reviews and insights, check out Brian Orndorf’s website at brianorndorf.com.


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


The Alliance Lately: Issue No. 92

Minnesota Film Critics Alliance Newsletter

Welcome back 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.

Thanks for hopping aboard our movie magic carpet ride. Stay tuned for more reel love in The Alliance Lately.

  • The Mattachine Family: Review available here.
  • Summer Camp: Read the review here.
  • Young Woman and the Sea: Review available here.
  • In a Violent Nature: Check out the review here.
  • The Beach Boys: Read the review here.
  • Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga: Review available here.
  • Babes: Check out the review here.

Exciting news: Joe has overhauled his archive of 2400+ reviews for easier navigation. Explore it here.

Additionally, Joe wrapped up his coverage of the Chicago Critics Film Festival, which he attended in early May. Read all about it here.

Over at Deep Focus Review, Brian covered several new releases, including Young Woman and the Sea, The Dead Don’t Hurt, In a Violent Nature, Handling the Undead, and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

Brian also appeared on KARE 11 on May 25 to discuss Furiosa and some upcoming summer releases. And for his Patreon subscribers, he wrote a Reader’s Choice review about Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige from 2006.

Read more of Brian’s latest at Deep Focus Review.

Zach has posted new reviews on his blog! Check out his thoughts on Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga here, I Saw the TV Glow here, and Civil War here.

Cat’s Pairing of the Week:
Fallen Angels + Hong Kong Noodles https://vegoutrecipes.com/fallen-angel-hair/

Ruth has been active with new reviews and articles! Discover her review of the documentary The Last Daughter here, her Memorial Day special on The Blue Angels here, and her thoughts on Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga here. Additionally, check out her review of The Dead Don’t Hurt here and her Cannes film festival preview here.

Paul has been churning out new reviews and interviews! Check out his latest content:

  • Ezra: Review available here and interviews with Tony Goldwyn, Rose Byrne, and Bobby Cannavale here.
  • Young Woman and the Sea: Read the review here.
  • Hit Man: Review available here.
  • Atlas: Check out the review here.
  • Babes: Read the review here.

Additionally, you can catch his reviews of Furiosa, Challengers, and The Fall Guy on Twin Cities Live here.

Mark has been busy with new reviews! Check out his take on Young Woman and the Sea here, his candid thoughts on Jerry Seinfeld’s Unfrosted here and here, and his review of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga here. Plus, read his article on Furiosa at Twin Cities Geek here.


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