The Alliance Lately: The Piano Lesson by a Heretic

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)

There’s something for everyone at The MN Movie Man this week.  In the mood for horror?  Try Heretic.  Eager to start your Oscar watching on the big screen?  Sign up for The Piano Lesson.  Follow-up on last year’s Best Actor winner Cillian Murphy in his new film Small Things Like These.  If you’re simply looking to sit back and enjoy a 90-minue ride, Elevation will do just fine.  Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point is the first holiday title Joe unwrapped this season — did he want to return it?  Finally, those who like uncovering indie dramas might take interest in Okie and for lovers of both documentaries and horror films, the five hour Doc of Chucky will be your friend to the end.

Finally, Joe’s early review of Gladiator II has entered the arena for your entertainment.

Keep following The MN Movie Man’s Instagram and Facebook for weekly hot takes and other updates between newsletters!

Eli Brau

Eli has a few new pieces this week over on Cinephile Corner. In their movie reviews section, they have reviews for a few new releases, including Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Hold Your Breath, Strange Darling, ME, It’s What’s Inside, and Salem’s Lot. They also have throwback reviews of Doctor Sleep (2019), Ju-on: The Grudge (2002), and Heathers (1989).

And then in their rankings section, they have lists for the best movies of 2015, and rankings of the movies directed by Damien Chazelle and Riley Stearns.

Brian Eggert (Deep Focus Review)

Brian recently reviewed Heretic, Emilia Pérez, Here, and All You Need is Blood.

For his Patreon subscribers, he reviewed Anora and wrote about The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) in his essay series, The Definitives.

Hunter Friesen (The Cinema Dispatch)

At The Cinema Dispatch, Hunter reviewed Small Things Like These and updated his Oscar predictions.

Barrett Goetz

• Barrett’s review of A Real Pain
• Brad’s ranking of The Lord of the Rings films

Kyle Goethe

Over at GOAT Film Reviews, Kyle has his early review of Heretic! On the GOAT Film Reviews YouTube Channel, you can find a video review of Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance (2024), along with a number of First Reactions to new releases!

Kyle Goethe & Nicholas Palodichuk

New episodes for The Deer Hunter and Heretic.

Catherine Krummey

Catherine paired the classic 1959 Doris Day-Rock Hudson romcom “Pillow Talk” with pea and pesto gnocchi on Veg Out. Plus, she has three new reviews on The Feed: “Heretic,” “The Piano Lesson” and “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” She also organized a collaborative Noirvember Double Features post and continued her FYC Friday series with microreviews of “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,” “I Am: Céline Dion” and more.

Tim Lammers

Time reviewed Heretic on WCCO-AM’s “Paul & Jordana” show and “The Tom Barnard Show. He also interviewed Danny DeVito and Lucy DeVito for their new family holiday comedy A Sudden Case of Christmas (now in limited release and digital video on demand), which appears on Forbes.com.

Ruth Maramis

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

Paul has a collection of new reviews and interviews to share:

• Drop what you’re doing and see EMILIA PEREZ.
• Interviews and reviews for A REAL PAIN and CONCLAVE on Twin Cities Live
• Reviews of TRAP on 4K and THE 4:30 MOVIE on Blu-Ray

Mark McPherson (Movies With Mark)

• Transformers One
• Martha
• Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
• Armand

Brian Orndorf (Blu-Ray.Com)

Movies

• Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
• Heretic
• Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point
• Elevation
• That Christmas
• Blitz
• A Sudden Case of Christmas
• The Last Rifleman
• Black Cab

Blu-ray/UHD

• Frankie Freako
• Dude Bro Party Massacre III
• Oddity
• Flesh Freaks

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

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