Minnesota Film Critics Alliance Newsletter

The Alliance Lately: Days of Scares

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)

Joe has kicked off his 31 Days to Scare for 2024 – take a look at his first six selections and check back daily for frightfully fun choices to fill out your Halloween watchlist!  He also published a review of the new vampire comedy The Radleys.

View all of his reviews on The MN Movie Man.

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 Handling the Undead, Will & Harper, Didi, Oddity, and Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person. There is also a classic review of the Wachowskis’ Bound (1996).

And then in their rankings section, they have lists of the best directorial debuts of all time and the best directorial debuts of the 2020s.

Brian Eggert (Deep Focus Review)

Brian wrote about several new titles to kickstart your Spooky Season, including Frankie Freako, Haunt Season, The Radleys, ‘Salem’s Lot, Hold Your Breath, and V/H/S/Beyond. Outside of the horror realm, he also covered The Outrun, the new addiction drama starring Saoirse Ronan.For his Patreon subscribers, Brian started a month of exclusive horror coverage with a look back at Terrifier (2016).

Hunter Friesen (The Cinema Dispatch)

At The Cinema Dispatch, Hunter published reviews for Joker: Folie à Deux and The Outrun.

Kyle Goethe

In October, I’ve begun my 31 Days of Horror event once again. Here are the first days:

• Day 1: Monster Summer (2024)
• Day 2: Unboxing Arrow Video’s Yokai Monsters Collection
• Day 3: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
• Day 4 – Saw IV (2007)–Day 5: Creature with the Atom Brain (1955)

Kyle Goethe & Nicholas Palodichuk

Missing in Action (1984)

Barrett Goetz

Joker: Folie à Deux

Jason Hemming

I wrote an essay about why releasing Metropolis wide was a big mistake.

We recorded an episode of Cinema Recall with some friends after we saw Megalopolis and we talk about it and The Substance 

My written review of The SubstanceI re released our episode of Cinema Recall on Ed Wood.  Tim Burton’s masterpiece about the famed director of iconic flops

Eric Houston

Movie Man Eric Houston delves into the history of England’s most legendary comedy troupe with Monty Python: Completely Different.

Catherine Krummey

Catherine pairs beloved 1995 Halloween favorite “Casper” with homemade pancakes on Veg Out. Plus, she has four new reviews on The Feed: “The Outrun,” “Hold Your Breath,” “Monster Summer” and “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies.” Catherine also shared her appreciation for the Toho Godzilla films as part of a “Demons & Monsters & Creatures, OH MY!” series she is co-hosting. Additionally, she will be hosting the Secret Movie Night at Emagine Willow Creek this Wednesday, October 9: get tickets here!

Matthew Liedke

• Beetlejuice Beetlejuice review 
• A Different Man review
• Transformers One review
• Megalopolis review

Ruth Maramis

• My tribute to one of my favorite British thespians, Maggie Smith
• My September recap that includes mini-reviews of WOLFS, KILLER HEAT and CHILD STAR
• Documentary review

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

Paul has some exciting interviews to share! He sits down with the cast of Joker: Folie a Deux with Lady Gaga, Joaquin Phoenix, Brendan Gleeson and writer/director Todd Phillips.

He also sat down with Oscar winner Ariana DeBose for her new film House of Spoil

Plus, new reviews of: 

• Joker: Folie a Deux
• ‘Salem’s Lot
• House of Spoils

Mark McPherson (Movies With Mark)

• V/H/S/Beyond Review
• Joker: Folie à Deux Review
• Stopping The Steal Review
• Mr. McMahon ReviewA DIFFERENT MAN: Dismantling The Disorder Drama

Brian Orndorf (Blu-Ray.Com)

Movies

• Saturday Night
• Piece by Piece
• Frankie Freako
• Joker: Folie à Deux
• V/H/S/Beyond
• The Outrun
• Hellboy: The Crooked Man
• It’s What’s Inside
• Daaaaaali!
• Monster Summer
• White Bird
• The Radleys
• Take Cover
• Hold Your Breath
• Another Happy Day
• House of Spoils

Blu-ray

• Blonde on a Bum Trip Blu-ray
• Mothers’ Instinct Blu-ray

Tyler Strandberg

On his website Key Frame Reframe, Tyler published his October Oscar Predictions, where he currently has The Brutalist predicted to take the top prize.

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

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