wednesday at bryant lake bowl: Cinema Lounge

If it's the third Wednesday, then there must be some cinema going down at Bryant-Lake Bowl.  This time around the IFP folk are bringing us some music videos, which you'll read about here:

Come on down to the Bryant Lake Bowl for out February Cinema Lounge. This month we are screening all locally made music videos. It's going to be a blast.

Cinema Lounge is FREE and open to the public. The show starts at 7pm in the Bryant Lake Bowl Theater on Wednesday the 16th.

Come watch some great videos and then ask the filmmaker questions after each film plays.

This month we have:

::Alex Bowes and Ben Thompson::
"Our Leader" by The Chord and the Fawn
"All Hell" by Them Damned Young Livers

::Dan Huiting::
"Our Love is a Mighty Fortress" by Grant Cutler and the Gorgeous Lords

::Dan Huiting and Dillon Bakke::
"You'll Be Bright" by Cloud Cult

::Kevin Russell::
"Hard as Nails" by Peter Wolf Crier
"Freak Out" by Tapes 'n Tapes

::Shane Nelson::
"A Lifeless Ordinary" by Motion City Soundtrack
"Total Devastation" by Farewell Continental

So come on down, have a beer, have some food, and watch some awesome videos!

It's going to be a blast! We start at 7pm sharp. 

mntv 2010 program 2 this sunday on tpt2

The second program in MNTV 2010 is airing on TPT-2 tonight at 10:30:

This annual series of short films and videos showcases the finest work produced in Minnesota over the past two years, including animation, documentaries, experimental films, comedies, and dramas. Selected from nearly 70 entries by Walker associate curator Dean Otto, Lu Lippold and Maxwell Becker from IFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts, and local curator Marlina Gonzalez, the three one-hour programs will be broadcast in December on Twin Cities Public Television and TPT’s Minnesota Channel, streamed on YouTube and Google Video, and installed in the Walker’s Best Buy Film/Video Bay starting in March. The Walker is proud to be a partner in this project, expanding the program and providing additional avenues for local film. 


Program Two
Screens December 19, 10:30 pm, TPT Channel 2
Repeats December 26, 9 pm, TPTMN
Sayer Frey, Abandon ME (2010, 20 minutes); Stephen Gurewitz, Claudia (2010, 4 minutes); Tom Schroeder, Bike Race (2010, 12 minutes); Carrie Boberg, Jimmy Black’s Cadillac (2009, 18 minutes). 

minneapolis underground film festival this weekend

The 2010 Minneapolis Underground Film Festival is taking place this weekend at MCAD, and like the name suggests, you most likely won't have another chance to view these works.  I encourage you to peruse the entire schedule here, but I'd also like to direct your attention to screenings of the Minneapolis Project 2010 and the Sunday matinee showing of This Time Tomorrow.  The former is a compilation of shorts dedicated to various neighborhoods around the city, and the latter being the only piece I've seen (I should disclose that I'm good friends with the director, but that shouldn't detract from my claim that the film is truly a good one and you'd do yourself a favor to attend).

melody gilbert films at parkway this weekend

This weekend the Parkway Theater will be screening Minneapolis documentarian Melody Gilbert's films, including her recent film on the life of Walter Mondale, Fritz, and her tale of underground expeditions, Urban Explorers.  Many of these screenings will be followed a Q&A session with film participants, including the movie Disconnected, where I'll be fielding questions as the film's main editor.  You heard me. Be there and ask me all sorts of goofy crap.  I can take it.  Here are showtimes plus a trailer for Disconnected, so y'all can get prepped:

Friday, Dec. 3rd
6 pm: Disconnected
7:30pm: Married at the Mall (with Melody's new short doc Tami Tushie's Toys)
9:15 Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness
10:30 After-party @ Pepitos (next door) - Half-price apps and 2-for-1 drinks

Saturday, Dec. 4
3pm: Whole
4:30pm: A Life Without Pain (with MN family featured in the film)

Sunday, Dec. 5
6pm: Fritz: The Walter Mondale Story

Monday, Dec. 6th (Melody Gilbert will not be on hand)
Disconnected 5:40pm, A Life Without Pain 7:15pm, Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness 9pm

Tuesday, Dec. 7th (Melody Gilbert will not be on hand)
Married At The Mall 5:40pm, Whole 7:15pm, Fritz: The Walter Mondale Story 9:00pm

Wednesday, Dec. 8th
7pm: NUMB (sneak preview/fundraiser) (* note: Not part of the "MG Movie Marathon." Separate ticket required). Melody Gilbert will be appearing.

Also Wednesday: Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness 9:00pm

Thursday, Dec. 9th (Melody Gilbert wiil not be on hand)
Fritz: The Walter Mondale Story 5:40pm, A Life Without Pain 7:15pm, Urban Exploreres: Into The Darkness 9:00pm

local doc trampoline at the heights tonight

The Heights is screening the locally-made documentary Trampoline tonight at 7:30:

Mark Wojahn received the 2009 McKnight Film Fellowship for his efforts on Trampoline and his What America Need Films. Trampoline was edited by Channel Z films, the same MN post-house, who cut the Independent Spirit Award winning film "Sweetland". Jim Stanger subtly cuts this story of a Minneapolis family torn apart by teenage rebellion and a stepfather who has lost his way.  The documentary has a great Minnesota soundtrack from the bands; the Red Pens, Aby Wolf, Mystery Palace, M.anifest and Solid Gold. Its wonderful sound score was composed by the Minneapolis Ashe & Spencer's, Richard Werbowenko. The film has already been receiving Spirit Award votes for the Chaz and Roger Ebert Truer than Fiction Award. There will be a special post screening Q&A after the movie with the director, cast & crew. 

Check out the film website here.

H/T - MN Film & TV Board.

videos: perennial plate and city of music

Here's another episode of Perennial Plate and City of Music.

From Perennial Plate:

One of the fun things I get to do each week is look up quotes for these episodes.  It started off easy, but 30 episodes later, I realized that there are only so many quotes about food... but this week I got to look up the word MOB.  There are a lot of good "Mob" quotes out there, most of them are about democracy, the scum of the earth and lynching.  Episode 30 isn't about any of those things, it's about something called a CROP MOB.  Never heard of a crop mob?  Watch the Video!

The Perennial Plate Episode 30: Crop Mob from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

From City of Music:

Lazerbeak performs “Salt and Sea” live at the Fine Line Music Cafe for MPLS.TV ’s weekly live performance series, “City of Music” presented by Gimme Noise.

Directed/edited by: Dan Huiting. Shot by: Dan Huiting, Sarah Knoss, David Hannigan, Nick Junkersfeld, and Chris Hadland. Sound by Ryan Warner and Paul Etsby. Mastering by Ali Jaafar. Titles by Broken Crow.

City of Music is recorded with Shure microphones.

doomtree.net/​lazerbeak
gimmenoiseblog.com
danhuiting.com
shure.com

music videos for the weekend

Got two great music videos for you today.  One for the band Cloud Cult by my buddy Jon Thompson, and the other from the always awesome Estate.  Both great videos and songs.




Estate - Nuclear City from Estate on Vimeo.

music in motion at fine line tonight

It's Day 3 of the Twin Cities Film Fest tonight, and there's a special showing at the Fine Line starting at 7.  Music in Motion showcases locally-made music videos and even some live performances, all for $10/$12.  Check it out tonight.

Between the bands, we will be screening music video premieres from

Greg Hubacek and Victor Rukavina – DOOMTREE
Phil Harder – THE STAR FOLK
Andrew Melby – TOKI WRIGHT
Jon Thompson – CLOUD CULT
Justin Staggs – THE MELISMATICS
Shane Nelson – SICK OF SARAH
Walter Pitt – THE SPECTACULARS
Joe Brandmeier – READY GOES
Arlo Myron – CULTURE CRY WOLF
Adam Zuehlke – MATT DODGE AND THE LOBSTERS
Jesse Roesler – Rockumentary – Man & Machine: Godried and Moniek’s Naked Robotic Orchestra – SNEAK PREVIEW!

minneapolis project 2010 at riverview tonight

The Riverview is screening a collection of short movies about neighborhoods in Minneapolis tonight at 7pm.  The shorts were all produced specifically for the Minneapolis Project 2010, a series put together by the Cinema Revolution Society and IFP MN with the stated mission to, "exhibit a cross-section of life and stories on film, and to collectively create a cinematic portrait of Minneapolis."  Tickets are $10.


Minneapolis Project 2010 Trailer from Minneapolis Project 2010 on Vimeo.

twin cities film fest kicks off... last night

Yesterday began the inaugural Twin Cities Film Festival.  Things started off with the documentary Waiting For Superman screening at the Mall of America followed by a Q&A with the film's director, Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth).  The 5-day festival continues tonight with three screenings, including Nowhere Boy and locally-made Phasma Ex Machina playing at Block E and the first screening in their Mexican films program, Sin Retorno, playing at the Mall of America.

There was a feature on this festival in Sunday's Strib by movie critic Colin Covert, and I must say it seems he was biting his tongue just a little bit [I'd link to the article, but it's locked for those who don't subscribe to the rag].  For example, sub headers that say "Organizer insists that yes, we do need a new film fest," suggest there's a fair amount of skepticism surrounding this event.  I'd have to count myself as one questioning the need for such a program.  I'll let the Strib article explain my thoughts on this (emphasis mine):

No one could argue that there is a shortage of such events here.  There's the huge Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival... the music-oriented Sound Unseen... specialized Polish, gay, Arab, black, Jewish, Italian and French series, the globetrotting Beyond Borders lineup, even a Bicycle Film Festival.  Some observers would argue that we're already at the saturation point.

Attendance and coverage of the aforementioned events are depressingly sparse, making the need for a "come-one, come-all festival" seem exaggerated.  I would believe it to be very worthwhile for someone to better promote and connect the numerous niche festivals that are already in place, leading to better coverage and attendance for these important and focused cultural events.

Covert's skepticism continues:

Most of the major films are scheduled to arrive in theaters over the next few weeks or months.

Last night, for the price $25, you could've have driven down to Bloomington to view the premiere film.  Or you could wait till Friday when the movie opens up at the Lagoon and catch it for $9.

I don't want to be too much of a downer on this festival, because there are definitely a few worthwhile events, most of which are of the locally-produced variety.  In addition to tonight's Phasma Ex Machina, there are two other feature-length Minnesota-made films, and I'm sure to attend their "Music In Motion" program screening at the Fine Line tomorrow night.

Besides, starting a festival of this size is by no means an easy task.  I'm holding out hope that this year's fest is mostly a chance for the organizers to get their feet wet, stake out their claim in the metro area's film scene, and hopefully expand on their mission and focus in the years to come.

music and food videos

I got two videos for you today.  Today's pair includes another edition of Perennial Plate alongside a music video for local rap group Wide Eyes directed by Justin Staggs.   Enjoy yourself.


The Perennial Plate Episode 27: Pickles from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

local movie four boxes at riverview

It's made the rounds at national film festivals, including South By Southwest, and now the locally produced thriller Four Boxes is back to screen at Riverview tonight.  This thriller follows a group of people who earn a living by selling dead people's belongings when they come across a sadistic website:

Fourboxes.tv is a dusty, digital window into the wacked-out world of a creep they call Havoc. Havoc didn't know his apartment was wired up when he moved in. And he's weird. He sleeps in a bat-cage, builds bombs in a dungeon, and looks like he's planning to kill people on a seriously massive scale. Trevor, Amber and Rob decide they have to do something to find and stop Havoc, wherever he is. Or...maybe not - they could just keep watching, 'cause, as Rob says, "That's what the internet's for."

The movie starts at 7pm.  I must say, this film looks sufficiently creepy.

big and f.a.s.t. at trylon

Tonight you can catch the premiere of Big and F.A.S.T. screening at Trylon.  This 30-min documentary follows Coco Mault's exploration into the world of giant roadside attractions:

The film explores the far-reaching effects of giant roadside attractions as well as their evolution into “objects that do something” as opposed to simply being statues. In the film, Jerry Vettrus, sculptor and former owner of F.A.S.T. Corporation, as well as current general manager Darren Schauf, bring viewers through the process of making a roadside giant -- from a blob of formless insulation to a shiny, fiberglass masterpiece that can easily withstand the toughest year-round conditions in the Midwest. 

The movie starts at 7pm.  View the trailer here.  Only 8 tickets remain so buy them online now before you're turned away at the door without a ticket.

new mn original tonight

Some of you might be watching the Vikings-Saints game tonight.  But others might prefer the high-brow cultural offerings from public television on a night like this.  And why wouldn't you, when TPT-2 is premiering a brand new episode of MN Original.  Here's a description of tonight's episode along with the trailer:

Public Artist Craig David created murals for the new Twins stadium. His latest installation is a nine-ton sculpture at the U of M. Pulling hair, strand by strand, is an art form for Guthrie Theater Wig Master Ivy Loughborough. And the Hip Hop Artists of No Bird Sing perform.

more minneapolis music videos

I got some more music videos for you this afternoon.  We got new clips from Muja Messiah and Jeremy Messersmith.  Clock out early, kids, and experience the Internet as intended by its inventors.


The Official "Gary Coleman" by Muja Messiah Directed by Hi Def Photo Prod. by Benzilla from Didier Mbilizi on Vimeo.



It's rare you see a video with a 9:16 aspect ratio, but that's just the era we live in, I guess.

more mpls videos: music, wine and glaciers

I got a bunch of videos for everyone today, so put off work for the next hour or so and let the Internet entertain you for once.

First up is a performance video of the band Roma di Luna on MPLS.TV's City of Music series.  Here they're performing the song "Starling" at Cedar Cultural Center.


City of Music: Roma di Luna from MPLS.TV on Vimeo.

Next up we've got some wine tips from who else but a couple of wine geeks.  They're a little goofy, but there's no shame in that game.



Finally, I have for you a video from my old co-workers in the ad world, who recently shot this for a backpacking company in glacier country.  Alaska never looked so awesome.


Exit Glacier Guides from Delicious Filmworks on Vimeo.

mn original tonight

Episode 204 of MN Original is airing tonight on TPT-2 at 7:30.  Here's the description pulled from their site:

Coming up this week on mn original: Scott Lloyd Anderson is a plein air painter, known for his suburban scenes and powerful images of the 35W bridge collapse. Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Cellist Josh Koestenbaum works hard to keep his body and his instrument in tune. And, soulful singer songwriter Alison Scott performs at the Dakota Jazz Club.

mn arts in video form

A couple of blogs today have been pointing out new videos where the arts in Minnesota are front in center.

First up we got a video promoting the release of Lazerbeak's new album, "Legend Recognize Legend," being put out by Doomtree.  (H/T Midwest Broadcast)

Also, it looks like PBS' Newshour wanted to give a shoutout to local arts organizations mnartists.org and Springboard For The Arts. (H/T MN Original)

Check out both videos below:


Lazerbeak "Legend Recognize Legend" Album Promo from Doomtree Records on Vimeo.

some music for your monday lunch break

MPLS.TV and Gimme Noise have teamed up to bring us all a live performance by the band 4 On The Floor.  Enjoy some rooftop music in these dog days of summer.


City of Music: The 4onthefloor from MPLS.TV on Vimeo.

perennial plate in the boundary waters

We got ourselves a new episode of Perennial Plate this morning.  This week we head to the boundary waters to cook up some mushrooms and lotus root (no fish this time, sadly).  Oh, and since it's the boundary waters the scenery is absolutely gorgeous.


The Perennial Plate Episode 24: Boundary Waters part 1 from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.