November 9th, 2016
Two decades have passed since the surreal and shocking events that transformed Orenthal James Simpson from USC legend, Heisman Trophy recipient, Buffalo Bills star, professional football Hall of Fame inductee, sports broadcaster, and actor into a divisive reminder of America’s ongoing struggle to come to terms with its legacy of racism.
And while the seemingly bottomless coverage of the so-called “Trial of the Century” may have exhausted widespread interest in the years following…
November 9th, 2016
This Friday, November 11, is Veterans Day, once called Armistice Day, to mark the ceasefire that ended World War I hostilities on that date in 1918. It’s one of the very few national holidays that does not move to the nearest Monday (although it did for several years in the 1970s). The date still calls to mind “the war to end all wars,” but after World War II and the Korean War the name was changed to Veterans Day. Since 1954 it officially honors military veterans in general, not…
November 2nd, 2016
Finally winding its way through a limited theatrical release following a 2015 Toronto International Film Festival debut, Marcin Wrona’s “Demon” blends folklore, supernatural mystery, and wedding disaster comedy.
Adapted by Wrona and Pawel Maslona from Piotr Rowicki’s 2008 play “Adherence,” the film starts with plenty of promise, intrigue, and atmosphere, but fails to maintain those qualities through the concluding frame.
As possessed protagonist Piotr, a young man traveling…
November 2nd, 2016
By Christopher P. Jacobs
christopher.jacobs@email.und.edu
Next week’s presidential election is perhaps the most divisive and least-anticipated in recent history. None of the three main candidates comes close to having a majority voter appeal or enthusiastic support, to the extent that a vote for any one of them is essentially a vote against the other two. It’s a week that will likely inspire various modes of personal escape, even if only temporary, from the cares and fears of modern…
October 26th, 2016
Featuring a deep bench of authorities, scholars, politicians, ex-convicts, and dissenters, Ava DuVernay’s outstanding documentary “13th” arrives on the eve of a national election.
Put together in near secrecy and opening the New York Film Festival, “13th” uses as its starting point the titular reference to the United States Constitution’s amendment that abolished slavery – “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.” That minor…
October 26th, 2016
This summer Mill Creek Entertainment released four William Castle films on bargain double-feature Blu-rays. Several additional Castle movies are available from different companies. The best introduction to his work is probably the disc containing “Homicidal” and “Mr. Sardonicus.” Both are 1961 productions and make ideal Halloween season viewing.
Producer-director William Castle made a wide variety of films and TV programs from 1939 through 1975. But he gained a public reputation…
October 19th, 2016
Ron Howard’s awkwardly titled “The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years” covers familiar turf for longtime fans of the band, but the film’s handsomely presented content may appeal to younger generations just discovering the music of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr.
While the world might not exactly need yet another document in the expanding library of movies about the Fab Four, Howard approaches the theme suggested in the title with the exuberance of a devoted…
October 19th, 2016
By Christopher P. Jacobs
christopher.jacobs@email.und.edu
Late October is when people often get the unnatural urge to watch horror movies. There is no lack of Blu-ray editions of recent horror-thrillers loaded with gory dismemberments, flowing blood, and psychologically twisted villains. By comparison, horror films made before the 1968 ratings system often seem to depict a progression of slightly disturbed but endearingly eccentric old friends.
Back in 2012 Universal released eight of its…
October 12th, 2016
By Christopher P. Jacobs
christopher.jacobs@email.und.edu
Continuing in the vein of Halloween-appropriate horror/sci-fi/fantasy films for October is a new Blu-ray released last week and at an unexpected bargain price of only $8 - $10 (currently available only from Best Buy in the U.S.).
“It Came From Outer Space” (1953) has long been considered one of the major science-fiction films of the 1950s, largely due to its thoughtful story by Ray Bradbury, polished direction by Jack Arnold,…
October 12th, 2016
By Greg Carlson
gregcarlson1@gmail.com
An intuitive and energetic coming of age drama that trades the Val Melaina neighborhood of Vittorio De Sica’s Rome in “Bicycle Thieves” for current day Richmond in the Bay Area, Justin Tipping’s “Kicks” marks one of the year’s most memorable features. Tipping’s directorial debut, “Kicks” hovers over the shoulder of teenager Brandon (Jahking Guillory) through an incident that quickly escalates to a series of choices that lead to…
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By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.com Ten North Dakota communities will participate in the nationwide No Kings Day of Peaceful Action on October 18. The grassroots movement is a nonviolent protest against President Trump’s…
By Kooper Shagenakoopershagena@gmail.com One night, Jane Linde Capistran, associate conductor of the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra, sat and drank wine with her friends: “Jennifer Tackling, the associate concertmaster, and…
Friday, October 31, 5-9 p.m.Ziti’s Italian American Restaurant, 3150 Sheyenne St., Suite 170, West FargoSavor a delectable five course meal with beverage pairings. (Nonalcoholic beverages are available upon request, but must be…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com At the end of September, downtown Fargo said goodbye to another old friend; the Spirit Room closed its doors, marking the end of an era. The Spirit Room room has been a fixture downtown for the…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWill we be banging or whimpering at the end of the American empire?T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Hollow Men” accurately portrays the end of most empires in his first lines: “We are the hollow men/…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
By Rick Gion and Nichole Hensenrickgion@gmail.com The wait is finally over. Those who have visited Nichole’s Fine Pastry & Cafe lately know about the recent major additions and renovations that have taken place over the past…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Dakotah Faye is a hip-hop artist from Minot, North Dakota, and he’s had a busy year. He’s released two albums. This summer he opened for Tech N9ne in Sturgis and will be opening for Bone…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Dream-factory documentarian Alexandre O. Philippe connects with a Hollywood legend in “Kim Novak’s Vertigo,” the latest in a series of features exploring the filmmaker’s many…
By HPR staffsubmit@hpr1.com Mark the first weekend of October on your calendar. It’s the weekend of the Studio Crawl, which takes us all on a wonderful, metro-wide tour of our talented (and often wacky) arts community. On October…
Press release“Shakespeare with a sharpened edge.” To launch its 2025 – 2026 season, Theatre NDSU is thrilled to team up with Moorhead-based organization Theatre B to perform a co-production of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com When we are sick, all we want is a cure. You go to the doctor, they give you a pill, you take it for a bit, then you are cured. It happens. But unfortunately, it is not always the case. …
By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…
By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.comMoral accountability and the crisis of leadership As a recovering person living one day at a time for the last 35 years, I have learned not to judge others because I have not walked in…
