Cinema

​Holder debuts ‘Love, Brooklyn’

March 31st, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

Making her feature directorial debut, Rachael Abigail Holder guides “Love, Brooklyn” to a satisfying conclusion, even if some viewers might have hoped for a different outcome for the central trio. A carefully observed romance that attempts to frame its title borough with the same kind of affection that Woody Allen applied to mythologize his favorite parts of NYC in 1979, the movie places a charismatic Andre Holland at the center of a love…

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​That’s not all, folks: Porky and Daffy rescue us from ‘The Day the Earth Blew Up’

March 29th, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

Some of the conversations surrounding the theatrical release of “The Day the Earth Blew Up” (tagged offscreen in promotional material with the subtitle “A Looney Tunes Movie”) address the hard-to-believe fact that director Peter Browngardt’s film is the first entirely original animated feature using the legendary Warner Bros. cartoon characters. The designation disqualifies Joe Pytka’s 1996 “Space Jam,” Joe Dante’s 2003 “Looney…

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Brent Brandt brings big names to the Fargo Theatre

March 27th, 2025

By Tylar Frame

tylarframephoto@gmail.com

Photo by Tylar Frame, Brent Brandt outside the Fargo Theatre, March 19, 2025

Over the past few years, Brent Brandt, a local teacher and lover of cinema, has welcomed a number of well-known actors to the stage of the Fargo Theatre. Most recently he served as emcee for the screening of The Breakfast Club with actress Molly Ringwald to close out the 25th annual Fargo Film Festival.

On Friday, March 28, Brandt will bring a familiar face to the theater…

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​‘Speak.’ to open 2025 Fargo Film Festival

March 17th, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

The opening night showcase of the 2025 Fargo Film Festival is Jennifer Tiexiera and Guy Mossman’s excellent documentary feature “Speak.” The movie premiered during the Sundance Film Festival as part of the U.S. Documentary Competition section and now seeks wider distribution while it screens in select festivals. Many locals already know of the film’s special community connection. One of the five central subjects is current Moorhead High…

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​Bong sends in the clones: ‘Mickey 17’

March 10th, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

Bong Joon-ho’s highly anticipated follow-up to the game-changing Oscar-winner “Parasite” was set to arrive in theaters last year, but the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike pushed the date. Was the wait worth it? Longtime Bong fans and admirers — the sort who groove on “The Host,” “Snowpiercer” and “Okja,” in particular will find much to love in the imaginative filmmaker’s adaptation of Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel “Mickey7,” upgraded…

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​Zhu’s debut feature “Bunnylovr” premieres at Sundance

March 4th, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

Writer/director/performer Katarina Zhu’s feature debut “Bunnylovr” premiered to mixed reviews in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Despite the lack of critical consensus, the movie succeeds as a portrait of loneliness and isolation intensified by our reliance on the technology that is supposed to facilitate connection, but only alienates us from the warmth and intimacy we desire and need. Several of the…

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​Joseph Tunes In with Vital Film Experience: ‘BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions’

February 24th, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

Of the sixteen features I saw during the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, none left as big an impression as filmmaker/artist Kahlil Joseph’s astonishing “BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions.” Behind-the-scenes controversy, documented more thoroughly elsewhere, confirms the kind of drama worthy of a movie plot — the film was briefly removed from the schedule, only to return at what seemed like the last minute following a buyout by Rich Spirit and BN Media…

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​Fargo Film Festival 25

February 19th, 2025

By Lizzie Allan

The silver anniversary of the annual Fargo Film Festival will take place from March 18 to 22 at the Fargo Theatre. From its beginnings a quarter of a century ago, the showcase of cinematic talent across multiple categories promises something for every film lover. More than 100 movies will be shown from Tuesday to Saturday, with many visiting filmmakers in attendance.

Tickets and a variety of pass options will be available at the Fargo Theatre. In addition to animation,…

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​Victor’s ‘Sorry, Baby’ stands out at Sundance

February 18th, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

Writer/director/performer Eva Victor’s feature debut “Sorry, Baby” was one of the big 2025 Sundance success stories. Audiences connected with the film’s perfect blend of acidity and tenderness. Victor received the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for the movie’s fantastic script. And following serious interest from Searchlight, Neon, and others, worldwide distribution rights were acquired by A24 for a sum reportedly in the neighborhood of 8…

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​Drew Hancock finds a ‘Companion’

February 10th, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

To write with any degree of detail about filmmaker Drew Hancock’s “Companion” requires a spoiler alert. So if you have not seen the movie and hope to wring maximum enjoyment from the experience, I would strongly recommend that you stop reading and buy a ticket to the next available showing. With its diabolical, pitch-perfect marketing campaign to whet the appetite for what looks like artsy A24 or Neon-styled head games (the movie belongs to…

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