Sunday, November 24, 2013

Film Reviews: November 24, 2013

Here are the film reviews from today's show:

About Time is a pleasant little film. It isn’t the kind of picture that’s going to change anyone’s life but it does pass as a “comfort movie,” the kind of picture that viewers watch on a rainy afternoon with a pint of ice cream. 

Mr. Nobody is a film that is difficult to recommend because it is unlikely to appeal to a mainstream audience but even the art house crowd is likely to find it underwhelming because it is so compromised. But those who enjoy movies of this sort may want to check it out simply for its ambitions.

Although Free Birds arcs upwards in quality over the course of the picture, it is just too mediocre to recommend. The movie has none of the heart or character that viewers look for in a holiday movie and it is unlikely to entertain anyone.

The Bling Ring is smart and well-made but it also manages to conduct an existential examination of consumer culture while having a laugh. That’s a unique accomplishment and this film does it well enough to make The Bling Ring one of Sofia Coppola’s best films.

You can find the full reviews in the Sounds of Cinema review archive.

Friday, November 8, 2013

89.7 KMSU Pledge Drive

89.7 KMSU FM in Mankato is currently holding its fall pledge drive in which the station asks listeners to show their support with a financial donation.

Pledge drives have two goals. The first is obvious: to generate the money that will keep KMSU on the air. Your donations cover the day-to-day overhead expenses of running the station so that the KMSU's volunteers and staff can keep the programming coming to you.

The second goal of a pledge drive is about public relations. Space and money are at a premium across higher education. Your pledge demonstrates to the university that KMSU is an important and valued part of the community and allows the station and its staff to justify their existence. This means that the amount you give is not as important as the fact that you do give.

To make a pledge to KMSU, please call 507-389-5678 or 1-800-456-7810. You can also visit www.kmsu.org and click on the "donate" icon. Leave your name, address, phone number, and the amount you would like to pledge. Please do not leave credit card information in an email or voicemail as they are not secure.

The November 10th edition of Sounds of Cinema heard on 89.7 KMSU FM will be a special pledge drive edition that will showcase what this program has to offer. Those listening from 89.5 KQAL FM in Winona will hear the regularly scheduled broadcast.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Film Reviews for November 3, 2013

Here are the reviews from today's show: 

The Counselor is a frustratingly bad movie. The picture has some extraordinary talents involved but that makes its failure all the more disappointing. To say it is a train wreck is unfair because train wrecks are at least watchable.

Escape Plan plays like a direct-to-DVD feature that somehow finagled a theatrical release. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone have been in plenty of bad movies but they may never have been in one as boring as Escape Plan.

Lock Up is a very well made prison film and it is one of Sylvester Stallone’s better movies from the 1980s. It is recognizably an action picture from that period in both good and bad ways but it is very entertaining and the humanistic qualities of the picture make it stand out.

You can find the full reviews in the Sounds of Cinema review archive.