Thursday, January 26, 2012
Frozen River Film Festival
For those of you in the Winona area, the Frozen River Film Festival is now underway. You can find the schedule of screenings here. There were some last minutes changes to the schedule so you may want to consult the website before heading out to the events.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Best and Worst Films of 2011
On today's episode of Sounds of Cinema I counted down my picks of the best and worst films of the past year:
Best:
1. Margin Call
2. Shame
3. The Artist
4. Melancholia
5. Hanna
6. A Better Life
7. Page One: Inside the New York Times
8. 50/50
9. Hugo
10. Warrior
Worst:
And lastly, here is a clip from Hardball with Chris Matthews in which the host interviews Margin Call director J.C. Chandor and actor Kevin Spacey about their film.
Best:
1. Margin Call
2. Shame
3. The Artist
4. Melancholia
5. Hanna
6. A Better Life
7. Page One: Inside the New York Times
8. 50/50
9. Hugo
10. Warrior
Worst:
- Jack and Jill
- Your Highness
- The Hangover Part II
- Priest
- Sleeping Beauty
- Bad Teacher
- Road to Nowhere
- Mr. Popper's Penguins
- 30 Minutes or Less
- Sucker Punch
And lastly, here is a clip from Hardball with Chris Matthews in which the host interviews Margin Call director J.C. Chandor and actor Kevin Spacey about their film.
Friday, January 20, 2012
2011 Year End Wrap Up Episode
The Sounds of Cinema episode for January 22 will review the year 2011 and I'll unveil my picks of the ten best and worst films of the past year. Be sure to tune in to see if your favorite films made the cut.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
January Updates
Happy (belated) New Year.
Any of you who check out this blog on a regular basis have probably noticed the lack of posting in it throughout the last quarter of 2011. My apologies for that. Circumstances beyond my control made it difficult, if not impossible, to make meaningful contributions to either of my blogs, but I'm resolved to return to regular postings in 2012.
Another year has come to a close, and that means I am at work on a special episode reflecting on the films released in the previous year, including a countdown of my picks of the best and worst pictures. I've been busy screening notable films from the past year that I missed during their theatrical run because they didn't get released in this area, they were pulled from theaters too quickly, or I refused to see them in the theater (Smurfs, I'm looking at you).
Because I am so busy screening films and putting together the year end wrap up, this weekend (January 15th) will see a rerun of an earlier episode. The 2011 Year End Wrap Up is planned to air January 22nd, 2012. Remember that you can find previous year end wrap ups here.
In the meantime, here are some links to other end of 2011 retrospectives from other critics:
Any of you who check out this blog on a regular basis have probably noticed the lack of posting in it throughout the last quarter of 2011. My apologies for that. Circumstances beyond my control made it difficult, if not impossible, to make meaningful contributions to either of my blogs, but I'm resolved to return to regular postings in 2012.
Another year has come to a close, and that means I am at work on a special episode reflecting on the films released in the previous year, including a countdown of my picks of the best and worst pictures. I've been busy screening notable films from the past year that I missed during their theatrical run because they didn't get released in this area, they were pulled from theaters too quickly, or I refused to see them in the theater (Smurfs, I'm looking at you).
Because I am so busy screening films and putting together the year end wrap up, this weekend (January 15th) will see a rerun of an earlier episode. The 2011 Year End Wrap Up is planned to air January 22nd, 2012. Remember that you can find previous year end wrap ups here.
In the meantime, here are some links to other end of 2011 retrospectives from other critics:
- Mark Kermode picks his favorites and least favorites of 2011.
- The Cinema Snob's picks of the worst films of 2011.
- Roger Ebert's picks of the best films of 2011.
- Richard Roeper's picks of the best and worst of 2011.
- The A.V. Club's picks of the best of 2011.
- Rotten Tomatoes list of the 100 best reviewed films of 2011.
- Todd McCarthy's picks of the 30 best films of 2011.
- Peter Travers' picks of the 10 best films of 2011.
- Kenneth Turan's picks of the best films of 2011.
- The Huffington Post: 11 Great Films You May Have Missed
- Owen Gleiberman's picks of the 10 best of 5 worst films of 2011.
- Lisa Schwartzbaum's picks of the 10 best and 5 worst films of 2011.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
'V for Vendetta' Screening at WSU
The Winona State University History Association is sponsoring a screening of V for Vendetta at 7pm on November 5, 2011 in the Somsen Auditorium on the Winona State campus.
Although I gave a mixed review to this film at the time of its release (you can find the review in the archive) , V for Vendetta has become an important motion picture. The Guy Fawkes mask worn by the hero has become an international symbol for resistance movements, popping up everywhere from the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street.
Check out this video from the time of V for Vendetta's release, in which pundits debate the merits and political message of the film.
Although I gave a mixed review to this film at the time of its release (you can find the review in the archive) , V for Vendetta has become an important motion picture. The Guy Fawkes mask worn by the hero has become an international symbol for resistance movements, popping up everywhere from the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street.
Check out this video from the time of V for Vendetta's release, in which pundits debate the merits and political message of the film.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Sounds of Cinema Halloween Special
Don't miss the annual Sounds of Cinema Halloween Special.
Listeners to 89.5 KQAL FM in Winona, MN can hear the special at 11pm on Sunday, October 30th.
Listeners to 89.7 KMSU FM in Mankato, MN can hear the special at 1pm on Monday, October 31st.
Remember, those not in the broadcast area can hear the show live streaming over the web or via an app for mobile devices. Visit each stations' website for details.
Listeners to 89.5 KQAL FM in Winona, MN can hear the special at 11pm on Sunday, October 30th.
Listeners to 89.7 KMSU FM in Mankato, MN can hear the special at 1pm on Monday, October 31st.
Remember, those not in the broadcast area can hear the show live streaming over the web or via an app for mobile devices. Visit each stations' website for details.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
KMSU Pledge Drive
89.7 KMSU FM in Mankato is currently holding its fall pledge drive. Please consider supporting this station with a financial commitment.
KMSU and stations like it are unique in the media landscape. In an environment where media is increasingly homogenized and the content of local airwaves is programmed by corporate offices in distant locales, KMSU is the rare place where local, original content is generated and broadcast. The station serves local businesses, organizations and artists and gives them a unique platform to express their ideas.
This is a very challenging time for independent radio. Although KMSU recieves some funding from Minnesota State University Mankato, the station is expected to generate a portion of its own revenue. In times of economic stress that expectation may become greater as other interests compete for state funding. Across the nation, many colleges and universities are abandoning their radio stations to make ends meet in these challenging economic times. When this happens it isn't just students who lose. It is the entire community.
If you are a listener to this station, or just believe in supporting community radio and local media, please consider making a pledge. You can make on online pledge here or call the station at 507-389-5678 or 1-800-456-7810.
KMSU and stations like it are unique in the media landscape. In an environment where media is increasingly homogenized and the content of local airwaves is programmed by corporate offices in distant locales, KMSU is the rare place where local, original content is generated and broadcast. The station serves local businesses, organizations and artists and gives them a unique platform to express their ideas.
This is a very challenging time for independent radio. Although KMSU recieves some funding from Minnesota State University Mankato, the station is expected to generate a portion of its own revenue. In times of economic stress that expectation may become greater as other interests compete for state funding. Across the nation, many colleges and universities are abandoning their radio stations to make ends meet in these challenging economic times. When this happens it isn't just students who lose. It is the entire community.
If you are a listener to this station, or just believe in supporting community radio and local media, please consider making a pledge. You can make on online pledge here or call the station at 507-389-5678 or 1-800-456-7810.
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