Lots of additions to the late months of the sheet, hopefully they stay on but with that much lead time who knows at this point. The big addition is the Miyazaki anime film Ponyo.Hopefully he keeps up his seemingly flawless run. And while it is scheduled to open at the Edina, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it actually open at The Uptown. Daniel should also note that his fondest wish has come true, as the new Harry Potter film has been added to the schedule as well. Maybe you should keep your mouth shut next time, Daniel!
*** – Denotes recommended viewing
All dates subject to change
07/10 The Hurt Locker Uptown***
07/10 Bruno Lagoon***
07/10 Jerichow Edina
07/15 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Lagoon (tentative) (NEW)
07/17 Treeless Mountain Lagoon
07/17 Tetro Edina (tentative)***
07/24 500 Days of Summer Uptown
07/24 Betty Blue: The Director’s Cut Lagoon***
07/24 Seraphine Edina (tentative)
07/24 The Merry Gentlemen Edina (tentative)
07/31 In the Loop Uptown
07/31 $9.99 Lagoon ***
07/31 Soul Power Lagoon (tentative)
07/31 Shrink Lagoon/Edina
08/07 The Cove Uptown***
08/07 The End of the Line Lagoon
08/07 The Answer Man Edina
08/14 Not Quite Hollywood Lagoon***
08/14 Adam Edina (NEW DATE)
08/14 Ponyo Edina (NEW)***
08/21 Inglorious Bastards Lagoon (very tentative)***
08/21 Lorna’s Silence Edina
08/28 Cold Souls Uptown ***
08/28 The World’s Greatest Dad Lagoon ***
08/28 Taking Woodstock Lagoon***
08/28 Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg Edina
08/29 The Adventures of Robin Hood Edina (One Night Only) ***
08/30 The Bride of Frankenstein Edina (One Night Only) ***
08/30 It Happened One Night Edina (One Night Only) ***
09/04 Thirst Lagoon ***
09/04 Afghan Star Lagoon
09/04 My One and Only Edina
09/11 The Baader Meinhof Complex Uptown
09/11 Captain Abu Raed Lagoon
09/18 The Beaches of Agnes Edina
09/18 Burning Plain Edina /Lagoon(tentative)
09/25 Somers Town Lagoon***
09/25 Paris Edina (NEW)
The often maligned Block E Theater in downtown Minneapolis has recently announced it will be hosting the US debut of the acclaimed anime film Sword of the Stranger on February 5th for one night only. From what I know this is a simulcast event through the various Kerasota Theatres around the country. Tickets will be $12.50 which includes admission to the film as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the film and never-before-seen interviews with the voice actors.
Hopefully this event draws well as Block E has yet to have proven to be a very successful idea. More unique events like this might help change that public perception.
Isao Takahata’s Hotaru no Haka (The Grave of the Fireflies, 1988) is a brilliant piece of cinema. Set in Kobe, Japan, in 1945, the film focuses on a brother and sister who are left orphaned and homeless by the American firebombing of the city. It is unflinching in its portrayal of the realities of the war, a harrowing account of what such attacks meant for the ordinary people living in the target area. The children’s innocence and love for each other is no defence against the trials they face: their suffering is very real, their story a classic tragedy. That The Grave of the Fireflies is animated rather than live-action does not distract from its power to move, to provoke thought, to draw tears from the eyes. It is a masterpiece.
An adaptation of Akiyuki Nosaka’s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, The Grave of the Fireflies pulls none of the punches of the source. The novel is a guilt-ridden apology to Nosaka’s sisters, who died during World War II, as did Nosaka’s adoptive father. Survivor’s guilt and a sense of personal failure combine to make the book difficult to read on an emotional level, and the film, scripted by the director, keeps these themes, making it equally emotional viewing.