Showing posts with label Riverview Theatre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Riverview Theatre. Show all posts

the proposal

I didn't want to see The Proposal. I even (briefly) considered featuring it as a FWLFS. From the moment I saw that first trailer, the whole thing just felt... icky. The premise--a put-upon gopher is forced to get engaged to his abusive female boss so that she can stay in the U.S.--is classic, egregious sexual harassment. Would we laugh, I opined, if the genders were reversed, and a lecherous male boss did the same to his female subordinate? Of course not. Because it's awful.

With my air of progressive hipster superiority fully satisfied, I happily shunned all opportunities (including a free preview) to see The Proposal. It was beneath me, don't you know.

But then some writers whom I actually respect (I'm looking at you, Jess!) had to go and say it wasn't that bad. So on my inaugural Wednesday night movie, I headed down to the Riverview and saw it for $3.

OK, seriously. The premise is awful. But looking past that for a second--can I just say how much I've missed Sandra Bullock? She hasn't been this yummy in a rom-com for at least nine years. And her chemistry with Ryan Reynolds was muy caliente.



So, really, this movie was saved for me by two things: first, the delicious cast (Mary Steenburgen! Betty White! Coach! Oscar from "The Office" doing a lap dance!); and, secondly, the hilarious script*. I have not laughed this much since Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Yes, The Proposal was a run-of-the-mill romantic comedy, and yes, it followed a formula. You always knew what was going to happen next. But--it didn't suck. I was smiling as I walked out of the theater; and that, in itself, transcended my best expectations.

*"You know I can't swim!" "Hence, the boat." If you saw it, you know what I'm talking about. ...Click here for the rest of this tasty post.
Posted by Nayana Anthony in , , , , , , , , , , at 4:20 AM on Thursday, September 24, 2009
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postlet #14

Note to all Minnesota movie-goers: the folks at the Brookdale 8 Cinema have stopped trying. The place is falling apart. There's a funky smell. The boors who frequent this establishment have loud conversations mid-movie, unchecked by management. It can't even be called a dollar theater anymore, as the ticket price has been raised to $3. For the same price, the Riverview is a much better option.
Posted by Nayana Anthony in , , , , , at 11:46 AM on Monday, June 30, 2008
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forgetting sarah marshall

I've wanted to write about Forgetting Sarah Marshall for quite some time.

I first saw it when it first came out, months ago. Then, a few Fridays back, I escaped from some tiresome company to see it again at the Riverview. Last night, I saw it for a third time.

I'm not sure why it was so hard for me to just sit down and blog about this movie. For one thing... I love it. Maybe I love it so much that I'm terrified I won't do it justice.

At the same time, it may be hard to tell you what's so great about this movie without revealing too many of its delightful little nuggets of realism, comedy, genuine heart, singing puppets, naked guys... you know.

This is what I can tell you. Forgetting Sarah Marshall holds up to repeat viewings. Every time I've seen it, there's more stuff that just makes me laugh out loud. The humor is a bit raunchy... most of it's sexually based... but to be honest, I'm good with that. (This is the girl that reviewed Kinky Kong, remember, people?) It's not for kids. There's plenty of nudity, of all kinds. The F-Bomb is dropped indiscriminately (you know... like in life).

But beyond the sex, the nudity, the cussing, at the heart of the movie... it's real. The characters feel like real people, the emotional ups and downs are real, the romance is real. To be honest, these are people I'd be friends with in real life, with the possible probable exception of the title character, Sarah Marshall. I'm sure it's no big spoiler to tell you she's pretty much a ho-bag.

And how could I forget... the casting of supporting roles is outstanding. This is true in most any Judd Apatow movie, but it's especially true in this case. Jack McBrayer is awkward and hilarious, Mila Kunis is lovely, Russell Brand steals the show. Paul Rudd is brilliant as always (he could easily play the pretty boy in every movie, but he eschews that in favor of interesting, unique characters. I respect him so much for that.) Oh yeah, and Jason Segel is officially now one of my favorite people in film.


Anyway... my worst fears have come true. I have come nowhere close to doing this fantastic movie justice. But let me just say... 5 stars out of 5. Absolutely fantastic. The best (in my opinion) of all Judd Apatow's movies. And... perhaps the most telling... I actually plan to buy this movie on DVD*.

Please see it.

*Not a common occurrence. ...Click here for the rest of this tasty post.
Posted by Nayana Anthony in , , , , , at 10:17 AM on Thursday, June 26, 2008
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please to excuse...

I've been feeling a bit un-bloggy the last few days. I apologize for my overdue review of I Am Legend, which I actually saw for the third time last night (incidentally, three is more than enough). It's coming soon, I promise.

Meanwhile, check this out: my official favorite movie theater, the Riverview, has unveiled its new website, complete with pictures and some cool history.
Posted by Nayana Anthony in , , at 1:35 PM on Thursday, March 6, 2008
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a night at the guthrie (lucky me!!!)

There are a few perks to working at a beloved but slightly impoverished non-profit agency. The pay sucks, but once in a while there comes along a wealthy benefactor to make our lives a little brighter. This time, someone generously donated tickets to Minneapolis' world-class play-house, the Guthrie Theater, to see Robert Bly's adaptation of Peer Gynt. We held a drawing at work, and guess who ended up with a pair of tickets? Whoo hooo!!! I took my friend Dorcas Hathaway as my date--she's a great co-worker; a loyal, encouraging friend; my neighbor; and my favelezz*. So of course she got to go.

I got all dressed up (not something I do often) and put on these sexy strappy shoes (not at all appropriate in a Minnesota winter). When we arrived, it was just lovely... the theater was so cool and arty. I felt extremely fly.

"Why is it that I almost never go to the theater?" I wondered aloud. Minneapolis (and St Paul) really does have the most fabulous theater scene. I suppose it has something to do with the ticket prices (if ours hadn't been free, they'd have been about $54 apiece), and also the fact that I spend so much all of my discretionary income at movie theaters, leaving barely enough for mac & cheese. After about thirty minutes of Peer Gynt, however, I started to think of a few more reasons.

Peer Gynt is a classic, confusing Norwegian fairy tale/morality play, which had been translated and adapted by Robert Bly, Minnesota's most distinguished poet (if you don't count Bob Dylan). OK, so the poetry was great. There were some funny bits. But........

People, it was weird. Weird, and difficult to follow.

And you remember those sexy, strappy shoes? Well, they turned out to be evil, soul-sucking shoes. It's really hard to sit and enjoy understand an avant-garde Norwegian play when there are tiny straps of leather cutting through your skin.

And then it was intermission. So we got to go out to the lobby and walk down the Guthrie's famous Eternity Bridge that hangs in midair over the banks of the Mississippi River (this is where savvy Minneapolitans went to survey the wreckage after the 35W bridge collapse). The view was breathtaking... It was so lovely... Dorcas lasted 28 seconds outside. I think she's got a heights thing.


I sat down for the second act, armed with my favorite Vitamin Water (XXX, the free radical fighter!), and made it through without sleeping. But by the time I got home, my right pinky toe was the size and heft of a wrecking ball.
What I learned:
  1. The Guthrie is lovely. I will be happy to take free tickets off anyone's hands, anytime in the future.
  2. I'm never wearing those shoes again. Yes, I looked hot initially, but that only lasted until I started hobbling around like one of Peer Gynt's trolls.
  3. My city kicks ass. I don't take nearly enough advantage of this.
  4. I do enjoy the occasional trip to the theater, but I am still solidly a movie girl.

Tonight I'm heading for the Riverview.... in fuzzy socks and comfy shoes.

*Favorite lesbian. She really is... but the story of how we coined the term is just too long.


 ...Click here for the rest of this tasty post.
Posted by Nayana Anthony in , , , , , , , at 2:12 PM on Friday, February 22, 2008
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a weekend of reruns

What do you do when there is absolutely no new quality movie fare in the theaters? I guess stay home and pout... or go see some old quality movie fare.

I was intrigued by my friend Pistola's raves on South Minneapolis's Riverview Theater (as well as a great review in City Pages), so Captain Crash and I took a leisurely drive along the Mississippi and checked it out.

Guess what... I have a new favorite theater.

The Riverview has:
  • one screen with over 700 seats
  • a huge, comfy lobby with 60's mod decor and cozy living-room furniture
  • popcorn with real butter
  • and best of all, admission tops out at $3.
Unlike many other single-screen theaters, they don't limit themselves to one show; the Riverview plays at least three different movies per day (five on the weekends). Friday night at 9:00, they were showing Into the Wild; we had initially loved that one, so we decided to see it again.

It was even better the second time, people. The run time is almost 2 1/2 hours long, but it flies right by. Into the Wild is a heartbreaking story, and just like ten years ago with Titanic, we all know how it's going to end... but that doesn't diminish a thing. Big kudos to Sean Penn for crafting this story in such an intense and affecting way. There were countless mind-blowing performances; Hal Holbrook absolutely deserves his nomination, but the Academy could have shown some love for Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden... The list goes on. At the top of the list, though, should have been Emile Hirsch for his subtle and complex work in the lead role. His heartbreak is devastating at the end of the story, when he makes a vital realization (which ultimately comes too late.) And, hey, if anyone feels like sending an I-deeply-love-Nayana present, that Eddie Vedder soundtrack is boss.

Saturday it would have been my sixth wedding anniversary with the former Mr. Anthony... but just to show you what mature and well-adjusted people we are, Greg and I went to lunch and then caught Juno at the Heights. (In case anyone wonders, this is my third Juno viewing. And, yes, it still kicks ass.) Greg does not have anywhere near my enthusiasm for good film, and he was about to waste his cash on Fool's Gold. I just couldn't let him do it, folks. Even if he did stomp mercilessly on my heart and break it into a million pieces (just kidding, Greg, you know momma loves ya), no one deserves to sit through that drek. He also mentioned a desire to see Untraceable. Ugh. Looks like I'll have to nip that one in the bud, and drag him to see a real thriller, like No Country For Old Men.

Juno is comedy of the highest quality. And I've officially decided that I'm ok with all the weird lingo in the beginning of the movie that seemed to irk so many people. In fact, the offbeat dialogue may actually be one of the biggest reasons I liked the movie. There's nothing wrong with expressing old, common experiences in a new, uncommon way. I am still firmly a massive Diablo Cody fan.

So that was it for this weekend. This week, I'm going to try to finally tackle The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Roman Holiday, Sabrina (the original with Audrey Hepburn), and whatever looks good on TCM.

P.S. I'm crossing my fingers on that writers' strike thing, people. It looks like we may actually have a deal... so Oscars as usual? (oh please oh please) ...Click here for the rest of this tasty post.
Posted by Nayana Anthony in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , at 11:37 AM on Monday, February 11, 2008
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before the devil knows you're dead

An email interchange today between me and a coworker, Pistola Whipped. Pistola and I regularly trade recommendations on movies; we share a similar taste in movies and an affection for Ryan Gosling which I won't get into here. ;-)


From: Whipped, Pistola
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 8:12 AM
To: Anthony, Nayana
Subject: You were totally right

We went up to the Riverview and viewed Before the Devil Knows You're Dead last night.

Did not like it at all. I mistakenly thought it was supposed to be a comedy. Dead wrong. Yuck. Did every character seem miserable to you? And the music? Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. And the weird, super urban apartment with the waif-y, pusherman drug kid? It was so bizarre and hateful.

Luckily it was $3, Riverview popcorn is the bomb and I got a little snuggle time in with my main man...otherwise totally not into it.


From: Anthony, Nayana
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 9:33 AM
To: Whipped, Pistola
Subject: RE: You were totally right

Depressing. Everyone else seems to think it was the cat's pajamas. I sat there watching it, thinking "...Really?" It was awful.


From: Whipped, Pistola
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 9:49 AM
To: Anthony, Nayana
Subject: RE: You were totally right

I know it! I read several reviews (The New Yorker, City Pages, Star Tribune) and they just raved over it. Sometimes I think one reviewer sets the pace for other reviewers and they are afraid to bash something in case it goes to the Oscars and they get called out for their mistaken pan review. I would have given it a piss poor one even if I was writing for the damn Rolling Stone!


From: Anthony, Nayana
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 10:10 AM
To: Whipped, Pistola
Subject: RE: You were totally right

Yeah, that's the nice thing about the position we're in... we watch movies for FUN. So we're allowed to have any opinion we want. :-) The worst that can happen is our friends could give us a hard time... it's not really a financial risk.

So is THAT why I'm not a professional movie critic? Maybe I'll just tell myself that.

Additional Note: If any of you have a different opinion on Before The Devil Knows You're Dead, please, by all means, share it. I honestly would like to know why you liked this movie.


 ...Click here for the rest of this tasty post.
Posted by Nayana Anthony in , , , , , , , at 10:26 AM on Tuesday, February 5, 2008
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12 people had something brilliant to say.
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