Someone once told me that all dog stories end in pathos, and can't avoid being mawkish and trite. I think this is true. People don't really blab about their dogs if everything is going fine, much less on the Internet. That's why in writing Minnie's obituary a few days ago I tried to be straightforward.…Read more On Minnie: Four Days Later
Random Musings
Minnie Mohrbacher (2001-2015)
Minnie "The Moocher" Mohrbacher Beloved friend and pet Minnie Mohrbacher, 13, died peacefully Tuesday, August 11th, at her home in Hastings, Minnesota with her family by her side. Born on a crisp fall day in 2001, Minnie became the sole pet of the Mohrbachers, a family who at the time was living in Cottage Grove,…Read more Minnie Mohrbacher (2001-2015)
Review: BFA Thesis Exhibition – Practice/Practice
I preface this review with one central caveat: This will not be an entirely objective critique of Practice/Practice - the University of Minnesota's BFA Thesis Exhibition. As the older brother of one of the exhibition's featured artists (Emily Mohrbacher), there is, of course, a potent bias that I possess towards her respective piece, "Be kinder…Read more Review: BFA Thesis Exhibition – Practice/Practice
American Hustle, Angels in the Outfield, Ed Wood: On the Various Forms of the Ensemble
With American Hustle finally being released in "fly-over" country; aka the boonies, aka the middle of the country, aka anywhere that is not New York or LA, one can at last enjoy the all-star cast which dominates the film. In watching Hustle it's hard not to think about the power of actors, especially the power…Read more American Hustle, Angels in the Outfield, Ed Wood: On the Various Forms of the Ensemble
In Defense of Detroit or How I Learned to Stop Listening and Enjoy the City
During the waning days of summer, as the perennial war-mongering began, I decided to take a vacation. I didn't hop on a plane, hellbent on sipping a daiquiri (although I love them) in Cabo. I didn't stuff myself full of chimichangas at an all-inclusive resort in Mazatlan. No, I wanted something more relaxing, more luxurious.…Read more In Defense of Detroit or How I Learned to Stop Listening and Enjoy the City
A Letter to Joe Soucheray aka Jumping Joe
About two weeks ago the infamous Joe Soucheray of the Pioneer Press wrote a repulsive article, which you can read here. I wanted to respond to him directly, but strangely his email doesn't seem to work. I sent in an abridged version of the letter to the editor of the Pioneer Press and I decided…Read more A Letter to Joe Soucheray aka Jumping Joe
Really That Bad? – Roberto Benigni’s Pinocchio
In cinematic history there are very few films that were more destructive to a career than Heaven’s Gate was to Michael Cimino. While perhaps not entirely on that epic level of failure, Roberto Benigni (remember him?) experienced a similarly dramatic fall from grace after the release of his adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s prolific tale of…Read more Really That Bad? – Roberto Benigni’s Pinocchio
Top Ten: Best Freak Outs in Film
There is nothing quite like a good film freak out. Whether it is James Cagney giggling with macabre glee before spraying a 1930′s cityscape with gunfire or Nicholas Cage flailing about the inside of a bear costume, a good freak out can light up a movie like nothing else. From the hilarious, to the disturbing,…Read more Top Ten: Best Freak Outs in Film
The Search, and The Finding?
I know that I had it, perhaps not even really that long ago. Ultimately elusive, yet its power is unmistakable. On its promise the world turns; we chase it like the holy grail. It's a lifelong search; we look in our personal relationships and our professional endeavors, in our higher callings and primordial impulses. Why…Read more The Search, and The Finding?
Adam Mohrbacher 