Movie review by Greg Carlson In Sundance standout “Fremont,” the outwardly mundane and inwardly tumultuous experiences of a young woman from Afghanistan are spun by filmmaker Babak Jalali into gold. Donya (Anaita Wali Zada) has left her home country for the California community of the title after spending time as a military translator. Hiding, repressing, […]

Reflection by Greg Carlson Matt Myers died unexpectedly on August 20 while exploring Iceland with Dr. Jacqueline Bussie, his partner of 38 years. We are still trying, without success, to make sense of it. His large circle, which touched both coasts and for the last decade met in the middle in Fargo, North Dakota, mourns […]

Reflection by Greg Carlson   When I first made his acquaintance, I didn’t think I liked Tom Brandau. And I was certain the feeling was mutual. Following the unexpected death of Minnesota State University Moorhead film studies professor Ted Larson — a mentor to me and to Rusty Casselton and to many others — Rusty […]

Appreciation by Greg Carlson The Safari, known more recently as the Marcus Safari 7 Discount and the Marcus Safari Value Cinema, has been sold to Ignite Church. The unsurprising news heralds the transition of Moorhead, Minnesota’s surviving public movie exhibitor from one kind of sanctuary to another. Like any cinema, the Safari brought people together […]

Reflection by Greg Carlson In recent years, scores of essays have addressed the rapid transformation of the home video industry. Focused on topics including the impact of Netflix’s streaming model, the death of the brick-and-mortar rental store, and the shrinking sales of physical media, most of the critiques lament one alarming reality: when it comes […]

Review by Greg Carlson WARNING: The following review reveals information and details contained within the live show. Read only if you have seen “The Empire Strips Back.” Embarking on an inaugural tour of Canada and a return to the United States following a 2018 run, Australian burlesque impresario and creative director Russall S. Beattie’s “The […]

Preview by Greg Carlson The 19th Fargo Film Festival begins on Tuesday, March 19th and runs until Saturday, March 23. Continuing a tradition of quality local arts programming, the event provides both casual moviegoers and cinephiles with multiple opportunities to see remarkable shorts and features on the two big screens of the Fargo Theatre. Guided […]

Reflection by Greg Carlson The death of David Knudtson on March 11, 2018 breaks another of the few remaining links in the chain connecting our community to the legacies of great movie protectors and appreciators like Ted M. Larson, Rusty Casselton, and Hildegarde Usselman Kraus. Unfailingly modest about the instrumental role he played in motion […]

Reflection by Greg Carlson Ted Larson introduced me to Chris Jacobs one evening at Weld Hall in the late 1980s. I was in high school then, but Chris recognized fellow film fanatics, and we would chat a little bit each week. I learned quickly that he loved movies as much as anybody, and had a […]

Reflection by Greg Carlson My little sister, Gretchen Kaye Carlson Kost, died Monday, January 30, 2017. A dearly cherished daughter and sibling, wife and mother, cousin and conspirator, she was a friend first, a friend often, and a friend always. She was also a displayer of dimples, which as a kid she often labored to […]