Jonathon Sharp
![jonathon sharp2 Jonathon Sharp](https://cbsminnesota.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/jonathon-sharp2.jpg?w=180&h=137&crop=1" "Alison Lorge")
Jonathon Sharp is a web producer and blogger at WCCO.com. He started as a New Media intern at the station in 2010.
After he graduated from the University of St. Thomas, Jonathon joined the web team again as a web producer in February of 2011.
When he is not editing and/or writing articles, Jonathon writes for the Movie Blog.
Aside from cinema, Jonathon climbs rocks.
He also loves Carl Sagan.
More Than 300 Films, Virtual Reality: What’s In Store For MSPIFF 2017
A harbinger of springtime in the Twin Cities is the annual Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival, a massive Midwest cinematic event that spans nearly all of April and brings hundreds of new films and some their acclimated creators to Minnesota.
Love Cats? Then ‘Kedi’ Will Make You Fall In Love With Istanbul
Although we live in an age where the internet is probably 15 percent cat videos — and there’s even an International Cat Video Festival — there hasn’t been a film about cats quite like Kedi, a unique documentary about the city of Istanbul, its inhabitants and the relation between them and the ancient metropolis’ thousands of street cats.
‘Neruda’ Isn’t A Biopic, It’s An Ode To Greatness
Praise be to Pablo Larrain for not making a pretentious, lovesick biopic on Pablo Neruda. The Chilean poet/diplomat deserves more from cinema, and Larrain delivers, crafting an intricate, stylish and, above all, poetic work that highlights the writer’s idealism and contradictions, as well as the resounding value of a great poet to a culture.
Isabelle Huppert Braves The Existential Unknown In ‘Things To Come’
“Things to Come” is just half the reason 2016 is the year of Isabelle Huppert. The 63-year-old French actress, who can capture, in a look, both the archetype of intelligence and the specter of despair, is the driving force in two excellent but worlds-apart films coming out this winter.
‘Monumental’ Shows How Epic The National Parks Are In Winter
Professional big-mountain skier Griffin Post hails from the Midwest. He spent his early boyhood years in Chicago and learned to ski at Wilmot Mountain, just across the state border in Wisconsin.
Netflix, Film Society Hosting Free Screenings, Discussions Of ’13th’
The latest film from director Ava DuVernay, whose Selma was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar in last year’s Academy Awards, is being shown in Minneapolis this weekend for free.
‘Do Not Resist’ Shines A Cold Light On Police Militarization
It was in the immediate aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013 that documentary filmmaker Craig Atkinson knew something in American policing had changed.
‘The Handmaiden’ Is Beautiful, Bloody & Tricky In The Best Way
The Handmaiden, the latest work from Oldboy visionary Chan-wook Park, is a devious and unquestionably fun puzzlebox, stuffed with lies and lacy erotica, all wrapped in an absurd literary sheen.
Arrows Awards Returning To The Walker For The 30th Year
For the 30th year, The British Arrows Awards will play at the Walker Art Center this holiday season, showing the year’s funniest, cleverest and most innovative ads from across the pond.
Locally-Filmed ‘A Stray’ Goes Deep Into The Minneapolis Somali Experience
When growing up in Indiana, filmmaker Musa Syeed couldn’t help but notice that when Muslims like himself appeared in movies or on TV, they were almost always the bad guys.
‘Command And Control’ Could Be The Scariest Film You See All Year
A documentary opening this weekend at the Edina Cinema might well be the scariest movie you see this year.
How Swedish Bestseller ‘A Man Called Ove’ Became A Heartwarming Hit
When Swedish filmmaker Hannes Holm was first given the chance to make a movie of one of the most popular novels in his country’s modern history, he turned it down.
‘Demon’ Is A Dark, Beautiful Party Disaster
One of the worst times to be possessed by a malicious spirit is at one’s wedding, and that’s exactly what seems to happen to the groom in Marcin Wrona’s smart and gorgeous “Demon,” a Polish film that examines how people respond to on-going disasters and the atrocities of the past.
Mayan Language Film ‘Ixcanul’ Shines A Light On Guatemalan Women
It’s easy to tell a film is going to take you to interesting places when it starts with two women giving pigs rum to chug so that they’re horny enough to have sex.
Local Filmmakers To Conclude The Walker’s Cinema Of Urgency Series
The Walker Art Center is highlighting Minnesota filmmakers this week, showcasing works that delve into local activism, politics and issues such as police violence.
‘Lo And Behold’: Werner Herzog Vs. The Internet
The legendary Bavarian filmmaker Werner Herzog grew up without electricity, running water or a telephone in the aftermath of WWII. He made his first movies with a camera he stole from a school. Now 73, the director of dozens of features and documentaries, such as “Grizzly Man” and “Aguirre, the Wrath of God”, has focused his lens on the most important development in recent human history: the internet.
Ellison To Discuss Policing Doc With Filmmaker, BLM Activist
Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison will be part of a discussion Thursday on policing in America following the screening of a documentary focusing on the Ferguson shooting and police militarization.
‘Microbe And Gasoline’ Not As Fantastic As You’d Think
Filmmaker Michel Gondry, known for his hyper-inventive visual style in movies like “The Science of Sleep” and “Mood Indigo”, is back with a new work on boyhood and friendship, but his latest looks quite a bit different than the produced-to-the-hilt movies for which he is known – and, at least for me, appreciated. The difference is so great it’s as if the director has challenged himself to take his imagination out of the poetry-and-props clouds and place it into an environment that’s earthier, a realm in which the hints of realism could grow.
‘Hunt For The Wilderpeople’ Is Indie Fare For The Family
One of the directors of last year’s excellent vampire mockumentary “What We Do in the Shadows” is back with a more family-friendly film about a chubby New Zealand kid finding his place in the world by fleeing the cops in the bush for months on end. Taika Waititi’s “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” while not as funny or original as his monster mash, is consistently amusing and filled with enough laughs to make its formulaic plot points easy to overlook.
‘Music of Strangers’ Melds Traditions, Explores Culture
“Music of Strangers” is much more than a film on a superstar world music ensemble.
‘The Wailing’ Gets By On Epic Weirdness
“The Wailing” is a hysterical and strange South Korean epic that tries to be both a horror movie and a thriller, and one could argue that, for the first hour or so, it wants to be a dark comedy as well.
Film Playing During Pride Highlights ‘How Love Won’ In Minnesota
“How Love Won: The Fight For Marriage Equality In Minnesota” powerfully highlights the historic defeat of the proposed marriage amendment in 2012 and the subsequent legalization of gay marriage soon after.
Omnitheater Film Celebrates 100 Years Of National Park Service
This year marks the 100th birthday of the National Park Service, and the Science Museum of Minnesota is celebrating the occasion all summer with an Omnitheater film that takes viewers mountain biking in Utah, hiking in Yellowstone and ice climbing in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Love Kung Fu Films? Don’t Miss The Newly Restored ‘Dragon Inn’
Those with a taste for history and a love of kung fu films are in for a treat as King Hu’s groundbreaking “Dragon Inn” has been newly restored and is coming to Minneapolis’ Lagoon Cinema this weekend.
‘Sunset Song’ Review
“Sunset Song” is a deeply poetic period piece that struggles with consistency. At times, director Terence Davies, a filmmaker not unused to delving into history, captures an intimate or troubling moment in a way that can only be described as brilliant. Other times, however, his latest work devolves into something too melodic, too weepy, and almost melodramatic.
Uptown Theatre Celebrating 100th Anniversary With Classic Movie Week
The iconic Uptown Theatre is kicking off its 100th anniversary celebration this weekend with screenings of classic films like “Seven Samurai,” “King Kong” and “Citizen Kane.”
Family Faces Zombie Apocalypse In ‘What We Become’
“What We Become” is a Danish zombie flick in which no zombies are seen for most of the tense, 80-minute movie. Instead, filmmaker Bo Mikkelsen focuses on how a small family fares during the first few days of the viral outbreak and the collapse of civil society.
‘The Invitation’ Is An Engrossing Psychological Thriller
The moodiness is real in Karyn Kusama’s unnerving psychological thriller, “The Invitation.” Brilliantly, the filmmaker taps into the weirdness inherent in those coastal-growing, pseudo-scientific lifestyles and shows us an L.A. dinner party that’s a nightmare on multiple levels.
‘High-Rise’ Is Hit-Or-Miss But Undeniably Fun
“High-Rise” is a mixed bag, to be sure, but there’s something thrilling, even intoxicating, about sharing in the fun you know the filmmaker is having.
‘Louder Than Bombs’ Reviewed
“Louder than Bombs”, the first English-language feature from Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier, is a moving and kaleidoscopic exploration of a family fractured by loss, probing how a father and his two sons are coping with life after the death of their famous yet mysterious mother.
Closing Night @ MSPIFF 2016: ‘The Seventh Fire’ Reviewed
The Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival ends with a documentary that should perhaps be required watching for any Minnesotan. Jack Pettibone Riccobono’s work, which is presented by “Tree of Life” visionary Terrence Malick and produced by actress Natalie Portman, fixes an unflinching lens onto the lives of two Ojibwe men on the Pine Point reservation in Becker County.
Day 16 @ MSPIFF 2016: ‘The Ardennes’ Reviewed
A powerful feature debut from Belgian filmmaker Robin Pront, “The Ardennes” is a muddy, tense and stylish exploration into the relationship between two brothers living at the edge of society.
Day 14 @ MSPIFF 2016: ’10 Billion — What’s On Your Plate?’ Reviewed
At first, Valentin Thurn’s latest food-focused documentary looks to be a piece on the threat of genetically-modified food and the specter of big agri-business. But the German filmmaker and journalist goes deeper, much deeper — traveling from Japan to Africa to Milwaukee, exploring new ideas and approaches to foodmaking, some of which are unforgettably cool.
Day 13 @ MSPIFF: ‘A Decent Man’ Reviewed
While Lewinsky builds an engaging base around the seriousness of rape and the consequences of alleging it, what he makes his characters do – especially Thomas – just gets so nut that it’s difficult to watch with a straight face.
Day 6 @ MSPIFF: ‘Francofonia’ Reviewed
Russian auteur Alexander Sokurov, the creator of the 2002 one-take behemoth Russian Ark, has now turned his restless attention to the Louvre. In this freewheeling poetic essay Francofonia, which has far more than one take, the filmmaker explores the relationship between great art and power, especially in the era of Nazi-occupied France.
‘Everybody Wants Some!!’ Stars Talk Baseball, Film & Working With Linklater
The three actors were recently in town for an event at the Mall of America, and I had a chance to speak with them about the similarity between sports and acting, working with Linklater and the philosophical messages the filmmaker fits in amid the debauchery.
Day 3 @ MSPIFF 2016: ‘The Idol’ Reviewed
Unlike Hany Abu-Assad’s last two intense, conflict-focused films — “Omar” (2013) and “Paradise Now” (2005), both of which were nominated for a Best Foreign Language Oscar — “The Idol” is a heartwarming, triumphant and often funny work on the life of the now famous Palestinian vocalist Mohammad Assaf.
‘Everybody Wants Some!!’ Not In The Same League As ‘Dazed’
The nostalgia is real in Richard Linklater’s “Everybody Wants Some!!,” which is being dubbed the “spiritual sequel” to the director’s coming-of-age high school classic “Dazed and Confused.”
Opening Night At MSPIFF 2016: ‘A Man Called Ove’
The 35th annual Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival launches in Minneapolis Thursday night with a screening of the heartwarming Swedish film A Man Called Ove.
Review: Prepare Your Eardrums For ‘Marguerite’
Played by the impeccable and cherub-faced Catherine Frot (who won the French equivalent of an Oscar for her performance), the titular character is narcissist so full of herself she’s almost adorable.
