Today
The Magic of Bill Blagg Live
Loring Theater
1407 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis
9:30 pm
$10
You guys wanna see some guy turn a fistful of fire into a bird? Tonight? Sure, the name âÄòBlaggâÄô lacks some magic of its own, but that doesnâÄôt mean the man canâÄôt deliver or at least compensate. Expect to see smoke, mirrors, flame, flamboyant hand gestures and all the trappings of a classic magic show âÄî and all for a completely reasonable price. âÄúFor his next trick, Bill Blagg will transform your $10 dollar bill into an amazing evening!âÄù I canâÄôt promise âÄúThe Final CountdownâÄù will be played, but itâÄôs worth humming to yourself when the magician makes his grand entrance.
Tomorrow
“Beetlejuice”
Trylon Microcinema
3258 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis
7 p.m., 9 p.m.
$8
Remember, way back before Tim Burton became a reverse Rumpelstiltskin with his baseless and overwrought aesthetics, when he made movies that were actually fun to watch? âÄúBeetle JuiceâÄù is one of those gems, and it gives us a peek into the twisted and bureaucratic world of the afterlife as subverted by its anarchistic titular character (played by Michael Keaton). Who knew being dead would be so complicated? Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin star in the feature about two recently-deceased ghosts coming to grips with death and their trust in young Winona Ryder âÄî awash in black like a petite specter of death âÄî who helps the spirits regain a semblance of their lives by reclaiming their house from her tiresome parents. ItâÄôs a true coming-of-age classic.
Saturday
Woofstock
Linden Hills
43rd St. & Upton Ave. S., Minneapolis
10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Free
Call me old-fashioned, but thereâÄôs nothing I love more than a despondent dog in an undersized festive hat. This event, a fully-blown festival for dogs, is now in its seventh year âÄî thatâÄôs almost half a century in dog years. There will be Doga, which is âÄî you guessed it âÄî dog-owner yoga, a water bar for dogs looking to mingle, and an extreme makeover dog station. Can you say, âÄúBow WOWâÄù? DonâÄôt miss the doggie fashion show at 11:15 a.m. if only to see a schnauzer in a tutu drop a big steamer in the middle of the runway.
CULTURE TO CONSUME
Listen to this: Ya mutha
SummerâÄôs over, jabronies. ItâÄôs time to take heed from the parentals and hit the books. Throw on your business sweatpants and résumé the frenzy of planning the rest of your life between binge drinking sessions with the buddies. Is the old lady tellinâÄô ya to eat more spinach? SheâÄôs probably right. Your stools have been a little loose lately, anyway.
Watch this: âÄúLife in a DayâÄù
On July 6, 2010, Ridley Scott Associates put up an open call on Youtube for anyone to submit footage of their lives on July 24, 2010. Part time-capsule, part ode to humanity, this documentary is akin to a cinematic realization of the âÄúDay in the Life of …âÄù photo project series by Smolan and Cohen. With snippets of life from events mundane and momentous from all over the world, âÄúLife in a DayâÄù is an ambitious project that is the result of paring down 4,500 hours of user-submitted footage to just over 95 minutes. The project has an ace-in-the-hole poignance. Something in the realm of watching it as âÄúComptine dâÄôUn Autre ÃâtéâÄù from âÄú AmelieâÄù loops in the background for an hour and a half. In all, a foolproof way to be inspired by the beauty and diversity of life on planet Earth (while also, gasp, contemplating our commonalities) as you sit in the theater obliterating a box of Jujubes.
Eat this: Apples
ThereâÄôs really no denying it any longer. Fall is upon us, and apples âÄî aside from being ripe with metaphor âÄî are like the unofficial ambassadorial fruit of autumn. Prepare your belly and bowels for a full deluge of this seasonâÄôs apple pies, apple butters, apple sauces and apple bottoms. I like mine juicy and round, but whether itâÄôs McIntosh, Honeycrisp or good olâÄô Granny Smith cominâÄô round for a visit, an apple is a delicious way to admit to yourself that the fun is over.
Read this: âÄúWhat is it about 20-somethings?âÄù by Robin Marantz Henig
Fortunately this Aug. 18, 2010, New York Times Magazine feature is available for download onto a smartphone or iPad, so it can be perused and never read. The article provides some insight as to why you should get ahead of the game by taking that U-turn and moving in with your parents now as opposed to after you graduate. Kick off the school year with a real downer about how our generation just canâÄôt seem to get around that tricky career question. In the meantime weâÄôll be sure to do our own laundry because mom is real tired after working all day at the cracker factory. The article also pairs nicely with the 1980 biopic âÄúCoal MinerâÄôs Daughter.âÄù
