Joseph Beyer | Author
Film Review: 80 for Brady
Feb. 18, 2023
If you’re tempted to fall for the marketing and take your mom, grandma, or bestie to 80 for Brady thinking that you’ll have a great time, let me try to run interference and encourage you to call an audible for something else.
While it’s clear that 80...
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Feb. 4, 2023 In a recent Statista survey about movie-going frequency in the U.S., 41 percent of respondents say they now go to the movie theater “rarely.” So, for the very many Northern Express readers who would love to discover something amazing to watch at home, this critic high...
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Jan. 21, 2023 Why any critic who suffers from both robophobia (hatred of the robotic) and pediophobia (fear of dolls) would be excited about the uncanny valley that makes up the film M3GAN is hard to say, but audiences and I both seem solidly captivated by the latest psycho-mechanical thriller...
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Jan. 7, 2023 Opening on over 12,000 screens in today’s full cinematic array of DCP, IMAX, and IMAX 3D choices and flavors, James Cameron’s sequel Avatar: The Way of Water arrived in December after a 13-year wait. This critic fell for the visual hype and took 3D, which created the ...
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Dec. 24, 2022 From the title alone, it is clear that famed director Steven Spielberg’s highly personal, moving-image memoir, The Fabelmans, is not a biography per se, but a fantasy of a biography. And what the film reveals—up to the very tipping point of trauma but never over it&md...
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Dec. 3, 2022 Revenge may not be a dish best served cold after all, at least if the piping hot temperature of director Mark Mylod’s delightful debut satire, The Menu, has anything to say about it. The organic and certified fresh thriller offers a full palette of themes, including...
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Nov. 19, 2022 You don’t need to be familiar with every hit in the canon of bizarro songs that combine pop with counterculture in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story in order to enjoy it, but if you are, this might become one of the favorite films of your Gen-X life. That’s not jus...
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Nov. 5, 2022 American writer and director Todd Field takes a Eurocentric approach to his cinematic stories, allowing a patient pace, hypnotic quiet, and highly nuanced actors to drive his narratives (In the Bedroom and Little Children). Field’s first project in 16 years arrives...
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Oct. 29, 2022 Concerts at Crooked Tree Oct. 22, 2022 Rain or shine (or sometimes snow), Halloween is coming your way on Oct. 31. If you partake in this particularly spooky holiday, you likely fall into one of two costume categories: 1. Halloween Hero. You’ve got this. You plan your costume in advance with care...
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Oct. 15, 2022 There’s no denying a slight cooling in the pace of live events and performances in this transitory month, but it’s a wonderful migration back to our local roots and experiences that feel a little cozier this time of year. From real world “Moth Radio Hour” esque sto...
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Oct. 8, 2022 As you watch those first autumn leaves fall to the ground, embrace the warm, familiar flavors of Jolly Pumpkin’s Amber Ale Cheese Dip, best paired with one of the sour beers the brewery is famous for. Friendly bartender Ron will give you the option to add spicy chorizo and pico de g...
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Oct. 1, 2022 As we’ve rounded and passed the fall equinox, there is no more denying that it’s time to find those cozy sweaters and then get out to enjoy the last sonic experiences of the season before the leaves start changing. This week offers a number of musical experiences alongside Oct...
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Sept. 24, 2022 If you’re surprised that the Mitten State has rocketed into the global space race, you shouldn’t be, says Gavin Brown, the executive director of Michigan’s Aerospace Manufacturers Association (MAMA) and host of the upcoming North American Space Summit in Traverse City.Read More >>
Sept. 24, 2022 While the seasonal, Cajun-inspired All You Can Eat Shrimp Boil at the Dalwhinnie Bakery & Deli is a terrific deal at just $30 per person, you’ll need to add some adventuring to take in all the savory shrimp, smoked Andouille sausage, fingerling potatoes, corn on the cob, toasted...
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Sept. 24, 2022 Long the parody shot of bad judgment, it’s hard to believe that Jägermeister (yes, that mysterious liqueur in the stag-tagged bottle) is, well, having a moment. Cocktail bars across the world are rediscovering this famous German digestif (made with the same secret mix today of ...
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Sept. 17, 2022 Secret summer isn’t fading anytime soon, and if you’re looking for one last hypnotic, harmonica-laced hurrah, you should consider treating yourself to a night out with The Watkins Family Hour when they hit northern Michigan for one performance only Friday, Sept. 23, at Great L...
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Sept. 10, 2022 Ernest Hemingway would have approved of The Burrow’s delish dessert menu, most notably the shortbread cookie crust, custard, and whipped cream that make up their signature Key Lime Pie (big enough for sharing…a bite) at just $10. With just the right hints of fresh citrus and ...
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Sept. 3, 2022 Labor Day weekend is underway—or in the rearview, depending on when you pick up this paper—but the live music scene Up North isn’t slowing down with the changing of the (tourism) seasons. Porchfest Aug. 20, 2022 Rabbi Arnie Sleutelberg has already made me laugh several times, and I haven’t even had my first cup of coffee yet. His demeanor is thoughtful, calm, and seriously funny. The full-time rabbi and part-time stand-up comedian (slash historian) is talking to me from Lake Orion outside t...
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Film Review: Wildcat
Film Review: M3GAN
Film Review: Avatar: The Way of Water
Film Review: The Fabelmans
Film Review: The Menu
Film Review: Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
Film Review: Tár
Roots, Mozart, and Honky Tonks
Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey has a musical double-header on deck this weekend for folks who love a homegrown sound. Friday, Nov. 4, at 7:30pm catch Stella!, an all-female American roots trio from southeast Michigan. You’ll get a...
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Ghouls’ Night Out
The October Surprise(s)
Jolly Pumpkin’s Amber Ale Cheese Dip
The Fall Groove
To Traverse City (and Beyond!)
Dalwhinnie Bakery & Deli’s Shrimp Boil
Side Traxx’s Ice Cold Jagermeister
The Watkins Family Hour
The Burrow’s Key Lime Pie
From Porch Concerts to Comedy Clubs
Taking place on downtown porches and lawns ...
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A Rabbi Walks into a Comedy Club...