Hey folks, welcome back to Little Big Screen: On the Big, Big Screen, where film columnist Benjamin McElroy recommends five screenings happening at Iowa’s independent movie theaters. This month, the rotten word from Washington D.C. can’t be ducked. FilmScene and Varsity Cinema were both notified on May 2 that their National Endowment for the Arts […]
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Little Big Screen: ‘Party Girl’ and other movies to stream with your library card this month
The headlines haven’t been too kind to libraries of late, what with the book ban nonsense and slashed funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services. To plant some good press in your newsfeed, Little Big Screen is letting everyone in on a little secret. Kanopy, one of the best streaming services, is free […]
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From Swayze’s mullet to Bowie’s bulge, catch these five iconic films in local theaters this April
Hey folks, welcome back to “On the Big, Big Screen.” From courtside seats to seaside heists, film columnist Benjamin McElroy recommends five screenings happening this month at Iowa’s independent movie theaters. Then, keep on scrolling for a round-up of other special screenings, events and movies of note.
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Little Big Screen: Michelle Monaghan movies to watch after this week’s episode of ‘The White Lotus’
Is Michelle Monaghan the most actress-y actress? She’s been an actress playing an actress for Shane Black, Sofia Coppola and Mike White on this season of “The White Lotus.” Monaghan, evidently the very essence of a Hollywood lead, grew up in Winthrop, Iowa of all places.
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Little Big Screen: Say goodbye to Hy-Vee’s Wahlburgers with ‘Boogie Nights’ and other Marky movies streaming this month
Just two short years ago the Wahlburgers franchise had 109 locations, and for some reason, 79 of them were attached to Hy-Vee grocery stores. On February 4, Hy-Vee lopped off the last of these Boston-green growths. The split could mean Mark Wahlberg, the youngest of the three brother-founders, has sheltered in his last West Des Moines basement and signed his last tequila bottle at Wall to Wall Wine & Spirits.
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Little Big Screen: Trucker classics you can buy on DVD from the World’s Largest Truck Stop
Iowa 80 is a sort-of paradise that has something for everyone — including Little Big Screen. Inside the Super Truck Showroom at “The World’s Largest Truck Stop,” between the bottles of candy-colored antifreeze and many, many chrome doodads, there are a few shelves of DVDs.
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Little Big Screen: ‘The Beast,’ ‘The Substance’ and more of 2024’s best movies to stream and go see
Little Big Screen has the best of both screens from the year that almost was. First up, five new-release recs sitting and waiting to be streamed on your own little big screen. Then five could-be bests that’ll be making their way to the big, big screen before the year ends. That adds up to 10 movies. Just like you want from a “best of the year” thing.
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Little Big Screen: ‘The Last Boy Scout’ and other football-adjacent movies to stream this month
Nicotine gum releases just enough of the good stuff to help you forget about cigs for, like, 15 minutes. A similar cessation aid has yet to be developed for fans of Iowa Hawkeyes football, but to maybe take the edge off Kirk Ferentz’ next press conference, Little Big Screen has some counter-programming to chew on.
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Little Big Screen: ‘The Funhouse’ and other superlatively spooky movies to stream in October
I disagree with the anti-mischief spirit of the tradition, but Beggars’ Night deserves to live forever as a decent piece of Des Moines trivia. That said, the present and future of the Halloween season both here and everywhere is Spooktober.
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Little Big Screen: ‘Jennifer’s Body’ and other Diablo-Coded movies to stream this month
“Former Student Assistant Wins Oscar” reads the headline on a University of Iowa Libraries blog from February 26, 2008. Diablo Cody, the former student assistant, had written exactly one screenplay, Juno, and now had won exactly one Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Cody cashed in that golden ticket to get Jennifer’s Body made. The […]
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Little Big Screen: ‘Strangers on a Train’ and other state fair films to stream this month
Do you like to people-watch? I know, I do too. Surely we’ll be seeing each other, and so many others, at the Iowa State Fair — one of the best places for people-watching on the planet. To get your gaze all lathered up ahead of time, Little Big Screen has nothing but blue-ribbon peep shows to stream this month.
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Little Big Screen: ‘The Crazies’ and other horror-thrillers streaming this July that hit too close to home
Little Big Screen has a stack of dirty water movies to stream this month.
