For decades, the Minneapolis-St. Paul destination has welcomed film and television crews, critically acclaimed actors and directors and even a pair of grumpy old men. If you’re researching an upcoming trip to these communities, curl up on the couch with a bag of popcorn and hit play for a fun sneak peek at this dynamic metropolitan area’s many virtues.

■The 1984 cult classic “Purple Rain” and its Minneapolis-born star Prince introduced audiences to the legendary nightclub First Avenue & 7th Street Entry, a fundamental component of the Midwest music scene. Off the big screen, the versatile, one-named performer has been known to incorporate his hometown into his songs, tipping his hat to the vibrant Uptown district, long a haven for artistic and eclectic Minneapolitans, and, more recently, to the Minnesota Vikings, clad in purple and gold.

■Unrelenting blizzards and itchy long johns aren’t the only rewards when you live in a place with the coldest average temperature in the continental U.S. For one thing, Jack Frost’s glacial touch effortlessly turns Minneapolis-St. Paul into a winter wonderland, the requisite backdrop for a feel-good Christmas flick like “Jingle All the Way.”

Released in 1996, the comedy starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as a hapless dad scouring the Twin Cities for the most sought-after toy of the season. During the five-week shoot—one of the largest film productions to ever occur in the state—Arnie and Co. attracted throngs of curious spectators to such downtown St. Paul locales as Rice Park and Kellogg Mall Park.

Naturally, with the plot centering on holiday shopping, the Mall of America in nearby Bloomington also makes an appearance, as do many Minneapolis sights like the Hennepin Avenue Bridge and the Linden Hills commercial district.

■The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport has been featured in several Hollywood productions; the very first was the archetypal 1970s disaster picture “Airport.” Although filmmakers were initially attracted to the terminal due to Minneapolis-St. Paul’s frosty climate, when shooting began in 1969, rather un-chilly weather conditions forced the use of “stand-in” snow until the real stuff started falling.

■Anyone putting together a “Best of the Twin Cities” list would have to include “A Prairie Home Companion,” a popular live radio broadcast that originated in St. Paul in 1974. In 2005, Robert Altman (1925-2006) directed a fictional, behind-the-scenes representation of the long-running program, filming what was to be his final motion picture in the Fitzgerald Theater, the variety show’s regular home. Besides “Prairie Home Companion” host and creator Garrison Keillor, the ensemble cast boasted such big names as Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson and Kevin Kline.

■Minneapolis figured prominently in the opening sequence of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” which aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Over the years, fans tuned in to see Mary dining at Basil’s in the IDS Center, Minnesota’s tallest building, and strolling—both in wintry and warm weather—along the scenic banks of Lake of the Isles, a popular recreation spot along the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway.

Of course, one of TV’s most iconic images is of the sitcom heroine tossing her tam on Nicollet Mall. Today, visitors exploring downtown often feel compelled to replicate the famous hat fling, in part thanks to a bronze statue of M.T.M erected on the mall in 2002.

■Following the commercial success of “Clerks,” Kevin Smith wrote and directed “Mallrats,” shooting much of the 1995 slacker comedy at the Eden Prairie Center. Although the storyline was set in New Jersey, the mall is actually located in Eden Prairie, about 17 miles southwest of downtown Minneapolis.

■ Moviemakers Joel and Ethan Coen drew inspiration from their home state when they dreamed up “Fargo,” an offbeat, Oscar-winning thriller that is often remembered for its exaggerated, singsong “Minn-ee-so-dah” accents. The cinematography is a melting pot of Twin Cities’ environs, with some exterior and interior scenes shot in Richfield, Stillwater and Edina.

A non-visual allusion to Minneapolis-St. Paul was the surname Lundegaard. Given to one of the main characters (a Minneapolis car salesman played by William H. Macy), it referenced a longtime film critic who wrote for the Minneapolis Star and Tribune (now the Star Tribune).

■ With their dark comedy “A Serious Man” set in 1960s-era Minnesota, the Coen brothers returned to shoot in “The North Star State” in 2008. Such suburban locations as Normandale Community College in Bloomington and B'nai Emet Synagogue in St. Louis Park (where the siblings grew up) were used in the thought-provoking film, which earned a Best Picture nod at the 82nd Academy Awards.

■ Set and filmed in the Twin Cities in the mid-‘90s, “The Mighty Ducks” spawned two sequels while showcasing residents’ fervor for pucks and L-shaped sticks. Countless area attractions turn up over the course of the Walt Disney Pictures trilogy, including Theodore Wirth Park, Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis and the bygone Camp Snoopy, a Mall of America amusement park that has since been rebranded Nickelodeon Universe. Headed by Emilio Estevez, the cast of misfit hockey players also paid a couple of visits to one of St. Paul’s most recognizable landmarks—Mickey's Diner.

■ About a two-hour drive from downtown Minneapolis is Wabasha, the setting of “Grumpy Old Men” and its follow-up, “Grumpier Old Men.” Showcasing Minnesota traditions and scenery, both comedies starred “Odd Couple” legends Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.

While the production crew used regional soundstages (Paisley Park Studios, built and owned by Prince, for the first movie and St. Paul’s now defunct Energy Park Studios for the sequel), much of the on-location filming took place in the Twin Cities area. Charming cottages along Hyacinth Avenue East in St. Paul served as the crotchety neighbors’ residences.

The big-screen high jinks also played out at such businesses as Cooper's Supervalu grocery store (633 7th St. W.), Sears (425 Rice St.) and Half Time Rec (1013 Front Ave.) in St. Paul and Mayslack's lounge (1428 4th St. NE) and the 331 Club (331 13th Ave. NE) in Minneapolis. 

Other Minneapolis-St. Paul posts:
• The Twin Cities for Foodies
• Kid-Friendly Attractions, Food and Fun in the Twin Cities
• Gluten-Free in Minneapolis-St.Paul