Why Silents Are Golden: This Year’s San Francisco Silent Film Festival

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Lincoln Spector

As regular readers know, I’m passionate about silent movies. Without the crutch of spoken words, a motion picture becomes pure cinema–reality on an entirely different plane. The actors can be fully unique, complex individuals (not that they always are) while remaining archetypes. Take Louise Brooks. In silent films, she’s magical, mysterious, and the very embodiment [...]

Filed under: Festivals, Silent Films, Upcoming & Local | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

James Bond 50th Anniversary at the Castro

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Lincoln Spector

The San Francisco International Film Festival opens Thursday night at the Castro. But then it deserts San Francisco’s major revival palace for three days. During that time (Friday through Sunday if you haven’t bothered to figure it out), the Castro will screen eight of the first 12 James Bond movies. Next month marks Hollywood’s longest [...]

Filed under: Action Movies, Upcoming & Local | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

This Year’s San Francisco International Film Festival

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Lincoln Spector

This has been a tough year for the San Francisco Film Society, the organization that produces the San Francisco International Film Festival. In August, Executive Director Graham Leggat died of cancer. Then his successor, Bingham Ray, suddenly died in January. But that’s not stopping the Society from putting on a festival this year, and making [...]

Filed under: Festivals, SFIFF, Upcoming & Local | Leave a Comment »

Latino Cinema, a Kevin Smith Thriller, and Silent Films Before Live Theatre

Posted on September 18, 2011 by Lincoln Spector

Here’s a trio of current and upcoming events: San Francisco Latino Film Festival This film festival opened Friday, and I didn’t even know about it. My apologies. It runs in the City, Berkeley, Marin, and San Jose through the 25th. Check the web site to see what’s playing. Kevin Smith’s Red State Kevin Smith—the writer [...]

Filed under: Festivals, Silent Films, Upcoming & Local | Leave a Comment »

New PFA Schedule

Posted on September 3, 2011 by Lincoln Spector

I recently realized that I could put together a pretty good series on Hollywood in the 70s from DVDs and Blu-ray discs in my home collection. Then I discovered that the Pacific Film Archive had a better one on the way using 35mm prints. In other words, I only recently took a look at the [...]

Filed under: Theaters, Upcoming & Local | Leave a Comment »

Jewish Film Festival Preview

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Lincoln Spector

I’ve managed now to preview four films for the upcoming San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, three of them documentaries. Here’s what I thought about them: A- 100 Voices: A Journey Home, Castro, Thursday, July 28, 8:15 (San Francisco closing night); Oshman Family JCC, Wednesday, August 3, 6:15; Roda, Thursday, August 4, 6:40. In 2009, documentarians [...]

Filed under: Festivals, Jewish FF, Reviews, Upcoming & Local | Leave a Comment »

Coming Attractions

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Lincoln Spector

A few things worth noting: The Castro is running another 70mm series; their first in several years. It’s a modest one—four films in nine days: West Side Story, Playtime, Vertigo, and Lawrence of Arabia. See Glorious 70mm for my thoughts on the format in general. Frameline, the Bay Area’s premiere lesbian, gay, bi-, and transgender [...]

Filed under: Festivals, Upcoming & Local | 1 Comment »

Asian Movie Madness

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Lincoln Spector

I’ve been so pre-occupied by the SF Film Festival I haven’t had a chance to write about Asian Movie Madness, already running at the 4-Star. The first show, Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen, is about to close its one-week run. Then we’ve got what look like 12 pretty extreme double-bills running [...]

Filed under: Upcoming & Local | Leave a Comment »

SF Int. Festival Preview

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Lincoln Spector

I’ve previewed two films that will screen at the San Francisco International Film Festival in coming weeks. I saw both on DVD screeners. Here’s what I thought about them: A The Mill and the Cross, SFMOMA, Saturday, April 23, 12:30; Kabuki, Wedesday, April 27, 9:00. Painting with the wide palette that 21st century cinema allows, [...]

Filed under: Festivals, SFIFF, Upcoming & Local | Leave a Comment »

This Year’s San Francisco International Film Festival Announced

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Lincoln Spector

You probably found my notes from the San Francisco International Film Festival press conference impenetrable. Here’s the polished version: This year’s Festival opens Thursday, April 21 with Beginners and closes May 5 (also a Thursday) with On Tour.  Over the course of those 15 days, it will screen 188 films from 48 countries in five [...]

Filed under: Festivals, SFIFF, Upcoming & Local | 1 Comment »

Next Page »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 35 other followers