I saw two very different movies yesterday at the SFFilm Festival. The Death of Dick Long This very dark comedy works extremely well as a noirish thriller. Or is it a noirish thriller with a deep strain of dark comedy? Three good-old boys party a little too hardy. The next morning, one of them (the … Continue reading A Dark Comedy & LGBTQ Refugees: Wednesday at the SFFilm Festival
Freelance Ambulance & Religious Insanity: Monday at SFFilm Festival
Garfield the cat may hate Mondays, but I had a pretty good one at the SFFilm Festival…despite the light rain. I saw yet another amazing documentary, followed by a very strange narrative film. Midnight Family The Ochoa family of Mexico City have a difficult, unusual, and occasionally profitable business. They run a freelance ambulance, spending their … Continue reading Freelance Ambulance & Religious Insanity: Monday at SFFilm Festival
Tiny life, factory clashes, & water in all its forms: Sunday at the SFFilm Festival
I didn't see a single narrative film Sunday at the SFFilm Festival Sunday, and only one conventional documentary. The other two features could be described as docs, but they're more about the visuals than the contents. Minute Bodies: The Intimate Lives of F. Percy Smith This 63-minute visual poem can enthrall you, amaze you, or … Continue reading Tiny life, factory clashes, & water in all its forms: Sunday at the SFFilm Festival
Boots Riley, a British Spy, & AOC: Saturday at the SFFilm Fest
Film festivals are always more exciting on weekends. There's more movies to watch, and more people to watch them with. Here's what I saw Saturday at the SFFilm Festival. State of the Cinema Rapper and filmmaker Boots Riley gave this year's State of the Cinema address. As one would expect from the very political Riley, … Continue reading Boots Riley, a British Spy, & AOC: Saturday at the SFFilm Fest
A beach vacation, Connecting with food, John C. Reilly, & and a very gruesome western: Friday at the SFFilm Festival
When I planned for Friday's moviegoing at the SFFilm Festival, I failed to consider geography. I started at a movie at the Roxie - in the Mission. Then I had to dash to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts - in the financial district. Then to the Castro. BART and Muni Metro made a … Continue reading A beach vacation, Connecting with food, John C. Reilly, & and a very gruesome western: Friday at the SFFilm Festival
Afghan Cinema, Laura Linney, & a Dysfunctional Family: Thursday at the SFFilm Festival
Thursday was the first full day of this year's SFFilm Festival, and I managed two events that day. I liked them both very much. What We Left Unfinished Afghanistan had a strong film industry when the Soviet Union controlled the country, but it was destroyed when fundamentalist Islam replaced fundamentalist Communism. Afghan-American filmmaker Mariam Ghani … Continue reading Afghan Cinema, Laura Linney, & a Dysfunctional Family: Thursday at the SFFilm Festival
What’s Screening: April 12 – 18
The SFFILM Festival pretty much takes over Bay Area art house theaters this week, but not entirely. We also have movies by William Wellman, Lon Chaney, Alfred Hitchock, Hirokazu Kore-eda, and Monty Python. Festivals SFFILM (the San Francisco International Film Festival) runs through this week and beyond. You can follow my reports. The Tiburon International … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 12 – 18
