Here's one of the best noirs from the dark, grimy, golden age of the genre. Written and directed by the great Samuel Fuller, it doesn't pull its punches, either metaphorically or literally. Richard Widmark (whose cold face cries out for noir) stars as a pickpocket who lifts the wrong wallet on a crowded New York … Continue reading Samuel Fuller Criterion: Pickup on South Street on Blu-ray
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of June – the complete version
Sorry about yesterday's blunder. I accidentally posted an unfinished version of this article. Here's the complete post. Several Marx Brothers will disappear from the Criterion Channel at the end of the month…and that's no laughing matter. Some serious films will disappear as well. Here are just a few of the films that will no longer … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of June – the complete version
In the Heights & in the theaters – along with reserved seats
Saturday night, my wife and I went to the Cerrito Theater to see In the Heights. It was more than just a really good movie on the big screen. It was the first time in 16 months I sat in a good-sized theater with a good-sized audience. That meant a lot. No more masking tape … Continue reading In the Heights & in the theaters – along with reserved seats
What’s Screening: June 18 – 24
I discuss two new movies this week in Bay Area cinema. And no, In the Heights isn't one of them (I haven't got to it, yet), but one of them is about a Puerto Rican dancer. If you like to go to the drive-in, I can recommend five excellent films you can watch from your … Continue reading What’s Screening: June 18 – 24
12 Mighty Orphans: Football by the numbers
C+ Inspirational sports movieWritten by Ty Roberts & Lane Garrison and Kevin Meyer, from the book by Jim DentDirected by Ty Roberts This is one of those sports movies intended to inspire everyone to root for the underdog. And since it's based on a true story, you might assume that most of it happened. But … Continue reading 12 Mighty Orphans: Football by the numbers
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It
A- show business documentary Directed by Mariem Pérez Riera Rita Moreno has been an exceptional performer since before I was born, and she's still going at it. But I had to watch Mariem Pérez Riera's outstanding documentary, Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It, to realize just how difficult it was … Continue reading Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It
What’s Screening: June 11 – 17
This week in Bay Area cinema: A serious drama that turns into a slasher flick. You can see My Fair Lady or But I'm a Cheerleader Inside real movie theaters - but not as a double bill. And at the drive-in, we've got everything from The Night of The Hunter to Coco. And also two … Continue reading What’s Screening: June 11 – 17
The REAL most influential films of all time
Why should I write a list of the most influential films of all time? The Internet is full of them. They generally contain Citizen Kane, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Sunrise, The Third Man, and so on. All considered masterpieces (and all on my own A+ list). But there's a difference between great art and influence. … Continue reading The REAL most influential films of all time
Censor: Is it serious, or frightening
B Either a horror movie or a drama about horror moviesWritten by Prano Bailey-Bond, Anthony FletcherDirected by Prano Bailey-Bond This unique British film starts as a social drama about excessive violence in the movies. But as it goes along, it becomes a movie filled with excessive violence. The censor of the title, Enid (Niamh Algar), … Continue reading Censor: Is it serious, or frightening
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: One really good new movie and four not-so-good old ones
For the first time in more than 15 months, I've posted one of these "Recently Seen" posts containing a new movie I saw actually saw in a movie theater. A- Limbo (2021) The trailer suggests this is a comedy, and at first, it feels like a very funny and quirky one. But the farther you … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: One really good new movie and four not-so-good old ones
