I confess. I have not yet seen Snakes on a Plane. Not that I don't want to. I'm curious, and it sounds like fun. But I don't have time to see every movie that attracts me, and there are plenty of other new films out there right now that are higher priorities (top of the … Continue reading Snakes on a Plane
Month: August 2006
Movies in Red Bluff
Cinematic civilization isn't just a big city affair. I had reason to spend last Friday night in Red Bluff, a hamlet of 13,000 considerably north of here on Interstate 5. I took a walk early Saturday morning, and spotted an old single-screen movie theater that had clearly seen better days. You'll find these in almost … Continue reading Movies in Red Bluff
Lousy and Expensive
What this country needs is a really good, big budget, escapist action flick. No, that sentence is neither oxymoronic nor sacrilegious. These things exist. Last year we had Star Wars III, Batman Begins, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, King Kong, and Narnia, all superb entertainments providing plenty of fun and computer-generated spectacle, while … Continue reading Lousy and Expensive
Glorious 70mm
Fifty years ago, Hollywood desperately needed to tempt people away from their TVs. They turned to bigger, wider techniques for shooting and presenting movies. A lot of formats were tried, but only one survived for 40 years as a way to make that movie at that theater an extra-special treat: 70mm. The Castro's second 70mm … Continue reading Glorious 70mm