This Week’s Movies

~ Lincoln Spector

Blade Runner: The Final Cut, Red Vic, Friday through Sunday. Based on Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Blade Runner remains surprisingly thoughtful for ’80’s sci-fi–especially of the big budget variety. It ponders questions about the nature of humanity, and about our ability to objectify people when it suits our needs. Yet it never preaches. The script’s hazy at times; I never did figure out some of the connections, and a couple of important things happen at ridiculously convenient times. But art direction and music alone would make it a masterpiece. For more, see my write-up.

The Killers & Eddie Muller, Cerrito, Saturday, 6:00; Sunday, 5:00. Film noir expert Muller will screen this typical film noir and early Burt Lancaster picture. After the movie, Muller will submit to a live interview with Will “the Thrll” Viharo. NOTE: “The Killers” replaces “Sunset Boulevard;” originally scheduled for these dates, but unavailable.

Johnnie To Double Bill, Pacific Film Archive, Thursday, 6:30. Okay, technically it’s not a double bill, as each film requires a separate admission. I have never seen a film by Johnnie To, the Hong Kong action director whose been receiving all sorts of praise in the west, lately. But I want to. The PFA will screen nine of his films from May 29 through June 27. The opening night features are The Mission and Fulltime Killer.

Published by Lincoln Spector

Lincoln Spector writes about cinema, technology, and cinema technology. From 1986 through 2008, he wrote Gigglebytes, the first technology-oriented humor column. From 1977 through 2016, he wrote PC World's Answer Line column and blog.

One thought on “This Week’s Movies”

  1. Is THE KILLERS really “typical”? Not many noirs have Hemingway as part of the pedigree. And Siodmak’s direction is, at the very least, above average for a noir. He was nominated for an Academy Award for it.

    I think THE MISSION and FULLTIME KILLER would be a good pairing for a Johnnie To virgin. My favorite in the PFA series is RUNNING ON KARMA but it’s definitely the goofiest in the bunch (FULLTIME KILLER contains some of that goofy spirit without going to extremes on the weird meter). My favorite of To’s films overall is A HERO NEVER DIES, not in the PFA series. Caveat: I still have not seen MAD DETECTIVE so all the above comments are subject to revision when I do.

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