I'm stepping back into Bayflicks, and plan to get to writing about movies--and going to them. So what's going on? DocFest moves from San Francisco to Berkeley's Shattuck for its final week. I didn't have time to check out what they're showing this year, and I'm not about to start now. Here's what else is … Continue reading What’s Screening: October 31-November 6
Month: October 2008
Delwende
drama Written and directed by S. Pierre Yameogo Children mysteriously die in an African village, and the elders suspect witchcraft. But the ancient traditions they use to find the witch appear to have more to do with local politics than detective work or even magic. And so Napoko, the wife of an elder and the … Continue reading Delwende
Burn After Reading
[B] Espionage comedy Written and directed by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen The Coen brothers are back to their old tricks, mining the dark comic prospects of a crime gone wrong. While Burn After Reading lacks the humanity of Fargo and the blazing, non-stop lunacy of Intolerable Cruelty, it still provides 95 very entertaining minutes. … Continue reading Burn After Reading
W.
Political biopic Written by Stanley Weiser Directed by Oliver Stone The very fact of W.'s existence raises an interesting and important question: Why go to an Oliver Stone movie after all the times he's disappointed us? And W. provides an answer: There is no good reason. Judging from the final result, Stone didn't know whether … Continue reading W.
What’s Screening: October 24-30
In a week or two I'll get back to a serious Bayflicks commitment. In the meantime, the Arab Film Festival, DocFest, and the United Nations Association Film Festival continue. Nosferatu, Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, Saturday, 7:30. The first (and unauthorized) film version of Dracula, and you can forget about sexy vampires here. Max Schreck … Continue reading What’s Screening: October 24-30
What’s Screening: October 17-23
I don't get paid to review movies, but I do get paid to review TV sets. And since PC World wants me to review a lot of them for the January issue, I won't have much time for Bayflicks. I've got one review already written and scheduled to go live late this month, and I'll … Continue reading What’s Screening: October 17-23
Patti Smith: Dream of Life
Musical Documentary Directed by Steven Sebring Steven Sebring spent over a decade following Patti Smith around with a camera (okay, I'm not sure how much of that time he actually devoted to the project), trying to get to the core of the cutting-edge rocker, poet, and generally arty person. He succeeds--with a great deal of … Continue reading Patti Smith: Dream of Life
Ballast
Contemporary Drama Written and directed by Lance Hammer Vast, flat, cold, muddy landscapes make a perfect metaphor for the lonely human heart in Lance Hammer's directorial debut. I've been seeing a lot of low-key chamber dramas lately--all of them forgoing such comforting movie conventions as music, glamour, and a tripod. I like the trend. The … Continue reading Ballast
Happy-Go-Lucky
Character-driven comedy Written and directed by Mike Leigh There's no excuse for Happy-Go-Lucky working as well as it does, and not only because the term "Mike Leigh comedy" sounds like an oxymoron. This movie has no real plot, no significant conflict, and not an overwhelming supply of laughs. What it has is a bubbly, upbeat, … Continue reading Happy-Go-Lucky
What’s Screening: October 10-16
Festivals, of course. The Mill Valley Film Festival continues through the weekend, and the Oakland International Film Festival runs through the week. Plus, the CounterCorp Anti-Corporate Film Festival opens Wednesday, and the Taiwan and Arab Film Festivals open Thursday. I've placed Mill Valley screenings at the bottom of this newsletter. Sadko, Pacific Film Archive, Sunday, … Continue reading What’s Screening: October 10-16
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