Month: September 2010

Fresh

~ Lincoln Spector ~ 1 Comment

B+ Documentary Directed by Ana Sofia Joanes I hate reviewing didactic, political documentaries, even when I like them. I’m never sure if I’m judging them as works of art and entertainment, considering how well they make their argument, or simply reacting to whether I agree with the filmmakers’ very obvious point of view. And, of … Continue reading Fresh

Howl

~ Lincoln Spector ~ 3 Comments

A- You can’t expect a dramatic film about Allen Ginsberg to be a conventional biopic? Especially if the film is titled after his famous epic poem. (Full disclosure: I’ve never read it.) Like the poem for which it’s named, Howl is challenging, cutting-edge, and unconventional. Yes, it gives an overview of Ginsberg’s life through 1957 … Continue reading Howl

Cerrito Theater Vandalized

~ Lincoln Spector

I just received word that the Cerrito Theater’s box office was vandalized last night. A window was broken, as was a piece of historic glass that had been rescued during the restoration. If you have any information, please contact the El Cerrito Police Department.

Dead Birds

~ Lincoln Spector

B Documentary Directed by Robert Gardner War is inevitable. That depressing message permeates Robert Gardner’s 1964 documentary Dead Birds, which depicts daily life amongst the Neolithic tribes of remote West Papua—people who had had minimal contact with “civilization” at the time Gardner shot this film.Their lives are a constant state of ritualized, low-intensity warfare with … Continue reading Dead Birds