Still no festivals, but this strange December phenomenon won’t last. German Gems and Noir City have already been announced for January. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, Shattuck , Saturday, 10:00; Castro, Sunday. I’ve only seen this on Mystery Science Theater 3000, so I can’t formally judge this cinematic work on its own merits. Neverheless, I’ll … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 16 – 22
Month: December 2011
What’s Screening: December 9 – 15
Shakespeare, Truffaut, and killer Androids (and I don’t mean smartphones). Here in the Northern Hemisphere, which includes the Bay Area, December is the darkest month of the year. It’s cold. People look for indoor activities. It’s also, outside of summer, the biggest month for movie-going. And yet, no festivals this week or, ASAIK, this month. … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 9 – 15
The Castro Will Remain a Movie Theater
You may have heard recently that the Castro is converting to live theater and giving up regular movie screenings. I’m happy to report that the rumor is false. I first heard it via a tweet from Roger Ebert. It seemed plausible. Revival cinema hasn’t been economically healthy for a long time. So I emailed my … Continue reading The Castro Will Remain a Movie Theater
Blu-ray Review: The Lady Vanishes
Alfred Hitchcock's first masterpiece brings almost as many laughs as thrills. The new Criterion Blu-ray gives this near-perfect entertainment a new polish and some interesting extras. The Lady Vanishes holds an interesting place amongst Hitchcock's work. It was his penultimate British film before going to America. It is, in my opinion, his first true masterpiece. … Continue reading Blu-ray Review: The Lady Vanishes
Silent Influences: Mostly Silent Movies From the Talkie Era to the Present
With The Artist finally playing locally, I thought it would be fun to look at other post-silent movies with little or no dialog. Cinema, in its purest form, is a visual art. What it can do without words has always been more powerful than what it can do with them. If I ran my own … Continue reading Silent Influences: Mostly Silent Movies From the Talkie Era to the Present
What’s Screening: December 2 – 8
I guess film festivals and the holiday season don’t mix. For the second week in a row, no festivals. A The Artist, Embarcadero, opens Friday. Michel Hazanavicius just made a silent movie about the death of silent movies. Even more amazing than that, he pulls it off, creating a warm, funny, heartfelt, and occasionally sad … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 2 – 8
The Artist
A Dramatic Comedy Written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius The question with which I opened my Hugo post applies even more to Michel Hazanavicius' new silent film: Did I--and other cinephiles--love The Artist because it is a very good motion picture, or because the story, setting, and style are so close to any cinephile's heart? … Continue reading The Artist
Bayflicks 