Month: February 2015

What’s Screening: February 27 – March 5

~ Lincoln Spector

The Noise Pop Film Festival continues through Sunday, while Cinequest runs through this week and beyond. Here's what else is screening: A Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, Embarcadero, Rafael, Shattuck, opens Friday. Viviane Amsalem moved out of her husband’s home years ago. But her remote and stubborn spouse won’t give her a divorce. The … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 27 – March 5

Divorce Israeli Style. Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem

~ Lincoln Spector

A Courtroom drama Written and directed by Ronit Elkabetz, Shlomi Elkabetz Viviane Amsalem moved out of her husband's home years ago. But her remote and stubborn husband won't give her a divorce. The resulting court case spans years in this chamber drama from Israel. The filmmakers chose a simple, direct, inexpensive, and very effective way … Continue reading Divorce Israeli Style. Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem

Revisiting Kevin Brownlow’s The Parade’s Gone By

~ Lincoln Spector

Anyone who cares about silent films has to read Kevin Brownlow's mammoth oral history survey, The Parade's Gone By. Not a history book in the usual sense, it describes early Hollywood primarily through the recollections of people who were there. Buster Keaton, Mary Pickford, Louise Brooks, and William Wellman were among the many filmmakers who … Continue reading Revisiting Kevin Brownlow’s The Parade’s Gone By

What’s Screening: February 20 – 26

~ Lincoln Spector

The Noise Pop Film Festival opens today (Friday). And Cinequest opens Tuesday. And the Oscars are Sunday. Oscar Parties, Balboa, Cerrito, Lark, Rafael, Roxie, Sunday, click on these theater links for starting times and more information. Yes, both the awards and the ceremonies tend towards the ridiculous. But the show is usually entertaining, and sometimes, … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 20 – 26

Undead comedy should have died sooner: What We Do in the Shadows

~ Lincoln Spector

B- Mockumentary Written and directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi This vampire mockumentary from New Zealand feels a bit like an article in The Onion or The Borowitz Report. The headline and the first couple of paragraphs are very funny. But as you go deeper into it, you experience longer waits between laughs. The … Continue reading Undead comedy should have died sooner: What We Do in the Shadows

What’s Screening: February 13 – 19

~ Lincoln Spector

aIndieFest and the Mostly British Film Festival continue through this week. A Romeo & Juliet (1967 version), Castro, Saturday, 8:00. Star Leonard Whiting in person. Franco Zeffirelli’s version of Shakespeare’s popular romantic tragedy changed forever how filmmakers approached the Bard–and changed it for the better. Beautiful, violent, funny, sexy, sad, and lusciously romantic, it makes … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 13 – 19

American Cinema’s Problem Child: Birth of a Nation turns 100 today

~ Lincoln Spector

D. W. Griffith's Civil War and Reconstruction epic,  The Birth of a Nation, premiered on February 8, 1915, a hundred years ago today (at that time it was called The Clansman; the more grandiose title came later). Cinema changed irrevocably that night. Much as we would like to, we can't ignore or underestimate The Birth's … Continue reading American Cinema’s Problem Child: Birth of a Nation turns 100 today