No one who cares about cinema considers the Academy Awards to be a reliable indication of great art. But the Oscars do provide an interesting view of what Hollywood thinks of current movies. And reasonably often, they actually reward good films. To a reasonable degree, they did so last night. My wife and I didn't … Continue reading Quick thoughts on the Oscars
Month: February 2016
What’s Screening: February 26 – March 3
The San Francisco's Jewish Film Institute's one-day WinterFest opens and closes Saturday. And for those of you in the south bay, Cinequest opens Tuesday. The Oscars screen Sunday evening. If you want to watch the silly extravaganza with other people in a movie theater, here are your options. (For what it's worth, the Academy is … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 26 – March 3
A+ list: McCabe and Mrs. Miller
I visited the Castro Sunday afternoon to see my all-time favorite Robert Altman film, McCabe and Mrs. Miller. (It was on a double bill with the Woody Guthrie biopic, Bound for Glory, which I saw long ago and didn't care for. I skipped it this time.) For its daring rethinking of the western genre, it's … Continue reading A+ list: McCabe and Mrs. Miller
The Last Man on the Moon
B biographical documentary Directed by Mark Craig What was it really like to be an astronaut when that title was still new? Navy pilot Gene Cernan joined the elite ranks of space explorers not long after the original Mercury astronauts were selected. He flew into space three times--once in a two-man Gemini capsule and twice … Continue reading The Last Man on the Moon
The Martian and Dolby 3D
I attended another press screening at Dolby Labs Thursday night, and once again, it was all about a man left for dead in inhospitable territory. Only this time, instead of The Revenant, I saw The Martian. And just like last week, I'll tell you about the movie, then a bit about the technology. As you … Continue reading The Martian and Dolby 3D
What’s Screening: February 19 – 25
We have two film festivals this week. Both the SF IndieFest and the Mostly British Film Festival close Thursday. Festival screenings are at the end of this newsletter. A Anomalisa, New Parkway, opens Friday This animated drama about a one-night stand could not possibly have worked with live action. Animation helps us experience the world … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 19 – 25
The Revenant and Dolby Atmos
I attended a special screening at Dolby Labs Thursday night of The Revenant, where the movie's Oscar-nominated audio mix could be played back in the full glory of Dolby Atmos. I'll tell you about The Revenant, and also about Atmos. In that difficult-to-find point where cinema technology merges into cinema art, The Revenant feels like … Continue reading The Revenant and Dolby Atmos
What’s Screening: February 12 – 18
In festival news, SF IndieFest continues through this week and beyond. And the Mostly British Film Festival opens Thursday. C- Where To Invade Next, Alamo Drafthouse New Mission, Piedmont, California (Berkeley), opens Friday No, Michael Moore is not attacking American imperialism. Instead, he visits the sort of countries we don't go to war with–wealthy democracies … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 12 – 18
Where to invade next
C- Comedy, documentary, mockumentary Written and directed by Michael Moore The press material for Where to Invade Next insists on calling Michael Moore's latest agitprop movie a comedy, and not a documentary. This is odd because, although it's for the most part non-fiction, it's not all that funny. It has its comic moments. A few … Continue reading Where to invade next
Quick thoughts: Anomalisa & Hail, Caesar!
I've been busy and sick lately, and therefore haven't caught many new movies. But this past weekend, my wife and I managed to get to Berkeley's California Theater twice, where we saw Charlie Kaufman's Anomalisa and the Coen brothers' Hail, Caesar! Both are worth catching, although for very different reasons. Anomalisa Early on, I wondered … Continue reading Quick thoughts: Anomalisa & Hail, Caesar!
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