B+ Social issue drama Written by Jeffrey Dean Brown and Joseph Kwong Directed by Jeffrey Dean Brown Sold is a message movie. The filmmakers want you to know that something horrible is going on, and that we all need to do something about it. The film has the sort of single mindedness of message that … Continue reading Sold
Month: April 2016
San Francisco Intl. Film Fest previews
Here are six films I've previewed for this year's San Francisco International Film Festival. I'm listing them in order from best to worse, although they're all at least pretty good. A Leaf Blower Finding keys in a huge pile of leaves is a daunting task, especially if you're not sure which huge pile is the … Continue reading San Francisco Intl. Film Fest previews
Silent Film Fest Preview
Wednesday evening, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival announced its 2016 schedule. And as fans have come to expect, it will be an intense experience. In the course of three full days plus an opening night, they will screen 19 different programs, all with live music. (There's also an opening night party.) Nine different musical … Continue reading Silent Film Fest Preview
What’s Screening: April 8 – 14
The Bay Are hosts three film festivals this week, along with a Studio Ghibli retrospective and a great Orson Welles/John Ford/Gregg Toland double bill. Festivals The Oakland International Film Festival closes Saturday The Tiburon International Film Festival opens today and runs for a week and a day. The Green Film Festival opens Thursday It's not … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 8 – 14
Steampunk at its best: April and the Extraordinary World
A- Animated fantasy Written by Franck Ekinci and Benjamin Legrand, from the graphic novel by Jacques Tardi Directed by Christian Desmares and Franck Ekinci This charming, French, animated alternative history takes place in Europe, 1941. But it's not the 1941 we know. If you look quickly, you'll get a glimpse of Adolf Hitler, drawing caricatures of … Continue reading Steampunk at its best: April and the Extraordinary World
Miles Ahead miles away from a biopic
B+ Music biopic (sort of) Written by Steven Baigelman & Don Cheadle Directed by Don Cheadle Don't expect anything like Ray or Walk the Line in this totally crazy story of Miles Davis in a turning point in his career. It's more like a raunchy caper comedy set in the 1970s, but with great music … Continue reading Miles Ahead miles away from a biopic
Friday at the PFA
Friday night, I finally got around to visiting the Pacific Film Archive's new theater in downtown Berkeley. I've been busy. The theater is lovely, with the raised seats common in new multiplexes. The screen, I would guess, about the same size as in the previous theater. The acoustics sounded very good, but since the first … Continue reading Friday at the PFA
What’s Screening: April 1 – 7
This week opens two new weekly series that bring you poetry on Sunday and dark despair on Wednesday. We've also got four film festivals, long-lost Shakespeare, and 70mm. Festivals A whole bunch of small film festivals either just opened or are opening today. Sonoma International Film Festival opened last Wednesday. It closes Sunday USF Human … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 1 – 7
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