Attending the SanFrancisco Jewish Film Festival in the East Bay is an entirely different social experience than going to any other festival...at least it is for me. When I go to most festivals, I socialize with other cinephiles - people I've come to know and befriend because we all love cinema. But at the Jewish … Continue reading Survivor documentaries: Sunday at the Jewish Film Fest
Month: July 2017
I’m Okay at the Jewish Film Fest in Albany
As the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival moves to the East Bay, it becomes much more convenient for me. The Albany Twin theater is less than a mile from my home. Friday afternoon, my wife and I attended our first Jewish Film Festival event in walking distance, a screening of the German documentary, I'm Okay. … Continue reading I’m Okay at the Jewish Film Fest in Albany
What’s Screening: July 28 – August 3
Dinosaurs, Marilyn Monroe, Toshiro Mifune, and the most influential film in cinema history light up Bay Area screens this week. Also, two film festivals. Festivals Modern Cinema continues through this week (mostly on weekends) and beyond The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival also continues through this week and beyond. You can read my reports and … Continue reading What’s Screening: July 28 – August 3
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Dunkirk, Night Nurse, The End of the Ottoman Empire, & All the President’s Men
A Dunkirk (2017), AMC Metreon IMAX You've probably already read wonderful things about the big, new war film, and you probably already know something about the famous evacuation. So I'll just focus on story construction. The film cuts back and forth between three stories. One is about a soldier trying desperately to get off the beach. … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Dunkirk, Night Nurse, The End of the Ottoman Empire, & All the President’s Men
Landline finds humor in relationships
B+ Relationship comedy Written by Elisabeth Holm & Gillian Robespierre Directed by Gillian Robespierre This essentially serious comedy finds laughs in human relationships, both romantic and filial. It's very funny, but it's also touching and true to life. The central story concerns two sisters living in New York in 1995 - a time when the … Continue reading Landline finds humor in relationships
An Inconvenient Screening of an Important Sequel
I saw An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power Monday night at a San Francisco Jewish Film Festival screening at the Castro. It's a powerful and important film. But for the average ticket holder, much of the event was a mess. The big attraction: Al Gore live on stage. And yes, he was wonderful. But the … Continue reading An Inconvenient Screening of an Important Sequel
Before and after the Holocaust: Saturday at the SF Jewish Film Fest
I caught two movies Saturday at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. The first was set just before official anti-Semitism turned into genocide. The second one was set right after the war. Voyage of the Damned This big-budget overstuffed turkey from 1976 tells an important and largely true story, and one that's exceptionally important today. … Continue reading Before and after the Holocaust: Saturday at the SF Jewish Film Fest
Keep the Change & The Jewish Film Festival Opening Night
The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival opened Thursday night with Rachel Israel's Keep the Change, a romantic comedy set in the world of serious mental disabilities. That may sound disturbing, but it's lovely and moving. The event started almost on time with a selection of past trailers. All of them were funny, including this year's … Continue reading Keep the Change & The Jewish Film Festival Opening Night
What’s Screening: July 21 – 27
Sexy scientists, beautiful criminals, pampered dogs, adorable pigs, and four film festivals light up Bay Area screens this week. Festivals The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival continues this week at various theaters. You can read my recommendations, warnings, and reports for this festival. Charlie Chaplin Days opens today and runs through the weekend The Frozen … Continue reading What’s Screening: July 21 – 27
Harold and Lillian: The happy marriage of unsung Hollywood heroes
B+ Film history documentary Directed by Daniel Raim Harold Michelson was one of Hollywood's top storyboard artists…until he became a top production designer. His wife, Lillian Michelson, ran a research library and helped filmmakers learn about the places and times in which their movies were set. Between them, they influenced an astonishingly large group of … Continue reading Harold and Lillian: The happy marriage of unsung Hollywood heroes
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