A deadly preacher, a family of superheroes, love-struck pre-teens, and a bunch of hippies appear in Bay Area screens this week. Festivals New Filipino Cinema continues through the week and beyond Special Screening B+ Unleashed, Sebastiani, Sunday, 6:00; Rafael, Monday, 7:15 In this predicable but very funny comedy, a dog and a cat run away … Continue reading What’s Screening: August 18 – 24
Month: August 2017
Barton Fink still strange and textured in new Blu-ray
The Coen brother's fourth film, and their first financed by a major Hollywood studio, may just be their weirdest. It's outrageous, surreal, occasionally gross, and at times screamingly funny. Much of the story is never explained. It's one of their best. That Barton Fink is the Coen's first Hollywood film seems appropriate, because the movie … Continue reading Barton Fink still strange and textured in new Blu-ray
Death and virtual life in Marjorie Prime
A- Futuristic drama Written by Michael Almereyda; from the play by Jordan Harrison Directed by Michael Almereyda One of the hardest parts about losing a loved one is the knowledge that you will never talk to them again and hear a response. This moody, near-future drama posits a way that you just might be able … Continue reading Death and virtual life in Marjorie Prime
Broken Mile in seamless shot, but still broken
D+ Thriller Written and directed by Justin McConnell Note: I reviewed this film on the assumption that it would get a Bay Area theatrical release. Now, I'm not so sure. But I do know that it becomes available in home formats (VOD/DVD, etc.) today. Few one-shot feature films get made, and for good reason. They're … Continue reading Broken Mile in seamless shot, but still broken
John Sayles’ accidental trilogy: The Secret of Roan Inish, Lone Star, and Men with Guns
Note: This article was published on Fandor in the summer of 2016. I recently discovered that the article is no longer available on that site. I therefore placed it here. John Sayles' Lone Star turns 20 this year. Few people will notice it, and that's a shame. Both commercially and artistically, Lone Star was the peak … Continue reading John Sayles’ accidental trilogy: The Secret of Roan Inish, Lone Star, and Men with Guns
Fanny’s Journey: Children on the run
A Holocaust thriller Written by Lola Doillon and Anne Peyregne; based on the book by Fanny Ben Ami Directed by Lola Doillon [Note: I wrote this review, after previewing the film before the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, with the intention of posting it before the picture's theatrical release. I changed my plan Sunday morning, … Continue reading Fanny’s Journey: Children on the run
What’s Screening: August 11 – 17
Both the Castro and the Rafael are honoring Robert Mitchum on his centenary; the Rafael series will run for three weeks. Also 3 Women, two swashbucklers, one Bogart, a flock of porn stars, and several animated monsters on Bay Area screens this week. Festivals New Filipino Cinema 2017 opens Thursday New films opening A- Whose … Continue reading What’s Screening: August 11 – 17
A Night at the PFA: Booth tour and Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors
Wednesday night, my wife and I attended a Pacific Film Archive screening of Sergei Paradjanov's Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors. But before the movie, I got a special treat: A tour of the projection booth by projectionist Gibbs Chapman. The crowded booth contains five different projectors - three film, two digital - as well as … Continue reading A Night at the PFA: Booth tour and Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly all look pretty good on new Blu-ray
Sergio Leone's masterpiece - without doubt the greatest western shot entirely in Europe - gets a near Criterion treatment (without the Criterion price tag) in a two-disc Blu-ray set containing two versions of the film and a massive collection of extras. An Italian epic set during the American Civil War, The Good, the Bad, and … Continue reading The Good, the Bad and the Ugly all look pretty good on new Blu-ray
Whose Streets: Ferguson and America
A- Documentary Directed by Sabaah Folayan & Damon Davis The police murder of Michael Brown rocked the town of Ferguson, Missouri - and the nation. This incendiary and totally-biased documentary does more than tell you the story. It puts you on the ground with the people that marched, protested, and rioted as their city became … Continue reading Whose Streets: Ferguson and America
Bayflicks 