There's a lot of stuff going on for serious filmgoers this time of year. Theaters are filled with Oscar bait. By my count, there are 13 Bay Area film festivals in the next five weeks. But for now, I'll concentrate on what's playing at the Pacific Film Archive in November and December. (I'd love to … Continue reading November and December at the PFA
Month: October 2017
Seduced by Mrs. Robinson: How The Graduate Changed Everything
Mike Nichols, Buck Henry, and everyone else involved in The Graduate knew that they were making more than just another romantic comedy. But they didn't know that they were capturing the zeitgeist of their times, creating a cornerstone of film history, and producing one of the biggest box office hits of the decade. Beverly Gray, … Continue reading Seduced by Mrs. Robinson: How The Graduate Changed Everything
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Carnival of Souls, Ministry of Fear, Blade Runner 2049, & Tabu: A Story of the South Seas
In which I tell you about a classic, independent horror film, two works by German directors in America, and the sequel everyone is talking about. A- Carnival of Souls (1962), FilmStruck This low-budget horror movie works in some very strange ways. A car goes off a bridge into a deep river, and one sole survivor comes … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Carnival of Souls, Ministry of Fear, Blade Runner 2049, & Tabu: A Story of the South Seas
What’s Screening: October 27 – November 2
Chimps, rats, kids, vampires, a wronged man, a wronged samurai, a psychopathic preacher, big aliens, and a lot of Halloween movies this week in Bay Area movie screens. Also four film festivals. Festivals Modern Cinema closes Sunday The United Nations Association Film Festival also closes Sunday. Another Hole in the Head Film Festival continues through … Continue reading What’s Screening: October 27 – November 2
The Found Footage Festival…the theatrical experience
A multitude of Jesuses. A safe sex video that recommends you use a latex barrier for kissing. Some very unconvincing signs of demonic possession. Being that it's Friday, you're probably expecting my weekly What's Screening newsletter. Don't worry. You'll get it in a few minutes. But first, I must tell you about something I saw … Continue reading The Found Footage Festival…the theatrical experience
Jane: Living with the Chimps
B Documentary Directed by Brett Morgen You probably already know about chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall. In 1960, without a college degree and only in her mid-20s, she went to Africa to study our closest evolutionary cousins. What she discovered astounded the world. Brett Morgen's new documentary, simply titled Jane, allows Goodall to tell her own … Continue reading Jane: Living with the Chimps
Rat Film: War Between the Species
C+ documentary Directed by Theo Anthony Human beings and rats have lived together, seldom harmoniously, since the invention of agriculture. Theo Anthony's documentary examines the eternal battle, focusing on one particular battleground: Baltimore. But it doesn't go very deep into the antagonist relationship. A film like this needs multiple interesting and knowledgeable characters. Rat Film … Continue reading Rat Film: War Between the Species
A+ List: Top Hat
Few Hollywood features have celebrated their own wholly unreal artifice like Top Hat, the best Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers musical. Despite its contemporary setting (contemporary for 1935, the year it was released), it contains almost nothing that suggests the real world. Thanks to that artifice, the songs, the madcap comic dialog and hijinks, and most of … Continue reading A+ List: Top Hat
Upcoming Festivals: Silents, Docs, and a Hold in the Head
Take a look at the Current Festivals section in the right-hand column of this web page. As I write this, on Friday, October 20, I've got links there to 14 film festivals currently running or coming up soon (three of them will close this weekend). I thought I'd tell you a bit about the ones … Continue reading Upcoming Festivals: Silents, Docs, and a Hold in the Head
What’s Screening: October 20 – 26
This week, Bay Area movie screens host refugees, Winnie-the-Pooh, rare and bad videos, six film festivals, zombies, aliens, and the Marx Brothers. Festivals The Arab Film Festival continues through Sunday The San Francisco Dance Film Festival also continues through Sunday The United Nations Association Film Festival continues through this week and beyond Modern Cinema continues, … Continue reading What’s Screening: October 20 – 26
