What should you see at the Berlin & Beyond film festival? What should you avoid? I've seen three of the films. Here's what I thought of them. A- Welcome to Germany A very funny comedy with a serious heart, predictable, but not too predictable. A well-off couple, with their children grown and gone, bring a … Continue reading Berlin & Beyond Previews
Month: January 2018
Dream Boat: A gay cruise where not everyone is happy
B Documentary Directed by Tristan Ferland Milewski A large cruise ship leaves port for a week of frivolity. But this cruise is different. All the passengers are gay men, looking forward to dancing, flirting, drag contests, sex, and perhaps some self-realization. Filmmaker Ferland Milewski used this cruise to examine an international cross section of gay … Continue reading Dream Boat: A gay cruise where not everyone is happy
Darkness in the Castro: The First Weekend at Noir City
I can't catch every movie in Noir City, the Castro-based festival of dark movies filled with crime, corruption, and great-looking hats. But I did manage to see all six films screened on Saturday and Sunday. This year's theme matches a big- or moderate-budget A picture with a low-budget B picture. The films are being presented … Continue reading Darkness in the Castro: The First Weekend at Noir City
Cinequest opens late February
I have yet to attend CineQuest, despite it being one of the three major Bay Area film festivals. The problem is geographic. I live just north of Berkeley, and I really hate getting to the Peninsula. It's a long drive, usually through bad traffic. Public transportation options aren't great, either. But for those who live … Continue reading Cinequest opens late February
What’s Screening: January 26 – February 1
This week, the Alamo Drafthouse New Mission screens two big 80s movies in 70mm. Also in Bay Area theaters: early Sam Fuller, the original cut of Woodstock, and three film festivals. Festivals Noir City opens today and runs through February 4. I can recommend This Gun For Hire and Shadow of a Doubt - especially Shadow … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 26 – February 1
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Mudbound, The Post, & High Sierra
2017 was a great year for motion pictures, even if it was a lousy year for everything else. In the last week, I've seen two excellent films from last year (one of which was barely shown in the Bay Area) and revisited one from another great movie year (that was even worse in the real … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Mudbound, The Post, & High Sierra
The Insult has consequences
A Drama Written by Ziad Doueiri and Joelle Touma Directed by Ziad Doueiri Two men of different ethnicities, religions, and political parties meet, and one almost unconsciously insults the other. Neither will back down, and the situation escalates. Sounds like a promising satire, with comic hijinks building on top of each other until everything collapses in … Continue reading The Insult has consequences
The Oscar Nominees
The Motion Picture Academy released the 2017 Oscar nominees this morning, and for the most part, they did a good job. (As I write this, oscar.com is over capacity. I'm getting the results from CNN.) Let's start with the big one: Best Picture. There are nine nominees this year, and I saw and liked eight … Continue reading The Oscar Nominees
Modern Cinema Festival Previews
Want to know what classic films you should catch at the upcoming Modern Cinema festival? Here are six movies I can recommend, along with three others that I vaguely remember liking. All of the films will be screened at SFMOMA's Phyllis Wattis Theater. A+ Lawrence of Arabia, Sunday, February 18, 1:00 Lawrence isn't just the … Continue reading Modern Cinema Festival Previews
Chaplin Diary, Part 4: Late Essanay
During his year at Essanay, Charlie Chaplin became the most famous and beloved person in the world (Mary Pickford was the only significant rival). Movies changed the concept of celebrity, and no one before had ever been famous like Chaplin. Everyone loved him. It was like Beatlemania, except with a universal language and no generation … Continue reading Chaplin Diary, Part 4: Late Essanay
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