My last diary entry covered Charlie Chaplin's first five short films at Essanay; the beginning of his second year as a filmmaker. But with his sixth Essanay comedy, The Tramp, Chaplin made a major step towards maturity. Before this seminal two-reeler, Charlie was a funny little man with ill-fitting clothes and a brush mustache. In … Continue reading Chaplin Diary, Part 3: Middle Essanay
Month: January 2018
The Best Short Films from Sundance…and not surprisingly, most are pretty good
B+ Collection of short films A men's room attendant has a bad night. A young woman must wait 24 hours for an abortion. Cows die mysteriously. A lonely woman attempts masturbation. And swimmers face their fears. You would expect that only the best short films would screen at the Sundance Film Festival, and that only the … Continue reading The Best Short Films from Sundance…and not surprisingly, most are pretty good
The First Film Festivals of 2018
It's been a month since the last Bay Area film festival. But that changes this coming Friday. Here are two film festivals starting in January. For Your Consideration Rafael, January 5 - 11 Not just any subtitled movie can qualify to be nominated for the Foreign Language Film Oscar. Each country can put forth one … Continue reading The First Film Festivals of 2018
Top 15 Moviegoing Experiences of 2017
Instead of listing my top ten movies of 2017, I'm giving you my top 15 moviegoing experiences of the year. What's the difference? I consider the theater, the quality of the print or digital source, the enthusiasm of the audience, and live onstage supplements such as musical accompaniment and filmmaker Q&As. I also consider the … Continue reading Top 15 Moviegoing Experiences of 2017
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