Want to see classic movies on the big screen next month? Here are a few March offerings: Stanford Paramount Pictures had an incredible run in the early 1930s - despite economic disasters that almost destroyed the studio. Just consider the comedies that came out in 1933: Duck Soup, Design for Living, International House, I'm No … Continue reading Coming Up in March
Month: February 2018
What’s Screening: February 23 – March 1
Celebrate the Communist revolution. Ogle (or laugh at) sex kitten Jane Fonda. Play chess with Death as your guitar gently weeps. All these experiences and more can be found this week in Bay Area movie theaters. Also: Two film festivals. Festivals The Children's Film Festival opens today and runs through Sunday CineQuest opens Tuesday and … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 23 – March 1
Have a Nice Day
D+ Animated crime film Written and directed by Jian Liu Imagine Pulp Fiction, done in limited animation, but without the clever dialog, the wit, or the sense of redemption. That's pretty much what you get with Jian Liu's cartoon noir, Have a Nice Day. And frankly, it's not enough. The movie starts with a quote … Continue reading Have a Nice Day
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Black Panther, Phantom Thread, Marty, & Way Down South
Four more films, in order from best to worst. Two are about white people. The other two are mostly about black people. A Black Panther (2018), Grand Lake Theatre Yes, it's revolutionary. In the age of Trump, Hollywood gambled on making a huge-budget superhero movie with an almost entirely black cast, set largely in a fictional … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Black Panther, Phantom Thread, Marty, & Way Down South
What’s Screening: February 16 – 22
Dogs, cats, bigamy, war, Studio Ghibli, and a couple of film festivals play out in Bay Area theaters this week. Festivals Modern Cinema continues through Sunday. See my recommendations. The Mostly British Film Festival continues through the week Also of interest, the Roxie is running Studio Ghibli films, in the original Japanese with subtitles, all week. … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 16 – 22
Chaplin Diary, Part 6: Middle Mutual
With almost full freedom, Chaplin was able to take considerable time to get his vision on film. According to Peter Ackroyd's biography, Charlie Chaplin, "he spent three weeks on filming one scene alone, in which he kicks his rival while whirling around with a partner on the dance floor." With that sort of perfectionism, it wasn't … Continue reading Chaplin Diary, Part 6: Middle Mutual
In Between: Secular and Religious Youths
C+ Youth drama Written & directed by Maysaloun Hamoud You'd expect a film that breaks down walls and shatters stereotypes to excite you - to grab you by the heart and fling you across the room. Alas, Maysaloun Hamoud's first feature film doesn't quite blow you away. The content - the wild party life of … Continue reading In Between: Secular and Religious Youths
What’s Screening: February 9 – 15
So many great movies screen this week in the Bay Area it's daunting. And that doesn't include the five film festivals I had to create a whole other post just about films at the New Parkway. Festivals IndieFest continues through the end of the week. Check out my Previews to help you decide what to … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 9 – 15
New Parkway turns to love this coming week
With Valentine's Day coming up, the New Parkway brings out a lot of romantic movies as part of what they're calling Love Week, running from Friday, February 9th through the 15th. You might also want to check their Valentine Day events. [Note, Feb. 9: I altered this paragraph this morning, after receiving the Love Week URL.] Here are … Continue reading New Parkway turns to love this coming week
Great Movie; Too Bad It Sucks
Howard Hawks once described a good movie as one with "Three great scenes, no bad ones." But what do you call a film with three great scenes and two horrible ones? I call it frustrating. If I discover a great film, it's wonderful. If I discover a stinker, I'll never see it again. But when … Continue reading Great Movie; Too Bad It Sucks
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