Frightened rabbits, frightened executives, and people with a good reason to be frightened because they're not white males. And they're all on Bay Area screens this week. Also, two film festivals. Festivals The Albany Filmfest opens Saturday and runs through the week and beyond The Sonoma International Film Festival opens Wednesday and runs into the … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 16 – 22
Month: March 2018
California and Japan clash in Oh Lucy!
A- Comedic drama Written by Atsuko Hirayanagi, from the short film by Boris Frumin and Atsuko Hirayanagi Directed by Atsuko Hirayanagi In Tokyo, a middle-aged woman lives a life of quiet desperation. Then she attends a class in American English and finds herself attracted to her outgoing and handsome teacher. When the teacher suddenly and … Continue reading California and Japan clash in Oh Lucy!
This year’s San Francisco International Film Festival announced
Get ready for a massive injection of cinema. The 61st San Francisco International Film Festival opens April 4 and closes two weeks later on April 17. And you know what that means? For the third year in a row, the SFilm Fest conflicts with Passover. You would think that someone would check a Jewish calendar. The … Continue reading This year’s San Francisco International Film Festival announced
Blu-ray review: A Trip to the Moon in many colors and musical scores
Why would anyone spend up to $40 (MSRP; you can buy it for less) for a Blu-ray of a movie that runs only 15 minutes? There are several good reasons. George Méliès' A Trip to the Moon is not only a fun and imaginative entertainment; it's also one of the most important motion pictures ever … Continue reading Blu-ray review: A Trip to the Moon in many colors and musical scores
Chaplin Diary, Part 8: Early First National
Charlie Chaplin's contract with First National turned him from an employee to an independent contractor. He built his own studio, hired his own employees, and financed his own films. First National just handled distribution. Chaplin was required to produce eight movies of two reels or more, over the course the 18 months. It took him … Continue reading Chaplin Diary, Part 8: Early First National
What’s Screening: March 9 – 15
A fish-man double bill, a Thanksgiving dinner of boiled shoe, the smiling children of North Korea, a brilliant inventor disguised as a movie star, the absence of God, and two film festivals grace Bay Area movie theaters this week. Festivals CineQuest is still going on in the south bay, and continues through this week and … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 9 – 15
Sacred: Religion from birth to death
B+ Documentary Directed by Thomas Lennon How and why do people practice their religions? And how do these religions effect their followers' lives? Thomas Lennon sent some 40 camera crews all over the world to find out. There are no great revelations in this documentary, but it creates a dream-like, meditative state, while allowing you … Continue reading Sacred: Religion from birth to death
Bombshell: Brains and the curse of beauty
B+ biographical documentary Directed by Alexandra Dean Hollywood movie star Hedy Lemarr had a fascinating life, but not a happy one. Her striking beauty won her fame and fortune (neither of which she held onto), but it obscured her more important work as an inventor. Her greatest invention, something most of us use daily, never … Continue reading Bombshell: Brains and the curse of beauty
Previews of the Dark Side of the Dream
Attaining the American Dream isn't easy. Sometimes, it's impossible. The Dark Side of the Dream, a four-day film festival at the Roxie, screens six double bills that dramatize the ways our system doesn't work. The films date from 1933 to 1964. Most of them could be reasonably categorized as noir. The festival runs March 23 … Continue reading Previews of the Dark Side of the Dream
The Oscars: The Best Movies Actually Won
I don't recall an Oscar show where the Academy and I agreed in almost every category. My only disappointment was Roger Deakins' win for Best cinematography. Deakins is an excellent artist, but I was pushing for Rachel Morrison for Mudbound. A confession: I didn't watch the awards show. My wife and I had tickets to … Continue reading The Oscars: The Best Movies Actually Won
Bayflicks 