This must be my thinnest Bayflicks Newsletter ever. One film festival, two recommended revivals, two continuing engagements, and one frequently-revived classics. So, to add some heft, I'm adding another section just for this week (and maybe occasionally in the future) called Still in theaters. These are for good independent films that opened more than a … Continue reading What’s Screening: August 31 – September 6
Month: August 2018
Five countries celebrate their national film industries in Bay Area festivals and series
From mid-September through early November, the Bay Area will host film festivals and series celebrating recent movies from China, Italy, Iran, Hong Kong (which isn't really a country, but…you know), and Japan. As far as I can tell, none of these films have been screened locally. I have not seen any of the films to … Continue reading Five countries celebrate their national film industries in Bay Area festivals and series
What’s Screening: August 24 – 30
Enter the Dragon. Enter Godzilla. Enter Ingmar Bergman. Andrei Tarkovsky considers nuclear oblivion while Richard Linklater examines rock 'n' roll. And never trust an actress with a name like Eve. But no film festivals until September. Promising events Godzilla Night 7: A Monstrous Weekend, Balboa, Saturday & Sunday The Balboa is presenting three Japanese monster … Continue reading What’s Screening: August 24 – 30
Bergman, Bergman, Wiseman, Visconti, & more Bergman: Autumn at the BAMPFA
Summer wanes. Children look in trepidation to the coming of the school year, while their parents rejoice. And we get a new round of film series at the BAMPFA (formerly the Pacific Film Archive). Here's what's coming up for Berkeleyites in the fall: In Focus: Ingmar Bergman August 29 - November 28 BAMPFA has gone … Continue reading Bergman, Bergman, Wiseman, Visconti, & more Bergman: Autumn at the BAMPFA
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: BlacKkKlansman, Blindspotting, 49th Parallel, & Dark Victory
My current collection includes one film from Oakland which I saw in Canada, and one about Canada I saw at home in the East Bay. A BlacKkKlansman (2018), California Theatre (Berkeley) Until the very end, this is the most conventional Spike Lee Joint I've seen. But the normal approach was the right one for this very … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: BlacKkKlansman, Blindspotting, 49th Parallel, & Dark Victory
What’s Screening: August 17 – 23
John Ford and John Wayne, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, Carl Sagan, Elia Kazan, Andrei Tarkovsky, and Mel Brooks light up Bay Area movie screens this week. But no film festivals. Also, I'm changing the Lebowskies section to Frequently-revived classics. The Big Lebowski doesn't screen as often as it used to. Promising events She Wore a … Continue reading What’s Screening: August 17 – 23
Chaplin Diary, Part 15: Modern Times
When you think about it, Modern Times seems a strange name for such an old-fashioned movie. No one in America, or Europe, was making silent films 1936. Of course, it wasn't really silent. It had a recorded musical score (composed by Chaplin) and a great many sound effects (much more than City Lights). It even … Continue reading Chaplin Diary, Part 15: Modern Times
What’s Screening: August 10 – 16
Jim Jarmusch, Gary Cooper, Andrei Tarkovsky, and Gene Kelly grace Bay Area movie theaters this week. Also, one film festival. Warning: I had to write this newsletter two weeks early. It may be missing several worthwhile screenings. Festivals The Broncho Billy Silent Film Festival opens tonight and runs through Sunday New films opening A The … Continue reading What’s Screening: August 10 – 16
What’s Screening: August 3 – 9
Conventional war, nuclear war, a secret marriage, and jigsaw puzzles. All that and a closing festival on Bay Area screens this week. Warning: I had to write this newsletter a week early. It's likely missing several worthwhile screenings. Festivals The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival closes Sunday. Read my reports. New films opening A- Puzzle, … Continue reading What’s Screening: August 3 – 9
Hidden genius found in this Puzzle
A- drama Directed By Marc Turtletaub Screenplay By Oren Moverman & Polly Mann Based on the film Rompecabezas by Natalia Smirnoff Dramas, which like to feel above genre, have their own recognizable tropes. You can often see what's going to happen as clearly as you can see the ending of an action flick or a … Continue reading Hidden genius found in this Puzzle
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