Throughout 2019, I'll be writing articles about holidays and the best movies for them. And I'm starting, before the year begins, with New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. If you want to start the year with a tragedy that may make you want to fight for justice, I doubt you can find anything better … Continue reading Movies for New Years’ Eve and Day
Month: December 2018
What’s Screening: December 28 – January 3
As one year ends and another begins, we get to celebrate with Kubrick, DeMille, Cuarón, Murnau, and Chaplin - all in Bay Area movie theaters. But still no film festivals. The Week's Big Event A+ 2001: A Space Odyssey — The 70mm / 4K Challenge, Castro, Friday through Tuesday 70mm and/or 4K presentations! Stanley Kubrick's … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 28 – January 3
The Tech in the Birth of Four Stars
Hollywood has now made four films called A Star is Born, all of which followed the same basic story of love, substance abuse, one star rising while the other falls, and inevitable tragedy. But each of the films, except the most recent one, has been a trailblazer in cinema technology. 1937 version, starring Janet Gaynor … Continue reading The Tech in the Birth of Four Stars
Blu-ray vs 4K: Great and Greater
When I reviewed The Big Lebowski 4K/Blu-ray disc set, I promised that I would soon compare Blu-rays with 4K Ultra HD discs. I finally got to it. 4K Ultra HD discs (yes, it's a horrible name) offer better image quality than Blu-rays . The improvement is not as spectacular as that of DVD to Blu-ray, … Continue reading Blu-ray vs 4K: Great and Greater
Movies I’ve Recently Seen:A Star is Born, Crazy Rich Asians, Don’t Look Now, Mary Queen of Scots & 20th Century Women
Merry Christmas for those who celebrate it. Here are four films I've seen in the last week. A A Star is Born (2018), Elmwood downstairs The same old tragedy still carries that emotional punch. The man, a major star but an alcoholic, falls in love with a talented nobody. As his career self-implodes, his lover's fame … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen:A Star is Born, Crazy Rich Asians, Don’t Look Now, Mary Queen of Scots & 20th Century Women
Foreign Films & Crime-Soaked Movies: The first film festivals of 2019
The last weeks of the year become a film festival desert in the Bay Area. 2018's last fest, Another Hole in the Head, closed December 12. But with the new year come new festivals. At least two will open in January. For Your Consideration Rafael, January 4 - 10 All sorts of rules control what … Continue reading Foreign Films & Crime-Soaked Movies: The first film festivals of 2019
What’s Screening: December 21 – 27
This week on Bay Area movie screens: Two great new social dramas, plus Garbo, Forman, Lubitsch, Bergman (of course), a Billy Wilder double bill, no film festivals, and a theater's birthday party. Oh, and some Christmas movies. New films opening A Capernaum, Clay, Shattuck, Rafael, opens Friday Children living in poverty have to do for … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 21 – 27
Destroyer: Nicole Kidman as one tough dame
Note: I updated this article on January 9. Sorry, but I have been asked to take down this review. When I viewed Destroyer in a press screening months ago, I was told that the film would open on Christmas day. So I set up my review to go live on December 20. I've just discovered Weeks later, … Continue reading Destroyer: Nicole Kidman as one tough dame
Capernaum: Growing up too fast in Lebanon
A Drama Written by Jihad Hojeily, Michelle Keserwany, Nadine Labaki, & Khaled Mouzanar Directed by Nadine Labaki Zain is probably about 12. No one knows for sure. He's on trial for stabbing and wounding a man. He's also suing his parents in court. No, not for neglect, but simply for bringing him into this world … Continue reading Capernaum: Growing up too fast in Lebanon
If Beale Street Could Talk it would praise this movie
A- Drama Written by Barry Jenkins, from the novel by James Baldwin Directed by Barry Jenkins The Republican establishment won't know what to say about Barry Jenkins' If Beale Street Could Talk. It's about a man falsely accused of rape, which as I write this is the Great Fear of the Fox News crowd. But … Continue reading If Beale Street Could Talk it would praise this movie
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