Here are three films I've streamed recently - in order of best to worst. But to be frank, none of them were all that good. B- The Wild Goose Lake (2019), helping the Roxie Early in this Chinese crime thriller, a top criminal gives something like a masterclass on stealing motorcycles. It all seems very … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: The Wild Goose Lake, Fantastic Fungi & American Psycho
Month: March 2020
Henry V times 2
O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend The brightest heaven of invention… I can't read or listen to the prologue of William Shakespeare's Henry V without thinking that he was wishing he were writing a screenplay. He may have wondered if the stage could hold "The vasty fields of France?" Or if the … Continue reading Henry V times 2
When this is over, we’ll still want movie theaters
While we watch movies on our TVs, the good people who run the theaters we love worry about paying their bills. They don't know how long this situation will last, and for the time being, they're not getting any money. "On paper, they've only shut their doors temporarily—but faced with the prospect of being shuttered … Continue reading When this is over, we’ll still want movie theaters
What’s Screening: March 20 – ?
When I wrote last week's What's Screening newsletter, I knew that the next one would be different. But I didn't think it would be this different. When that article went live, only the Stanford and the BAMPFA were closed due to the coronavirus. I thought that this Friday, I would mention which theaters were open … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 20 – ?
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Pleasantville, Joker, Targets, & Gorillas in the Mist
Here are four movies I've seen recently. I saw all of these at home, of course. A Pleasantville (1998), Blu-ray Along with laughs and entertainment, you can find so much meaning in this fantasy about two 1998 teenagers pulled into a 1958 TV situation comedy. It deals with bigotry, fear of change, small-town fascism, and … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Pleasantville, Joker, Targets, & Gorillas in the Mist
The Fantastic Journeys of Karel Zeman
While Ray Harryhausen was making effects-laden fantasies in the mid-20th century, the Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman was doing much the same thing behind the Iron Curtain…but with a better sense of humor. Using stop-motion animation, puppets, live action, beautiful illustrations, and a sense of comedy, he made visually striking, entertaining films that have been forgotten … Continue reading The Fantastic Journeys of Karel Zeman
The alleged Mick Travis trilogy…but mostly about O Lucky Man
When is a trilogy a trilogy, and when is it just three different movies? The Lord of the Rings is clearly a trilogy. John Ford's cavalry is just three westerns set amongst horse soldiers. The Criterion Channel is currently offering what they're calling Lindsay Anderson's Mick Travis Trilogy. The films: If…. (1968) O Lucky Man! … Continue reading The alleged Mick Travis trilogy…but mostly about O Lucky Man
Going to the movies during a pandemic
[Note: With the many last-minute changes to this article, I've made several unfortunate errors. Rather than point out particular errors, I'm letting you know that this post is different but more accurate than it was when I posted it Monday morning.] Going to the movies is scarier than ever. Who last touched your armrest? What … Continue reading Going to the movies during a pandemic
What’s Screening: March 13 – 19
Note: Something went wrong with this article soon after it went live. It disappeared. So I'm posting it again. If you're brave enough to go into a crowded theater this week, you can see movies by Ken Loach, Vincente Minnelli, Billy Wilder, George Cukor, Orson Welles, Martin Scorsese, Neil Jordan, and a not-yet-famous Carlo Mirabella-Davis. … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 13 – 19
This very bad marriage makes the protagonist want to Swallow
A- Drama/Thriller Written and directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis What makes a pregnant woman hurt herself so badly? Bit by bit - or perhaps I should say bite by bite - Hunter (Haley Bennett) physically tortures herself. She swallows things: a marble, a pin, a battery. It gets worse. Carlo Mirabella-Davis' fine drama shows at least … Continue reading This very bad marriage makes the protagonist want to Swallow
Bayflicks 