Criterion offers the important works of Bergman, Tarkovsky, and Antonioni. But movies aren't entirely intended to make you feel miserable. In the middle of March, The Criterion Channel adds three series spotlighting great auteurs who used their genius to make people laugh. The first, and the only one yet streaming on the Channel, is Preston … Continue reading Fun stuff on Criterion, Part 1: Preston Sturges
Month: March 2021
What’s Screening: March 12 – 18
The theaters are opening up…or at least a few of them are; you can learn more from G. Allen Johnson's recent Chronicle article. But it may be too late for some. Alamo Drafthouse, the company that owns the New Mission, has filed for bankruptcy. Anyway, here's what's happening this week in Bay Area cinema: Discussions … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 12 – 18
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Soul | Return of the Secaucus 7 | The Mauritanian | Buck and the Preacher | The Dig & Sergeant Rutledge
Four films I've seen for the first time and two I revisited, from one of Pixar's best to one of John Ford's worst. A Soul (2020) My children are all grown, and I don't have to go to every Pixar movie anymore, but I'm glad I saw this one. Soul is one of Pixar's best, … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Soul | Return of the Secaucus 7 | The Mauritanian | Buck and the Preacher | The Dig & Sergeant Rutledge
Jazz on a Summer’s Day on Blu-ray
The concert documentary didn't start with Woodstock, Gimme Shelter, or even Monterey Pop. In fact, it didn't even start with rock 'n' roll. But it just may have started with Jazz on a Summer's Day. Shot in and around the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, and released a year later, it's one of the best of its kind. First, there's the … Continue reading Jazz on a Summer’s Day on Blu-ray
Max von Sydow at the BAMPFA (and the Rafael)
The great Swedish actor Max von Sydow died a year ago today (Monday) - soon before the theaters closed. Now, the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive, along with the California Film Institute, celebrate his life and career in a six-film series titled Max von Sydow: The Best Stradivarius. The series will be available from March … Continue reading Max von Sydow at the BAMPFA (and the Rafael)
What’s Screening: March 5 – 11
What can you do cinematically this week in the Bay Area? You can talk with Viola Davis and about Quentin Tarantino. You can watch documentaries about dogs and poison. And you can see this year's greatest outdoor movie, Nomadland, on the big screen, in a real theater! But no festivals this week. Special online events … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 5 – 11
Stray: Dogs run free
C+ animal documentary Directed by Elizabeth Lo Don't expect a happy documentary about the wonderful relationship between people and our four-footed best friends. This documentary is about something far less enjoyable: How wild dogs manage in urban areas without a human to give them food and shelter. That's a good subject for a doc, but … Continue reading Stray: Dogs run free
The People vs. Agent Orange
B political documentary Directed by Alan Adelson and Kate Taverna Don't worry, the pictures of children with horrible birth defects are few in this very message-heavy documentary. This story doesn't need such images to boil your blood - what people say into the camera does the work without them. During the Vietnam war, the American … Continue reading The People vs. Agent Orange
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