Here are the last films that played at Noir City 2024: Plunder Road is a cheap road movie; but it's a pretty good one. A few men and one woman set out to steal a load of gold from the US government. During the movie, you get to know the robbers, and their hopes. The … Continue reading The end of Noir City 2024
Month: January 2024
What’s Screening: January 26 – February 1
Unbelievably, I have yet to look at the Oscar nominations. I'll get to it. The best vintage film in theaters this week is The Life And Death of Colonel Blimp. It's exceptional. There's a technical problem that I can't fix. Hopefully, it will be fixed. Festivals & Series Noir City comes to an end this … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 26 – February 1
More Darkness: Noir City so far
My wife has become a noir addict. I don't know the cure. Anyway, we're about halfway through Noir City 2024. I'll tell you about the films that I really liked. Victims of Sin was by far the best film I've seen at the festival this year. A beautiful singer/dancer gets pregnant – a major mistake … Continue reading More Darkness: Noir City so far
What’s Screening: January 19 – 25
The Noir City Festival takes over the week. It's worth it. But you might want to leave The Grand Lake to see some other movies? How about high art in 3D? Or a master criminal who loves The Mamas and the Papas. Festivals & Series Noir City opens Friday night and closes more than a … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 19 – 25
Movies I’ve recently seen: January 16, 2024
For various reasons (no, COVID wasn't one of them), I haven't been in theaters recently. So here are five films that I watched at home. As usual, the movies go from best to worst. But there's nothing that's really bad. And here are the movies: The Odd Couple That Darn Cat The Unknown Beverly Hills … Continue reading Movies I’ve recently seen: January 16, 2024
What’s Screening: January 12 – 18
This week in Bay Area cinemas there's Andrei Tarkovsky, the Coen Brothers, Stanley Kubrick, Sergio Leone, and a story about the birds (but not Hitchcock's). But no festivals this week. New films opening A The Teachers' Lounge: (2023), Opera Plaza, check days & times through the weekThis exceptional German film follows the problems of a … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 12 – 18
Darkness Has No Borders at Noir City
Walls, fences, and armed guards. Borders of all kinds keep us in. But on the big screen at The Grand Lake Theater, you can get away, whether you need a heist, a prison break, another language, an illicit affair, or maybe an old-fashioned murder. Once again, Noir City brings crime to Oakland - but in … Continue reading Darkness Has No Borders at Noir City
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of January
January is a month for staying inside. (Well, it is for me.) Thanks to The Criterion Channel, there's a lot of good movies you can see at home. Here's a selection that will disappear come February. Full recommendations A+ The Lady Eve (1941) Like most great screwballs, Preston Sturges' The Lady Eve looks at class differences through … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of January
What’s Screening: January 5 – 11
Want to discover a great new auteur from Estonia? Or maybe you can watch Anthony Hopkins playing Sigmund Freud. Then there's musicals from Singin' in the Rain to Springtime for Hitler. There's also Harold Lloyd and David Bowie – although they probably didn't know each other. All of these are on big screens in the … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 5 – 11
Movies I’ve recently seen: January 3
Here are four films worth watching, and one worth throwing away. Two are Japanese. The others are American. And as usual, the films go from best to the worst. American Fiction Floating Weeds Rustin Godzilla Minus One The Divorcee A American Fiction (2023) As a comedy and a drama, this is one of the best … Continue reading Movies I’ve recently seen: January 3
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