This week opens on Friday the 13th - not just the date but also two sequels. And what else is available in Bay Area theaters? A new film from Iran. A popular event returns to the Castro. Also, classics by Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Quentin Tarantino, Bob Fosse, and George Lucas. Plus, four festivals that … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 13 – 19
Author: Lincoln Spector
Lincoln Spector writes about cinema, technology, and cinema technology. From 1986 through 2008, he wrote Gigglebytes, the first technology-oriented humor column. From 1977 through 2016, he wrote PC World's Answer Line column and blog.
The last three days of the SF Silent Film Fest
In the last three days, I sat through seven films at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. Here are the movies I saw, and here's what I thought about them. Monday I skipped the first movie, Skinner's Dress Suit. A friend told me I didn't miss anything. Actually, I skipped the first film on each … Continue reading The last three days of the SF Silent Film Fest
SF Silent Film Fest, Part 1
This year's San Francisco Silent Film Festival opened Thursday night - the first one since 2019. Rather than write about all the films I've seen so far, I'll give you some highlights and lowlights. But first, here's a taste of what the Castro Theater has become now that it's owned by Another Planet Entertainment (APE). … Continue reading SF Silent Film Fest, Part 1
What’s Screening: May 6 – 12
What a week for Bay Area cinema! Six days of silent films. Another six of documentaries. And those are just the festivals. You can also see classics on the big screen from Elia Kazan, Studio Ghibli, Federico Fellini, Stanley Kubrick, and a couple of duds. Festivals & Series DocLands closes Wednesday. I recommend Fire of … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 6 – 12
May festivals: Docs, Silent, Asian, and Jean Gabin
The SFFilm Festival is over. By Thursday night, more festivals will open. I can't cover every Bay Area film festival. But here are some quick views of what's happening in the merry month of May: DocLands May 5 - 11 This big documentary film festival opens Thursday and closes next Wednesday. The docs they will … Continue reading May festivals: Docs, Silent, Asian, and Jean Gabin
My last comments on this year’s SFFilm
Note: I accidentally posted this article with an earlier date. So it's appearing twice, once in the past, and once when it was supposed to be posted. For various reasons, I haven't covered the SFFilm Festival as thoroughly as I did before COVID. Maybe the festival is spread out geographically too much? Perhaps I get … Continue reading My last comments on this year’s SFFilm
What’s Screening: April 29 – May 5
The SFFilm Festival ends Sunday, but you'll only have four non-festival free days before two other major fests open. Outside of these events, theaters are opening two new indie films, along with two of the greatest movies made about Hollywood. Also other vintage pictures worth watching. Festvals & Series The SFFilm Festival closes Sunday DocLands … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 29 – May 5
The Duke lacks a clear head
B Historical drama-comedy Written by Richard Bean and Clive Coleman Directed by Roger Michell Note: This review has nothing to do with SFFilm or any other current festival. I also corrected an error in the paragraph below. Kempton Bunton may have thought of himself as a British Gandhi, going to prison for his beliefs. But … Continue reading The Duke lacks a clear head
Midwives at SFFilm
There are very few matinees on weekdays in this year's SFFilm Festival. So, I've been attending one film a day. And Monday, the movie I saw was a powerful documentary called Midwives. Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing, the young Burmese woman who made Midwives, has far more courage than I do. Over several years, she followed … Continue reading Midwives at SFFilm
My first day at SFFilm
I didn't get to the SFFilm Festival until Sunday. For me personally, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were all kind of crazy. Especially Thursday. But the festival was finding its own kind of craziness: The Victoria Theater's digital projector was not working. (Now it's time for all you 35mm fanatics to snicker.) It appears that the … Continue reading My first day at SFFilm
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