I saw two movies on the big screen Sunday, and they couldn't have been more different. First, at BAMPFA, a late silent noir from Germany. Second, at the United Artists Berkeley 7, a new animated take on Spider-Man. I have to say that Spider-Man was the better movie. Asphalt at the BAMPFA Alas, Louise Brooks … Continue reading German Expressionism & Marvel Superheroes: How I spent my Sunday
Category: Action Movies
Have a Nice Day
D+ Animated crime film Written and directed by Jian Liu Imagine Pulp Fiction, done in limited animation, but without the clever dialog, the wit, or the sense of redemption. That's pretty much what you get with Jian Liu's cartoon noir, Have a Nice Day. And frankly, it's not enough. The movie starts with a quote … Continue reading Have a Nice Day
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: The 3 + 4 = 7 Musketeers
It seems sacrilegious to write about swashbucklers on Martin Luther King's birthday. I suppose I should put up a column about non-violent resistance or the African-American experience. On the other hand, Alexandre Dumas - the author of the original novel - is almost certainly the most commercially-successful European novelist of African descent. That should count … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: The 3 + 4 = 7 Musketeers
Upcoming Festivals: Silents, Docs, and a Hold in the Head
Take a look at the Current Festivals section in the right-hand column of this web page. As I write this, on Friday, October 20, I've got links there to 14 film festivals currently running or coming up soon (three of them will close this weekend). I thought I'd tell you a bit about the ones … Continue reading Upcoming Festivals: Silents, Docs, and a Hold in the Head
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Stalker, Bad Education, Bardelys the Magnificent, & Carry on Cleo
Four more films that are new to me. As usual, I'm sorting them by quality. A Stalker (1979), Filmstruck This slow, strange, allegorical fantasy from the great Andrei Tarkovsky gets under your skin. A guide, called a stalker, takes two other men on a journey into a strange place called The Zone. We never find out … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Stalker, Bad Education, Bardelys the Magnificent, & Carry on Cleo
The Greatest Western: Stagecoach
Nine determined people face mortal danger, their own demons, and society's built-in prejudices as they journey from one town to another in John Ford's classic western from 1939, Stagecoach. I first saw Stagecoach in a film history class almost 45 years ago. It immediately became my all-time favorite western, and remains so to this day. … Continue reading The Greatest Western: Stagecoach
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: The Graduate, Samurai Rebellion, Boudu Saved from Drowning, & Knightriders
A few more movies that I've seen recently. A The Graduate (1967), FilmStruck I've seen this classic romantic comedy many times, but this recent viewing brought me new respect for the picture. The revolutionary staging and camerawork wasn't just art for art's sake; it sets the mood and heightens the characters. Consider the opening credits, with … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: The Graduate, Samurai Rebellion, Boudu Saved from Drowning, & Knightriders
