Friday night, I finally got around to visiting the Pacific Film Archive's new theater in downtown Berkeley. I've been busy. The theater is lovely, with the raised seats common in new multiplexes. The screen, I would guess, about the same size as in the previous theater. The acoustics sounded very good, but since the first … Continue reading Friday at the PFA
Category: Comedy
Where to invade next
C- Comedy, documentary, mockumentary Written and directed by Michael Moore The press material for Where to Invade Next insists on calling Michael Moore's latest agitprop movie a comedy, and not a documentary. This is odd because, although it's for the most part non-fiction, it's not all that funny. It has its comic moments. A few … Continue reading Where to invade next
Quick thoughts: Anomalisa & Hail, Caesar!
I've been busy and sick lately, and therefore haven't caught many new movies. But this past weekend, my wife and I managed to get to Berkeley's California Theater twice, where we saw Charlie Kaufman's Anomalisa and the Coen brothers' Hail, Caesar! Both are worth catching, although for very different reasons. Anomalisa Early on, I wondered … Continue reading Quick thoughts: Anomalisa & Hail, Caesar!
A+ List: The Lady Eve
The art of screwball comedy is pretty much lost today, and has been for at least 60 years. Sure, we still have romantic comedies, and some of them are even pretty good. But the screwball was different. The romantic leads were not only attractive and sexy; they were glamorous--dressed, made up and photographed to look … Continue reading A+ List: The Lady Eve
Sundance Film Festival 2015 Award-Winning Shorts
A- Selection of shorts A dystopian future, war-torn screen tests, scuba diving under ice, and a sexually-frustrated single mom all turn up in this selection of six short subjects that won awards at the 2015 Sundance film festival. I loved five out of the six. World of Tomorrow, Short Film Jury Award a little girl, … Continue reading Sundance Film Festival 2015 Award-Winning Shorts
A+ List: The Kid Brother
When people talk about the masterpieces of silent comedy, they usually name The Gold Rush, The General, and City Lights. If they bring up Harold Lloyd at all, they'll praise Safety Last or The Freshman. To my mind, Lloyd's The Kid Brother belongs with the best. It earns that right by its irresistible story, its beautiful … Continue reading A+ List: The Kid Brother
Baseball, NYC, & Harold Lloyd: Speedy, the Blu-ray Review
Harold Lloyd's last silent comedy, Speedy, delivers the laughs and thrills that we expect from the comic genius. As an additional bonus, it provides substantial views of New York City in the roaring 20s--much of it shot on location. The pace is as fast as you'd expect from a movie called Speedy. But Lloyd's only … Continue reading Baseball, NYC, & Harold Lloyd: Speedy, the Blu-ray Review
Raymond Griffith at Niles
Last Saturday night, I visited the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum for a screening of the 1925 Raymond Griffith comedy, Hands Up! I had seen it once before--probably in 1977 or '78 at the Avenue Theater (of blessed memory). Then, and now, I totally enjoyed it. Sorry it took me so long to get to … Continue reading Raymond Griffith at Niles
Four nights at the movies: The Crowd, Preston Sturges, a Teenage Girl, & 2 Noirs
I managed to see four feature films theatrically in the last four nights--plus another on television. Sunday: The Crowd My wife and I, along with another couple, went to the Castro to see one of the greatest silent films ever made, and arguably the most difficult American masterpiece to see, King Vidor's The Crowd. I've … Continue reading Four nights at the movies: The Crowd, Preston Sturges, a Teenage Girl, & 2 Noirs
The A+ List: The General
I feel a little uncomfortable praising a Civil War comedy that asks us to root for the Confederates. After all, the South's rebellion was an act of treason committed in defense of slavery. After all, I've been very critical of Gone with the Wind and The Birth of a Nation. And yet, here I am, discussing the genius … Continue reading The A+ List: The General
Bayflicks 