A Dramatic comedy A woman sets her table for a big, family dinner, carefully arranges her apartment, then commits suicide. Over the next few days, her family and religious community will have to grapple with their feelings for her, each other, and Judaism. (Oddly, this is the second Mexican film about death in a Jewish … Continue reading Nora’s Will
Category: Comedy
Blackheads at Niles
Not much to say, really. Still L&H`s best feature. The slow first 15 minutes worked better with an audience. But then, so did the rest of the movie, which always worked really well. Now, on to the Castro for Nosferatu with the Club Foot Orchestra.
Before Laurel & Hardy at Niles
I'm sitting in the Niles Essenay Silent Movie Museum, waiting for the Laurel & Hardy show to begin. First thing that hit me when I entered the lobby was the significantly larger store. Unfortunately, I arrived at the last minute and didn't have time to explore it. Continuing at intermission: Just watched Three Stooges short, … Continue reading Before Laurel & Hardy at Niles
Joel Hodgson, Mystery Science Theater, and Cinematic Titanic
Next Tuesday, Mystery Science Theater 3000 creator Joel Hodgson, along with other MST3K veterans, will invade the Castro to riff on a 1968 Japanese science fiction called War of the Insects. “It’s a great looking print, widescreen, really well made,” Hodgson told me earlier this month in a phone interview. “It’s kind of the story … Continue reading Joel Hodgson, Mystery Science Theater, and Cinematic Titanic
The Ultimate Festival Movie
Check out the Current Festivals section in the right panel of this page, and you’ll see a lot of activity this summer. Playing right now or opening soon, we’ve got festival for the LGBT community and another for Jews. There’s a festival of horror films, another of comedies, and two of silent films. So here’s … Continue reading The Ultimate Festival Movie
Comedy Film Festival Coming to SF
The Bay Area supports several of what I can genre film festivals. There’s Noir City, Hole in the Head, Doc Fest, and two silent film festivals. (It also supports a lot of identity festivals—Jewish, Arab, Asian, LGBT, and so on--but that’s irrelevant to the current discussion.) It occurred to me recently that one important and … Continue reading Comedy Film Festival Coming to SF
The Gold Rush and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Friday night, I finally saw Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush properly—a good print with live musical accompaniment. And by the San Francisco Symphony, no less. Definitely the best way to see this wonderful comedy (although in the pantheon of great silent comic features, I still prefer City Lights, The General, and Kid Brother). Like The … Continue reading The Gold Rush and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
The General at the Paramount
I’ve seen The General countless times, in classrooms, museums, theaters, festivals, and home. I’ve rented it on VHS, and have owned it on Laserdisc, DVD, and Blu-ray. Yet Friday night at Oakland’s Paramount Theater, I had what is probably my greatest General experience. And it wasn’t even, officially speaking, a movie event. It was part … Continue reading The General at the Paramount
Mon oncle at the PFA
I saw Jacques Tati’s Mon oncle (My Uncle) at the Pacific Film Archive Wednesday night. Playtime is no longer my favorite Tati movie. Mon oncle may be the funniest visual comedy made after the death of silent film. In typical Tati fashion, you sometimes have to think to get the joke, but that only increases … Continue reading Mon oncle at the PFA
The Strong Man at the PFA
I caught the Frank Capra/Harry Langdon comedy The Strong Man at the Pacific Film Archive Sunday. It was my first chance seeing it on the big screen. The movie has three bust-a-gut hilarious sequences, and it was great to share the gut-busting with a real audience. When I entered the theater, I stopped to say … Continue reading The Strong Man at the PFA
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