People often overlook Charlie Chaplin's fourth feature, The Circus. Sandwiched between his two long-form masterpieces, The Gold Rush and City Lights, it feels unimportant. But you shouldn't overlook it. While The Circus is no masterpiece, it's a very funny comedy with a considerable amount of heart, even if it veers very close at times to the … Continue reading Chaplin Diary, 13: The Circus
Category: Comedy
Sorry to Bother You, but you don’t want to miss this movie
A- Comedy Written and directed by Boots Riley I worry that people will assume that this very pointed comedy is nothing but a Get Out rip-off. Both movies combine humor, horror, and social commentary, and were made by an African-American neophyte director with a decidedly black point of view. But if you know anything about … Continue reading Sorry to Bother You, but you don’t want to miss this movie
You’ll want to put Boundaries between yourself and this movie
F Road movie Written & directed by Shana Feste Road movies follow a very close formula. Two or three people, usually relatives who hate each other, are forced together on a long road trip. Along the way, they argue, learn more about each other, and bond. In the end, they've learned something about themselves and … Continue reading You’ll want to put Boundaries between yourself and this movie
Santa Fe & Charlie Chaplin: More July Festivals
I've already told you about Modern Cinema and the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (although there'll be more to say on that one). But there are two other festivals competing for your attention next month - and both over the same weekend. Charlie Chaplin Days Friday, July 13 - Sunday, July 15 Every year, the … Continue reading Santa Fe & Charlie Chaplin: More July Festivals
Chaplin Diary, Part 12: The Gold Rush
As I chronologically move through Charlie Chaplin's work as a director, I now come to his first feature-length masterpiece, The Gold Rush. His 1925 epic belongs on any list of great films - including mine. I've already written two articles on The Gold Rush: a report on a screening with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, … Continue reading Chaplin Diary, Part 12: The Gold Rush
A Tale of Two Munchausens
The real Baron Munchausen (yes, there was one) never went to the moon. He did not ride on a cannonball. And he certainly wasn't swallowed by a giant fish. But the 18th-century aristocrat gained a reputation of telling outrageous tales of his military exploits. In 1785, when the Baron was still alive, Rudolf Erich Raspe … Continue reading A Tale of Two Munchausens
Chaplin Diary, Part 11: A Woman of Paris
Frst After completing The Pilgrim, Charlie Chaplin was finally free of his First National contract. He could now concentrate on making features for United Artists - the company he created with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith. But Chaplin had a problem: Edna Purviance. She'd been his leading lady for eight of his nine … Continue reading Chaplin Diary, Part 11: A Woman of Paris
Chaplin Diary, Part 10: The Last Shorts
With The Kid's high acclaim and higher box office numbers, Charlie Chaplin proved that he could successfully make feature-length films. But he still owed First National three pictures, and his partners at United Artists desperately wanted Chaplin movies to release. To please both companies, he would have to make three more shorts before he could … Continue reading Chaplin Diary, Part 10: The Last Shorts
Revolution in Serbia & Exploitation in America: My Thursday at SFFILM Festival
I saw two films yesterday at the San Francisco International Film Festival, also known as the SFFILM Festival. Both were worth seeing. The Other Side of Everything I'm generally suspicious of documentaries about the filmmaker…or the filmmaker's family. But this one worked. Srbijanka Turajlic, the director's mother and the subject of the film, is a … Continue reading Revolution in Serbia & Exploitation in America: My Thursday at SFFILM Festival
Chaplin Diary, Part 9: The Kid
As Chaplin's methods slowed down while he chose to make longer films, it was inevitable that a year would come without a single new Chaplin comedy. The first such year was 1920; there would be many others. Everyone wanted him to make more movies. His distributer, First National, had signed him up for eight short … Continue reading Chaplin Diary, Part 9: The Kid
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