B+ Biographical Documentary Directed by Matt Tyrnauer Filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer makes a strong argument. His documentary, Where's My Roy Cohn?, suggests that if it were not for the famous lawyer, our country wouldn't be in such a mess. I'm not entirely convinced, but Cohn was certainly a major part of the problem. A malicious genius … Continue reading How Roy Cohn ruined America
Category: Documentaries
A space-age orphanage, cinematic sound, & trying to get pregnant: Saturday at the Mill Valley Film Festival
Here's what I saw on my first day at this year's Mill Valley Film Festival. Filmmaker Q&As followed all three films. Journeys Beyond the Cosmodrome The festival is presenting this program as a feature preceded by a short. But these are really two very short documentary features. So, I'll give each one a quick review. … Continue reading A space-age orphanage, cinematic sound, & trying to get pregnant: Saturday at the Mill Valley Film Festival
The Miracle of the Fiddler on Broadway & Elsewhere
A- Showbiz documentary Directed by Max Lewcowicz The documentary Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles argues that 1964's Broadway sensation, Fiddler on the Roof, is more than just a musical. It suggests that, by following three sisters who chose their own husbands rather than accepting their father's choices, it's a feminist play well ahead of its time. … Continue reading The Miracle of the Fiddler on Broadway & Elsewhere
Aquarela: The many shapes of water
A (if you see it in the right theater) visual documentaryDirected by Victor Kossakovsky This visually stunning documentary doesn't tell us much about water. But it sure shows us a lot. And what we see is astounding, beautiful, and awesome. The filmmakers show us the familiar H2O in its most beautiful, extreme, and dangerous forms. … Continue reading Aquarela: The many shapes of water
Religious fanatics and a strange honeymoon: Tuesday at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
I saw three films at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival Tuesday. Two were documentaries about ultra-Orthodox Jews connecting with outsiders. The third was a dramatic comedy about a Holocaust vacation. I don't have to tell you why these are Jewish films. They're obvious. City of Joel A short fiction film, Black Hat, preceded the … Continue reading Religious fanatics and a strange honeymoon: Tuesday at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
A lovable Hollywood mogul, the Holocaust & the Occupation, and the man who made Casablanca: Saturday at the SF Jewish Film Fest
I saw three movies at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival Saturday. Two of them were documentaries, the other was a fiction film based on history. One of them was the best I've seen at this year's festival. Another was the worst. Carl Laemmle This interesting, entertaining, but conventional documentary tells us that the creator … Continue reading A lovable Hollywood mogul, the Holocaust & the Occupation, and the man who made Casablanca: Saturday at the SF Jewish Film Fest
A Daredevil Photographer and the invention of a movie camera: The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival moves to Albany
Thursday evening, the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival spread out to the East Bay, screening films at the Albany Twin. This makes my commute much easier. The festival is still going on at the Castro through Sunday. Here are the first two films I've seen so far at the Albany. Both are about photography, but … Continue reading A Daredevil Photographer and the invention of a movie camera: The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival moves to Albany
