Yes, that's Silents, not Silence. It rained off and on in the Castro neighborhood, but it was dry and joyful (mostly) in the Castro theater. Two days before the Day, cinema made history. A selection of critics released their once-a-decade Sight & Sound of the Best Films of All Time. I'll get to that soon. … Continue reading My experiences at the Day of Silents
Category: Festivals
A Day of Silents at the Castro
Yes, that's Silents, not Silence. On Saturday, December 3, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival will have a one-day marathon of silent movies and live music. A Day of Silents will play at the Castro. These days, every time you go to that beautiful theater, you may be watching a movie there for the last … Continue reading A Day of Silents at the Castro
More Mill Valley Movies
Here are the last five films I've seen and reviewed for this year's Mill Valley Film Festival. This time, there are two documentaries and three fiction films. They go from excellent to pretty bad. A Town Destroyer This local and very short documentary (55 minutes) does something rare in today's political docs: The filmmakers look … Continue reading More Mill Valley Movies
The Mill Valley Film Festival is coming
Marin County, 1977, cinematic history was made! That was Star Wars. But a few miles away, in the same year, the first Mill Valley Festival opened. As far as I know, it took place entirely in the valley. By 2015, the festival's growth made me joke that it should be called the "Marin County Film … Continue reading The Mill Valley Film Festival is coming
The Cerrito Classics Festival
Rialto Cinemas' Cerrito Cinema is playing classic American films from Friday, September 9 to Thursday, the 15. They're screening six old movies, and you have two of three chances to see each of these pictures. [[I corrected the dates]]. Here are the movies, with dates, times, and my own opinions: A The Treasure of The … Continue reading The Cerrito Classics Festival
Buster Keaton’s Seven Chances at Niles
I attended a screening Saturday night of one of my favorite Buster Keaton films, Seven Chances (1925). It was at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum. It was my first visit there since COVID changed our lives. This was part of the Broncho Billy & Friends Silent Film Festival, which ran Saturday and Sunday. The … Continue reading Buster Keaton’s Seven Chances at Niles
My last previews for the SF Jewish Film Fest (this year)
Here are four movies that I've seen but you haven't. You'll be able to see them soon. They're all playing in this year's San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (July 21 – August 7). Amazingly, all four are good. I can't say the same for all the films I reviewed for this festival. I gave one movie a … Continue reading My last previews for the SF Jewish Film Fest (this year)
More SF Jewish Film Festival reviews
Here are my opinions of five films that will play at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (July 21 – August 7). Three of them are contemporary dramas. The other two are Holocaust documentaries. The films are listed from best to worst. A Babi Yar. Context JFI's 2022 Freedom of Expression Award! Over two days … Continue reading More SF Jewish Film Festival reviews
The SF Jewish Film Fest is coming soon
A yeshiva student once asked a beloved rabbi "Why do you always answer a question with another question?" The rabbi thought for a moment, as if he was trying to explore his own soul. And then he responded, "Do I?" Jokes and soul searching – that's Judaism in a nutshell. Hopefully, there will be plenty … Continue reading The SF Jewish Film Fest is coming soon
The Castro Theater’s 100th Birthday Celebration
Maybe it was the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, but Another Planet Entertainment (APE) seems to realize that the Castro Theater should be what it always was: a movie palace. Next month, APE will give us the Castro Theatre 100th Birthday Celebration. From June 3 to 12, the Castro will run classic films. Each day, … Continue reading The Castro Theater’s 100th Birthday Celebration
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