This year's Mill Valley Film Festival closed Sunday. My last event happened Saturday, and it wasn't even a movie. It was a panel discussion on the State of the Industry. The question of the day was "Can anything beyond blockbusters succeed in theaters?" If you care about the theatrical experience, that's important. Sure, I watch … Continue reading The State of the Industry at the Mill Valley Film Festival
Category: Mill Valley
A wild South African adventure in Mill Valley (actually Larkspur): Flatland
Thursday evening, I saw one of the wildest, craziest, and bizarre road movie ever to grace the Mill Valley Film Festival. And it wasn't even in Mill Valley or San Rafael. I saw Flatland at the Century Larkspur, probably the easiest Marin County movie theater to get to from the East Bay. It's a regular … Continue reading A wild South African adventure in Mill Valley (actually Larkspur): Flatland
Religion and incarceration: Sunday at the Mill Valley Film Festival
For my second day at the Mill Valley Film Festival, I actually went to Mill Valley. I only saw two films, but they were both worth the trip. That meant a longer drive from the East Bay. It was also that I spent my time in the Sequoia Theatre. The cupholders are much better than … Continue reading Religion and incarceration: Sunday at the Mill Valley Film Festival
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
Great films you won’t see at the Mill Valley Film Festival
I play a very small part in programming the Mill Valley Film Festival. Every spring and early summer, I screen several obscure movies that will probably never see the inside of an American movie theater. Then I send in a report for each movie. Most of these films are bad beyond belief. Some of them … Continue reading Great films you won’t see at the Mill Valley Film Festival
Danny Trejo, Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Rosalind Chao, Isabelle Huppert, & Plastic. My last Mill Valley Film Festival previews of the year
Here are the last five films I'll be previewing for this year's Mill Valley Film Festival. Two documentaries, three narratives, and not a bad one in the bunch. As usual, they're in order of quality. A Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo This is one of the best documentaries about a movie star I've … Continue reading Danny Trejo, Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Rosalind Chao, Isabelle Huppert, & Plastic. My last Mill Valley Film Festival previews of the year
More films to catch (or miss) at the Mill Valley Film Festival
Here are my opinions on four more films that will screen at the Mill Valley Film Festival, in order of quality. A- Sorry We Missed You Imagine a food that you absolutely hate, but you eat it anyway because it's good for you. That's the experience of seeing Ken Loach's grim but necessary attack on … Continue reading More films to catch (or miss) at the Mill Valley Film Festival
Films you may want to catch at the Mill Valley Film
The Filipino war on drugs, failed justice in rural Alabama, an aging filmmaker, and documentaries on one of the worst, and one of the best, men in recent American history. Here's my opinions on five films that will screen at this year's Mill Valley Film Festival. A Watch List The Philippines' outrageously inhuman war on … Continue reading Films you may want to catch at the Mill Valley Film
116 features at the Mill Valley Film Festival (and one of them will probably win Best Picture)
Why does the Best Picture Oscar always go to a film that made its Bay Area premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival? I'll get to that. As one of the biggest film festivals in the area, Mill Valley attracts big names. This year, you can experience a Conversation with Olivia Wilde, meet Kristen Stewart … Continue reading 116 features at the Mill Valley Film Festival (and one of them will probably win Best Picture)
Lebanon & Beale Street: Closing Day of the Mill Valley Film Festival
This year's Mill Valley Film Festival closed Sunday. I caught two narrative films there. I loved them both. Both films will get theatrical releases in the near future. A Capernaum Children living in poverty have to do for themselves in this heartbreaking story of love and the lack of love. Twelve-year-old Zain sues his parents for … Continue reading Lebanon & Beale Street: Closing Day of the Mill Valley Film Festival
