I saw one Mill Valley Film Festival screening on Monday, and another two on Wednesday. Oddly, not a single documentary. Even odder, all three movies were comedies - a genre generally considered too frivolous for film festivals. In the order I saw them: A- Seder Masochism Nina Paley created this blasphemous and hilarious adult animation … Continue reading Comedy Weekdays at the Mill Valley Film Festival
Category: Festivals
Bias & Hate: Sunday at the Mill Valley Film Festival
I went to Mill Valley yesterday for the Mill Valley Film Festival (I usually go to the Rafael). I saw two films, one documentary and one narrative, and both about prejudice. B+ Bias Everyone, even the least racist and sexist among us, have implicit biases - the prejudices you don't even know you have. Even computer … Continue reading Bias & Hate: Sunday at the Mill Valley Film Festival
Music, slapstick, art, & fascism: Saturday at the Mill Valley Film Festival
I saw four films Saturday at the Mill Valley Film Festival, and I never stepped a foot in Mill Valley. I saw all four in the small, upstairs auditoriums at the Rafael. The first was a narrative; the rest were documentaries. B- The Independents The music is pretty good, but not exceptional. The same could … Continue reading Music, slapstick, art, & fascism: Saturday at the Mill Valley Film Festival
A Private War & Opening Night at the Mill Valley Film Festival
Thursday night, I attended one of the two opening night screenings at the Mill Valley Film Festival. I chose A Private War over Green Book. But before I get to the movie, I want to comment on something that bothers me at all the big film festivals. Although they bend left politically, their ticket sales … Continue reading A Private War & Opening Night at the Mill Valley Film Festival
Mill Valley Film Festival Preview, Part 3
I thought this final Mill Valley Film Festival preview would be exceptionally large. But two films I requested never arrived, and another lacked subtitles. So, I'm only reviewing three movies, one of which you've probably already seen. And, of course, they're in order from best to worst. A Coco In Spanish version with English subtitles. I … Continue reading Mill Valley Film Festival Preview, Part 3
Mill Valley Film Festival Preview, Part 2
Here's another crop of movies coming to this year's Mill Valley Film Festival. This selection, unfortunately, isn't as good as the last one. You can follow my Mill Valley coverage. B+ Destroyer Crime and grime penetrate the city in this very dark noir. Nicole Kidman (in a brilliant performance) plays Officer Bell, the hard-drinking, tough, unreliable … Continue reading Mill Valley Film Festival Preview, Part 2
Greatest Hits with the Club Foot Orchestra
I spent most of Saturday at the Castro, where The Club Foot Orchestra accompanied a selection of silent features and shorts. The event was run by the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. The Club Foot Orchestra - ten musicians in its current form - calls itself "pioneers of modern music for silent films." They seem to … Continue reading Greatest Hits with the Club Foot Orchestra
Mill Valley Film Festival Preview, Part 1
Alfonso Cuarón returns to his roots, the Kronos Quartet take on the Vietnam War, Maggie Gyllenhaal gets obsessed with a five-year-old, and the Big Bad Fox can't get a break. Here are four films that will screen at this year's Mill Valley Film Festival, in order from best to worst…although they're all pretty good. A … Continue reading Mill Valley Film Festival Preview, Part 1
Mill Valley Lineup Announced
The Mill Valley Film Festival announced this year's lineup Thursday morning. And the big question is: Which film will win the Best Picture Oscar? Okay, the real big question is: What movies should you see? From October 4 through 14, the Festival will screen 108 feature films and 96 shorts, from 46 different countries. I … Continue reading Mill Valley Lineup Announced
Modern Cinema festival honors Satyajit Ray
Few artists caught the sorrows and sympathies of the human condition like India's Satyajit Ray. Come October, you'll get a chance to see 15 of his feature films, along with 11 others that either inspired Ray or were inspired by him, at SFMOMA's Phyllis Wattis Theater. SFFILM and SFMOMA presents Modern Cinema/Satyajit Ray: Intimate Universes … Continue reading Modern Cinema festival honors Satyajit Ray
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