Last night I attended Noir City's first ever 3D double bill. Both films, Man in the Dark and Inferno, came out in 1953. That year was both the height of the classic noir period, and the zenith of the first 3D craze. Actually, it was the only year of the first 3D craze. Hollywood turned … Continue reading Noir City in 3D
Category: Festivals
Saturday at Noir City
Yesterday (Saturday) was a beautiful day, so I spent most of it at the Castro, enjoying two dark double bills--all part of the ongoing Noir City festival. Out of these four feature films, I watched two ex-cons re-entering society, four violent crimes turn out really bad for the perpetrators, two people jump to their deaths, … Continue reading Saturday at Noir City
This Year’s IndieFest Announced
Most film festivals fall into one of three categories: Genre festivals, like Noir City and the the Silent Film Festival, concentrate on a particular kind of film. Ethnic festivals, like the Jewish Film Festival and Frameline, concentrate on a particular kind of filmgoer. General festivals, like the San Francisco Film Festival and Mill Valley, don't … Continue reading This Year’s IndieFest Announced
My Top Ten Movie-Going Experiences of 2012
As the curtain parts on 2013's opening titles, it's time to look at my favorite movie-going experiences of the past year. To make this list, both the film and the presentation had to be exceptional. I consider the quality of the print or digital transfer, the theater, the showmanship involved with the presentation, the audience, … Continue reading My Top Ten Movie-Going Experiences of 2012
Yet Another Upcoming Festival, This One With a Stiff Upper Lip
When I posted First Festivals of the New Year yesterday, I missed an important one: Mostly British Film Festival January 17 - 24 This festival celebrates British cinema--by a rather broad definition of the term--both old and new. Amongst the films you may have seen are Odd Man Out, two by David Lean, This Happy … Continue reading Yet Another Upcoming Festival, This One With a Stiff Upper Lip
First Festivals of the New Year
The holiday season isn't so festive for Bay Area cinephiles. In fact, it's a big, seasonal, film festival drought. But it won't last. Here are some festivals on the way: For Your Consideration January 11 - 17 As it does every year, the Rafael will screen a series of movies that the Academy is considering … Continue reading First Festivals of the New Year
My Day at the Mill Valley Film Festival
I spend Sunday at the Mill Valley Film Festival. Here's what I saw and what I thought about it: New Movies Lab: Industry Panel I started the day not with a movie, but with a panel discussion on how independent filmmakers can promote their films and get people to see them. Much of it concentrated … Continue reading My Day at the Mill Valley Film Festival
Mill Valley Film Festival Preview
Getting ready for the Mill Valley Film Festival? Here are four films that I've been able to preview: A The Central Park Five, Rafael, Saturday, October 6, 3:30; Monday, October 8, 3:15. In 1989, a white woman was brutally raped and left for dead in Central Park. New York's finest arrested five black and Puerto … Continue reading Mill Valley Film Festival Preview
This Year’s Mill Valley Film Festival Announced
As summer closes, the superhero blockbusters dry up. In their place comes a whole other genre--Oscar bait. That's okay, because these are usually the best films of the year. And if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, your first chance to catch the Oscar bait is usually the Mill Valley Film Festival. The … Continue reading This Year’s Mill Valley Film Festival Announced
Alps
B Indescribable Written by Giorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou Directed by Giorgos Lanthimos I'm not exactly sure what to make of Alps. It has just enough continuity to make you try and follow the story, but there's no story to follow. Many of the characters (primarily the female ones) seem sympathetic, yet their motivations and … Continue reading Alps
Bayflicks 