The Mill Valley Film Festival opened Thursday night with Joe Wright's musical retelling of Edmond Rostand's 1897 classic play Cyrano de Bergerac, starring Peter Dinklage. Most actors playing Cyrano wear an extremely long nose - the character's huge snout keeps him from finding love. But Dinklage needs no special makeup; his own shortness sets him … Continue reading Opening Night, Peter Dinklage, & Cyrano
Category: Festivals
National Silent Movie Day…at home
This coming Wednesday is National Silent Movie Day, which makes it a perfect day to start exploring silent cinema. Here are eight of my nine favorite silent feature films. (The other, Napoleon is too big for most theaters, let alone your living room.) I'm not listing them best to worst, as I usually do. They're … Continue reading National Silent Movie Day…at home
On the 29th, we celebrate silents
September 29 is the first National Silent Movie Day, when we celebrate the years when movies didn't have soundtracks. To celebrate the day, watch silent films, read about their history, and marvel at the glorious restorations of hundred-year-old films. This is not a Bay Area thing. As the name tells us, it's national. However, since … Continue reading On the 29th, we celebrate silents
The Mill Valley Film Festival is coming!
You may have noticed that I haven't written anything about The Mill Valley Film Festival, yet. I've been busy. So, let's start. Before I get into the movies, let's answer the big question: Do you really want to go to an indoor film festival during a pandemic? I admit I'm a bit squeamish about it … Continue reading The Mill Valley Film Festival is coming!
Broncho Billy & the Movie-Going Experience
This last weekend, the Niles Essanay Silent Film hosted The Broncho Billy & Friends Silent Film Festival. It was virtual, of course. And since it was virtual, the festival was made up of streaming videos and Zoom conferences. There were three separate videos about Essanay's work in Chicago - including one with David Shepard. Les … Continue reading Broncho Billy & the Movie-Going Experience
The 2021 SF Jewish Film Festival
For the second year in a row, the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival is basically a streaming event. But this year, there'll be two days in the Bay Area's best movie palace, The Castro. The festival runs from July 22 to August 1. On July 24 and 25, the Castro will screen seven films - … Continue reading The 2021 SF Jewish Film Festival
The Cerrito opens with a classic fest
When was the last time you watched a beloved classic the way it should be seen? And by that, I mean in a theater with a large screen and an audience. I don't think I've had that experience since 2019. The Cerrito celebrates its reopening this Friday with the Cerrito Classics Festival. Here are the … Continue reading The Cerrito opens with a classic fest
Berlin & Beyond previews: Sisters Apart | Cocoon | Walchensee Forever
The Berlin & Beyond Film Festival opens May 25 and closes May 30. Here are three of the 25 films being shown through streaming, at a drive-in, and - believe it or not - in an actual hard-top movie theater. A- Sisters Apart Opening night! The fog of war feels thick when Rojda, a soldier … Continue reading Berlin & Beyond previews: Sisters Apart | Cocoon | Walchensee Forever
Weird, German, or both: Two different festivals coming up
I just discovered a small, hopefully frightening film festival happening over this weekend. I've also got some information about the upcoming Berlin & Beyond festival later this month. As I write this, I haven't yet seen a single film in either of these festivals. Horror over Zoom Over the last weekend, SF IndieFest scared us … Continue reading Weird, German, or both: Two different festivals coming up
My last day at SFFilm: Muppets, a southern family, and virtual vs. real festivals
Last night hosted the SFFilm Festival's closing film. And yet, it's still officially running, virtually, of course, until tonight. So, here's what I think about the last two films I watched at this festival. But I'm closing my coverage of SFFilm 2021 with a comparison between real and virtual festivals. The last movies Here are … Continue reading My last day at SFFilm: Muppets, a southern family, and virtual vs. real festivals
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