Here's what I saw Friday at the San Francisco International Film Festival: Everything Else I couldn't help wondering if this Mexican character study was influenced of Kurosawa's Ikiru. The main character - the only real character in the movie - is a city bureaucrat completely cut off emotionally from the rest of the human race … Continue reading People remote from their emotions: My Friday at the SFFilm Festival

I dressed for rain Wednesday, but fortunately didn't have to. I saw one film, one TV episode, and one very interesting talk. California Dreams I give it a B+. I saw California Dreams at the Roxie. Ott did a Q&A after the film, but my schedule was too tight to stay for it. The film … Continue reading California, Britain, & making it in the movies: SFFilm Festival Wednesday

A scheduling error and a Jewish holiday reduced my San Francisco International Film Festival outings to three events in two days. Here's what I saw: Score: A Film Music Documentary I started Sunday at the new Dolby Theater on Market, for a documentary about music in the movies. This was my third visit to the … Continue reading SFFilm Sunday & Monday Report

Here's what I saw and heard Saturday at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival:  State of Cinema: Edwin Catmull Every year, the Festival invites someone to give a State of the Cinema address. This year, it was Dr. Ed Catmull, President of both Pixar and Walt Disney Animation - two Disney divisions that push cinema … Continue reading SFFilm Saturday Report

Another rainy day at the movies, with one new good film and one rare classic. The Long Excuse Two women die in a bus accident, and their husbands deal with loss in this Japanese drama laced with gentle humor. Sachio is a well-educated, successful writer. He carries guilt; he was screwing his mistress when his wife … Continue reading SFFilm Festival Friday: Long Excuse & Early Van Peebles