I can't possibly cover the San Francisco Silent Film Festival the way I do the San Francisco International Fest, reporting every morning on what I saw the previous day. SFSFF is too compact and concentrated for that. Most days, it starts at 10:00am and ends around 11:00pm. Breaks can be short. I have a long … Continue reading Spellbound in Darkness: Thursday and Friday at the Silent Film Festival
Category: First-person Report
The first Filmex, and my first film festival
We've been cleaning our house lately, and I stumbled upon a fascinating relic of my youth: The program for the first film festival I ever attended. It was the inaugural Los Angeles International Film Exposition, also known as Filmex. This was in November of 1971. I was a senior at Hollywood High School, only two … Continue reading The first Filmex, and my first film festival
John Huston, Humphrey Bogart, the Devil, and a certain black bird: Sunday at the Castro
Sunday I attended the Castro John Huston/Humphrey Bogart double bill of Beat the Devil and The Maltese Falcon. Much as I love Falcon, Devil was the real attraction. I had only seen it once before, long ago, and wasn't impressed. But the Film Foundation recently restored the movie, reconstructing director John Huston's original cut. This … Continue reading John Huston, Humphrey Bogart, the Devil, and a certain black bird: Sunday at the Castro
New takes on John Ford, William Shakespeare, & brotherly love: Tuesday at SFFilm Festival
Today (Wednesday) is the last day of the San Francisco International Film Festival. But yesterday, Tuesday, was my last day there. I saw three films Tuesday, all of them on their last SFFilm screening. None of them had filmmaker Q&As. Maliglutit (Searchers) I was looking forward to this rethinking of John Ford's classic western - … Continue reading New takes on John Ford, William Shakespeare, & brotherly love: Tuesday at SFFilm Festival
An Urban Vampire & Experimental Shorts: Monday at the SFFilm Festival
As this year's San Francisco International Film Festival reaches toward its closing night, I'm getting worn out. The rain makes it worse. But the movies are still worth watching. The Transfiguration Michael O'Shea found a new twist to the vampire genre: avoiding the supernatural. The Transfiguration is a vampire story that could, in theory, happen. … Continue reading An Urban Vampire & Experimental Shorts: Monday at the SFFilm Festival
Saturday at SFFilm Festival
Weddings and music go together. They certainly did Saturday, as the topics of the two San Francisco International Film Festival screenings I attended. The Wedding Ring The first film financed entirely with African money takes a look at women's choices - specifically choices of whom one marries in a traditional, class-based, Muslim society. Tiyaa (Magaajyia … Continue reading Saturday at SFFilm Festival
People remote from their emotions: My Friday at the SFFilm Festival
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
California, Britain, & making it in the movies: SFFilm Festival Wednesday
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
SFFilm Sunday & Monday Report
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
SFFilm Saturday 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
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