I attended two very different revival screenings yesterday. In the early afternoon, I visited the Castro to catch the newly-restored Creature from the Black Lagoon in all of its 3D spender. Then, in the evening, I dropped in at the Pacific Film Archive to catch a rare, early Alfred Hitchcock talkie, Rich and Strange. Both … Continue reading Saturday at the Movies: 50s 3D Horror and Early Talkie Hitchcock
Category: First-person Report
Friday Night Report: Rare Hitchcock and New Studio Ghibli
I caught two very different movies at two very different theaters, Friday night. Both films were very much worth catching. The Wrong Man The Pacific Film Archive has been running its Alfred Hitchcock series since January, but it took me until Friday to actually get to one of the screenings. I'm really glad I went. … Continue reading Friday Night Report: Rare Hitchcock and New Studio Ghibli
Lawrence of Arabia Again–This Time in a CineMark XD Theater
Seems kind of crazy. I haven't been able to go to the movies anywhere near as often as I'd like, lately. Yet I've managed to see the same film three times in the last four months. And that film is almost four hours long. But it was worth it. Although I now own it on … Continue reading Lawrence of Arabia Again–This Time in a CineMark XD Theater
Noir City in 3D
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
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
The Digital Lawrence of Arabia Experience
I spent yesterday afternoon at the Castro, watching one of my all-time favorite films, Lawrence of Arabia. I've seen it many times, and over the last few years, always at the Castro. But this time was different. Sony digitally restored the epic this year, and this new version was played off a DCP instead of … Continue reading The Digital Lawrence of Arabia Experience
Samuel Fuller
I've been throwing myself into the life and work of Samuel Fuller lately. It's been a rewarding experience. For those not familiar with the name, Fuller wrote and directed a string of low-budget, impressive genre films from the late 40's to the early 60's. His pictures are bold, direct, and in-your-face, and utterly lacking in … Continue reading Samuel Fuller
Love, Friendship, Aging, and Playing by the Rules: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Clive Wynne-Candy is an officer and a gentleman. A career soldier in His Majesty's army, he believes in following the rules of combat--even against an enemy willing to commit atrocities. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp follows Wynne-Candy through four decades, from his dashing youth to a somewhat foolish old age. Along the way, … Continue reading Love, Friendship, Aging, and Playing by the Rules: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Anti-Commie Friday Night at the Pacific Film Archive
I visited the Pacific Film Archive Friday night to catch two very different films, both from 1953, and both part of the series An Army of Phantoms: American Cinema and the Cold War. The first, Invaders from Mars, was all sorts of fun in ways that the filmmakers never intended. The second, Pickup on South … Continue reading Anti-Commie Friday Night at the Pacific Film Archive
The Master, by a Master, in Masterly 70mm
My wife and I caught The Master last night, in 70mm, in the Grand Lake's main, full movie-palace auditorium. If you care at all about quality films, you must see The Master. and if you care at all about how you see them, you should see it in 70mm. And in the Bay Area, that … Continue reading The Master, by a Master, in Masterly 70mm
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