Last night, I enjoyed the greatest film/live music experience of my 40+ years as a silent film aficionado. The film was Carl Theodor Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc. The music was Richard Einhorn's Voices of Light, "An Oratorio with Silent Film." Mark Sumner conducted the 22-piece orchestra and approximately 180 singers from multiple … Continue reading Voices of Light & The Passion of Joan of Arc
Category: First-person Report
Leaves From Satan’s Book at the PFA
I saw Carl Th. Dreyer's Leaves From Satan’s Book at the Pacific Film Archive this afternoon. Made in 1919 through 1921, it's easily the earliest Dreyer film I've yet seen. Judith Rosenberg accompanied this silent film on piano; a translation of the Danish intertitles were read aloud by someone who's name I failed to get. … Continue reading Leaves From Satan’s Book at the PFA
Nosferatu & The Club Foot Orchestra
After watching Blockheads at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum yesterday afternoon (see this and that for quick reports typed on my phone), I drove to San Francisco to see Nosferatu at the Castro—the last of four silent film screenings accompanied by the Club Foot Orchestra. Quick summary: Great movie. Great score. Horrible print. Here's … Continue reading Nosferatu & The Club Foot Orchestra
A CENTURY AGO: THE FILMS OF 1910
For the fourth year in a row, Randy Haberkamp of the Motion Picture Academy came to the Rafael with an overview of one-hundred-year-old films. For the first time, I was there to see it. Haberkamp introduced and presented seven one-reelers (pretty much all there was in those days) from 1910—six of them narrative fiction. Despite … Continue reading A CENTURY AGO: THE FILMS OF 1910
Left in the Dark at the PFA
I’m trying to get back into the swing of things here, both with movie-going and blogging about movie-going. Saturday night I took the plunge. I started the evening at the Pacific Film Archive for Left in the Dark: Portraits of San Francisco Movie Theatres. I’ve mentioned other events around the book Left in the Dark … Continue reading Left in the Dark at the PFA
Agora and the Shattuck Lounges
I caught Agora at Berkeley’s Shattuck Theater last night. It was my first experience with one of their newly re-appointed “lounge” theaters. Both the movie and the theater disappointed. The lounges have big, wide loveseats rather than conventional theater seats—great for cuddling, but not of much use when you go to a movie by yourself. … Continue reading Agora and the Shattuck Lounges
The Cinematic Titanic Experience
As I promised last week, I attended the Cinematic Titanic event at the Castro last night, and got to experience a live Mystery Science Theater 3000 event in all it’s glory. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, see Joel Hodgson, Mystery Science Theater, and Cinematic Titanic.) The first thing I noticed when I … Continue reading The Cinematic Titanic Experience
Jewish Film Festival Report
I’m such a good Jew! I just spent the Sabbath at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. And it wasn’t even in San Francisco. I attended four screenings at the Festival’s first day in this year’s Berkeley portion of the festival. It was also my first movie event at Berkeley Repertory's Roda Theater. Before I … Continue reading Jewish Film Festival Report
Silent Film Festival Report, Part II
I took Sunday morning off from movie-watching, and got to the Castro in time to see the last three screenings of the festival. A- Man with a Movie Camera: I read about Dziga Vertov’s 1929 surreal documentary in college, but I didn’t see it until yesterday. The genre was actually fairly common in the late … Continue reading Silent Film Festival Report, Part II
Silent Film Festival Report
Four days of silent films, spectacularly presented with live music at the Castro, is too much even for me. I left before last night’s screening of Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages and, as I type this, am missing Amazing Tales from the Archives: First the Bad News...then the Good! I plan to miss The Shakedown, … Continue reading Silent Film Festival Report
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