Just saw Paul Schrader's Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters at the Rafael. Part of the Mill Valley Film Festival, of course. I've never seen it before, and this is a new "Enhansed" version created for Criterion DVD release. One scene restored (I don't know which) and some digital trickery added. Well, it was co-produced … Continue reading Mishima at MVFF
Category: First-person Report
Real Time at the Mill Valley Film Festival
Odd how these things work. I've lived in the Bay Area for 33 years. I even lived in Marin County the first 17 months of that (around the corner from the Rafael, actually). Yet until today, I don't believe I have ever been in downtown Mill Valley. (Up until this year, every Mill Valley Film … Continue reading Real Time at the Mill Valley Film Festival
The Big Country on the Big Screen
I finally saw The Big Country on the big screen last night--at the Rafael. I was wrong to give this sprawling, 1958, pacifistic western a B. This is A material. This was the second of the Rafael’s three-part, weekend-long Academy Color Restorations series. Part 3, Jean Renoir's The River, starts tonight at 7:00. The restoration … Continue reading The Big Country on the Big Screen
West Side Story in 70mm
Note: I wrote and posted this article years before Steven Spielberg's remake. I caught the last screening of West Side Story at the Castro last night. This was the brand new 70mm print with DTS (almost as good as the original magnetic analog) sound. I'd seen the classic, Oscar-winning musical before, of course, but not … Continue reading West Side Story in 70mm
Imax and the Return of 70mm
I saw The Dark Knight in Imax on Monday (read my review). Although once skeptical, I'm now a fan of the giant format as the best way to present the most spectacular of Hollywood entertainments. Regular Bayflicks readers know that I'm a fan of 70mm. In that format's second golden age (roughly 1977-1993), the movies … Continue reading Imax and the Return of 70mm
The Red and the White
I just got home from the Pacific Film Archive, where I caught a screening of Miklós Jancsó’s decidedly strange war film,The Red and the White. This was part of the PFA's current series, The Long View: A Celebration of Widescreen. I'm not sure what to make of this Hungarian Russian Civil War drama--if drama is … Continue reading The Red and the White
Silent Film Festival Report
I discovered something about myself this weekend. I can only watch so many silent films in three days. I attended all but two events at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival this weekend. I had a great time, but I feel like I fried my mind. A quick overview: The General Vibe There's more to … Continue reading Silent Film Festival Report
The Movie Theater vs. DVD
Owning a movie on DVD shouldn't keep you from seeing it theatrically. After all, if you love it enough to buy it, you should love it enough to leave the house and see it under the best possible conditions. I'm seeing three such films this week--four if you count Lawrence of Arabia. Lawrence is a … Continue reading The Movie Theater vs. DVD
Johnny To Report
Last night, the Pacific Film Archive introduced me to Johnnie To. Okay, I didn’t meet the Hong Kong action auteur personally, but the archive introduced me to his work. I liked it. The occasion: opening night of the PFA’s new series, Hong Kong Nocturne: The Films of Johnnie To. The films: The Mission and Fulltime … Continue reading Johnny To Report
Noir at the Cerrito
I attended the Film Noir event at the Cerrito last night. Well worth the time and money. It's repeating tonight at 5:00; I recommend it heartily. The evening began--after the usual cartoons and Speakeasy Theaters Coming Attractions video, plus a brief onstage appearance by Speakeasy programmer Will Viharo and Noir scholar Eddie Muller--with Muller's own … Continue reading Noir at the Cerrito
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