No horror movie can come close to the fear, dread, and dark hatreds of Ingmar Bergman's great chamber drama, Cries and Whispers. To watch it is to face the end of a slow and painful death by cancer. But that's not all. This film, centered around four women and set almost entirely in one house, … Continue reading Death and families: Bergman’s Cries and Whispers (Blu-ray review)
Category: Great Films
American Cinema’s Problem Child: Birth of a Nation turns 100 today
D. W. Griffith's Civil War and Reconstruction epic, The Birth of a Nation, premiered on February 8, 1915, a hundred years ago today (at that time it was called The Clansman; the more grandiose title came later). Cinema changed irrevocably that night. Much as we would like to, we can't ignore or underestimate The Birth's … Continue reading American Cinema’s Problem Child: Birth of a Nation turns 100 today
Harold and Maude–Still funny and inspiring after all these years
The 1971 comedy Harold and Maude fit the late hippy era as perfectly as Pink Floyd and the munchies. At a time when young Americans were embracing non-conformity, free love, ecstatic joy, and 40-year-old Marx Brothers movies, this counterculture romance between an alienated and death-obsessed young man and an almost 80-year-old woman made total sense. … Continue reading Harold and Maude–Still funny and inspiring after all these years
Die Hard: Even Better on the Big Screen
Sunday afternoon, I finally saw Die Hard in a movie theater. And not just any movie theater, but the Castro. I've liked this movie for a long time. But between the big screen, the powerful sound system, and the enthusiastic audience, it was a whole new experience. And a great experience. I used to give … Continue reading Die Hard: Even Better on the Big Screen
Saving Private Lebowski at Rio Bravo: 25 movies added to the National Film Registry
As they do every year, the Library of Congress has added 25 additional motion pictures to its National Film Registry. According the press release I received Wednesday, "Selection to the registry will help ensure that these films will be preserved for all time." Or at least until Congress cuts the budget to provide additional income … Continue reading Saving Private Lebowski at Rio Bravo: 25 movies added to the National Film Registry
The Best Years of Our Lives at the Castro
There's no better movie for Veteran's Day than William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives. A huge commercial hit and the Best Picture Oscar winner for 1946, it's now all but forgotten. That's too bad, because Best Years is not only an excellent film, it also deals with an issue that's unfortunately still with … Continue reading The Best Years of Our Lives at the Castro
Thoughts on The Bicycle Thief
If you want to understand Italian neorealism, the desperation of poverty, or simply the power of cinema, you have to see Vittorio De Sica's masterpiece, The Bicycle Thief (AKA Bicycle Thieves or Ladri di biciclette). You'll find it deservedly on any short list of great motion pictures. This film pits the desperately poor against the … Continue reading Thoughts on The Bicycle Thief
Early and Excellent Kubrick at PFA
As I discussed last week, I lost a lot of my love of Stanley Kubrick over the decades. But I didn't lose my love for all of his pictures. And amongst my favorites are his first two Hollywood pictures, The Killing and Paths of Glory. Saturday night, I revisited these favorites at the Pacific Film … Continue reading Early and Excellent Kubrick at PFA
Book vs. Film: Red River
When someone turns a mediocre book into a great film, people forget that it ever was a book. Such is the case with Borden Chase's decent but unexceptional novel, Blazing Guns on the Chisholm Trail, and the cinematic masterpiece that Howard Hawks made out of it, Red River. As I mentioned in my Red River … Continue reading Book vs. Film: Red River
The American Dream turns into a nightmare, and a great American film needs to be seen
A young man comes to New York, dreaming of success and wealth. But reality refuses to live up to his dreams--perhaps because he dreams too much-- in King Vidor's 1928 masterpiece, The Crowd. Told with daring photography, real locations, surreal sets, and subtle pantomime, The Crowd brings you through dizzying joy and wrenching tragedy as … Continue reading The American Dream turns into a nightmare, and a great American film needs to be seen
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