Wednesday night, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet came to the San Francisco International Film Festival to present their music-and-moving-image piece, Kronos Quartet Beyond Zero: 1914-1918. I was in the audience. This was not the usual silent movie presentation. The Quartet commissioned Aleksandra Vrebalov to write the music. Then they commissioned Bill Morrison to create a new … Continue reading War and music: The Kronos Quartet at the San Francisco International Film Festival
Category: Music
Who are they? My review of Lambert & Stamp
B+ Music documentary Directed by James D. Cooper I don't know if I enjoyed this movie so much because it was very well made, or simply because it's about The Who--a band that I have been a fan of for more than 40 years. I doubt if Lambert & Stamp would be of much interest … Continue reading Who are they? My review of Lambert & Stamp
The Wrecking Crew: The hidden heroes of rock ‘n’ roll (my review)
B Music documentary Directed by Denny Tedesco Who supplied the addictive riffs on “Da Doo Ron Ron,” "California Dreamin'," “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” and the theme music for Mission: Impossible? Despite what it says on the LP sleeves, much of the inspiration came from an unsung collection of Los Angeles session musicians informally called The … Continue reading The Wrecking Crew: The hidden heroes of rock ‘n’ roll (my review)
Whiplash and the All-Male World of Jazz
I saw Whiplash a couple of nights ago. I liked it. It was tense. I very much wanted the protagonist to succeed, even though he was kind of a dick. Veteran actor J.K. Simmons, playing the most evil music teacher since Hans Conried in The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T., finally got the juicy part … Continue reading Whiplash and the All-Male World of Jazz
Opera in the multiplex
Wednesday night, I finally saw an opera in a movie theater. I liked the experience. I've known about the Met Opera HD series for years. But I've never been a huge opera fan, so it took me awhile to get to one. I picked a good one, Verdi's Macbeth. While I'm not that big on … Continue reading Opera in the multiplex
Music, Fame, and American Insanity: My Blu-ray review of Robert Altman’s Nashville
For an all-too-brief time in the 1970s, the Hollywood studios financed and released serious art. They greenlit films without likeable heroes, clearly-defined villains, or conventional, three-act plots. They even financed Robert Altman, who did his best work during that time. And Nashville was unquestionably one of his best. It's tragic, funny, thoughtful, and filled with … Continue reading Music, Fame, and American Insanity: My Blu-ray review of Robert Altman’s Nashville
Prix de Beaute: Silent Film Festival Opening Night
This year's San Francisco Silent Film Festival opened at the Castro Thursday night with Louise Brooks' last starring role, Prix de Beaute (The Price of Beauty). I wouldn't put this French feature quite in the same category as Pandora's Box, but I liked it very much. Brooks plays a working girl who enters and wins … Continue reading Prix de Beaute: Silent Film Festival Opening Night
SFIFF Silent Movie Night: Waxworks with Mike Patton, Scott Amendola, Matthias Bossi, and William Winant
Every year, the San Francisco Intl. Film Festival hosts a silent film event, where they match a movie--generally not one everyone has seen--with one or more musicians who enjoy a strong local following--but are not associated with silent film accompaniment. This makes sense both culturally and financially. The event, always held at the Castro, attracts … Continue reading SFIFF Silent Movie Night: Waxworks with Mike Patton, Scott Amendola, Matthias Bossi, and William Winant
Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey
B+ Music Documentary Directed by Ramona S. Diaz Note: I wrote this review after seeing this documentary at last year's San Francisco International Film Festival, with the intention of posting it just before the theatrical release. Then I filed it away and forgot about it. When the movie opened last month at the New Parkway, I … Continue reading Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey
Hava Nagila & Opening Night of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
Opening night of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival got off to a slow start, but when the movie finally started--nearly 45 minutes late--it was worth the wait. No, there weren't crowd or (as far as I know) technical problems. The show started on time. It was just that the first part of the show … Continue reading Hava Nagila & Opening Night of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
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