I saw three movies in theaters this weekend. Free State of Jones at the Elmwood Being a history buff, and particularly one interested in the Civil War and reconstruction, I couldn't help rushing out to see Gary Ross' Free State of Jones. I caught it at the Elmwood. Matthew McConaughey stars as an actual historical … Continue reading 3 Views of America: What I saw in theaters this weekend
Category: Silent Films
Spellbound with music: Surviving and enjoying the 2016 San Francisco Silent Film Festival
Nothing really beats the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. For three days (plus an opening night), you're immersed in an art form that was born, matured, reached extraordinary heights, and then suddenly died--all within the space of 20 to 40 years (depending on how to you define its birth and death). All told, this year's … Continue reading Spellbound with music: Surviving and enjoying the 2016 San Francisco Silent Film Festival
The New Buster Keaton Shorts Collection on Blu-ray
How can anyone describe the beauty, grace, and breathtaking hilarity of Buster Keaton in his silent film prime? An actor, an acrobat, and a brilliant filmmaker, he spent the 1920s making some of the funniest and technically sophisticated comedies ever preserved on film. Since I can't describe him, here's a highlight reel of some of … Continue reading The New Buster Keaton Shorts Collection on Blu-ray
Live Music for the Undead: Monday at the San Francisco International Film Festival
I only went to one San Francisco International Film Festival event on Monday, and that was Carl Theodore Dreyer's 1932 classic, Vampyre, with musical accompaniment by Mercury Rev and Simon Raymonde. It was at the Castro. Vampyre belongs on any list of great horror films. Todd Brown's Dracula, made the previous year, is stagy and … Continue reading Live Music for the Undead: Monday at the San Francisco International Film Festival
Silent Film Fest Preview
Wednesday evening, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival announced its 2016 schedule. And as fans have come to expect, it will be an intense experience. In the course of three full days plus an opening night, they will screen 19 different programs, all with live music. (There's also an opening night party.) Nine different musical … Continue reading Silent Film Fest Preview
Friday at the PFA
Friday night, I finally got around to visiting the Pacific Film Archive's new theater in downtown Berkeley. I've been busy. The theater is lovely, with the raised seats common in new multiplexes. The screen, I would guess, about the same size as in the previous theater. The acoustics sounded very good, but since the first … Continue reading Friday at the PFA
A+ List: The Kid Brother (also Jaws)
When people talk about the masterpieces of silent comedy, they usually name The Gold Rush, The General, and City Lights. If they bring up Harold Lloyd at all, they'll praise Safety Last or The Freshman. To my mind, Lloyd's The Kid Brother belongs with the best. It earns that right by its irresistible story, its … Continue reading A+ List: The Kid Brother (also Jaws)
