I can't possibly cover all the Bay Area film festivals. It's hard enough just listing them. However, just this morning, I realized that I should write something about the United Nations Association Film Festival, which opens tonight. After all, its screening three movies that I've already seen. None of these films are likely to get … Continue reading United Nations Festival starts tonight
Category: Social Issues
Lebanon & Beale Street: Closing Day of the Mill Valley Film Festival
This year's Mill Valley Film Festival closed Sunday. I caught two narrative films there. I loved them both. Both films will get theatrical releases in the near future. A Capernaum Children living in poverty have to do for themselves in this heartbreaking story of love and the lack of love. Twelve-year-old Zain sues his parents for … Continue reading Lebanon & Beale Street: Closing Day of the Mill Valley Film Festival
The Hate U Give comes back to you
A- Drama Written by Audrey Wells, from a novel by Angie Thomas Directed by George Tillman Jr. Of this year's many impressive films about the African-American experience, The Hate U Give must be the most thematically ambitious. It covers police brutality, inner-city neighborhoods, being black in an overwhelmingly white school, drug dealing, black-on-black violence, demonstrations, riots, … Continue reading The Hate U Give comes back to you
Spike Lee and BlacKkKlansman at the Castro
Tuesday evening, my wife and I attended a special Tribute to Spike Lee at the Castro. First, David Thomson interviewed Lee on the Castro stage. Then, after an intermission, they screened Lee's latest film, BlacKkKlansman. As so often happens at these big events, a huge chunk of the house was reserved. If you're not some … Continue reading Spike Lee and BlacKkKlansman at the Castro
Bisbee ’17: Small town with a cruel past
B+ Documentary Directed by Robert Greene Special screening at New Mission, Monday, 7:00 Opens Friday Written text on a red background tells us the story before the movie really starts. In 1917, Bisbee, Arizona was a prosperous mining town. But many of the miners wanted a part of that prosperity and joined the International Workers of … Continue reading Bisbee ’17: Small town with a cruel past
BlacKkKlansman: Truth vs. Art (spoiler: Art wins)
"God never wrote a good play in his life" - Kurt Vonnegut. When a movie has actors reciting dialog written by a screenwriter, it's a work of fiction. It can't be anything else, even if it was based on something that really happened. Life doesn't work like a well-told story. If you want facts, watch … Continue reading BlacKkKlansman: Truth vs. Art (spoiler: Art wins)
My Last Day at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
For personal reasons, Saturday was my last day at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. I caught two documentaries. A Science Fair Highly-motivated high school students compete in local and national science fairs for fun and college tuition. They also hope to place in the biggest such event, the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). This … Continue reading My Last Day at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
