Thursday night I attended the second event in the Pacific Film Archive series, The Resolution Starts Now: 4K Restorations from Sony Pictures. This was more than just a movie screening. It was a talk by Sony's head archivist--and one of the current heroes of film restoration--Grover Crisp. Then came the movie: Otto Preminger’s Bonjour Tristesse. … Continue reading DCP, Grover Crisp, & Bonjour Tristesse at the PFA
Category: Large Formats
The Big Trail: A Big Western Shot on Big Film
Raoul Walsh's The Big Trail is not by any stretch of the imagination a great film. But it's fascinating, historically unique, and beautiful to look at. I caught it Sunday night at the Pacific Film Archive. I'd seen it before--on Turner Classic Movies--but this was my first Big Trail big screen experience. It deserves the … Continue reading The Big Trail: A Big Western Shot on Big Film
Lawrence of Arabia Again–This Time in a CineMark XD Theater
Seems kind of crazy. I haven't been able to go to the movies anywhere near as often as I'd like, lately. Yet I've managed to see the same film three times in the last four months. And that film is almost four hours long. But it was worth it. Although I now own it on … Continue reading Lawrence of Arabia Again–This Time in a CineMark XD Theater
My Top Ten Movie-Going Experiences of 2012
As the curtain parts on 2013's opening titles, it's time to look at my favorite movie-going experiences of the past year. To make this list, both the film and the presentation had to be exceptional. I consider the quality of the print or digital transfer, the theater, the showmanship involved with the presentation, the audience, … Continue reading My Top Ten Movie-Going Experiences of 2012
The Digital Lawrence of Arabia Experience
I spent yesterday afternoon at the Castro, watching one of my all-time favorite films, Lawrence of Arabia. I've seen it many times, and over the last few years, always at the Castro. But this time was different. Sony digitally restored the epic this year, and this new version was played off a DCP instead of … Continue reading The Digital Lawrence of Arabia Experience
The Master, by a Master, in Masterly 70mm
My wife and I caught The Master last night, in 70mm, in the Grand Lake's main, full movie-palace auditorium. If you care at all about quality films, you must see The Master. and if you care at all about how you see them, you should see it in 70mm. And in the Bay Area, that … Continue reading The Master, by a Master, in Masterly 70mm
More on Samsara, 70mm, and 4K Digital Projection
I got a chance this morning to talk briefly with Samsara director Ron Fricke and his primary collaborator, producer/co-author Mark Magidson. With little time set aside for me, we agreed to stick to the technical, format aspects Samsara's production and presentation. Some background: Samsara is the first film since 1996 to be shot in the … Continue reading More on Samsara, 70mm, and 4K Digital Projection
When You Least Expect It: The Return of 70mm
A funny thing happened on the way to a fully-digital cinema. At least two major filmmakers are returning to a beautiful, large film format of yesteryear. But you may not be able to see either of these films as they were meant to be seen. Pretty much everyone agrees that film is dying as a … Continue reading When You Least Expect It: The Return of 70mm
Great Napoleon Photo
The San Francisco Silent Film Festival included this photo in a recent email. I thought I should share it: Click it to see the full-sized image. I've also added this image to my report on Saturday's screening.
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