Please indulge me my nostalgia. As 2019 turned into 2020, none of us really knew what would soon happen. Looking back at the first months of this year, it seems amazing how many great films were available theatrically in real, hard-top movie theaters; some of them even using physical film. And you didn't have to … Continue reading What we lost when the theaters closed
Category: Theaters
Movie theaters are opening, but should they?
Last year I wrote an article about the joys of seeing a movie theatrically. It's so much better than watching one at home. In theory, I still believe it. I would love to sit down in a crowded cinema, get close to the giant screen, and share an emotional experience with hundreds of happy strangers. … Continue reading Movie theaters are opening, but should they?
It’s a long time before we can go to the movies, but the New Parkway is trying to do their best
If we lived in New Zealand right now, we could go to the movies. Down under they seem to have this whole COVID-19 thing completely under control. But we're in Trump's America, and I'm talking about something in Oakland: the New Parkway. One of the friendliest movie theaters in the Bay Area, it offers good … Continue reading It’s a long time before we can go to the movies, but the New Parkway is trying to do their best
Drive-in Memories
I never thought that drive-in movie theaters would come back. I haven't been to one of them (aside from flea markets) in almost 50 years. And yet, here they are again, thanks to that changer of all things, COVID-19. For various reasons, I haven't yet visited my nearest Drive-in, the Solano, in Concord. I hope … Continue reading Drive-in Memories
Virtual Cinema: Is it helping the theaters?
Note: I have made errors in this article. You'll find them below. Movie theaters have been dark for almost two months now. It's hard on cinephiles, but it's much harder on the people who own, manage, and work in these palaces of the imagination. Independent distributors and art house cinemas have found a way to … Continue reading Virtual Cinema: Is it helping the theaters?
When this is over, we’ll still want movie theaters
While we watch movies on our TVs, the good people who run the theaters we love worry about paying their bills. They don't know how long this situation will last, and for the time being, they're not getting any money. "On paper, they've only shut their doors temporarily—but faced with the prospect of being shuttered … Continue reading When this is over, we’ll still want movie theaters
Going to the movies during a pandemic
[Note: With the many last-minute changes to this article, I've made several unfortunate errors. Rather than point out particular errors, I'm letting you know that this post is different but more accurate than it was when I posted it Monday morning.] Going to the movies is scarier than ever. Who last touched your armrest? What … Continue reading Going to the movies during a pandemic
Regal Theaters & Knives Out
This is one of the reasons people stay home and not go to the movies. Tuesday night, my wife and I went to Regal's United Artists multiplex in downtown Berkeley. We enjoyed the movie, Knives Out, but we had to sit through a whole lot of garbage to see it. [I made a correction in this … Continue reading Regal Theaters & Knives Out
Varda, Fellini, Lynch, and more during Winter at BAMPFA
As the weather turns cold and the film festivals disappear, you can find warmth and cinema (along with other arts) at the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive, better known as BAMPFA. UC Berkeley's revival movie theater doesn't just do films. They do film series. Here are the series coming up in December through February: Agnès … Continue reading Varda, Fellini, Lynch, and more during Winter at BAMPFA
Tati, Caine, & Riggs: Three films I saw at BAMPFA
Over Sunday and Monday, I saw three very different films at the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive…also known as BAMPFA. Here they are, in the order I saw them: Traffic After tearing down architecture in Playtime, Jacques Tati finds the humor in the not-quite-open road. Traffic isn't his best, but is still very, very funny. … Continue reading Tati, Caine, & Riggs: Three films I saw at BAMPFA
