Category: Theaters

Lubitsch at the Stanford

by Lincoln Spector, posted in Comedy, First-person Report, musicals, Theaters

Believe it or not, I went more than 15 years without visiting the Stanford. The problem is geographical; it's a long drive, often in horrible traffic. I don't remember when I last visited David Packard's personal movie palace, but it was before I started writing this blog in 2004. Saturday afternoon, my wife and I … Continue reading Lubitsch at the Stanford

Russian Ark & Buena Vista Social Club: Saturday night at the Pacific Film Archive

by Lincoln Spector, posted in Documentaries, First-person Report, Music, Technical, Theaters

I saw Aleksandr Sokurov's Russian Ark and Wim Wender's Buena Vista Social Club Saturday night at the Pacific Film Archive. The first film was part of the ongoing series Guided Tour: Museums in Cinema. The second one closed the long-running series Wim Wenders: Portraits Along the Road. But they had an interesting thing in common. … Continue reading Russian Ark & Buena Vista Social Club: Saturday night at the Pacific Film Archive

Adapting Shakespeare: Ran and Chimes at Midnight

by Lincoln Spector, posted in Drama, First-person Report, Great Films, Theaters

400 years after his death, people still love William Shakespeare. I can think of no other story teller whose works have remained popular so long. His talent, obviously, has a lot to do with it. But so is his adaptability. His plays, written with almost no stage directions, give actors and directors countless interpretations. Most … Continue reading Adapting Shakespeare: Ran and Chimes at Midnight

Late Spring at the Pacific Film Archive

by Lincoln Spector, posted in Drama, First-person Report, Great Films, Theaters

As people grow, the way they relate to their family inevitably changes. Some fight the change, and others accept it. I went to the Pacific Film Archive Wednesday night to see Yasujirô Ozu's 1949 masterpiece, Late Spring, about a young woman resisting change. She wants to stay with her widowed father, but he senses that … Continue reading Late Spring at the Pacific Film Archive

3 Views of America: What I saw in theaters this weekend

by Lincoln Spector, posted in Action Movies, Drama, Festivals, First-person Report, Silent Films, Theaters

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