The Stanford was the first Bay Area movie theater to close because of COVID-19. And now, 29 months later, it's opening again. This isn't just any cinema. The Stanford is a grand palace built in 1925. From 1987 on, it only showed old movies, and mostly with double-features. Insisting on being old-fashioned, the Stanford refuses … Continue reading Is COVID over? The Stanford is opening in July
Category: Theaters
Márta Mészáros & John Ford: Two evenings at the BAMPFA
Two evenings. Two movies. Two brilliant auteurs at the BAMPFA. Márta Mészáros Last Saturday night, I discovered Márta Mészáros, a new, brilliant auteur. Well, not really new. she turned 90 last year. But she's new to me. Before the movie, curator Kathy Geritz told us a bit about Mészáros. She made her first film, The … Continue reading Márta Mészáros & John Ford: Two evenings at the BAMPFA
What’s happening this summer at BAMPFA
You may have noticed that recently there haven't been any movies playing at the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA). No, it's not closing down like so many theaters. It's just that the museum's Barbro Osher Theater always closes down in the last half of May. But coming in June, movies will return to the … Continue reading What’s happening this summer at BAMPFA
My first day at SFFilm
I didn't get to the SFFilm Festival until Sunday. For me personally, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were all kind of crazy. Especially Thursday. But the festival was finding its own kind of craziness: The Victoria Theater's digital projector was not working. (Now it's time for all you 35mm fanatics to snicker.) It appears that the … Continue reading My first day at SFFilm
From Fellini to Wang: Spring at the BAMPFA
Two years ago, when COVID-19 closed all the theaters, the Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) was running a series called Federico Fellini at 100. Now that series is coming back…although they should have called it this time Federico Fellini at 102. But Fellini is only one of the film series that will be … Continue reading From Fellini to Wang: Spring at the BAMPFA
The Castro and the loss of repertory cinema
Losing the California and the Castro in one month?! That's a bad January for Bay Area cinephiles. But losing the Castro Theatre was the one that really hurt. As long as I've lived in the Bay Area, and especially after the UC Theatre went dark and then became a music venue, the Castro Theatre has … Continue reading The Castro and the loss of repertory cinema
Losing Berkeley’s California Theatre
The California Theatre, Berkeley's only true movie palace, is in danger of disappearing. I suspect that the California will be gone within months. Built in 1913, this is one of the last Art Deco movie theaters in the Bay Area. Inside and out, the California felt like you were entering a glorious adventure. Like other … Continue reading Losing Berkeley’s California Theatre
What’s happening at BAMPFA: December thru April
From early December through late April, here's what will happen cinematically at the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA). As I write this, the museum's theater is currently the only cinema in the Bay Area that focuses specifically on old films. They're offering a lot of good movies, and at least two stinkers. BAMPFA arranges … Continue reading What’s happening at BAMPFA: December thru April
After Mill Valley: What’s coming up at BAMPFA (and that doesn’t count virtual cinema)
I haven't written an article like this one for almost two years, and I sure am glad to be writing this one now. The Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) is getting back into show business, and I don't mean streaming into your home. As the Mill Valley Film Festival closes at BAMPFA, UC Berkeley's repertory … Continue reading After Mill Valley: What’s coming up at BAMPFA (and that doesn’t count virtual cinema)
Advertising Broadway
C show business documentary Directed by Directed by Oren Jacoby On Broadway is not so much a documentary, but advertising for New York City's big and flamboyant theater district. But I'm not sure who they're marketing to. Is the film for people who might buy a ticket or two, or those who are considering investing … Continue reading Advertising Broadway
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