According to a Berkeleyside article by Frances Dinkelspiel, the UC Theatre is coming back to life. That's the good news. The bad new--admittedly from my personal perspective--is that it's not going to show movies. For 25 years, the UC Theatre was my favorite temple to the cinematic arts. I saw hundreds of films there, from … Continue reading The UC Theatre to be born again (but not as a movie house)
Category: Theaters
Film, Digital, and the Current Castro Calendar
Early every month, I visit the Castro's Playlist page to see which classics they're showing digitally rather than on film. And no, I don't do this to get angry. I love film, but I also love DCP (the digital standard that's replaced film in theaters). It's more a matter of curiosity. As I understand it, … Continue reading Film, Digital, and the Current Castro Calendar
Rare Lubitsch in New York
I'm in New York City right now, visiting my son and daughter-in-law. This evening, we went to an art house cinema I didn't know existed to see a Ernst Lubitsch film I had never heard of. The theater is the Antohology Flm Archives in lower Manhatan. The movie was Broken Lullaby, also known as The … Continue reading Rare Lubitsch in New York
The Castro in April
I just checked the Castro's Coming Soon page to see what's playing in April. The information is limited, but it has some intriguing offerings. Sing-Along Beauty and the Beast: For a split second, I thought this might be Jean Cocteau’s post-war masterpiece, which would be odd since that one isn't a musical. On the other … Continue reading The Castro in April
The New and Improved Embarcadero Multiplex
This fall, Landmark shut down, refurbished, and reopened their Embarcadero Center Cinema multiplex, which has become their San Francisco flagship. This morning, I visited the Embarcadero for a press screening. It was the first time since the makeover. Here's my report: If you turn right after entering the theater, you'll see the concession stand where … Continue reading The New and Improved Embarcadero Multiplex
A New Schedule and a New Projector at the Pacific Film Archive
I've got the new summer schedule for the Pacific Film Archive. And the biggest news is hidden between the lines. As I looked over the printed schedule, I noticed that the PFA will screen several films off DCPs. As far as I knew, the PFA didn't have that capability. Last year, Senior Film Curator Susan … Continue reading A New Schedule and a New Projector at the Pacific Film Archive
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
Return to an Aging Multiplex, plus Side Effects & Silver Linings Playbook
Over the past week, I've twice visited the UA Emery Bay, a once-popular multiplex I used to patronize regularly. But this was my first visit there in maybe a decade. On Saturday, I caught Side Effects there. Tuesday night, Silver Linings Playbook. I'll tell you about the theater, and then the movies. Built in the … Continue reading Return to an Aging Multiplex, plus Side Effects & Silver Linings Playbook
The New Parkway and Django Unchained
I finally made it to the New Parkway. I went Thursday night to see Django Unchained. Actually, the movie was secondary. I really wanted to see the theater. The New Parkway is better located than the original. On 24th St. between Broadway and Telegraph, it's in the heart of downtown Oakland and a short walk … Continue reading The New Parkway and Django Unchained
New Movies I’ve Seen Recently…and How I Saw Them
I've managed to see six first-run movies in theaters over the last couple of months. I liked all of them to varying degrees. Here's what I thought about the movies, and about the conditions in which I saw them. Technical note: All of these films were screened digitally, two of them on screens that had … Continue reading New Movies I’ve Seen Recently…and How I Saw Them
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