Drug smuggling, espionage, music parodies, and…um…well, whatever it is. Here are four films I've watchaed recently, from the best to the worst. Click the film's title to see how you can watch it. A Deep Cover (1992) Here's an extraordinary film noir from the early 1990s. Laurence Fishburne stars as a police officer who goes … Continue reading Movies I’ve recently seen: Deep Cover ֍ Arabesque ֍ Weird: The Al Yankovic Story ֍ Schizopolis

Here's what's happening in Bay Area movie theaters this week: Quentin Tarantino is coming to the Castro. A terrific documentary about George Washington and a controversial mural. Two very different space movies. Masterpieces starring Humphrey Bogart and Bruce Willis (no, not in the same movie). The film that made Schwarzenegger famous. And the New Mission … Continue reading What’s Screening: Nov 4 – 10

The Criterion Channel is currently running a series that studies the difficult crossroads between mostly-white Hollywood and the world's largest group of people: Han Chinese. It analyses both the racist yellowface movies of decades past, to recent American films directed by Asian Americans. The series is called Hollywood Chinese. Yes, I'm posting two articles about … Continue reading Yellowface in Hollywood

Surprisingly few films will disappear from the Criterion Channel at the end of the month. I don't know if this means more or less movies overall – or just nothing in particular. Click a film's title to start watching the movie – assuming you subscribe to the Channel. Full recommendations A+ Before Sunrise (1995) If … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of August

Here are four movies that I watched simply because I wanted to see them – or see them again. For once, even the worst of them was at least entertaining. To see one of these movies, click the film's title. A- Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) Technically, it's more like three weddings, one funeral, … Continue reading Movies I’ve recently seen: 4 Weddings & a Funeral ֍ Mean Streets ֍ Project A ֍ Non-Stop

A lot of films will disappear from the Criterion Channel at the end of the month. Here are a few you might want to catch. Click a film's title to start watching the movie – assuming you subscribe to the Channel. Full recommendations A+ The Last Waltz (1978) The Band played their final concert on … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of July

C Historical drama Written & directed by Patrick Gilles Here's an interesting San Francisco story, involving oil slicks, the environment, racism, hippies, prostitutes, and an oil company executive who worries that working with a black man could hurt his company's image. This all takes in 1971, when a black man in the boardroom wasn't rare … Continue reading I’m Charlie Walker, but my movie could have been better

As usual, a lot of great films (and some bad ones) will disappear from The Criterion Channel at the end of the month. Here are some of the better ones that will disappear, including several films directed by Lina Wertmüller. Full recommendations A Seven Beauties (1975) Lina Wertmüller's 1975 masterpiece is a Holocaust film, an … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of May

I accidentally posted an unready article called Movies I’ve recently seen. The real article will go up Wednesday morning.

I usually only review Blu-rays of films that I already know and like. I want to explore how a film I know is good is getting a worthwhile presentation. I consider the quality of the image, the sound, and the extras. But with Ernst Lubitsch's 1924 silent melodrama, Three Women, I was buying a pig … Continue reading Three Women Blu-ray