What with the big film festival and all, I've had very little time in the last month to simply watch movies. But here are three I managed to catch. All of them are old crime movies, and I saw all three on FilmStruck. I also saw The Big Lebowski at the Castro, but since I've … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Get Carter, The Big Sleep, & 20,000 Years in Sing Sing
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Chaplin Diary, Part 8: Early First National
Charlie Chaplin's contract with First National turned him from an employee to an independent contractor. He built his own studio, hired his own employees, and financed his own films. First National just handled distribution. Chaplin was required to produce eight movies of two reels or more, over the course the 18 months. It took him … Continue reading Chaplin Diary, Part 8: Early First National
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Mudbound, The Post, & High Sierra
2017 was a great year for motion pictures, even if it was a lousy year for everything else. In the last week, I've seen two excellent films from last year (one of which was barely shown in the Bay Area) and revisited one from another great movie year (that was even worse in the real … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Mudbound, The Post, & High Sierra
February Film Festivals of 2018
Last week, I told you about two local film festivals that will open in January: For Your Consideration and Noir City. Here are three opening in February: IndieFest Mostly at the Roxie, February 1 - 15 The SF Independent Film Festival (SF IndieFest) centers on the most independent of independent films. The movies screened here tend … Continue reading February Film Festivals of 2018
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Call Me By Your Name, The Last Jedi, & A Matter of Life and Death
It's been almost four weeks since my last Movies I've Recently Seen article. What with the holidays, house guests, and revisiting films I've already written about, it took a long time for me to get around to watching three new-to-me films. Finally, here they are: A Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), Grand Lake Theatre This … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Call Me By Your Name, The Last Jedi, & A Matter of Life and Death
How Many Films are Still Shot on Film: The 2017 Edition
How many theatrical motion pictures are still shot on film? Judging by my annual survey, less and less of them. Out of 23 narrative feature films currently screening in Bay Area theaters, only three were shot entirely on film. 15 were shot digitally - almost all with Ari Alexa cameras. An additional five were shot … Continue reading How Many Films are Still Shot on Film: The 2017 Edition
Christmas Movies…as picked by a Jew
Why of all people am I writing about Christmas movies? I'm Jewish. I don't even celebrate Christmas. But there's much about Christmas that I enjoy. I like the way people decorate their homes for the season. Some of the songs are catchy and call for peace and love. Attending The Dickens Christmas Fair is one … Continue reading Christmas Movies…as picked by a Jew
