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
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What’s leaving Criterion at the end of May
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
Oops
I accidentally posted an unready article called Movies I’ve recently seen. The real article will go up Wednesday morning.
Three Women Blu-ray
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
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
Matrixes: Kung Fu, digital effects, and ridiculous stories
I was never a fan of The Matrix franchise. The very concept of these films bothered me since I saw the first one (I'll go into this below). I saw the first two movies when they were relatively new, with no desire to see more. I skipped the third movie when it came out. But … Continue reading Matrixes: Kung Fu, digital effects, and ridiculous stories
The Long Goodbye on Blu-ray
Robert Altman spent much of the 1970s blowing up and taking down Hollywood's favorite genres. He added the horrors of war to the military comedy with M*A*S*H. He then took down the western with McCabe and Mrs. Miller (my favorite Altman movie). He dissected the musical with Nashville. So, you shouldn't be surprised that Altman … Continue reading The Long Goodbye on Blu-ray
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of November
A lot of very good films will disappear from The Criterion Channel on December 1. If you want to see any of the movies listed below, stream them before December. And if you don't subscribe, you can start a 14-day free trial. Full recommendations A+ The Crowd (1927) If you can only stream one of … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of November
Mill Valley Film Fest: Preview 2
Here is my last set of Mill Valley Film Festival previews. No bad ones this time. I won't be posting any MVFF reviews until after opening night. A The Rescue, USA/UK, documentary, directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin Now here's a documentary as suspenseful as anything from Alfred Hitchcock. But then, nothing's more … Continue reading Mill Valley Film Fest: Preview 2
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of August
Come September, Charlie Chaplin's best shorts and Georges Méliès' colorful fairy tales will disappear from the Criterion Channel. And along with them, are a lot of very good feature-length films. I don't want to discuss all of these shorts (although, among the Chaplins, the best are The Immigrant, Easy Street, and best of all, The … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of August
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