Two new movies that, if it were not for COVID-19, would be playing in theaters, along with two pictures that were made before films streamed on the Internet. As usual, they're in order from best to last. A- Beanpole (2019), helping the Balboa or Rafael Within minutes after this Russian film starts, the extremely tall title character (Viktoria … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Beanpole, What’s Up Doc, Extra Ordinary, and Angels Over Broadway
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Streaming services and the pandemic
As we're stuck at home, streaming television services help keep us sane. Some of these services are making it easier or cheaper to stream during the pandemic. Kanopy If you haven't yet discovered Kanopy, it's about time. Supported by your local library, it's free and contains no advertising. But your library can limit how many … Continue reading Streaming services and the pandemic
Depressing but necessary: Sorry We Missed You
A- Drama Written by Paul Laverty Directed by Ken Loach With a title like Sorry We Missed You, you'd expect a light, romantic comedy. Instead, you get something entirely different. Imagine a food that you absolutely hate, but you eat it anyway because it's good for you. That's like the experience of seeing Ken Loach's … Continue reading Depressing but necessary: Sorry We Missed You
What’s Screening: February 28 – March 5
Robbie Robertson ignores his Band. Kurosawa goes '60s noir. Hitchcock becomes stranger on a train. And a giant mutant predator hits South Korea (and no, it's not Donald Trump). All this, plus three film festivals and more this week in Bay Area arthouse cinemas. Festivals The East Bay International Jewish Film Festival opens Friday and … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 28 – March 5
The Last of Star Wars
For the first time in most of my adult lifetime, I don't have another Star Wars movie in my future. That doesn't bother me. I'm glad the story is finished. I just hope Disney doesn't decide to do a fourth trilogy; which they'll probably do just for the money. I have seen every Star Wars … Continue reading The Last of Star Wars
Something going wrong on Bayflicks
I don't know how this happened, but several old drafts of tests and rewrites went on line July 4 (and I hope no more). I have since deleted them. Sorry for the confusion.
The Cameraman & Opening Night at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival
I'm going to try to cover the San Francisco Silent Film Festival day by day, which isn't easy when the days are so long. So please excuse me if my grammar and spelling aren't the best. So lets get going with the opening night screening of Buster Keaton's The Cameraman. But before the movie, the … Continue reading The Cameraman & Opening Night at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival
Giant monsters, giant Texas, & getting through War and Peace: What’s playing at the Castro in May
Have you checked the Castro Calendar since April ended? You have a lot of good chances to enjoy movies on the big screen. Outside of festivals, which I'm covering in other ways, these are the most exciting things coming up at the Castro in May, in order of excitability: War and Peace (Saturday, May 25, … Continue reading Giant monsters, giant Texas, & getting through War and Peace: What’s playing at the Castro in May
Tiny life, factory clashes, & water in all its forms: Sunday at the SFFilm Festival
I didn't see a single narrative film Sunday at the SFFilm Festival Sunday, and only one conventional documentary. The other two features could be described as docs, but they're more about the visuals than the contents. Minute Bodies: The Intimate Lives of F. Percy Smith This 63-minute visual poem can enthrall you, amaze you, or … Continue reading Tiny life, factory clashes, & water in all its forms: Sunday at the SFFilm Festival
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: The Magnificent Ambersons, Waking Life, The Newton Boys, Hot Water
Orson Welles' ruined masterpiece, Harold Lloyd at his worst, and good and bad movies by Richard Linklater. A- The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), Newly purchased Blu-ray Orson Well's follow-up to Citizen Kane just might have been a masterpiece. RKO took the film away from Welles, cut out about a third, and added a horribly happy ending. But … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: The Magnificent Ambersons, Waking Life, The Newton Boys, Hot Water
