Admittedly, much worse things have popped up in the news lately. The end of a movie streaming service doesn't mean much compared to a mass killing in a house of worship. But for American cinephiles, the sudden announcement about closing Filmstruck feels like the pending death of a too-young good friend. It's been only two … Continue reading The Pending Death of FilmStruck
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The West meets Islam on the Mill Valley Film Festival’s penultimate day
I saw three films Saturday at the Mill Valley Film Festival - all at the Rafael. Two were narratives, one was a documentary. All three dealt with the line between Islam and the West. A- Northern WindThis essentially serious film offers flashes of humor while studying the universality of working-class struggle. Two blue-collar men, who … Continue reading The West meets Islam on the Mill Valley Film Festival’s penultimate day
Comedy Weekdays at the Mill Valley Film Festival
I saw one Mill Valley Film Festival screening on Monday, and another two on Wednesday. Oddly, not a single documentary. Even odder, all three movies were comedies - a genre generally considered too frivolous for film festivals. In the order I saw them: A- Seder Masochism Nina Paley created this blasphemous and hilarious adult animation … Continue reading Comedy Weekdays at the Mill Valley Film Festival
A Private War & Opening Night at the Mill Valley Film Festival
Thursday night, I attended one of the two opening night screenings at the Mill Valley Film Festival. I chose A Private War over Green Book. But before I get to the movie, I want to comment on something that bothers me at all the big film festivals. Although they bend left politically, their ticket sales … Continue reading A Private War & Opening Night at the Mill Valley Film Festival
Don’t Worry He Won’t Get Far on Foot
A- biopic Written by Gus Van Sant, from John Callahan's autobiography Directed by Gus Van Sant If you're looking for a cinematic argument against alcohol addiction, this biopic of paraplegic cartoonist John Callahan makes a very strong argument. The film also gives you a strong sense of how Alcoholics Anonymous works. If it had not … Continue reading Don’t Worry He Won’t Get Far on Foot
Sorry to Bother You, but you don’t want to miss this movie
A- Comedy Written and directed by Boots Riley I worry that people will assume that this very pointed comedy is nothing but a Get Out rip-off. Both movies combine humor, horror, and social commentary, and were made by an African-American neophyte director with a decidedly black point of view. But if you know anything about … Continue reading Sorry to Bother You, but you don’t want to miss this movie
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: First Reformed, Friendly Persuasion, Anna Karenina, & Now Voyager
I see a lot of films at festivals. I screen films that haven't yet been released. I review classics on Blu-ray, and I revisit beloved films in series such as my current Chaplin Diary. But sometimes, I just want to see a movie at home or, better yet, in a theater. Here's my latest batch … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: First Reformed, Friendly Persuasion, Anna Karenina, & Now Voyager
