I love digital projection. After a long period of skepticism, I embraced the new technology enthusiastically years ago. To my eyes, a well-transferred DCP looks better than any projected film format except Imax. And yet, I'm excited about Christopher Nolan's Interstellar coming out on real, to-goodness film. This is despite the fact that I have … Continue reading Physical Film Coming Back with Interstellar
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Little nutrition: My review of Soul of a Banquet
D documentary Directed by Wayne Wang Note: This documentary will screen twice at the Mill Valley Film Festival. Details below. I am posting a full review now because this picture was not on the Festival's list of films for which reviewers were asked to hold reviews. In his first documentary, the usually reliable Wayne Wang … Continue reading Little nutrition: My review of Soul of a Banquet
Valentino, Keaton, Caligari, Laurel and Hardy: My report on Silent Autumn
I could think of few better ways to spend a day then the way I spent last Saturday, at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival's first Silent Autumn event. Over the course of the day, we were treated to three features, two collections of shorts, and a lot of great music. Let's take the day … Continue reading Valentino, Keaton, Caligari, Laurel and Hardy: My report on Silent Autumn
The enduring racism of Gone with the Wind
I find it disturbing that so many people still love Gone with the Wind. I'm not talking about esthetics here (although I do discuss those below), but content. Even by the standards of Hollywood in the first half of the 20th century, David O. Selznick's epic comes off as exceptionally racist. Warner Brothers, which did … Continue reading The enduring racism of Gone with the Wind
How I lost my love for Stanley Kubrick
45 years ago, when I was a teenager enthralled by 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick was not only the greatest living filmmaker, but the greatest filmmaker of all time (I didn't know much film history back then). Today, I see him as a flawed genius--a brilliant visual artist lacking the warmth and empathy needed … Continue reading How I lost my love for Stanley Kubrick
To be a Gay Japanese-American Sci-Fi Actor and the Subject of To Be Takei
B+ Documentary Directed by Jennifer M. Kroot Who would have guessed that, almost 50 years after Star Trek first premiered on NBC, George Takei would be the most beloved member of the original cast. But why not. He has a warm, upbeat personality and a great sense of humor. He's been a political activist for … Continue reading To be a Gay Japanese-American Sci-Fi Actor and the Subject of To Be Takei
SF Silent Film Festival Makes a September Appearance
We get another day this year of massive silent movie overload. It's coming September 20, when the San Francisco Silent Film Festival takes over the Castro for their first Silent Autumn event. According to a festival press release, "We've moved our annual winter event to fall ," although September in my book counts more like … Continue reading SF Silent Film Festival Makes a September Appearance
Book vs. Film: Red River
When someone turns a mediocre book into a great film, people forget that it ever was a book. Such is the case with Borden Chase's decent but unexceptional novel, Blazing Guns on the Chisholm Trail, and the cinematic masterpiece that Howard Hawks made out of it, Red River. As I mentioned in my Red River … Continue reading Book vs. Film: Red River
The American Dream turns into a nightmare, and a great American film needs to be seen
A young man comes to New York, dreaming of success and wealth. But reality refuses to live up to his dreams--perhaps because he dreams too much-- in King Vidor's 1928 masterpiece, The Crowd. Told with daring photography, real locations, surreal sets, and subtle pantomime, The Crowd brings you through dizzying joy and wrenching tragedy as … Continue reading The American Dream turns into a nightmare, and a great American film needs to be seen
Boyhood: As Real as Fiction Gets
A Long-form drama Written and directed by Richard Linklater I'm a sucker for long films that take place over the course of several years. But I've never seen one as real as Richard Linklater's Boyhood. This isn't a story of an extraordinary person, or of a normal person going through an extraordinary experience. But it … Continue reading Boyhood: As Real as Fiction Gets
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