A- Documentary Directed by Steve James The first thing you have to understand about Life Itself, Steve James' biographical documentary about Roger Ebert, is that James is hardly a dispassionate observer. He was not a close friend to Ebert, but he owed a lot to the famous film critic. It was Ebert, and his partner … Continue reading A Life Itself at the Movies
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Manakamana: A very uneven ride
C+ Documentary Directed by Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez This documentary shot in Nepal shows us small groups of people in brief, eight-minute segments against beautiful but repetitive scenery. At times it's touching, funny, boring, lovely, and strange. But ultimately, it becomes repetitive. Shortly before seeing Manakamana at the 2014 San Francisco International Film Festival, … Continue reading Manakamana: A very uneven ride
Red River on Blu-ray: Of men and cattle
To those who consider westerns mindless shoot-em-ups, and dismiss John Wayne as a talentless reactionary symbol, I can think of no better answer than Howard Hawks' Red River. And outside of a movie theater, I can think of no better way to see it than in this new Criterion Blu-ray release. In Tom Dunson, Wayne … Continue reading Red River on Blu-ray: Of men and cattle
San Francisco Silent Film Festival, Part 2
One of the major problems with life is that it intrudes on watching movies. Saturday, other responsibilities kept me away from the Castro, and the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, until mid-afternoon. Among other things, I missed Serge Bromberg's Treasure Trove. What a pity. But here's what I saw on Saturday and Sunday. You can … Continue reading San Francisco Silent Film Festival, Part 2
San Francisco Silent Film Festival, Part 1
The San Francisco Silent Film Festival is the closest thing to a movie marathon I've experienced in decades. For three of its four days, it runs movie after movie from 10:00am until nearly midnight, with breaks that generally last an hour or less. Seeing everything--or almost everything--requires stamina and sleep deprivation. Attending the festival, and … Continue reading San Francisco Silent Film Festival, Part 1
SFIFF: Manakamana
I just caught the documentary Manakamana, an American-made film shot and set in a very specific location in Nepal. The setting: a cable car that takes people to a Hindu temple high in the mountains. Filmmaakers Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez set their camera in one seat and watch the people in the other, as well as … Continue reading SFIFF: Manakamana
San Francisco International Film Festival Opening Night
This year's San Francisco International Film Festival officially opened last night at the Castro, with a screening of The Two Faces of January. It was, as you'd expect, a packed and festive occasion. But it got off on a bad note, and an all too common one at festival big nights at the Catro. Almost … Continue reading San Francisco International Film Festival Opening Night
Jackie Robinson, Michael Sam, Sports, and the Movies
Yes, this post is about a movie, but I’ll get to that later. Call it a coincidence. This evening, I happened to read an article about Michael Sam, a successful college football player who appears (or had appeared) to have a promising future in the NFL. On Sunday, he came out. According to ESPN, “Sam … Continue reading Jackie Robinson, Michael Sam, Sports, and the Movies
Crime on both sides of the border: Saturday at Noir City
I spent Saturday at the Castro, taking in the first full day of the Noir City festival. It was a long day--a triple-bill matinee, a short dinner break, and a double-bill evening show. Mexico was the common theme. Technically speaking, only the matinee had a Mexican theme. It started with a Hollywood thriller about illegal … Continue reading Crime on both sides of the border: Saturday at Noir City
MGM 90th Anniversary…without MGM
I received an interesting press release today. Here's how it started: Los Angeles, CA (January 22, 2014) – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) announced today a yearlong global campaign to honor the studio's storied 90-year legacy. Founded in 1924 when theater magnate Marcus Loew bought and merged Metro Pictures Corp. with Goldwyn Pictures and Louis B. Mayer Productions, MGM … Continue reading MGM 90th Anniversary…without MGM
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