Let me start with an apology. I only this week found out that a Werner Herzog Retrospective has been running at SFMOMA since November. I'll list the few remaining films as they come. The Holy Mountain In more up-to-date news, the Castro will screen Alejandro Jodorowsky's 1970's cult favorites El Topo and The Holy Mountain … Continue reading Coming Soon

I have two hands with five fingers each, and therefore must pick my Top Ten Films of 2006. But first, some ground rules: To qualify, a film must meet three criteria: First, it had to play its first open-ended, Bay Area release in 2006. Films that only played festivals don't qualify, but I've already given … Continue reading Best Films of 2006

You may have already noticed a change in the weekly schedules. I'm now grading movies like a school teacher. If I place an in front of a film title, it's not to be missed. If I give one an , missing it is a top priority. And when I mark a film with a , … Continue reading New Icons; Berlin & Beyond

Sickness kept me out of movie theaters for a couple of weeks. And when I finally felt up to going out, what did I see? Blood Diamond. Big mistake. Writer Charles Leavitt and director Edward Zwick tried to create an entertaining thriller and a lesson on the diamond industry’s horrible toll on African lives. But … Continue reading Bloody Diamonds!

In case you haven't heard, we cinephiles won the struggle to save the 4Star last week. For nearly three years now, the theater's owners, Frank and Lida Lee, have been at odds with the owners of the property, the Canaan Lutheran Church. The Lee's wanted to keep running the 4Star as a movie theater--something it's … Continue reading 4-Star Saved

Here's a list you can really use: The Best Unavailable Films of 2006. I attended a lot of festival screenings this year, so it's not surprising that many of the best movies I saw didn't get a wide--or even an art house--release in this country. Since I lack the resources to produce the Bayflicks Second … Continue reading Best Films You Haven’t Seen

Another one of those busy weeks. If you're not as overwhelmed as I am, perhaps you'll have time to see some movies. Recommended: Flags of Our Fathers, 4Star, ongoing. The film that Saving Private Ryan  should have been. According to director Clint Eastwood and screenwriters William Broyles Jr. and Paul Haggis, raising the flag on … Continue reading Movies for the Week of December 1, 2006

I was going to write about everything Bay Area cinephiles have to be thankful for, but death got in the way. So I'll write about Robert Altman. Young mavericks took Hollywood by storm in the 1970's, with Altman all but leading the march. But he wasn't young. At 45, he had nearly 20 years experience … Continue reading Robert Altman

It's a busy week for me, so I'll just point out that the 4Star is running a 8 Films To Die For Horror Fest today through Tuesday, just in case you're in the mood for the gruesome side of independent cinema. And now, on to this week's recommendations: Recommended: City Lights, Davies Symphony Hall, Wednesday … Continue reading Movies for the Week of November 17, 2006

Back in August, I bemoaned the lack of good big-budget action movies this summer. At that time I hadn't yet seen X-Men: The Last Stand. I loved the first two X-Men movies, but wasn't optimistic about number three as director Bryan Singer had left the franchise and the far less talented Brett Ratner had taken … Continue reading X-Men, Silent Directors, and the Oakland Paramount