A Janus Film Festival brought me my first major emersion into classic and foreign films at the idealistic age of 18. Among the movies I first saw at this and subsequent Janus festivals were The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries, Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, Rashomon, The 400 Blows, and Shoot the Piano Player. (I hate … Continue reading Janus Films

The Cerrito Speakeasy Theater opens for business this week. Built in 1937 and dark for nearly 50 years, the city of El Cerrito has given it's neighborhood theater a restoration and update. Although the city owns the Cerrito, Speakeasy Theaters of Parkway fame will run it. That means we can expect something very much like … Continue reading The Cerrito Opens

We all understand the suspension of disbelief. It allows us to believe in Harry Potter’s magic, sound in the vacuum of space, and the supposedly impromptu dancing of Fred Astaire. If you want to be honest about it, even serious drama requires suspending your disbelief. We know that that working-class gay cowboy is really an … Continue reading Willful Suspension of Morality

It's called the Mill Valley Film Festival, but many of its best events happen in San Rafael. I went to two of them last Sunday. Left to right: Moderator An Tran and cinematographers Daryn Okada, Judy Irola, M. David Mullen, and Elliot Davis photo by Linda Wilkie First there was the Cinematographer Style seminar. Four … Continue reading Mill Valley Film Festival Report

Just a quick note on the Mill Valley Film Festival; something I probably should have pointed out two weeks ago. A large part of this festival's significance comes from its early fall calendar position. For Bay Area film lovers, the MVFF is the beginning of the Oscar season-- your first chance to see any of … Continue reading Oscar Season and the Mill Valley Film Festival

If you read this newsletter regularly, or check out the star icons in the weekly schedules, you may have noticed that I recommend far more movies than I warn you against. Indeed, last week's newsletter had nothing but recommendations. I realize that doesn’t help my image as an honest journalist. So let me explain: Unlike … Continue reading Why So Many Recommendations?

Tired of blockbusters? Have no fear. We're heading into the fall film festival season. I guess the theory is that now that the kids are back in school, the grownups can go to the movies. Two festivals open the week after next, one big, one small. They're both general film festivals, identified with a town … Continue reading Fall Film Festival Season

Make no mistake: You should check out Kirby Dick’s documentary This Film Is Not Yet Rated. It covers an important issue (important, at least, to anyone who cares about the art of cinema), the control that the MPAA’s rating board has on what we see on American screens. Dick has a strong opinion, and he … Continue reading This Film is Not Quite Honest

I accidentally knocked my wife's coat off a hook the other evening. So I bent down, picked it up, and hung it back up. What's the point of this story? There was no point. In fact, the very point I'm trying to make is that the incident was completely pointless. Here's my point: If that … Continue reading Life vs. Film

So much to cover! The Bay Area is hosting a lot of interesting film events in the next couple of weeks. Here are a few quick summaries. But first, if you’re not entirely bored with all the coverage I gave the Castro’s recent 70mm series, check out some discussions of sound problems on my Letters … Continue reading So Much to Cover!