People fantasize about sex with movie stars. That’s often what makes them movie stars instead of merely actors. I discovered just how strongly those fantasies can hold us when I read that Uma Thurman smokes. It bothered me, the way it would bother me if a potential lover suddenly lit up. It’s ridiculous, of course. … Continue reading Sex with Movie Stars

Just a quick, off-schedule announcement. I went to the Balboa yesterday and finally saw The Best of Youth. It is, quite simply, fantastic--the best two-part, six-hour movie since Godfather I and II. Originally made for Italian television, it follows the fortunes of one family, a close circle of their friends, and the Italian people as … Continue reading Best of Youth

I'm extremely busy this week, so I'll skip the usual essay and go directly to this week's recommendations and noteworthy movies. Wait! Before I do that, I should let you know that I've added a Readers' Feedback page to the site. I'm always eager to read your comments. Send them to me by clicking // … Continue reading Movies for the Week of April 15

The good news: The San Francisco International Film Festival starts in two weeks. The bad news: So does Passover, resulting in some serious scheduling conflicts between must-see movies and my other religion. It's a good thing my family now follows Sephardic rules for observing this eight-day festival--that means I can eat popcorn. The festival runs … Continue reading San Francisco International Film Festival

Let’s talk about TiVo and other personal digital recorders. They’re wonderful gadgets, but like all wonderful gadgets, they come with undesirable side effects. (I know this site is about films in theaters, but if you love movies enough to come here—or subscribe—you probably think about how you watch them at home, as well.) Here’s the … Continue reading TiVo

"Movies today stink! Few of the so-called films of 2005 can hold a candle to the great masterpieces of the last century!" If you hang around people who love old movies, you hear arguments like that all the time. It never occurs to these people that when you compare any three months' worth of movies … Continue reading Artistic Darwinism

Remember the revival theaters of the 1970's? If you don't, back then the Bay Area overflowed with venues that specialized in old and semi-old movies, many of them changing their double bill every day. (You almost always got a double bill.) The downside was repetition. These theaters thrived on the three Bs of repertory cinema: … Continue reading Reviving the Revival Theater

Let's assume, for the moment, that sound movies existed in 1601, and that the first production of Hamlet was recorded for posterity. Remember that the title role was tailored to a particular actor, Richard Burbage, just as surely as was the role of Charles Foster Kane. And if we had such a movie, we would … Continue reading Longevity

Michael Medved is right—Hollywood is out of touch with America. Sunday night, we watched the Academy pick the smart one, the one with quality, the right one. That’s not the way America votes. In all the post-Oscar talk about Chris Rock and Beyonce, there’s one interesting statistic that no one seemed to notice: For the … Continue reading Oscar Post-Moderm

It’s Oscar time. This Sunday evening we forget about war and oppression and find out who we really hate. For my money, that’s the advertisers, the choreographers, and anyone who takes the Academy Awards seriously. Don’t get me wrong. I never miss Hollywood’s annual festival of self-adoration. I find it fascinating; like a car wreck … Continue reading Hollywood’s Annual Festival of Self-Adoration