The newsletter is kind of short this week. I've been under the weather. Festivals & Series Berlin & Beyond Film Festival closes Monday Sonoma International opens Wednesday Festival Recommendations: Berlin & Beyond A- The Forger (2022), Roxie, Thursday, 9:00pmCioma Schönhaus was an extraordinary forger. It's a useful job for a young Jewish man in Berlin during … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 17 – 23
Category: Weekly Newsletter
What’s Screening: March 10 – 16
It's Oscar week, and at least eight Bay Area cinemas are projecting the ceremony onto their big screens. One theater is giving us a selection of Buster Keaton shorts from half a century. Aside from all that, there are excellent works by Hayao Miyazaki, Wim Wender, Christopher Guest, and Philip Kaufman. Festivals & Series Cinequest … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 10 – 16
What’s Screening: March 3 – 9
Is this Jim Henson Week? Labyrinth is screening in four different Bay Area cinemas. And that's not the only movie screening starring David Bowie. There's also Peter O'Toole playing Errol Flynn. Among directors, there's Wim Wenders, Martha Coolidge, Nicolas Roeg, and two noirs directed by Ida Lupino - made at a time when woman directors … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 3 – 9
What’s Screening: Feb 24 – March 2
The festivals are all Jewish this week, and they're all happening over the weekend. There's a new documentary that's Only in Theaters. What else can you see in the cinema this week? There's Hiroshi Teshigahara's Woman in the Dunes, and Warren Beatty's epic socialist love story, Reds. The Staple Singers, the Bar-Kays, Kim Weston, and … Continue reading What’s Screening: Feb 24 – March 2
What’s Screening: February 17 – 23
Ang Lee and James Schamus' Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is playing in eight Bay Area theaters! And yet, not even one is in the East Bay. The 4-Star seems to have noticed that it's Black History Month, with screenings of Black Panther, Fences, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. They're also giving us masterpieces by Stanley … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 17 – 23
What’s Screening: February 10 – 16
This Tuesday is Valentine's Day, so there should be a lot of romance in the air. Take your loved one to the cinema…or take several loved ones. I can tell you about three films that will be screening at the Mostly British Film Festival – two of them good, and one stinker from the great … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 10 – 16
What’s Screening: February 3 – 9
You know what's the most difficult part of setting up these newsletters? It's writing the intro. So let's get it over with. Reader, meet newsletter. Newsletter, meet reader. Okay, I'll tell you more. There's a new, sexy film from France and a documentary about Jewish settlements in Eastern Europe. There are three films about African … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 3 – 9
What’s Screening: January 27 – February 2
Only Fathom Events seems to realize that this week contains Groundhog Day. Anyway, I'm giving you some previews for the upcoming SF IndieFest. After that, there's music from Singin' in the Rain, My Fair Lady, and The Who's Tommy. Other than that, there's a family film about the human brain. Also the best sports movie … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 27 – February 2
What’s Screening: January 20 – 26
Last week we were walloped by massive waterfalls from the sky. And this week? You must pick between noirs from the year of 1948 or half of the Coen brothers. Along with one of the brothers, Bay Area cinemas will be showing vintage movies from Martin Scorsese, F. W. Murnau, Jacques Tati, David Lynch, Howard … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 20 – 26
What’s Screening: January 13 – 19
Don't worry about it being Friday the 13th. The movies playing around here this week seem to be generating good vibes. You can see Harold Lloyd, with the movie that made me fall in love with silent comedy. But if you prefer your slapstick with dialog, there's a full weekend of Jackie Chan. Also, there … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 13 – 19