The San Francisco International Film Festival continues through Thursday. My Festival capsules are at the end of this newsletter. A- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Alameda, Tuesday and Wednesday. Corrupt political bosses appoint a naive, young idealist (James Stewart) senator because they think he’s stupid. They’re wrong. The second and best film in Frank Capra’s … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 2 – 8

The San Francisco International Film Festival dominates this week (and next) for Bay Area cinephiles. I placed my SFIFF capsules at the bottom of this newsletter. But even if you eschew the Festival, there's plenty to see: A- Teenage, Opera Plaza, Shattuck, opens Friday. Using a combination of archival footage and dramatic recreations, Matt Wolf’s … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 25 – May 1

The Tiburon Intl. Film Festival closes today (although, according to their schedule, their last screening was yesterday). The big one (or at least one of the two big ones), the San Francisco International Film Festival, opens Thursday. B+ The Lost Boys, New Parkway, Thursday, 9:15. This clever and funny--and even occasionally scary--teenage vampire movie was … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 18 – 24

The Tiburon International Film Festival  continues through the week. A+ City Lights, Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, Saturday, 7:30. Charlie Chaplin's Birthday. In Charlie Chaplin’s most perfect comedy, the little tramp falls in love with a blind flower girl and befriends a suicidal, alcoholic millionaire, but neither of them know the real Charlie. The result … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 11 – 17

Both the Sonoma Film Festival and the Food & Farm Film Fest play through Sunday. And the Tiburon Intl. Film Festival officially opens Thursday. B+ The Red Shoes, Castro, Thursday. This 1948 Technicolor fable about  sacrificing oneself for art makes a slight story. Luckily, the characters, all fanatically devoted to their art, and all very … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 4 – 10

Yet another identity film festival, Czech That Film (yes, that's really the festival's name), runs Sunday through Wednesday. On that same Wednesday, the Sonoma Film Festival opens its own five-day run. And then, on Thursday, the Food & Farm Film Fest opens. And if you're not going to a festival, you can check out any … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 28 – April 3

The only local film festival this week is CAMMFest, which closes on Sunday. C+ Le Week-End, Albany, Embarcadero, Guild, Kabuki, Rafael, opens Friday. On their 30th anniversary, a very unhappy English couple go to Paris for a weekend. Whether they even hope it will rekindle something seems unlikely.This dark and depressing drama about a marriage … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 21 – 27

What's going on in Bay Area film festivals? Cinequest ends its 2014 run on Sunday. And CAMMFest (formerly the Asian-American Film Festival) continues through the week and beyond. Here are some interesting films screening around the bay. B+ Eat Drink Man Woman, New People Cinema, Monday, 6:20. Ang Lee's third feature and second art house … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 14 – 20

Cinequest continues throughout this week and beyond. CAMMFest (AKA, the even formerly known as the Asian-American Film Festival) opens Thursday. And, although it's not officially a festival, the Roxie will run a series on Wes Anderson in 35mm, celebrating both one of our most iconoclastic auteurs and his preference for photochemical cinema. A The Producers … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 7 – 13

If you live in the South Bay, you won't have to travel far for a festival. The San Jose-based Cinequest opens Tuesday. The Academy Awards, Balboa, Cerrito, Lark, New Parkway, Rafael, Roxie, Sunday (check theaters for show times). Yes, you can watch Hollywood's annual ritual of patting itself on the back in the comfort of … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 28 – March 6