Science fiction takes over Bay Area cinema this week with Star Trek, RobCop, and the original Star Wars trilogy. There's also a David Lynch/David Cronenberg double bill, a French thriller by Henri-Georges Clouzot, and Paul Thomas Anderson's porn epic. Another cinema bites the dust Berkeley's Shattuck Cinema will close on June 1. When I moved … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 20 – 26
Category: Weekly Newsletter
What’s Screening: May 13 – 19
This week opens on Friday the 13th - not just the date but also two sequels. And what else is available in Bay Area theaters? A new film from Iran. A popular event returns to the Castro. Also, classics by Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Quentin Tarantino, Bob Fosse, and George Lucas. Plus, four festivals that … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 13 – 19
What’s Screening: May 6 – 12
What a week for Bay Area cinema! Six days of silent films. Another six of documentaries. And those are just the festivals. You can also see classics on the big screen from Elia Kazan, Studio Ghibli, Federico Fellini, Stanley Kubrick, and a couple of duds. Festivals & Series DocLands closes Wednesday. I recommend Fire of … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 6 – 12
What’s Screening: April 29 – May 5
The SFFilm Festival ends Sunday, but you'll only have four non-festival free days before two other major fests open. Outside of these events, theaters are opening two new indie films, along with two of the greatest movies made about Hollywood. Also other vintage pictures worth watching. Festvals & Series The SFFilm Festival closes Sunday DocLands … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 29 – May 5
What’s Screening: April 22 – 28
With SFFilm taking up much of the cinematic oxygen this week, but there are a few oldies on Bay Area big screens by such filmmakers as Mira Nair, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Brian De Palma. Festivals & Series The SF Green Film Festival closes Sunday The SFFilm Festival opened last night. You can cover it … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 22 – 28
What’s Screening: April 15 – 21
I've changed the format of this weekly newsletter. Hopefully, it will make choosing a theater or a screening time easier to find. And among these easy-to-find classics are works by Federico Fellini, Milos Forman, Roman Polanski, Peter Bogdanovich, Richard Linklater, the Coen Brothers, and Monty Python - all on big screens. But first, we have … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 15 – 21
What’s Screening: April 8 – 14
Want to see an old movie the old way - in a theater? Here's what classics are playing this week in the Bay Area. But remember to wear your mask and carry proof of vaccination. Also, three film festivals are running this week. Festivals & Series The Glas Animation Festival closes Sunday The International Ocean … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 8 – 14
What’s Screening: April 1 – 7
It finally happened! Erich von Stroheim's original cut of Greed will play in eight Bay Area theaters this week! And April Fool's Day. Less surprising but actually true: Thanks to the Oscars, at least six Bay Area theaters are playing CODA this week. Also Star Trek at its best, Studio Ghibli, the movie that started … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 1 – 7
What’s Screening: March 25 – 31
Come Sunday night, we'll finally know what's the best movie of 2022…if you agree with the members of the Academy. I'm not even sure if I'll be watching the show. But if you prefer older films to new ones, Bay Area theaters will be screening quite a few classics this week. Festivals & Series The … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 25 – 31
What’s Screening: March 18 – 24
Four of the greatest films ever made are playing in Bay Area movie theaters this week - one of them through the whole week. The other three movies are pretty good, too. Plus three film festivals. Festivals & Series The East Bay Jewish Film Festival continues through this week and beyond Noir City opens Thursday, … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 18 – 24