Attaining the American Dream isn't easy. Sometimes, it's impossible. The Dark Side of the Dream, a four-day film festival at the Roxie, screens six double bills that dramatize the ways our system doesn't work. The films date from 1933 to 1964. Most of them could be reasonably categorized as noir. The festival runs March 23 … Continue reading Previews of the Dark Side of the Dream
The Oscars: The Best Movies Actually Won
I don't recall an Oscar show where the Academy and I agreed in almost every category. My only disappointment was Roger Deakins' win for Best cinematography. Deakins is an excellent artist, but I was pushing for Rachel Morrison for Mudbound. A confession: I didn't watch the awards show. My wife and I had tickets to … Continue reading The Oscars: The Best Movies Actually Won
What’s Screening: March 2 – 8
This week in Bay Area movie theaters: Paramount comedies, British hit men, Ingmar Bergman searching for God, two versions of the end of the world, and, of course, the Academy Awards. Also a really big festival in the south bay. Festivals CineQuest continues through this week and beyond Promising events The Academy Awards, various theaters, … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 2 – 8
Chaplin Diary, Part 7: Late Mutual
Extreme perfectionism slowed Chaplin down as he made his last Mutual comedies. Up through Easy Street, his ninth movie with the company, he had managed to meet his contract's one two-reeler-a-month schedule. But he took three months to make The Cure, and another three for The Immigrant. His last Mutual, The Adventurer, took four months … Continue reading Chaplin Diary, Part 7: Late Mutual
Coming Up in March
Want to see classic movies on the big screen next month? Here are a few March offerings: Stanford Paramount Pictures had an incredible run in the early 1930s - despite economic disasters that almost destroyed the studio. Just consider the comedies that came out in 1933: Duck Soup, Design for Living, International House, I'm No … Continue reading Coming Up in March
What’s Screening: February 23 – March 1
Celebrate the Communist revolution. Ogle (or laugh at) sex kitten Jane Fonda. Play chess with Death as your guitar gently weeps. All these experiences and more can be found this week in Bay Area movie theaters. Also: Two film festivals. Festivals The Children's Film Festival opens today and runs through Sunday CineQuest opens Tuesday and … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 23 – March 1
Have a Nice Day
D+ Animated crime film Written and directed by Jian Liu Imagine Pulp Fiction, done in limited animation, but without the clever dialog, the wit, or the sense of redemption. That's pretty much what you get with Jian Liu's cartoon noir, Have a Nice Day. And frankly, it's not enough. The movie starts with a quote … Continue reading Have a Nice Day
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Black Panther, Phantom Thread, Marty, & Way Down South
Four more films, in order from best to worst. Two are about white people. The other two are mostly about black people. A Black Panther (2018), Grand Lake Theatre Yes, it's revolutionary. In the age of Trump, Hollywood gambled on making a huge-budget superhero movie with an almost entirely black cast, set largely in a fictional … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Black Panther, Phantom Thread, Marty, & Way Down South
What’s Screening: February 16 – 22
Dogs, cats, bigamy, war, Studio Ghibli, and a couple of film festivals play out in Bay Area theaters this week. Festivals Modern Cinema continues through Sunday. See my recommendations. The Mostly British Film Festival continues through the week Also of interest, the Roxie is running Studio Ghibli films, in the original Japanese with subtitles, all week. … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 16 – 22
Chaplin Diary, Part 6: Middle Mutual
With almost full freedom, Chaplin was able to take considerable time to get his vision on film. According to Peter Ackroyd's biography, Charlie Chaplin, "he spent three weeks on filming one scene alone, in which he kicks his rival while whirling around with a partner on the dance floor." With that sort of perfectionism, it wasn't … Continue reading Chaplin Diary, Part 6: Middle Mutual
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