B+ Collection of short films A men's room attendant has a bad night. A young woman must wait 24 hours for an abortion. Cows die mysteriously. A lonely woman attempts masturbation. And swimmers face their fears. You would expect that only the best short films would screen at the Sundance Film Festival, and that only the … Continue reading The Best Short Films from Sundance…and not surprisingly, most are pretty good
The First Film Festivals of 2018
It's been a month since the last Bay Area film festival. But that changes this coming Friday. Here are two film festivals starting in January. For Your Consideration Rafael, January 5 - 11 Not just any subtitled movie can qualify to be nominated for the Foreign Language Film Oscar. Each country can put forth one … Continue reading The First Film Festivals of 2018
Top 15 Moviegoing Experiences of 2017
Instead of listing my top ten movies of 2017, I'm giving you my top 15 moviegoing experiences of the year. What's the difference? I consider the theater, the quality of the print or digital source, the enthusiasm of the audience, and live onstage supplements such as musical accompaniment and filmmaker Q&As. I also consider the … Continue reading Top 15 Moviegoing Experiences of 2017
What’s Screening: December 29 – January 4
Not much to tell you this week. Still no film festivals, and only a few revivals. Being the end of Oscar Season, you can find a lot of very good new movies in theaters right now, but you already know about them. Promising events New Year's Eve & 42nd Street, Lark, Sunday, 7:15 In 1933, … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 29 – January 4
January and February at the Pacific Film Archive
Documentaries old and new, movies about movies, and films directed by Ida Lupino, Sergei Eisenstein, and Ingmar Bergman. The Pacific Film Archive doesn't simply screen films, it screens film series. Here are the series it will run over the next two months: Ida Lupino: Hard, Fast, and Beautiful (January 13–February 24): To my knowledge, Lupino … Continue reading January and February at the Pacific Film Archive
How Many Films are Still Shot on Film: The 2017 Edition
How many theatrical motion pictures are still shot on film? Judging by my annual survey, less and less of them. Out of 23 narrative feature films currently screening in Bay Area theaters, only three were shot entirely on film. 15 were shot digitally - almost all with Ari Alexa cameras. An additional five were shot … Continue reading How Many Films are Still Shot on Film: The 2017 Edition
What’s Screening: December 22 – 28
Not surprisingly this time of year, but you can watch It's A Wonderful Life in three different Bay Area theaters this week. And on Christmas day itself, you can make a choice between Fiddler on the Roof and Goodfellas. And how's this for a present: both of Kurosawa's Shakespeare films at the PFA? Also, the New … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 22 – 28
Christmas Movies…as picked by a Jew
Why of all people am I writing about Christmas movies? I'm Jewish. I don't even celebrate Christmas. But there's much about Christmas that I enjoy. I like the way people decorate their homes for the season. Some of the songs are catchy and call for peace and love. Attending The Dickens Christmas Fair is one … Continue reading Christmas Movies…as picked by a Jew
What’s Screening: December 15 – 21
Star Wars is taking over the multiplexes across the Bay Area (and beyond). But we still have a few old movies worth watching. Festivals Along For the Ride: A Tribute To Dennis Hopper isn't quite a film festival, but it's the closest thing we get this week. This three-day series at the Roxie starts Friday … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 15 – 21
Watching Movies at Home: On the Internet or on shiny discs
Ideally, we should watch movies is in a theater. But this is the real world, and even the most fanatical cinephiles watch a lot of films at home. But the way we watch movies at home has changed considerably in the last few years, going from physical media to Internet streaming. How is that changing … Continue reading Watching Movies at Home: On the Internet or on shiny discs
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