B- Travelogue romance Written and directed by Eleanor Coppola The best compliment I can give Eleanor Coppola's narrative feature debut is pleasant. Paris Can Wait is not particularly funny or dramatic. Although the plot revolves around whether two people will sleep together, it's not sexy. In a few scenes, it opens modest insights into the … Continue reading Paris Can Wait, and it’s a pleasant trip
The first Filmex, and my first film festival
We've been cleaning our house lately, and I stumbled upon a fascinating relic of my youth: The program for the first film festival I ever attended. It was the inaugural Los Angeles International Film Exposition, also known as Filmex. This was in November of 1971. I was a senior at Hollywood High School, only two … Continue reading The first Filmex, and my first film festival
What’s Screening: May 12 – 18
Musicians, comedians, painters, documentaries and dogs appear on Bay Area movie screens this week. Festivals Doclands continues through Sunday. Here are two movies screening at the festival: A Long Strange Trip, Sunday, 2:00, AT RUSH. Tickets may be made available at showtime The Grateful Dead played great music for nearly 30 years, building up the … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 12 – 18
From the Ashes comes the death of coal (we hope)
Is it possible to make an optimistic documentary about climate change in the age of Trump? Michael Bonfiglio manages to do just that in From the Ashes. I saw the Bloomberg Philanthropies documentary Wednesday night at a special screening., hosted by San Francisco mayor Ed Lee. The film will probably not receive a theatrical run … Continue reading From the Ashes comes the death of coal (we hope)
The cure for another superhero summer: What’s coming up at the Pacific Film Archive
Going to the movies in the summer usually means brainless superhero movies. But thanks to the Pacific Film Archive, you can have far better options. Yes, I know that we're all supposed to call it BAMPFA now, but I prefer the traditional name, or PFA for short. Whatever you call it, UC Berkeley's art house … Continue reading The cure for another superhero summer: What’s coming up at the Pacific Film Archive
Film and Television
We cinephiles had an expression back in the 1970s: "Film is art. Television is furniture." Today, you can barely tell the two mediums apart. We watch movies, uncut and in the right aspect ratio, at home on large televisions. And we even watch television in movie theaters. These used to be two different mediums. Now … Continue reading Film and Television
What’s Screening: May 5 – 11
Film preservation, rock 'n' roll, a seductive Housemaid, and three film festivals grace Bay Area screens this week. Festivals CyberiaVR continues through Sunday Want something international but on the dark side? A Rare Noir is Good to Find opens tonight and runs through Monday. I recommend two films from the festival below. DocLands opens Wednesday Worth … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 5 – 11
Summertime: Lesbian love in 1971
A- Romantic drama Written by Catherine Corsini and Laurette Polmanss Directed by Catherine Corsini Note: I wrote this review almost a year ago, shortly before the film's screening at the 2016 Frameline festival. I assumed that it would receive an American theatrical release. It didn't. I just discovered that the movie is available on several … Continue reading Summertime: Lesbian love in 1971
John Huston, Humphrey Bogart, the Devil, and a certain black bird: Sunday at the Castro
Sunday I attended the Castro John Huston/Humphrey Bogart double bill of Beat the Devil and The Maltese Falcon. Much as I love Falcon, Devil was the real attraction. I had only seen it once before, long ago, and wasn't impressed. But the Film Foundation recently restored the movie, reconstructing director John Huston's original cut. This … Continue reading John Huston, Humphrey Bogart, the Devil, and a certain black bird: Sunday at the Castro
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg brings romance to Blu-ray
A young couple in the blush of first love get separated by war and other inconveniences. Their young dreams and the world's harsh realities come into conflict, bringing the story to an ending that is neither happy nor sad, but bittersweet. That sounds like a drama, but Jacques Demy's The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is a … Continue reading The Umbrellas of Cherbourg brings romance to Blu-ray
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