Francis Coppola, Louise Brooks, crack cocaine, and Laurel & Hardy all grace this week's Bay Area screenings. Festivals The 3rd i South Asian Film Festival continues through Sunday, then comes back for one more date next week. The SF Urban Film Fest opens Monday and runs through the week and beyond. New Italian Cinema opens … Continue reading What’s Screening: November 11 – 17
Denial at the Albany
Wednesday night, I went to the Albany Theater to see Denial. They were screening the drama in the big, downstairs theater. I thought I was going to be the only person in the audience. But as the trailers were starting, I heard someone sit down a few rows behind me. I turned around, saw a man, … Continue reading Denial at the Albany
A+ List: Do the Right Thing
For a 27-year-old film, Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing feels very much like the here and now. The only obvious difference is that when cops kill an unarmed black man, no one records it on their cellphone. By focusing on a few blocks of Brooklyn's Bed Stuy neighborhood over the course of one very … Continue reading A+ List: Do the Right Thing
Jean Renoir and Spike Lee at the PFA
I saw two highly-regarded classic films Saturday night at the Pacific Film Archive. This was not a double feature. They were about as different as good films can be. The Golden Coach This was my first experience with Jean Renoir's 1952 commedia dell'arte about, well, commedia dell'arte. It's also about arrogant aristocrats, starving artists, and, … Continue reading Jean Renoir and Spike Lee at the PFA
Doc Stories festival opens with Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds
Quick note: Yes, I've been changing Bayflicks' design a lot lately. Hopefully this one will last. Growing up with famous parents can't be easy--especially if your father left home for Elizabeth Taylor, and your relentlessly upbeat mother insisted that you follow in her footsteps. And then, decades later, a bunch of documentarians invade your privacy … Continue reading Doc Stories festival opens with Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds
What’s Screening: November 4 – 10
James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, Spike Lee, and the silent version of Mad Max at this week's Bay Area screenings. Festivals Doc Stories continues through Sunday If you're interested in noirs made in France, The French Had a Name For It runs through Monday Another Hole in the Head Film Festival continues through Wednesday The 3rd … Continue reading What’s Screening: November 4 – 10
Revisiting Rocky Horror at the UC Theatre
On Halloween night, I attempted to go back in time. Call it a time warp. I attended The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the fabled UC Theatre. I had a lot of fun, but much of the experience annoyed me. When I wrote about the UC, I neglected to mention that it ran Rocky Horror … Continue reading Revisiting Rocky Horror at the UC Theatre
The Eagle Huntress: Just a little too slick
C+ Documentary Directed by Otto Bell We all know that documentaries can lie to us far worse than narratives--which we go into knowing they're false. Otto Bell's doc, about a Mongolian girl who proves she's better than any man, entertains and inspires. But it feels false. Parts of the story are difficult to believe. And almost … Continue reading The Eagle Huntress: Just a little too slick
Upcoming Events
Happy Halloween, even if I'm not really into it this year. The election is scary enough. Nevertheless, I thought it would be a good time to discuss a few events coming up in November…and even a bit of December. The Castro starts the month with films still playing in first run: Nate Parker's The Birth … Continue reading Upcoming Events
What’s Screening: October 28 – November 3
Silent horror, women-created horror, hole-in-the-head horror, Spanish horror, and even Rocky Horror in this Halloween week's Bay Area screenings. Festivals The United Nations Association Film Festival continues through Sunday. I didn't find out about Horrific Women--Female Directors Killin' It in time to list it last week, but I have it now. Another Hole in the … Continue reading What’s Screening: October 28 – November 3
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