I've been writing a lot about Buster Keaton lately, thanks to BAMPFA's series Camera Man: Buster Keaton. I've been a fan of the Great Stoneface for more than 50 years now. but it's great to experience these films theatrically, with live music and other people laughing. I missed Sherlock Jr., so my first experience of … Continue reading Keaton at the BAMPFA
In the Heat of the Night in 4K
The Best Picture winner of 1967 is one terrific noir. But it's far more than that. Culturally, it was an important part of the civil rights movement, while still being an effective whodunit. It also used color film in ways that few had been rarely successful before – especially in noir. Kino Lorber is selling … Continue reading In the Heat of the Night in 4K
What’s Screening: December 9 – 15
Movies this week can be explained by two words: Buster, and Keaton. The great stoneface pops up, mostly as the movie's star, in four films this week. But Bay Area theaters are also giving us holiday cheer, even if it's a 3D noir. But if you want something serious, Inmar Bergman is on the screen, … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 9 – 15
The new “greatest film ever made,” and you probably don’t know it
Last week, I got very good news. Vertigo was no longer the official "greatest film ever made." And the new "greatest film" is a masterpiece you probably don't know. In 1952, Sight & Sound Magazine took a poll of film critics to select the greatest films of all time. The top winner was Vittorio De … Continue reading The new “greatest film ever made,” and you probably don’t know it
My experiences at the Day of Silents
Yes, that's Silents, not Silence. It rained off and on in the Castro neighborhood, but it was dry and joyful (mostly) in the Castro theater. Two days before the Day, cinema made history. A selection of critics released their once-a-decade Sight & Sound of the Best Films of All Time. I'll get to that soon. … Continue reading My experiences at the Day of Silents
What’s Screening: December 2 – 8
As we enter the holiday season, local movie theaters celebrate zombies, killer robots, and violence at a concert. On the other hand, there's Buster Keaton, Quentin Tarantino, Bogart in bandages, and Dolly Parton's best song. And yes, there's a free Christmas movie, too. Festivals & Series The Another Hole in the Head Film Festival continues … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 2 – 8
Movies I’ve recently seen: Quiet on the Western Front ֍ The Decameron ֍ Lady Chatterley’s Lover ֍ His People ֍ Saving Mr. Banks ֍ The Prisoner of Zenda
Here are six films I hadn't seen before my last Recently Seen article. For the most part, they're about war, sex, family, movies, intrigue, and more sex. A- All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) It's about time the German film industry turned Erich Maria Remarque's powerful anti-war novel into a film. Hollywood did it … Continue reading Movies I’ve recently seen: Quiet on the Western Front ֍ The Decameron ֍ Lady Chatterley’s Lover ֍ His People ֍ Saving Mr. Banks ֍ The Prisoner of Zenda
What’s Screening: Nov 25 – Dec 1
Want more vintage cinema on the big screen? This week in the Bay Area you can go to a theater and see movies directed by David Lean, Jean-Luc Godard, William Wyler, Erich von Stroheim, and more. Festivals & Series The Another Hole in the Head Film Festival opens Thursday Promising events Greed (1924), Niles Essanay … Continue reading What’s Screening: Nov 25 – Dec 1
Much Ado About Shakespeare’s Comedy
Who would you expect to direct the better Shakespeare film: Kenneth Branagh or Joss Whedon? Sounds like a stupid question. Branagh is our generation's Laurence Olivier – the man who turns the bard into flesh and blood. Whedon makes sci-fi and runs a production company called Mutant Enemy Productions. Yet Whedon's film of Much Ado About … Continue reading Much Ado About Shakespeare’s Comedy
Keaton, Coen, and Suzuki: Winter movies at BAMPFA
If you're a Bay Area cinephile, you probably know that the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) doesn't just show movies. It shows series of movies. Here are the series that will keep you cinematically warm over the winter. Camera Man: Buster Keaton (Dec 4-21) Sherlock Jr. How much do I love Buster Keaton? My … Continue reading Keaton, Coen, and Suzuki: Winter movies at BAMPFA
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