I don't do the usual top ten list. Instead, as one year ends and another begins, I list my favorite movie-going experiences of the previous year. What makes a great movie-going experience. A great movie helps a lot--but it isn't entirely necessary. It's a combination of the movie, the theater, the print, the projection, and … Continue reading Best Movie-going experiences of 2015
The Force Awakens at the Alamo Drafthouse New Mission
Thursday afternoon--the last afternoon of 2015--my wife and I finally saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And we went out of our way to see it at the Alamo Drafthouse New Mission. It was our first experience seeing a movie there. It was a lot of fun, but expensive. I've already written about the New Mission--the … Continue reading The Force Awakens at the Alamo Drafthouse New Mission
What’s Screening: January 1 – 7
We've got two sort-of film festivals opening this week. The Rafael isn't calling For Your Consideration a festival, but a concentration of 13 films in seven days qualifies by my book. It opens today (Friday) and runs through Thursday. SF Sketchfest, which opens Thursday, is clearly a festival, but movies are only one part of … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 1 – 7
First Film Festivals of 2016
The Bay Area's traditional December film festival draught will end soon. Here are four festivals coming down the pike: SF Sketchfest January 7 - 24 Yes, it's a stretch to call Sketchfest a film fest. After all, it's primarily about standup comedy. But it has some funny movies, too These movies include Teen Witch, Hook, … Continue reading First Film Festivals of 2016
Sundance Film Festival 2015 Award-Winning Shorts
A- Selection of shorts A dystopian future, war-torn screen tests, scuba diving under ice, and a sexually-frustrated single mom all turn up in this selection of six short subjects that won awards at the 2015 Sundance film festival. I loved five out of the six. World of Tomorrow, Short Film Jury Award a little girl, … Continue reading Sundance Film Festival 2015 Award-Winning Shorts
A+ List: The Kid Brother
When people talk about the masterpieces of silent comedy, they usually name The Gold Rush, The General, and City Lights. If they bring up Harold Lloyd at all, they'll praise Safety Last or The Freshman. To my mind, Lloyd's The Kid Brother belongs with the best. It earns that right by its irresistible story, its beautiful … Continue reading A+ List: The Kid Brother
How Many Films are Still Shot on Film: The 2015 Edition
How many theatrical features are still shot on old-fashioned film? More than you might expect. According to my very casual survey, about 29 percent of this year's films that could reasonably have been shot on film were shot on film. That's actually more than the last time I did this survey, back in March. When … Continue reading How Many Films are Still Shot on Film: The 2015 Edition
What’s Screening: December 25 – 31
No film festivals this week, but there are still a whole lot of theaters screening Star Wars: The Force Awakens (I have tickets for this Thursday). Here are some other films screening around the Bay this week. A- Spotlight, Piedmont, Shattuck, already playing A quartet of dogged and determined journalists at the Boston Globe blows … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 25 – 31
The Hateful Eight and the Return of Ultra Panavision 70
I really don't know what to do about Quentin Tarantino's upcoming film, The Hateful Eight. On one hand, I'm a total geek over historic film formats, so I can't help but be excited about the first film shot in Ultra Panavision 70 in nearly 50 years. On the other hand, it's a film by Quentin … Continue reading The Hateful Eight and the Return of Ultra Panavision 70
What’s Screening: December 18 – 24
We're in the traditional no-film-festival season. But there's a series going on at the Roxie, Far, Far Away and Yet So Close: Science Fiction In San Francisco, that feels very much like a festival to me, so I'm treating it as one. B+ Time After Time, Roxie, Saturday, 2:30; Sunday, 3:30 & 9:30, Tuesday, 9:30 … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 18 – 24
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