A- Espionage drama Written by Matt Charman, Ethan Coen, and Joel Coen Directed by Steven Spielberg Two superpowers, each hating and fearing the other as a military and ideological enemy, face each other off. Neither wants to back down. Neither wants to give an inch. But both know full well that if their cold war … Continue reading Pride, decency, nationalism, and the Bridge of Spies (also the Mill Valley Film Festival screening in Corte Madera)
Ian McKellen at the Mill Valley Film Festival
Sunday night, I attended the Sir Ian Mckellen tribute at the Rafael--all part of the Mill Valley Film Festival. The event started 20 minutes late; no explanation was given. Executive Director Mark Fishkin started out with a brief summary of McKellen's many awards, nominations, and honors. He has received six Olivier awards, two Oscar nominations, … Continue reading Ian McKellen at the Mill Valley Film Festival
Cars, Queens, and Eye Surgery: Saturday at the Mill Valley Film Festival
This event should really be called the Marin Film Festival. It uses theaters all over the county. But I really did spend Saturday in Mill Valley, a town that I've never quite figured out geographically. I caught three films there. B- Havana Motor Club I'm not really a fan of car racing, which may affect my … Continue reading Cars, Queens, and Eye Surgery: Saturday at the Mill Valley Film Festival
Big, roadshow musical movies coming to the Bay Area
A particular kind of movie musical will soon get a lot of exposure in the Bay Area--the large-format roadshow musicals of the 1950s and '60s. These were almost always close adaptations of popular Broadway stage musicals. They were often shot and projected in large, high-definition, film formats such as Todd-AO or Super Panavision 70. And … Continue reading Big, roadshow musical movies coming to the Bay Area
What’s Screening: October 9 – 15
The Mill Valley Film Festival runs throughout the week. And the United Nations Association Film Festival opens Thursday. I've included festival films at the bottom of this newsletter. B Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon, Opera Plaza, Shattuck, opens Friday The National Lampoon magazine was irreverent, offensive, bold, crazy, satirical, and … Continue reading What’s Screening: October 9 – 15
A+ List: Grand Illusion
Most movies are forgotten five years after their release. The masterpieces last decades. And so I continue with my survey of my all-time favorite films--my A+ list. Early in Jean Renoir's 1937 POW tale, a German officer announces that he just shot down a plane. He orders an underling to find and a capture the … Continue reading A+ List: Grand Illusion
What’s Screening: October 2 – 8
The Mill Valley Film Festival opens Thursday. And even though no one else is calling the Jack Pierce Classic Monster Movie Week a festival, it qualifies in my view. I've placed some comments about the Jack Pierce series at the end of this newsletter. A 50's noir double bill: Sweet Smell of Success & The Night of … Continue reading What’s Screening: October 2 – 8
A+ List: Goodfellas
Looking at my A+ list alphabetically, we go from The Godfather to The Godfather Part II--epic stories of American organized crime. Next alphabetically: Goodfellas--another epic story of American organized crime. And with Goodfellas, we really get down to the nitty gritty. And believe me, it's gritty. The Godfather was based on a novel; Goodfellas on a … Continue reading A+ List: Goodfellas
Mill Valley Film Festival Preview
I've screened five films that will play at the upcoming Mill Valley Film Festival. Here's what I thought of them, from best to still pretty good. A Here Is Harold This very dark Norwegian comedy touches on issues of age, senility, parent/child relationships, big box stores and their effect on local businesses, and whether it's … Continue reading Mill Valley Film Festival Preview
What’s Screening: September 25 – October 1
A lot of film festivals this weekend, but all of them end before Monday. The Matatu Film Festival closes Saturday The San Francisco Latino Film Festival closes Sunday The Iranian Film Festival opens Saturday and closes Sunday The one-day Vittorio De Sica – a Film Series runs all day Saturday. And now this: A- The … Continue reading What’s Screening: September 25 – October 1
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