B Film history documentary Directed by Dheeraj Akolkar Ingmar Bergman and Liv Ullmann comprise one of the great teams in film history. Their collaborations include Persona, Cries & Whispers, Scenes From a Marriage, and Autumn Sonata. As a romantic couple, they lasted only five years. But their artistic collaboration, and their friendship, lasted nearly 40, … Continue reading Cinematic Romance: My Review of Liv & Ingmar
What’s Screening: January 3 – 9
Still no festivals. But they're coming. Expect one next week. A Valley Girl, Castro, Friday. Was there ever a less promising film to become a classic? Made on a miniscule budget, financed by people more concerned with tits than story, and with a title ripped off from a recent novelty song hit, Valley Girl was … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 3 – 9
My Best Movie-Going Experiences of 2013
Happy New Year! Because I have ten fingers, I'm obliged to write a top-ten list every year. But I don't have to be conventional about it. Instead of listing my top ten new films of the year, I'm writing about my best movie-going experiences. To pick these ten, I take into account the quality of … Continue reading My Best Movie-Going Experiences of 2013
Kurosawa Says Noh to Shakespeare: My Blu-ray review of Throne of Blood
Akira Kurosawa went out on a limb when he made his loose Macbeth adaptation, Throne of Blood. Highly stylized and heavily influenced by Japan's noh theater, the picture holds you emotionally at an arm's length. You're never invited to identify with or even empathize with the characters. This is Kurosawa at his coldest, as if … Continue reading Kurosawa Says Noh to Shakespeare: My Blu-ray review of Throne of Blood
What’s Screening: December 27 – January 2
No festivals this week, but we do get a new year. And some movies. New Year's Eve Family Carnival Night, Alameda, Tuesday, 7:00. The Alameda is promising a magician, clowns, games, a raffle, and, yes, movies. The whole thing is sponsored by the Alameda Pinball Museum, as a memorial for Craig Wolff and a benefit … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 27 – January 2
Upcoming Festivals: Subtitled Noir and Subtitled German
We think of film noir as a very American genre…which is kind of weird. After all, the very word noir should remind us that the French recognized a unique style and gave it a name. So I'm happy to tell you that in its12th installment, Noir City goes international. There will be films from Spain, … Continue reading Upcoming Festivals: Subtitled Noir and Subtitled German
What’s Screening: December 20 – 26
Sorry, folks. No festivals this week. I think that has to do with some holiday that Fox News wants to go to war for. B Go for Sisters, Opera Plaza, opens Friday. John Sayles at his most conventional; in all but the details, you’ve seen this film before. A pair of mismatched protagonists join forces … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 20 – 26
The Once-Great John Sayles Makes a Pretty Good Mystery in Go for Sisters
B Mystery/thriller Written and directed by John Sayles Back in the 1990s, independent filmmaker John Sayles turned out one great film after another. But he's been turning out mostly disappointments for a long time now. His latest film, Go for Sisters, didn't disappoint me, but that's only because I've lowered my expectations about this once-great … Continue reading The Once-Great John Sayles Makes a Pretty Good Mystery in Go for Sisters
Finishing up the PFA’s 4K Series
Within the space of 48 hours, I attended the last three screenings at the Pacific Film Archive's series The Resolution Starts Now: 4K Restorations from Sony Pictures. With these screenings, there was no Grover Crisp to discuss the technology and how it effects the art. Aside from very brief introductions from the PFA's Steve Seid, … Continue reading Finishing up the PFA’s 4K Series
A Century Ago: The Films of 1913
Thursday night, I drove to the Rafael to see A Century Ago: The Films of 1913. This is the latest edition of an annual event--one that was just becoming possible a scant decade ago. And, in its current form, it won't be possible for much longer. In 1910, people still went to movies primarily to … Continue reading A Century Ago: The Films of 1913
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