C+ Heartwarming wartime thriller Written by Nader Rizq Directed by Eran Riklis Think Hell in the Pacific. Two soldiers on opposing sides must work together to survive. And in doing so, they find each other's humanity. Except that this time, one of the soldiers is a pre-teen, and the world they're trying to escape from … Continue reading Fanciful Thriller About Israeli-Palestinian Bonding: My Review of Zaytoun
Steve McQueen and 12 Years a Slave
I attended the Mill Valley Film Festival screening of 12 Years a Slave Friday night. Absolutely amazing. True story: In 1841, Con artists kidnapped Solomon Northup--a free-born African American living in upstate New York--and sold him into slavery down south. Movie: This film shows us the horrors of slavery through the eyes of an educated … Continue reading Steve McQueen and 12 Years a Slave
What’s Screening: October 11 – 17
The Mill Valley Film Festival continues through Sunday. Both the Petaluma International Film Festival and The Arab Film Festival open today and also run through Sunday. I've placed my Mill Valley capsules at the end of this newsletter. A A Star is Born (1954 version), Castro, Monday. The second and best of three versions of … Continue reading What’s Screening: October 11 – 17
Mill Valley Film Festival Report: Costa-Gavras Tribute
Greek/French filmmaker Costa-Gavras has been making slick, exciting political films since the 1960s. His works have attacked Fascism, Communism, American foreign policy, and a Pope. Friday night, he stepped up onto the stage at the Rafael's downstairs auditorium to discuss his career and screen his latest film. But he didn't step up on time. The … Continue reading Mill Valley Film Festival Report: Costa-Gavras Tribute
What’s Screening: October 4 – 10
The season's big event, the Mill Valley Film Festival, continues through the week and a bit beyond. A much less ambitious festival, Hong Kong Cinema, opens today and runs through the weekend. I've listed Mill Valley events at the bottom of this newsletter. B When Comedy Went to School, Opera Plaza, Shattuck, opens Friday. This … Continue reading What’s Screening: October 4 – 10
Special Charlie Chaplin Day at Castro in January
Audiences first saw Charlie Chaplin on a movie screen on February 2, 1914. (Thousands had already seen him live.) On that day, his first Keystone one-reeler, "Making a Living," premiered to audiences who were not, reportedly all that excited. But with his second flick, "Kid Auto Races in Venice," he became a sensation. In other … Continue reading Special Charlie Chaplin Day at Castro in January
Did You Hear the One About the Documentary? When Comedy Went to School
B Documentary Directed by Mevlet Akkava and Ron Frank I didn't know it at the time (after all, I grew up in Los Angeles), but I was raised on Catskills Mountain humor. Jerry Lewis, Danny Kaye, and Buddy Hackett taught me to laugh. As I grew older, Carl Reiner, Woody Allen, and Tom Lehrer took … Continue reading Did You Hear the One About the Documentary? When Comedy Went to School
Mill Valley Film Festival Preview
I've managed to preview three (well, two and a half) features that will screen at the Mill Valley Film Festival. Here's what I thought of them: A Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine If a film makes me cry, it gets an A. This documentary about the horrific, homophobic murder of a young gay … Continue reading Mill Valley Film Festival Preview
What’s Screening: September 27 – October 3
The Latino Film Festival closes today. The Oakland Underground Film Festival continues through Sunday. The Iranian Film Festival plays through the weekend. And the biggest one of the season, the Mill Valley Film Festival, opens Thursday. B+ Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978 version), corner of Oxford and Center streets, download Berkeley, Friday, 8:00. Free. … Continue reading What’s Screening: September 27 – October 3
Who Should Have Directed Gatsby?
I've never seen any film version of The Great Gatsby. I've read the book, and loved it. But none of the movie adaptations earned much respect; certainly not enough for me to seek them out. Which is odd, because the book seems easy to adapt. It's short. It's almost entirely dialog and action. A screenwriter … Continue reading Who Should Have Directed Gatsby?
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