A romantic drama Written by Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, & Ethan Hawke Directed by Richard Linklater This isn't supposed to happen. You don't want independent, serious, thoughtful, adult-oriented cinema to have franchises. Art is not expected to have sequels--let alone threequels. And yet, the third film in Richard Linklater's Before series is a gem--as good … Continue reading Independent Cinema’s 1st Threequel: Before Midnight
Bay Area Silent Summer 2013: Great Opportunities to Watch Movies with Live Musical Accompaniment
Perhaps it's the fog. When summer rolls around in the Bay Area, people want to go to the movies. And a sufficient number of those people want to go to silent movies, preferably accompanied by live music. You can devote three of June's five weekends to silent film. And that doesn't even include the biggest … Continue reading Bay Area Silent Summer 2013: Great Opportunities to Watch Movies with Live Musical Accompaniment
A New Schedule and a New Projector at the Pacific Film Archive
I've got the new summer schedule for the Pacific Film Archive. And the biggest news is hidden between the lines. As I looked over the printed schedule, I noticed that the PFA will screen several films off DCPs. As far as I knew, the PFA didn't have that capability. Last year, Senior Film Curator Susan … Continue reading A New Schedule and a New Projector at the Pacific Film Archive
DocFest Preview
I've managed to preview three films that will screen at the upcoming DocFest (two of them Bay Area-based). Here's what I thought of them: A- Public Sex, Private Lives Skip this movie if you're simply looking for titillation. But if you're really curious about the performers who make a living (and apparently a good one) … Continue reading DocFest Preview
The Clock at SFMOMA
You've probably heard about The Clock, a current exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art that is, effectively speaking, a 24-hour-long movie. I caught a tiny slice of it on Thursday. (And no, you don't have to see it from beginning to end.) Created by Christian Marclay, The Clock is a masterpiece of … Continue reading The Clock at SFMOMA
What’s Screening: May 24 – 30
The Playground Film Festival continues through Saturday, while the Green Film Festival opens Thursday. Other than that, not much going on that I can tell you about. A- What Maisie Knew, Embarcadero, Albany, opens Friday. This family drama follows the aftereffects of a very angry, messy, and vindictive divorce–as seen through the eyes of the … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 24 – 30
What Maisie Knew
A- Family drama Written by Nancy Doyne & Carroll Cartwright Based on the novel by Henry James Directed by Scott McGehee & David Siegel Full disclosure: I'm inclined to go easy on movies where a very likeable, good-looking, and essentially decent character has the first name Lincoln. Those of you named Bob or John probably … Continue reading What Maisie Knew
The Mendocino Film Festival
The little town of Mendocino is my favorite getaway spot--a great place to decompress. And I love film festivals. So clearly, the Mendocino Film Festival sounds like a perfect weekend. Or does it? The Festival runs May 31 - June 2. Set on a particularly dramatic spot on the Northern California coast, Mendocino combines dramatic … Continue reading The Mendocino Film Festival
What’s Screening: May 17 – 23
The Playground Film Festival keeps on going. And if you need something noirish, I Wake Up Dreaming continues through the week. And this week, the Balboa starts Popcorn Palace, a series of kiddie matinees every Saturday at 10:00am. The series starts with a collection of independent, child-friendly, animated shorts. B Something in the Air, Opera … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 17 – 23
Something in the Air: Radical youth of 1971 act out, then wander aimlessly
B Period drama Written and directed by Olivier Assayas Youthful innocence takes strange forms. For many in 1971, it took the conflicting forms of sex-and-drugs hedonism and radical leftwing activism. They didn't always work well together. In Olivier Assayas' loose tale of French youth, the characters spend much of their time fighting the establishment and arguing … Continue reading Something in the Air: Radical youth of 1971 act out, then wander aimlessly
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