Note: Something went wrong with this article soon after it went live. It disappeared. So I'm posting it again. If you're brave enough to go into a crowded theater this week, you can see movies by Ken Loach, Vincente Minnelli, Billy Wilder, George Cukor, Orson Welles, Martin Scorsese, Neil Jordan, and a not-yet-famous Carlo Mirabella-Davis. … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 13 – 19
This very bad marriage makes the protagonist want to Swallow
A- Drama/Thriller Written and directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis What makes a pregnant woman hurt herself so badly? Bit by bit - or perhaps I should say bite by bite - Hunter (Haley Bennett) physically tortures herself. She swallows things: a marble, a pin, a battery. It gets worse. Carlo Mirabella-Davis' fine drama shows at least … Continue reading This very bad marriage makes the protagonist want to Swallow
Depressing but necessary: Sorry We Missed You
A- Drama Written by Paul Laverty Directed by Ken Loach With a title like Sorry We Missed You, you'd expect a light, romantic comedy. Instead, you get something entirely different. Imagine a food that you absolutely hate, but you eat it anyway because it's good for you. That's like the experience of seeing Ken Loach's … Continue reading Depressing but necessary: Sorry We Missed You
What’s Screening: March 6 – 12
With coronavirus spreading, it's a scary time to go to the movies. The Stanford is closed until further notice, ending or delaying the Kurosawa series. Amazon, Netflix and other companies have dropped out of SXSW - a major technology and film festival in Austin. But if you have the courage to go to an arthouse … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 6 – 12
What’s Screening: February 28 – March 5
Robbie Robertson ignores his Band. Kurosawa goes '60s noir. Hitchcock becomes stranger on a train. And a giant mutant predator hits South Korea (and no, it's not Donald Trump). All this, plus three film festivals and more this week in Bay Area arthouse cinemas. Festivals The East Bay International Jewish Film Festival opens Friday and … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 28 – March 5
East Bay International Jewish Film Festival Preview
For some reason, I missed any news about the East Bay International Jewish Film Festival until Thursday afternoon. So I'm putting this together quickly. Here's what I think of seven films playing at the Festival (these are the films I've seen - mostly at other festivals), in order from best to worst. By the way, … Continue reading East Bay International Jewish Film Festival Preview
Why you should buy movies on shiny discs
I don't remember the last time I went to the video store and rented a movie. I suspect you don't either. Why should we? It's so much easier to stream them from Netflix, Criterion, Kanopy, or other services. And if the movie you want to see isn't on a service to which you subscribe, you … Continue reading Why you should buy movies on shiny discs
