Here's what's happening in Bay Area movie theaters this week: Quentin Tarantino is coming to the Castro. A terrific documentary about George Washington and a controversial mural. Two very different space movies. Masterpieces starring Humphrey Bogart and Bruce Willis (no, not in the same movie). The film that made Schwarzenegger famous. And the New Mission … Continue reading What’s Screening: Nov 4 – 10
What’s Screening: Oct. 28 – Nov. 3
If you're getting tired of horror movies, don't despair; Halloween will soon be over. This week, Bay Area theaters will show non-scary gems from Peter Bogdanovich, Mira Nair, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Hayao Miyazaki, and Vincente Minnelli. But if you're still looking for a fright, there are works from Jordan Peele, Alfred Hitchcock, Roman Polanski, Victor … Continue reading What’s Screening: Oct. 28 – Nov. 3
A Day of Silents at the Castro
Yes, that's Silents, not Silence. On Saturday, December 3, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival will have a one-day marathon of silent movies and live music. A Day of Silents will play at the Castro. These days, every time you go to that beautiful theater, you may be watching a movie there for the last … Continue reading A Day of Silents at the Castro
Fire of Love on the very big screen
How often do you see a documentary on volcanoes that's also a romantic love story? Katia and Maurice Krafft – a very happily married couple – spent their lives studying the dangerous powers that occasionally break through the earth's crust. But I didn't watch it the way I should have seen it. I first saw … Continue reading Fire of Love on the very big screen
What’s Screening: Oct. 21 – 27
What can you see on Bay Area big screens this week? Two of the best of Hitchcock. The looney, and sexy, world of Max Fleischer. Also, there's a very disturbing post-Holocaust thriller, Mel Brooks' Halloween treat, the world's most Catholic horror flick, and Charlie Chaplin with live music. Festivals & Series The Albany Filmfest closes … Continue reading What’s Screening: Oct. 21 – 27
Night of the Living Dead in 4K Blu-ray
I've never been a big fan of zombie movies. To me, zombies are just vampires without sex appeal. Yet Night of the Living Dead is one of the scariest movies I've ever seen. There are others with bigger death counts, or ones dripping with more blood. Many are funnier – intentionally or not. But in … Continue reading Night of the Living Dead in 4K Blu-ray
What’s Screening: October 14 – 20
Remember when Imax was for documentaries and travelogues? This Monday, you can see a doc that's also a love story and seems to be perfect for the gigantic screen. Also in movie theaters this week: James Cameron's excellent sequel, the noir that broke the color line, Kubrick's horror, and vampires haunting both Iran and New … Continue reading What’s Screening: October 14 – 20
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of October
What will likely shiver your bones on Halloween? It's not the fake tombstones. Or the recorded witch voice. And not even the children's dentist bills. The true terror will be the realization that at midnight, on Halloween, many movies will disappear from the Criterion Channel. Now that's scary! So here are some of the best … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of October
What’s Screening: October 7 – 13
We're deeper into October, yet we're not seeing as many horror films this week as last. Instead, Bay Area theaters are screening two political documentaries, Robert Altman's unusual western, Jean-Luc Godard's first and best movie, one of the greatest dance routines ever put on film, and part two of Richard Linklater's brilliantly romantic trilogy. If … Continue reading What’s Screening: October 7 – 13
Movies I’ve recently seen: Bros ֍ See How They Run ֍ Contempt ֍ Car Wash
Here are four films I recently saw for the first time. Curiously, the two new movies are both better than the two new-to-me movies. Proof that vintage cinema isn't always great cinema. A Bros (2022); still in theaters This is the best and most original romantic comedy I've seen since Annie Hall. The characters are real and … Continue reading Movies I’ve recently seen: Bros ֍ See How They Run ֍ Contempt ֍ Car Wash
Bayflicks 