I attended the first night of the Pacific Film Archive's Howard Hawks retrospective last night. The opening pictures, The Crowd Roars and Tiger Shark, made an odd choice. Made in 1932, soon after his classic Scarface, these are not amongst his best work, his earliest work, or his best early work. They're merely pretty good … Continue reading Two By Howard Hawks
What’s Screening: January 13 – 19
Grapes of wrath in a red desert beneath the colors of the mountain…where samurais search for German gems. Finally, some festivals! For Your Consideration: A Selection of Oscar Submissions From Around the World runs through the week at the Rafael. And German Gems plays the Castro on Saturday, then heads north to Point Arena for … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 13 – 19
What’s Screening: January 6 – 12
Yet another Bay Area week without a single film festival. A The Mill and the Cross, Castro, Wednesday. Painting with the wide palette that 21st century cinema allows, Lech Majewski creates a masterwork about Bruegel creating The Way to Calvary--one of his masterworks. True to Bruegel’s style, the film starts with the day-to-day lives of … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 6 – 12
My Best Movie-Going Experiences of 2011
Happy New Year! With 2011 now consigned to the pages of history (and probably mythology), it's time to look back at my favorite movie-going experiences of 2011. These aren’t the best films of 2011, the best films I saw at festivals that didn't get a theatrical release, or even the best restorations. These are simply … Continue reading My Best Movie-Going Experiences of 2011
What’s Screening: December 30–January 5
West Side Story, Douglas Fairbanks’ last silent, and The Wizard of Oz. No festivals this week. And the Pacific Film Archive and Stanford are closed, as well. B Sing-a-Long West Side Story, Castro, Friday through Monday. I’m commenting on the movie, not the sing-a-long experience. West Side Story swings erratically from glorious brilliance to astonishing … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 30–January 5
Two Films Playing at German Gems Festival in January
I've previewed two films that will be screened at the upcoming German Gems festival. Here's what I thought of them. Both films will screen at the Castro on Saturday, January 14 B+ Above Us Only Sky (Über uns das All), 4:30. Writer/director Jan Schomburg gives us a sad yet sexy story about the secrets that … Continue reading Two Films Playing at German Gems Festival in January
The New Pacific Film Archive Calendar
The Pacific Film Archive is still on its winter hiatus, and will remain so until January 12. But the January/February schedule is out, so we have some idea of what's ahead. This is an auteur heavy schedule, with four series devoted to particular filmmakers (two American, two French): Henri-Georges Clouzot, Howard Hawks, Robert Bresson, and … Continue reading The New Pacific Film Archive Calendar
RiffTrax Live: Plan 9 from Outer Space
Three MST3K veterans add comic commentary to Plan Nine from Outer Space, allegedly the worst film of all time. I laughed so hard I was gasping for breath. When I started reviewing Blu-ray discs on this blog, my policy would be to stick with classics. I'm not sure if this review is a derivation from … Continue reading RiffTrax Live: Plan 9 from Outer Space
What’s Screening: December 23 – 29
It’s a wonderful life for a reincarnated artist who will melt with you while singin’ in the rain. All playing this week in San Francisco Bay Area Theaters. Still no December festivals, but you can read about the January ones. On the other hand, the Castro will screen four musical double bills, which between them … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 23 – 29
Review: My Reincarnation
A Tibetan Buddhist master and his westernized son clash over the young man's place in the old man's cultural and religious world. It's a story as old, or older, than The Jazz Singer. But in My Reincarnation, a documentary by Jennifer Fox, it's made new again. B+ Documentary Directed by Jennifer Fox Chögyal Namkhai Norbu … Continue reading Review: My Reincarnation
Bayflicks 