When I think of the 1970s as a golden age of Hollywood-financed serious cinema, the first image to come into my mind is a lonely Robert De Niro walking the dark, mean streets of New York, slowly turning into a psychopath. Three young geniuses--writer Paul Schrader, director Martin Scorsese, and actor Robert De Niro--came together … Continue reading Blu-ray Review: Taxi Driver
Changes at the Roxie
The Roxie is undergoing more organizational changes. The biggest change: They'll be mixing more live theater with films. On weekends, you'll get a half hour of live entertainment before the movie. I don't have time to really evaluate the announcement, so I'll just do something horribly unprofessional. I'll just pass on their press release, unedited: … Continue reading Changes at the Roxie
Youtube 1911
I'm sure this is an April Fool's bit, and I suspect it will go away very soon. So check it out now. Go to Youtube and click on any video. In the lower-right corner, where you would usually see an HD button, there's a sepia label reading 1911. Press it for a return to older … Continue reading Youtube 1911
What’s Screening: April 1 – 7
With San Francisco's big film festival only three weeks away, the--um--provinces are racing to get their festivals in first. The Sonoma Film Festival opens Wednesday. Then the Oakland and Tiburon International Film Festivals both open on Thursday. Back in the City, the San Francisco International Women's Film Festival also opens Wednesday. D Potiche, Clay, Shattuck, … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 1 – 7
The Lost Criterion Commentaries
Back in the days before DVDs, if you loved films and wanted to enjoy them in your own home, the Criterion Collection was king. Their Laserdiscs were the first to have careful, state-of-the-art transfers, the first to letterbox widescreen films, and the first to come in supplement-filled special editions. They also, to my knowledge, invented … Continue reading The Lost Criterion Commentaries
Potiche
D Alleged comedy I don't like it when Roger Ebert complains that a lousy movie wasted two hours of his life. After all, it's his job. He's paid for it. And watching even the worst picture is better than what most people have to do for a living. But I review films as a hobby. … Continue reading Potiche
This Year’s San Francisco International Film Festival Announced
You probably found my notes from the San Francisco International Film Festival press conference impenetrable. Here's the polished version: This year's Festival opens Thursday, April 21 with Beginners and closes May 5 (also a Thursday) with On Tour. Over the course of those 15 days, it will screen 188 films from 48 countries in five … Continue reading This Year’s San Francisco International Film Festival Announced
This Year’s San Francisco International Film Festival Announced—Raw Version
These are my unedited notes from the SFIFF press conference. I don’t have Internet access here at the Westin, so I’ll post this as soon as I can. When I get a chance, I will post an edited version. Update: I had that chance. You'll find a more readable version here. I’m not totally comfortable … Continue reading This Year’s San Francisco International Film Festival Announced—Raw Version
What’s Screening: March 25 – 31
The Dance FIlm Festival continues through Monday. B+ The White Meadows, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Sunday, 4:00. I was saddened, but not surprised, to learn that the Iranian government has sentenced writer/director Mohammad Rasoulof to six years in prison. There's some definite political satire in this film, although not of the constant belly … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 25 – 31
Early News on the San Francisco International Film Festival
The press conference isn't until next Tuesday, but the San Francisco Film Society has been sending out select announcements for weeks now. Here's what I know: The festival opens with Beginners, starring Ewan McGregor as a man recalling the life of his recently-deceased, gay father (Christopher Plummer). Christine Vachon, producer of Kids, Happiness and Boys … Continue reading Early News on the San Francisco International Film Festival
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