The Bay Area supports several of what I can genre film festivals. There’s Noir City, Hole in the Head, Doc Fest, and two silent film festivals. (It also supports a lot of identity festivals—Jewish, Arab, Asian, LGBT, and so on--but that’s irrelevant to the current discussion.) It occurred to me recently that one important and … Continue reading Comedy Film Festival Coming to SF
What’s Screening: June 4 – 10
A lot of Kurosawa this week—hardly surprising with his centenary. But this puts me in an interesting spot as far as my Kurosawa Diary project is concerned. I’m trying to watch all of his films in chronological order. If I get a chance to see one theatrically, do I step out of sequence? Watch it … Continue reading What’s Screening: June 4 – 10
VIZ Cinema Added to Bayflicks
I’ve added a new theater to the Bayflicks list, VIZ Cinema. Located near Japantown and the Kabuki, the Viz seats only 143 and projects film and HD video. It has THX-certified sound. It specializes in Japanese cinema. In fact, I found out about it from a comment on my The Bad Sleep Well piece. Thanks, Brian, … Continue reading VIZ Cinema Added to Bayflicks
The Whistler & Kung Fu @ the PFA
The Pacific Film Archive reopened after it’s usual late-spring hiatus last night, and I was there. They had two programs, one of which was a double-bill. The double bill was the winner. Franchises are nothing new, and The Whistler series of low-budget film noirs ran from the mid to late-1940s. Based on a radio show, … Continue reading The Whistler & Kung Fu @ the PFA
Kurosawa Diary, Part 16: The Bad Sleep Well
Few people know Kurosawa’s dark, contemporary, and suspenseful tale of corruption and revenge—perhaps because it was made around the same time as his three lightest and most entertaining sword-and-kimono flicks. Commercially speaking, it can’t stand up to its predecessor, The Hidden Fortress, or the two action comedies that would follow it, Yojimbo and Sanjuro. But … Continue reading Kurosawa Diary, Part 16: The Bad Sleep Well
What’s Screening: May 28 – June 3
A+ Double Bill Stagecoach (1939) & High Noon, Stanford, Saturday through Tuesday. Two of the best westerns ever made. In Stagecoach, nine very different people must cross dangerous territory in the titular vehicle–a journey that forces them to confront their prejudices as well as angry Apaches. A young, impossibly handsome John Wayne made the leap from … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 28 – June 3
Digital Projection & Classic Movies
Twice this month I saw, projected digitally, an older, arguably classic film, originally intended to be screened in 35mm. One was a major disappointment—technically, at least. The other was perfectly acceptable. Both films were new “director’s cut” versions. I’m guessing that the owners of these films chose not to spend money on a 35mm print, … Continue reading Digital Projection & Classic Movies
Silent Film Festival Program Announced
The schedule for this year’s San Francisco Silent Film Festival is up. Running, as usual, at the Castro, the festival has been expanded from three days to four. Author, filmmaker, and archivist Kevin Brownlow will be in attendance, making this his second Bay Area festival appearance in a little over three years. As usual, all … Continue reading Silent Film Festival Program Announced
What’s Screening: May 21 – 27
I Still Wake Up Dreaming is still playing the Roxie and will be playing there through the week. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s a film noir festival. Other than that, not much to tell you about this week. But here are opportunities to see two very different views … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 21 – 27
The Newly Restored Metropolis
The latest restoration of Fritz Lang’s silent sci-fi epic Metropolis won’t play the Bay Area until the The San Francisco Silent Film Festival in July. But I’m currently in New York, and I saw it Friday night at the Film Forum. I’m finally willing to call it a true masterpiece. I can no longer say … Continue reading The Newly Restored Metropolis
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