I finally saw The Big Country on the big screen last night--at the Rafael. I was wrong to give this sprawling, 1958, pacifistic western a B. This is A material. This was the second of the Rafael’s three-part, weekend-long Academy Color Restorations series. Part 3, Jean Renoir's The River, starts tonight at 7:00. The restoration … Continue reading The Big Country on the Big Screen
What’s Screening: September 12-18
Double Bill: Treasure of the Sierra Madre & There Will Be Blood, Castro, Sunday. Two excellent films from very different times about much the same thing. In Treasure of the Sierra Madre:, three down-on-their-luck Yankees (Humphrey Bogart, Tim Holt, and the director's father, Walter Huston) prospect for gold in Mexico. They find and stake out … Continue reading What’s Screening: September 12-18
Mill Valley Film Festival Announced
What's the difference between Sarah Palin and George W. Bush? Lipstick. I know. That has nothing to do with the subject at hand, or even with cinema, but it occurred to me this afternoon and I had to share it. The 31st annual Mill Valley Film Festival runs October 2 through 12 in San Rafael, … Continue reading Mill Valley Film Festival Announced
Silent Martial Arts Movie on the Way
Another interesting upcoming event: On Friday, September 19, the 4Star will screen a silent martial arts film made in Shanghai in 1929. Red Heroine tells the story of a young woman rescued from an evil army by a Daoist hermit named White Monkey. Thanks to White Monkey's training, she can soon fight villains, fly, disappear … Continue reading Silent Martial Arts Movie on the Way
West Side Story in 70mm
Note: I wrote and posted this article years before Steven Spielberg's remake. I caught the last screening of West Side Story at the Castro last night. This was the brand new 70mm print with DTS (almost as good as the original magnetic analog) sound. I'd seen the classic, Oscar-winning musical before, of course, but not … Continue reading West Side Story in 70mm
What’s Screening: September 5-11
The Godfather Parts I & II, Castro, Friday through next friday. Francis Coppola, taking the job simply because he needed the money, turned Mario Puzo's potboiler into the Great American Crime Epic. Marlon Brando may have top billing, but Al Pacino owns the film (and became a star) as Michael Corleone, the respectable son inevitably … Continue reading What’s Screening: September 5-11
Elegy
Sexual drama Written by Nicholas Meyer, from a novel by Philip Roth Directed by Isabel Coixet Beautiful young women attract older men. Some are even attracted to them. In a typical Hollywood entertainment, a 30-year gap between the romantic leads is just par for the course. But Elegy's filmmakers use it to explore a proud … Continue reading Elegy
The Grocer’s Son
Family drama Written by Eric Guirado and Florence Vignon Directed by Eric Guirado A young man, emotionally alienated from his family, must take over the family business when his father can no longer run it. The experience allows him to discover who he really is. No, it's not The Godfather. The family owns a modest … Continue reading The Grocer’s Son
Ping Pong Playa
Sports Comedy Written by Jimmy Tsai and Jessica Yu Directed by Jessica Yu We all know the sports movie formula: Plot twist puts lovable loser(s) into a situation where he, she, or they must rise over adversity, get over the mental block that's been holding them back, train tirelessly for the length of a montage, … Continue reading Ping Pong Playa
Coming Attractions
Sorry I've been ignoring all of you lately. A few interesting items: We all know that Bullitt, Harold and Maude, and Vertigo were shot in the Bay Area. So were a lot of silent films. On Tuesday, September 9, Silent Film Festival Artistic Director Stephen Salmons will discuss locally-shot silent pictures in an event hosted … Continue reading Coming Attractions
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