The official press conference is more than three weeks away, but the drumbeat for the San Francisco International Film Festival keeps getting louder. (Excuse me, the 50th San Francisco International Film Festival, abbreviated SFIFF50--even though no one has thought to register sfiff50.org.) We keep hearing about the various awards planned for the event. I’ve already … Continue reading Tiburon and San Francisco

This is Spinal Tap, Shattuck, Friday and Saturday, midnight. On a scale of one to ten, This is Spinal Tap rates an eleven. And if you didn’t get that joke, you haven’t seen the parody that put all “rockumentaries-- in their place. Comments? The Rules of the Game, Rafael, Friday through Wednesday. I know; everyone … Continue reading Movies for the Week of March 16, 2007

I hate people asking me for my all-time favorite film. I don’t even want to give them an all-time top ten. How do you choose between Ikiru and Singin’ in the Rain? They’re both masterpieces, but each succeeds in doing something entirely different from the other. It’s like comparing apples and orangutans. But I’ve been … Continue reading Criteria for the Very Best Films of All Time

Pandora's Box, California Theatre, San Jose, Friday, 7:00. Nearly 70 years after her last film, cinephiles still debate whether Louise Brooks was a first-class talent or just a beautiful woman in the hands of a great director. Either way, her oddly innocent femme fatale wins our sympathy and our lust as she sends men to … Continue reading Films for the Week of March 9, 2007

How do you like the new look? I'm bringing Bayflicks.net into the 21st century, using WordPress blog software to better organize the editorial parts of the site and let you easily comment on what I write. The schedules are plain old html, and it will be a while before I fix that, but within a … Continue reading Welcome to the New Bayflicks.net

Festivals, festivals, festivals, festivals, and festivals. I take a few weeks off, and film festivals spread like the flu in February. Okay, a quick rundown on what’s here and what’s coming. Let’s start with Cinequest, which, as you read this, has already opened. As an organization, Minnie Driver will receive a Maverick Spirit Award at … Continue reading Festival Update

The General, California Theatre, San Jose, Friday, 7:00. Buster Keaton pushed film comedy like no one else when he made this one. He meticulously recreated the Civil War setting. He mixed slapstick comedy with battlefield death. He hired thousands of extras and filmed what may be the single most expensive shot of the silent era … Continue reading Movies for the Week of March 2, 2007

I'm back! Well, sort of. My life has been taken over by a play I'm directing, the resurgence of an old back problem, and a professional assignment that I couldn't refuse. The assignment is over, giving me a chance to breath again. Unfortunately, the back problem limits the amount of time I can spend sitting … Continue reading I’m Back!

I really hope to have a life back, soon. Honest. In the meantime, here's this week's recommendations and warnings--for the lucky ones out there with time to go to movies. Venus, Balboa, opens Friday. Yet another film about an old person befriending a young one, but it's so much better than Mrs. Palfrey At the … Continue reading Movies for the Week of February 16, 2007

Still swamped. Here's this week's minireviews: Stalking Santa, California Theater, Berkeley, Monday, 7:00; Roxie, Tuesday, 7:00. With so many millions believing in him, mustn't there be some truth to the legend? What about that papyrus from ancient Egypt? Or that curious, suppressed footage from the North Pole expedition? And why is the government hiding those … Continue reading Movies for the Week of February 9, 2007