Another one of those busy weeks. If you're not as overwhelmed as I am, perhaps you'll have time to see some movies. Recommended: Flags of Our Fathers, 4Star, ongoing. The film that Saving Private Ryan  should have been. According to director Clint Eastwood and screenwriters William Broyles Jr. and Paul Haggis, raising the flag on … Continue reading Movies for the Week of December 1, 2006

I was going to write about everything Bay Area cinephiles have to be thankful for, but death got in the way. So I'll write about Robert Altman. Young mavericks took Hollywood by storm in the 1970's, with Altman all but leading the march. But he wasn't young. At 45, he had nearly 20 years experience … Continue reading Robert Altman

It's a busy week for me, so I'll just point out that the 4Star is running a 8 Films To Die For Horror Fest today through Tuesday, just in case you're in the mood for the gruesome side of independent cinema. And now, on to this week's recommendations: Recommended: City Lights, Davies Symphony Hall, Wednesday … Continue reading Movies for the Week of November 17, 2006

Back in August, I bemoaned the lack of good big-budget action movies this summer. At that time I hadn't yet seen X-Men: The Last Stand. I loved the first two X-Men movies, but wasn't optimistic about number three as director Bryan Singer had left the franchise and the far less talented Brett Ratner had taken … Continue reading X-Men, Silent Directors, and the Oakland Paramount

A Janus Film Festival brought me my first major emersion into classic and foreign films at the idealistic age of 18. Among the movies I first saw at this and subsequent Janus festivals were The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries, Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, Rashomon, The 400 Blows, and Shoot the Piano Player. (I hate … Continue reading Janus Films

The Cerrito Speakeasy Theater opens for business this week. Built in 1937 and dark for nearly 50 years, the city of El Cerrito has given it's neighborhood theater a restoration and update. Although the city owns the Cerrito, Speakeasy Theaters of Parkway fame will run it. That means we can expect something very much like … Continue reading The Cerrito Opens

We all understand the suspension of disbelief. It allows us to believe in Harry Potter’s magic, sound in the vacuum of space, and the supposedly impromptu dancing of Fred Astaire. If you want to be honest about it, even serious drama requires suspending your disbelief. We know that that working-class gay cowboy is really an … Continue reading Willful Suspension of Morality

It's called the Mill Valley Film Festival, but many of its best events happen in San Rafael. I went to two of them last Sunday. Left to right: Moderator An Tran and cinematographers Daryn Okada, Judy Irola, M. David Mullen, and Elliot Davis photo by Linda Wilkie First there was the Cinematographer Style seminar. Four … Continue reading Mill Valley Film Festival Report

Just a quick note on the Mill Valley Film Festival; something I probably should have pointed out two weeks ago. A large part of this festival's significance comes from its early fall calendar position. For Bay Area film lovers, the MVFF is the beginning of the Oscar season-- your first chance to see any of … Continue reading Oscar Season and the Mill Valley Film Festival

If you read this newsletter regularly, or check out the star icons in the weekly schedules, you may have noticed that I recommend far more movies than I warn you against. Indeed, last week's newsletter had nothing but recommendations. I realize that doesn’t help my image as an honest journalist. So let me explain: Unlike … Continue reading Why So Many Recommendations?