What's in Bay Area cinema this week? You can experience something like theatrical MST3K. A young girl tries to find her home in the big city. Star Trek with whales. And don't forget teenage vampires in 35mm! But no festivals. New films opening B Naked Singularity (2021), open Friday, Century Northgate and other theaters You need … Continue reading What’s Screening: August 13 – 19
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Brief Encounter, Topsy-Turvy, Siren of the Tropics, & Cotton Comes to Harlem
Thanks to the current COVID surge, which I'm calling the Delta Blues, I've been staying away from movie theaters. But I'm still watching movies at home. A- Brief Encounter (1945) Love, romance, and marriage may make the world go around, but it often goes in the wrong direction. This pre-epic David Lean drama follows the … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Brief Encounter, Topsy-Turvy, Siren of the Tropics, & Cotton Comes to Harlem
What’s Screening: August 6 – 12
Do you want to talk about Fight Club? If not, you can study monarchs (the butterfly kind). Speaking about education, you can peek into Oakland schools. Meanwhile, the BAMPFA will screen a movie for the first time in 17 months. And what about Afghanistan's moribund film industry? All of that in Bay Area cinema this … Continue reading What’s Screening: August 6 – 12
Three cinematic views of the Pray Away the Gay movement
Tuesday night I watched the new Netflix documentary, Pray Away, directed by Kristine Stolakis. It's a very good film, that won't be seen by as many who need to see it. This is the third feature-length film I've seen about gay conversion therapy, where Christian fanatics (I assume that in real life there are Jewish … Continue reading Three cinematic views of the Pray Away the Gay movement
What’s Screening: July 30 – August 5
As July turns into August, here's what's happening in Bay Area cinema this week: a scientist and his butterflies, a pig and her children, Irish punk, and the best film Terry Gilliam ever made. Festivals The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival closes Sunday New films opening (virtual) A Son of Monarchs (2020), BAMPFA, available today … Continue reading What’s Screening: July 30 – August 5
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: The Gray Flannel Suit | Charming Bourgeoise | The Blue Dahlia | Crossfire
There's a theme going through this list of theoretically random movies - they're all listed at the bottom of my last Criterion article. A- The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956) This is much more than an attack on 1950's conformity. Gregory Peck stars as a father, husband, and breadwinner, and doing all that … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: The Gray Flannel Suit | Charming Bourgeoise | The Blue Dahlia | Crossfire
Broncho Billy & the Movie-Going Experience
This last weekend, the Niles Essanay Silent Film hosted The Broncho Billy & Friends Silent Film Festival. It was virtual, of course. And since it was virtual, the festival was made up of streaming videos and Zoom conferences. There were three separate videos about Essanay's work in Chicago - including one with David Shepard. Les … Continue reading Broncho Billy & the Movie-Going Experience
What’s Screening: July 23 – 29
What's happening in Bay Area cinema this week? Plenty of silent movie action. For more modern fare, there's that Promising Young Woman, along with a peek at the joys of Sesame Street. And if you're not quite ready to see a Hitchcock flick in a real theater, you can take the Terminator to the drive-in. … Continue reading What’s Screening: July 23 – 29
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of July
A lot of movies will leave The Criterion Channel come July 31 - and several of them written by Dalton Trumbo. Here are some you may want to catch before August - although some of these may be back on Criterion soon. A He Ran All the Way (1951) When I first saw this cheap … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of July
What’s Screening: July 16 – 22
Big news! BAMPFA will be screening movies in August. But this week, you can see Uncut Gems, Barbara Lee (who's something of a gem, herself), The African Queen, and Mulholland Dr. We also have three (mostly virtual) film festivals. Festivals The S. F. Frozen Film Festival closes Sunday windrider bay area closes Friday The San … Continue reading What’s Screening: July 16 – 22
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