I just discovered a small, hopefully frightening film festival happening over this weekend. I've also got some information about the upcoming Berlin & Beyond festival later this month. As I write this, I haven't yet seen a single film in either of these festivals. Horror over Zoom Over the last weekend, SF IndieFest scared us … Continue reading Weird, German, or both: Two different festivals coming up
Great films, strange streams: The Crowd, Lone Star, & Sparticus
Not all great films get the home theater treatment they deserve. Here are three terrific films getting better home presentations…although they still need improvement. The Crowd (1928) Last year, I wrote an article about great films not available at home, and I put The Crowd first. This isn't a lost work, but a masterpiece kept … Continue reading Great films, strange streams: The Crowd, Lone Star, & Sparticus
What’s Screening: April 30 – May 6
This week in Bay Area movies: A Castro opening on the horizon. $5 Tuesdays. A serious art film that should be shown on Mystery Science Theater 3000. The Octopus documentary on the big screen. And classics from Orson Welles, the Coen brothers, and New Zealand. And one virtual film festival. Festivals The Livable Planet Film … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 30 – May 6
Movies I’ve recently seen: Chloé Zhao’s first feature, James Whale’s haunted house, Hannah Arendt, & Dr. No
Another selection of movies that no one asked me to watch. I just wanted to see them (or see them again). A- Songs My Brothers Taught Me (2015) Chloé Zhao's first feature isn't quite as good as the two she made since, but it's still very much watching. Like The Rider, it's set on a … Continue reading Movies I’ve recently seen: Chloé Zhao’s first feature, James Whale’s haunted house, Hannah Arendt, & Dr. No
An endless movie about nothing
F No recognizable genre Written & directed by Roy Andersson The best thing about Roy Andersson's extremely weird film, About Endlessness, is its length. This Swedish, German, and Norwegian picture runs only 76 minutes. The bad part is that, as the title suggests, the film really does feel endless. When I describe a film as … Continue reading An endless movie about nothing
My thoughts on A Star is Born (1954)
Last Friday night, my wife and I watched the 1954 version of A Star is Born - the one starring Judy Garland and James Mason. Aside from being almost perfect, this film catches Hollywood at an important moment in film history. The film industry was experiencing its biggest changes since the talkie revolution. And you … Continue reading My thoughts on A Star is Born (1954)
The Pandemic Oscar Ceremony
Last year, I attended the Academy Awards at the Roxie and I had a great time. I didn't know that within a few weeks, the Roxie and every other movie theater in the Bay Area would go dark. That would be the last time I would be in a movie theater in more than a … Continue reading The Pandemic Oscar Ceremony
What’s Screening: April 23 – 29
In this week's Bay Area movie news: More theaters are opening up! You can talk about Cuckoo's Nest. You can learn about John Lewis and/or Sesame Street. And you can enjoy old movies by streaming, going to a drive-in, and in an actual, hard-top movie theater. Also two film festivals and something on TV called … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 23 – 29
Street Gang for kids
B+ show business documentary Directed by Marilyn Agrelo I was born too early to experience Sesame Street as a child, but I enjoyed the show with my son in the late 1980s and early 1990s. So, I was delighted to watch this documentary about the show. Marilyn Agrelo's Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street is … Continue reading Street Gang for kids
My last day at SFFilm: Muppets, a southern family, and virtual vs. real festivals
Last night hosted the SFFilm Festival's closing film. And yet, it's still officially running, virtually, of course, until tonight. So, here's what I think about the last two films I watched at this festival. But I'm closing my coverage of SFFilm 2021 with a comparison between real and virtual festivals. The last movies Here are … Continue reading My last day at SFFilm: Muppets, a southern family, and virtual vs. real festivals
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