When I wrote last week's What's Screening newsletter, I knew that the next one would be different. But I didn't think it would be this different. When that article went live, only the Stanford and the BAMPFA were closed due to the coronavirus. I thought that this Friday, I would mention which theaters were open … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 20 – ?
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Pleasantville, Joker, Targets, & Gorillas in the Mist
Here are four movies I've seen recently. I saw all of these at home, of course. A Pleasantville (1998), Blu-ray Along with laughs and entertainment, you can find so much meaning in this fantasy about two 1998 teenagers pulled into a 1958 TV situation comedy. It deals with bigotry, fear of change, small-town fascism, and … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Pleasantville, Joker, Targets, & Gorillas in the Mist
The Fantastic Journeys of Karel Zeman
While Ray Harryhausen was making effects-laden fantasies in the mid-20th century, the Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman was doing much the same thing behind the Iron Curtain…but with a better sense of humor. Using stop-motion animation, puppets, live action, beautiful illustrations, and a sense of comedy, he made visually striking, entertaining films that have been forgotten … Continue reading The Fantastic Journeys of Karel Zeman
The alleged Mick Travis trilogy…but mostly about O Lucky Man
When is a trilogy a trilogy, and when is it just three different movies? The Lord of the Rings is clearly a trilogy. John Ford's cavalry is just three westerns set amongst horse soldiers. The Criterion Channel is currently offering what they're calling Lindsay Anderson's Mick Travis Trilogy. The films: If…. (1968) O Lucky Man! … Continue reading The alleged Mick Travis trilogy…but mostly about O Lucky Man
Going to the movies during a pandemic
[Note: With the many last-minute changes to this article, I've made several unfortunate errors. Rather than point out particular errors, I'm letting you know that this post is different but more accurate than it was when I posted it Monday morning.] Going to the movies is scarier than ever. Who last touched your armrest? What … Continue reading Going to the movies during a pandemic
What’s Screening: March 13 – 19
Note: Something went wrong with this article soon after it went live. It disappeared. So I'm posting it again. If you're brave enough to go into a crowded theater this week, you can see movies by Ken Loach, Vincente Minnelli, Billy Wilder, George Cukor, Orson Welles, Martin Scorsese, Neil Jordan, and a not-yet-famous Carlo Mirabella-Davis. … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 13 – 19
This very bad marriage makes the protagonist want to Swallow
A- Drama/Thriller Written and directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis What makes a pregnant woman hurt herself so badly? Bit by bit - or perhaps I should say bite by bite - Hunter (Haley Bennett) physically tortures herself. She swallows things: a marble, a pin, a battery. It gets worse. Carlo Mirabella-Davis' fine drama shows at least … Continue reading This very bad marriage makes the protagonist want to Swallow
Depressing but necessary: Sorry We Missed You
A- Drama Written by Paul Laverty Directed by Ken Loach With a title like Sorry We Missed You, you'd expect a light, romantic comedy. Instead, you get something entirely different. Imagine a food that you absolutely hate, but you eat it anyway because it's good for you. That's like the experience of seeing Ken Loach's … Continue reading Depressing but necessary: Sorry We Missed You
What’s Screening: March 6 – 12
With coronavirus spreading, it's a scary time to go to the movies. The Stanford is closed until further notice, ending or delaying the Kurosawa series. Amazon, Netflix and other companies have dropped out of SXSW - a major technology and film festival in Austin. But if you have the courage to go to an arthouse … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 6 – 12
What’s Screening: February 28 – March 5
Robbie Robertson ignores his Band. Kurosawa goes '60s noir. Hitchcock becomes stranger on a train. And a giant mutant predator hits South Korea (and no, it's not Donald Trump). All this, plus three film festivals and more this week in Bay Area arthouse cinemas. Festivals The East Bay International Jewish Film Festival opens Friday and … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 28 – March 5
Bayflicks 