I think I enjoyed the Oscars last night more than any other time in my life. And that's not only because of the big surprise happy ending. I was part of an enthusiastic crowd at the Roxie, cheering, groaning, and applauding. And we were very well entertained during the commercial breaks. This wasn't the first … Continue reading Watching the Oscars at the Roxie Theater
Independent Spirit: The other, hipper Oscars
The Independent Spirit Awards positions itself as the hipper, cooler Oscars. It's not on a major TV network, so the people on stage can say words generally bleeped out. What these awards shun is big-budget movies. Nothing from Marvel, here. More importantly, it celebrates diversity. For instance, The top prize, Best Feature, went to The … Continue reading Independent Spirit: The other, hipper Oscars
What’s Screening: February 7 – 13
What's coming to Bay Area arthouse cinemas this week? One of last year's best films rereleased in black and white. Also pictures by Kurosawa, Varda, Lubitsch, and Huston. All that along with Rudolph Valentino, college students, the Oscars, and four film festivals. Festivals SF Urban closes Sunday SF IndieFest closes Thursday. Read my preview. Berlin … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 7 – 13
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Killer’s Kiss, Zero for Conduct, 1917, Blaze, & The Swimmer
I had a horrible, sickly January, pretty much keeping me in the house. It wasn't until this Monday that I felt I could go to a movie theater without ruining everyone else's fun with my coughing and sneezing. (That's why I didn't cover Noir City or IndieFest this year.) Here's what I've been seen for … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Killer’s Kiss, Zero for Conduct, 1917, Blaze, & The Swimmer
What’s Screening: January 31 – February 6
What's playing in Bay Area arthouse cinemas this week? A great Bogart double bill, a remake played for laughs, more Agnès Varda, a bit of Fellini, China's horrible birth control policy, and alcohol as the secret to a happy marriage. Also, three film festivals. Festivals Noir City closes Sunday. Read my preview. SF IndieFest continues through … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 31 – February 6
Cinequest coming in March
You'd expect a major film festival in the South Bay to celebrate technology as well as movies. And that's what you get at Cinequest. Yes, like other Red Carpet Festivals, Cinequest showcases plenty of films that have not yet been seen in the Bay Area, with filmmakers in attendance. But it also showcases new (and … Continue reading Cinequest coming in March
What’s Screening: January 24 – 30
If it wasn't for BAMPFA, and for Agnès Varda, there wouldn't be much in the Bay Area arthouse world this week - except, of course, for the film festivals. Festivals Noir City opens today. Read my preview. SF IndieFest opens Wednesday. Read my preview. Promising events Wild at Heart (1990), BAMPFA, Wednesday, 7:00 35mm! It's … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 24 – 30
Berlin & Beyond showcases German-language films
Of course, the Bay Area has a German language film festival. Berlin & Beyond opens Friday, February 7 to Thursday, February 13. It will screen 18 feature films and a program of seven shorts. Screenings will take place at the Castro, the Goethe-Institut, the Vogue, and for the first time in the East Bay, the … Continue reading Berlin & Beyond showcases German-language films
What’s Screening: January 17 – 23
What's in Bay Area outarthouse cinemas this week? A hilarious disaster. A real and tragic disaster. And movies by Spielberg, Forman, Fellini, Lumet, Keaton, and Varda. But no film festivals. <Sorry about that. I was running a fever when I wrote that.> The Week's Big Event A Airplane! 40th anniversary, Castro, Sunday, 3:00They're flying on … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 17 – 23
The 54 Bay Area Film Festivals in 2019
By my count, the Bay Area hosted 54 film festivals this year. Of course, that depends on how you define a film festival. A 90-minute program of feline videos called The Cat Film Festival is not a festival. And yet a selection of films that call itself a series just might be one. My definition: … Continue reading The 54 Bay Area Film Festivals in 2019
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