Frankie doesn’t get much of a vacation

October 30, 2019October 21, 2019 ~ Lincoln Spector

B Drama Written by Mauricio Zacharias & Ira Sachs Directed by Ira Sachs I've never been to Sintra, Portugal, but judging from this film, it's a wonderful place for a vacation. But Frankie and her family and friends have a hard time being happy. The family matriarch has cancer and probably won't survive the year. … Continue reading Frankie doesn’t get much of a vacation

Three silent classics by Josef von Sternberg, now together on Criterion Blu-ray

October 29, 2019October 29, 2019 ~ Lincoln Spector

When cinephiles consider Josef von Sternberg, they usually think about beautiful, erotic images of Marlene Dietrich, set in exotic, far-off places but shot entirely on the Paramount lot. Yet before he met Dietrich or made a talkie, he created three stunning silent dramas that are among his best work. These three films, Underworld, The Last … Continue reading Three silent classics by Josef von Sternberg, now together on Criterion Blu-ray

Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Parasite, The Exterminating Angel, & My Dinner with Andre

October 28, 2019 ~ Lincoln Spector

After covering film festivals and reviewing Blu-rays of classics, I'm finally getting time to see a new film in theaters and to revisit two classics I hadn't seen in years. A Parasite (2019), California (Berkeley) This hilariously cruel comedy thriller about the haves and the have nots is one of the best films I've seen … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Parasite, The Exterminating Angel, & My Dinner with Andre

What’s Screening: October 25 – 31

October 25, 2019October 24, 2019 ~ Lincoln Spector

With Halloween around the corner, you can guess what kind of movies are showing up on specialty Bay Area screens this week. But we do have a few interesting films that don't intend to scare you out of your seat. Festivals The San Francisco Greek Film Festival continues through Saturday The United Nations Association Film … Continue reading What’s Screening: October 25 – 31

Good movies, but strangely appropriate double bills

October 23, 2019October 22, 2019 ~ Lincoln Spector

The double bill is almost a lost art. Here in the Bay Area, only the Castro and the Stanford regularly give you two movies for one admission. (I once had to explain the word intermission to my daughter.) Most double bills contain two films with matching moods or belong to the same genre. You don't … Continue reading Good movies, but strangely appropriate double bills

Keaton’s Our Hospitality on a new Blu-ray

October 22, 2019October 22, 2019 ~ Lincoln Spector

Three years before he made The General, Buster Keaton mined the antebellum South for comic gold in this almost gentle comedy inspired by the Hatfield/McCoy feud. Our Hospitality places Buster in the home of a family sworn to kill him. What keeps him alive? The cordial Southern manners that forbid murdering a guest in your own home. … Continue reading Keaton’s Our Hospitality on a new Blu-ray

A Day of Silents at the Castro

October 21, 2019October 20, 2019 ~ Lincoln Spector

As usual, the San Francisco Film Festival will put on its one-day affair in early December, called A Day of Silents. This year's Day is December 7. From 11:00am until probably about 10:00pm, you can enjoy movies, live music, other enthusiasts, and the Castro Theatre. Here's what they're showing: 11:00am: Fatty + Buster: The Comique … Continue reading A Day of Silents at the Castro

The Hitch-Hiker, now on Blu-ray, keeps you on edge for 71 minutes

October 15, 2019October 11, 2019 ~ Lincoln Spector

Here's a little movie that ratchets up the suspense from beginning to end. Ida Lupino's The Hitch-Hiker grabs you by the gut. Two men on a fishing vacation (Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy) pick up a hitchhiker, who turns out to be a notorious, psychotic killer wanted by the police. Holding them at gunpoint, he … Continue reading The Hitch-Hiker, now on Blu-ray, keeps you on edge for 71 minutes