Several vintage films from famous directors will screen in Bay Area theaters this week. There are films by Steven Spielberg, Louis Malle, Philip Kaufman (in person), Jean-Luc Goddard, Richard Lester, Pedro Almodovar, Brad Bird, Bob Fosse, Sergio Leone, Blake Edwards, John Waters, and two from Mike Nichols. But we'll start with two films from the … Continue reading What’s Screening: June 2 – 8
What’s Screening: May 26 – June 1
The word of the week in Bay Area cinema is Hitchcock. Eleven films from the master of suspense will play on the big screen, thanks to the Balboa. Festivals & Series The Alfred Hitchcock Festival starts Friday and runs until ends Monday The SF DocFest opens Thursday Festival Recommendations: Alfred Hitchcock festival A+ Rear Window … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 26 – June 1
Movies I’ve recently seen: Chevalier ֍ Air ֍ The Last Seduction ֍ Bend of the River ֍ Book Club: The Next Chapter
I missed Blackberry at SFFilm, and it's nowhere playing in the East Bay. It looks like cinema is dying. What can we do? First of all, get off the couch and go see a movie. Here are five films that I've seen in May. Three were new and I saw them theatrically. In each of … Continue reading Movies I’ve recently seen: Chevalier ֍ Air ֍ The Last Seduction ֍ Bend of the River ֍ Book Club: The Next Chapter
What’s Screening: May 19 – 25
Do people go to the movies - if they still go to the movies - to see the stars? If so, there's a lot of stargazing this week in Bay Area cinema. There's Al Pacino, Sigourney Weaver, Russell Crowe (is he still a star?), Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Kate Winslet, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 19 – 25
Serious Cinema and Having Fun at BAMPFA
The Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive, also known as BAMPFA, is one of only two movie theaters within Berkeley's city limits. BAMPFA, which is part of the university, doesn't just show movies. It runs series of films. And this summer's series looks very good. There's animation, Claudia Cardinale, Luis Buñuel, movies set in Tokyo, and … Continue reading Serious Cinema and Having Fun at BAMPFA
What’s Screening: May 12 – 18
What in the world is going on? The awful Mamma Mia plays four times on big Bay Area screens this week! Thankfully, there are plenty of good, vintage movies playing this week, as well. Festivals & Series CAAMFest plays through the week and beyond Chaplin Days opens Thursday and closes Sunday DocLands closes Monday Promising … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 12 – 18
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of May
At the end of every month, The Criterion Channel removes a lot of films from their streaming library. Here are some of the best of those that will disappear after 12:59 pm. don't worry too much; some will pop up on the Channel in a year or two. Full recommendations A+ Days of Heaven (1978) … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of May
What’s Screening: May 5 – 11
Want to see new movies and old movies on the big screen? Here are reviews of two fresh films from CAAMFest (the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival). There is also a new film of the great outdoors and the people trying to save it. Also, there's a Soviet silent, one of the best … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 5 – 11
What’s Screening: April 28 – May 4
Vintage films are playing at Bay Area movie theaters. There's the original Star Wars trilogy (although changed by George Lucas). Also films by Wayne Wang, Marjane Satrapi, Gene Kelly, and someone called Francis Ford Coppola. Festivals & Series The San Francisco Greek Film Festival Another chance to see (theatrically) A Persepolis (2007), New Mission, Tuesday, … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 28 – May 4
My last SFFilm fest reviews (this year)
The 2023 SFFilm Film Festival is over. Life can become normal again. Here are the films I saw over the last week, all at the BAMPFA. I listed them from the first to the last. A Persistence of Vision Award: Mark Cousins + "The March on Rome" [The page has been removed] This year, Irish filmmaker … Continue reading My last SFFilm fest reviews (this year)
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