"God never wrote a good play in his life" - Kurt Vonnegut. When a movie has actors reciting dialog written by a screenwriter, it's a work of fiction. It can't be anything else, even if it was based on something that really happened. Life doesn't work like a well-told story. If you want facts, watch … Continue reading BlacKkKlansman: Truth vs. Art (spoiler: Art wins)
Forget about the story and just Let the Corpses Tan
C- Thriller Written and directed by Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani From the novel by Jean-Patrick Manchette & Jean-Pierre Bastid This Italian thriller isn't about people. It isn't about story. it's not even about suspense. It's arguably about violence. It's really about cinematic style. And what is that style? Imagine the output of an overenthusiastic, coked-up … Continue reading Forget about the story and just Let the Corpses Tan
Modern Cinema festival honors Satyajit Ray
Few artists caught the sorrows and sympathies of the human condition like India's Satyajit Ray. Come October, you'll get a chance to see 15 of his feature films, along with 11 others that either inspired Ray or were inspired by him, at SFMOMA's Phyllis Wattis Theater. SFFILM and SFMOMA presents Modern Cinema/Satyajit Ray: Intimate Universes … Continue reading Modern Cinema festival honors Satyajit Ray
Chaplin Diary, Part 16: The Great Dictator
In my previous Chaplin Diary entry, I called Modern Times "arguably Chaplin's last performance as The Tramp." But there's still a lot of Chaplin's "little fellow" in his first true talkie, The Great Dictator. By the late 1930s, even Charlie Chaplin couldn't make silent films anymore. No one wanted to see them. The change was … Continue reading Chaplin Diary, Part 16: The Great Dictator
What’s Screening: August 31 – September 6
This must be my thinnest Bayflicks Newsletter ever. One film festival, two recommended revivals, two continuing engagements, and one frequently-revived classics. So, to add some heft, I'm adding another section just for this week (and maybe occasionally in the future) called Still in theaters. These are for good independent films that opened more than a … Continue reading What’s Screening: August 31 – September 6
Five countries celebrate their national film industries in Bay Area festivals and series
From mid-September through early November, the Bay Area will host film festivals and series celebrating recent movies from China, Italy, Iran, Hong Kong (which isn't really a country, but…you know), and Japan. As far as I can tell, none of these films have been screened locally. I have not seen any of the films to … Continue reading Five countries celebrate their national film industries in Bay Area festivals and series
What’s Screening: August 24 – 30
Enter the Dragon. Enter Godzilla. Enter Ingmar Bergman. Andrei Tarkovsky considers nuclear oblivion while Richard Linklater examines rock 'n' roll. And never trust an actress with a name like Eve. But no film festivals until September. Promising events Godzilla Night 7: A Monstrous Weekend, Balboa, Saturday & Sunday The Balboa is presenting three Japanese monster … Continue reading What’s Screening: August 24 – 30
Bergman, Bergman, Wiseman, Visconti, & more Bergman: Autumn at the BAMPFA
Summer wanes. Children look in trepidation to the coming of the school year, while their parents rejoice. And we get a new round of film series at the BAMPFA (formerly the Pacific Film Archive). Here's what's coming up for Berkeleyites in the fall: In Focus: Ingmar Bergman August 29 - November 28 BAMPFA has gone … Continue reading Bergman, Bergman, Wiseman, Visconti, & more Bergman: Autumn at the BAMPFA
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: BlacKkKlansman, Blindspotting, 49th Parallel, & Dark Victory
My current collection includes one film from Oakland which I saw in Canada, and one about Canada I saw at home in the East Bay. A BlacKkKlansman (2018), California Theatre (Berkeley) Until the very end, this is the most conventional Spike Lee Joint I've seen. But the normal approach was the right one for this very … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: BlacKkKlansman, Blindspotting, 49th Parallel, & Dark Victory
What’s Screening: August 17 – 23
John Ford and John Wayne, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, Carl Sagan, Elia Kazan, Andrei Tarkovsky, and Mel Brooks light up Bay Area movie screens this week. But no film festivals. Also, I'm changing the Lebowskies section to Frequently-revived classics. The Big Lebowski doesn't screen as often as it used to. Promising events She Wore a … Continue reading What’s Screening: August 17 – 23
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