Real and fake Laurel and Hardy, dogs and cats of the deadly kind, a dying bureaucrat, a desperate cyclist, a hitchhiker with a twitchy trigger finger, musical POWs, and a boy named Apu. But no film festivals. The Week's Big Event A The Apu Trilogy, Stanford, Friday through Sunday The Stanford is starting a Satyajit … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 11 – 17
Tag: Akira Kurosawa
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
What’s Screening: June 22 – 28
Fred and Ginger meet Preston Sturges. Ingmar Bergman makes us laugh about sex. Kurosawa takes on Shakespeare. Wes Anderson and Greta Garbo take you to two very grand hotels. And it all happens this week on Bay Area movie screens. Festivals Frameline closes Sunday Promising events Grand Hotel, Pacific Film Archive, Sunday, 7:00 It's been … Continue reading What’s Screening: June 22 – 28
What’s Screening: March 16 – 22
Frightened rabbits, frightened executives, and people with a good reason to be frightened because they're not white males. And they're all on Bay Area screens this week. Also, two film festivals. Festivals The Albany Filmfest opens Saturday and runs through the week and beyond The Sonoma International Film Festival opens Wednesday and runs into the … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 16 – 22
Modern Cinema Festival Previews
Want to know what classic films you should catch at the upcoming Modern Cinema festival? Here are six movies I can recommend, along with three others that I vaguely remember liking. All of the films will be screened at SFMOMA's Phyllis Wattis Theater. A+ Lawrence of Arabia, Sunday, February 18, 1:00 Lawrence isn't just the … Continue reading Modern Cinema Festival Previews
Top 15 Moviegoing Experiences of 2017
Instead of listing my top ten movies of 2017, I'm giving you my top 15 moviegoing experiences of the year. What's the difference? I consider the theater, the quality of the print or digital source, the enthusiasm of the audience, and live onstage supplements such as musical accompaniment and filmmaker Q&As. I also consider the … Continue reading Top 15 Moviegoing Experiences of 2017
What’s Screening: December 22 – 28
Not surprisingly this time of year, but you can watch It's A Wonderful Life in three different Bay Area theaters this week. And on Christmas day itself, you can make a choice between Fiddler on the Roof and Goodfellas. And how's this for a present: both of Kurosawa's Shakespeare films at the PFA? Also, the New … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 22 – 28
What’s Screening: July 28 – August 3
Dinosaurs, Marilyn Monroe, Toshiro Mifune, and the most influential film in cinema history light up Bay Area screens this week. Also, two film festivals. Festivals Modern Cinema continues through this week (mostly on weekends) and beyond The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival also continues through this week and beyond. You can read my reports and … Continue reading What’s Screening: July 28 – August 3
What’s Screening: July 21 – 27
Sexy scientists, beautiful criminals, pampered dogs, adorable pigs, and four film festivals light up Bay Area screens this week. Festivals The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival continues this week at various theaters. You can read my recommendations, warnings, and reports for this festival. Charlie Chaplin Days opens today and runs through the weekend The Frozen … Continue reading What’s Screening: July 21 – 27
What’s Screening: July 14 – 20
Talk about an embarrassment of riches. The Bay Area has an overwhelmingly large selection of cinematic treats this week. Festivals Music Week, which I only found out about yesterday, opens today runs through Thursday. Modern Cinema opens Thursday The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival also opens Thursday. Read my reports and capsule reviews. New films … Continue reading What’s Screening: July 14 – 20