Every year, the Library of Congress adds 25 films to its list of films important enough to be saved and restored. This is not a list of this year's great American movies. The Library Congress' National Film Registry looks for more than good movies. It considers old films that people are still watching, or that … Continue reading The Official, American list of important years
Tag: Ang Lee
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of April
At the end of every month, the Criterion Channel drops a lot of films to make room for other pictures. See these, or at least some of them, before it's May. Full recommendations A Ten Canoes (2006) This unique film feels more like a piece of oral tradition than of cinema. A heavily accented, English-speaking, … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of April
What’s Screening: April 7 – 13
Several film festivals will be popping up next week and next month. And that also means a lot of documentaries and serious drama. Now is the time to enjoy vintage movies on the big screen. Festivals & Series SFFilm opens Thursday Hollywood's Golden Era Promising events Sing-Along Grease (1978), Roxie, Friday, 6:30pm I haven't seen … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 7 – 13
What’s Screening: February 17 – 23
Ang Lee and James Schamus' Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is playing in eight Bay Area theaters! And yet, not even one is in the East Bay. The 4-Star seems to have noticed that it's Black History Month, with screenings of Black Panther, Fences, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. They're also giving us masterpieces by Stanley … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 17 – 23
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of October
What will likely shiver your bones on Halloween? It's not the fake tombstones. Or the recorded witch voice. And not even the children's dentist bills. The true terror will be the realization that at midnight, on Halloween, many movies will disappear from the Criterion Channel. Now that's scary! So here are some of the best … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of October
Movies I’ve recently seen: ֍ The Wedding Banquet ֍ Malcolm X ֍ Mississippi Masala ֍ I Know Where I’m Going!
Here are four movies I've recently seen – mostly at home. Three of them were made in the early '90s. Two of those starred Denzel Washington. Most surprising, all four were worth seeing. A The Wedding Banquet (1993) This comedic drama made director Ang Lee famous. A Chinese immigrant in New York has never told … Continue reading Movies I’ve recently seen: ֍ The Wedding Banquet ֍ Malcolm X ֍ Mississippi Masala ֍ I Know Where I’m Going!
The SFFilm Festival is going to the movies
Wednesday morning, I did something I hadn't done in more than two years. I entered the Castro Theater. No, I didn't see a movie. I attended the press conference for this year's SFFilm Festival. They could have used Zoom, but I think they were making a point: It's time to go to the movies. Photo … Continue reading The SFFilm Festival is going to the movies
What’s Screening: June 25 – July 1
What's happening in Bay Area cinema this week? Silent movie fans can choose between Charlie Chaplin and Dinosaurs (you can actually have both). For something more modern, you can watch and discuss The Dark Knight. You can also view Muppets, gay cowboys, and strange creatures looking for love. Also two film festivals. Festivals Frameline closes … Continue reading What’s Screening: June 25 – July 1
A Discovered genre: The contemporary western drama
I think I discovered a genre. It's been around for more than 60 years and has never been recognized as such. But it's worth considering. The films in this genre, or at least the ones I've seen, have all been excellent. I call them contemporary western dramas. These are not westerns, although they echo that … Continue reading A Discovered genre: The contemporary western drama
What’s Screening: August 17 – 23
No festivals this week. But we do have a whole lot of A+ classics. A+ Great Gangster Movie Double Bill: The Godfather & Goodfellas, Castro, Saturday. Two A+ films on one double-bill! Francis Coppola, taking the job simply because he needed the money, turned The Godfather into the Great American Crime Epic. Marlon Brando got … Continue reading What’s Screening: August 17 – 23
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