Science fiction takes over Bay Area cinema this week with Star Trek, RobCop, and the original Star Wars trilogy. There's also a David Lynch/David Cronenberg double bill, a French thriller by Henri-Georges Clouzot, and Paul Thomas Anderson's porn epic. Another cinema bites the dust Berkeley's Shattuck Cinema will close on June 1. When I moved … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 20 – 26
Tag: David Lynch
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of April
I've been so busy with the SFFilm Festival and life itself, I forgot about The Criterion Channel. Anyway, a lot of good movies will disappear from the Channel when May comes along. Try to catch some of these while it's still April. Full recommendations A A Separation (2011) Writer/director Asghar Farhadi demonstrates how good people … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of April
What’s Screening: November 26 – December 2
I hope you didn't gain too many pounds yesterday. How much did I gain? I don't know. I wrote this newsletter on Tuesday. But that also means that I may have missed an event or two that appeared at the last minute. Anyway, here's what's happening in Bay Area revival cinema this week. Festivals & … Continue reading What’s Screening: November 26 – December 2
What’s Screening: May 28 – June 3
The Castro, the Stanford, and the BAMPFA are still closed, but the Grand Lake is open! This week we have a film about a woman running for office in Saudi Arabia. Also Shrek, Eraserhead, and three film festivals. Festivals Berlin & Beyond closes Sunday The Legacy Film Festival On Aging closes Monday SF DocFest opens … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 28 – June 3
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: The Elephant Man | Death to 2020 | The Incredible Shrinking Man | Sylvie’s Love | Ocean’s Eleven
I was lucky with the movies I chose to watch over the last couple of weeks. For the most part, they were exceptional. A The Elephant Man (1980) David Lynch makes full use of his first Hollywood-sized budget. Shot in beautiful black and white scope, the sounds and images take you into Victorian London with … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: The Elephant Man | Death to 2020 | The Incredible Shrinking Man | Sylvie’s Love | Ocean’s Eleven
My best top 10 films of 2020
I usually start the year with a survey of my best movie-going experiences - considering projection, sound, audience enthusiasm, and, of course, the quality of the movie. But I had very few chances to go to the movies in 2020. So, this year I'm offering the best new movies I've seen while sitting in front … Continue reading My best top 10 films of 2020
What’s Screening: January 24 – 30
If it wasn't for BAMPFA, and for Agnès Varda, there wouldn't be much in the Bay Area arthouse world this week - except, of course, for the film festivals. Festivals Noir City opens today. Read my preview. SF IndieFest opens Wednesday. Read my preview. Promising events Wild at Heart (1990), BAMPFA, Wednesday, 7:00 35mm! It's … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 24 – 30
Fritz Lang and David Lynch: Saturday at BAMPFA
I spent Saturday at the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA), watching three movies I'd never seen before. Fritz Lang's Indian Epic The day started with two Fritz Lang action flicks, The Tiger of Eschnapur and The Indian Tomb. These are two movies the way Kill Bill are two movies. It's one story, with the … Continue reading Fritz Lang and David Lynch: Saturday at BAMPFA
Varda, Fellini, Lynch, and more during Winter at BAMPFA
As the weather turns cold and the film festivals disappear, you can find warmth and cinema (along with other arts) at the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive, better known as BAMPFA. UC Berkeley's revival movie theater doesn't just do films. They do film series. Here are the series coming up in December through February: Agnès … Continue reading Varda, Fellini, Lynch, and more during Winter at BAMPFA
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