What’s Screening: November 9 – 15

On Bay Area screens this week: Masterpieces by Renoir, Keaton, Bergman, Welles, Laurel, and Hardy, along with three new movies and six film festivals. Festivals The Cinematografo International Film Festival continues through Sunday The Napa Valley Film Festival also continues through Sunday. Read my preview. The San Francisco Transgender Film Festival opens tonight and, yes, … Continue reading What’s Screening: November 9 – 15

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

Movies I’ve Recently Seen: The Graduate, Samurai Rebellion, Boudu Saved from Drowning, & Knightriders

A few more movies that I've seen recently. A The Graduate (1967), FilmStruck I've seen this classic romantic comedy many times, but this recent viewing brought me new respect for the picture. The revolutionary staging and camerawork wasn't just art for art's sake; it sets the mood and heightens the characters. Consider the opening credits, with … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: The Graduate, Samurai Rebellion, Boudu Saved from Drowning, & Knightriders

French Cancan

I finished French Cancan last night. I say "finished" because I started it Tuesday night, streaming on Hulu Plus. About 25 minutes before the ending, when the big opening night stage show begins, either Hulu or my Internet connectionI started giving me trouble. It would freeze, start, freeze, start, and so on. Forty minutes later … Continue reading French Cancan