Here are seven films I’ve seen simply because I wanted to see them (or see again)

October 3, 2023October 3, 2023 ~ Lincoln Spector

I haven't done one of these Movies I've Recently Seen articles in months. Why? I was covering film festivals. I also took a long vacation. So, here are seven movies that didn't belong to anything else, whether they're good or bad. As always, they're from best to worst. Boyz n the Hood The Eight Mountains … Continue reading Here are seven films I’ve seen simply because I wanted to see them (or see again)

What’s Screening: Sept 22 – Sept 28

September 22, 2023September 21, 2023 ~ Lincoln Spector

There's a lot of works from great auteurs this week in Bay Area cinemas. How about Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, Tim Burton, John Huston, Francis Coppola, Jonathan Demme, David Lynch, and most importantly, Stanley Kubrick. Festivals & Series Scorsese: More than a Gangster closes Sunday 2023 HUMP! Film Festival The San Francisco Dance Film Festival … Continue reading What’s Screening: Sept 22 – Sept 28

What’s Screening: July 28 – August 3

July 28, 2023July 26, 2023 ~ Lincoln Spector

Believe it or not, vintage cinema still exists in Bay Area theaters. This week we've got two of Preston Sturges' best comedies, and if you haven't seen them, you're missing much of life's treats. There's also The Beatles, Kurosawa in noir mode, Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece, one of Pixar's best, and the only X-rated film that … Continue reading What’s Screening: July 28 – August 3

What’s Screening: June 30 – July 6

June 30, 2023June 29, 2023 ~ Lincoln Spector

I have friends who love vintage wine. They carefully store their bottles and, on special occasions, take them down and pop the cork. But what about vintage cinema? Physical film also rots. But there's another kind of cinematic decay. If people don't watch movies, or just watch them at home, the motion pictures we love … Continue reading What’s Screening: June 30 – July 6

What will leave Criterion come midnight

October 20, 2021October 18, 2021 ~ Lincoln Spector

When the trick-or-treaters go to bed and October turns into November, some excellent films will mysteriously disappear. Many of them were directed by John Huston. At the end of this month, Criterion will remove 59 feature films from its streaming service to make more for other classics. Here's a few of them: A The African … Continue reading What will leave Criterion come midnight

Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, & George Cukor give us a Holiday – thanks to Criterion’s new Blu-ray

January 2, 2020December 30, 2019 ~ Lincoln Spector

The 1938 romantic comedy Holiday doesn't seem quite crazy enough to be called a screwball. The laughs don't pile up the way other such comedies of the period do. But it has something else - a believable romance between intelligent people discussing their lives and their loves, and how they became the people they are. … Continue reading Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, & George Cukor give us a Holiday – thanks to Criterion’s new Blu-ray

What’s Screening: September 22 – 28

September 22, 2017September 20, 2017 ~ Lincoln Spector

Overly-protective parents, exceptionally dumb teenagers, Jerry Lewis, French mimes, Buster Keaton, and a whole lot of Lina Wertmüller lights up Bay Area screens this week. Also, Sunday is Art House Theater Day. Bay Area theaters involved include the Elmwood, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Rafael, Lark, and the Roxie. Check each theater to see … Continue reading What’s Screening: September 22 – 28