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
Tag: Marilyn Monroe
Movies I’ve recently seen: The Asphalt Jungle ֍ Tahara ֍ Honk for Jesus ֍ Elvis
Here's another four random films. This time, most of them are recent. But the best is the only oldie. A- The Asphalt Jungle (1950) There's no one main character in this noir by John Huston. Instead, we get to know six very different criminals as they set out together to steal a fortune in diamonds. … Continue reading Movies I’ve recently seen: The Asphalt Jungle ֍ Tahara ֍ Honk for Jesus ֍ Elvis
Movies I’ve recently seen: L’Atalante ֍ Eating Raoul ֍ Gentlemen Prefer Blondes ֍ Death on the Nile ֍ The Bitcoin Field Guide
Another random selection of old and new movies, from nearly brilliant to worthless junk. Click a movie's title to find out where you can stream it. A- L'Atalante (1934) It's a common story, but done very well, thanks to director Jean Vigo's poetic realism. A bride tries to adjust to her new family, and they … Continue reading Movies I’ve recently seen: L’Atalante ֍ Eating Raoul ֍ Gentlemen Prefer Blondes ֍ Death on the Nile ֍ The Bitcoin Field Guide
The Castro Theater’s 100th Birthday Celebration
Maybe it was the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, but Another Planet Entertainment (APE) seems to realize that the Castro Theater should be what it always was: a movie palace. Next month, APE will give us the Castro Theatre 100th Birthday Celebration. From June 3 to 12, the Castro will run classic films. Each day, … Continue reading The Castro Theater’s 100th Birthday Celebration
Some Like It Hot: The Criterion Blu-ray
I'm not sure if Some Like It Hot really is, as the American Film Institute declared in 2000, the best American film comedy of all time. It certainly belongs in the top 10. There are comedies with a higher laugh-to-minute ratio, and others that have more to say about the human condition. But I doubt you could find … Continue reading Some Like It Hot: The Criterion Blu-ray
Sexual Abuse: The filmgoer’s Dilemma
Sexual predators in the movie business (and elsewhere) are finally getting the attention they deserve…as opposed to the attention they want. The Harvey Weinstein scandal has punched a hole in the culture and let some light in. For the moment at least, the entertainment industry isn't safe for sexual predators. In addition to Weinstein, Kevin … Continue reading Sexual Abuse: The filmgoer’s Dilemma
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: November 9 – 15
The Italian Film Festival closes Saturday night, but New Italian Cinema opens tonight and runs through the weekend. Both Doc Fest and the Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival continue through this week and beyond. Cinema by the Bay opens today and runs through the week. B- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Alameda, Tuesday and Wednesday. Howard Hawks’ … Continue reading What’s Screening: November 9 – 15
What’s Screening: April 6 – 12
No festivals this week. And no big, French silent films accompanied by full orchestras, either. B Comic-Con IV: A Fan’s Hope, Vogue, opens Friday. Morgan Spurlock’s latest documentary will disappoint his fans, which is odd because it’s all about fandom--specifically fans of comic books, video games, and sci-fi/fantasy movies with reoccurring characters. This documentary follows … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 6 – 12
What’s Screening: March 9 – 15
Cinequest runs through Sunday, and the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival continues through the week. The San Francisco Dance Film Festival opens Friday. A Children of Paradise, Castro, Saturday. Shot while the Nazi occupation of Paris fell apart, Children of Paradise may be the most ecstatically French film ever made. A three-hour epic … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 9 – 15
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