Martin Scorsese doesn't only make films. For the last thirty years, he has also been restoring old films through his Film Foundation. The Criterion Channel is now streaming a selection of 27 films that Scorsese has restored. I haven't seen all of them. Here are nine out of the 27 that I have seen and … Continue reading Criterion & The Film Foundation
Tag: movies
What’s Screening: April 21 – 27
Both SFFilm and Hollywood's Golden Era end Sunday, which means I can rest a bit. But not much; There's plenty of vintage movies in Bay Area cinemas this week. Festivals & Series Sorry, I accidentally listed CAAMFest a month earlier The Hollywood's Golden Era ends Sunday The San Francisco Greek Film Festival continues into next … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 21 – 27
What’s Screening: Sept 16 – 22
If you like old movies in real theaters, you can see Kurosawa's best, the flick that made Spielberg famous, the first great vampire movie, Billy Wilder's look at American business, Hitchcock in 3D, and a Kubrick double bill. Plus two festivals. Festivals & Series The SF International South Asian Film Festival opens Friday and closes … Continue reading What’s Screening: Sept 16 – 22
What’s Screening: August 19 – 25
In Bay Area moviegoing this week: A Powell/Pressburger film I’ve yet to see. A Kurosawa double bill. Spike Lee’s best film free in the open air. Movies by Howard Hawks and Samuel Fuller. And for the first time in movie history, a handsome man lights a cigarette and says the immortal words, “Bond. James Bond.” … Continue reading What’s Screening: August 19 – 25
This year’s Jewish Film Fest deals with refugees, music, romance, and yes, genocide
This year's San Francisco Jewish Film Festival focuses considerably on the traditional command of tikkun olam (healing the world). Several of the films have little or nothing to do with Judaism, but they are very much about justice, charity, freedom, and cleaning the planet - all parts of tikkun olam. But not all. The festival … Continue reading This year’s Jewish Film Fest deals with refugees, music, romance, and yes, genocide
What’s Screening: December 9 – 15
Shakespeare, Truffaut, and killer Androids (and I don’t mean smartphones). Here in the Northern Hemisphere, which includes the Bay Area, December is the darkest month of the year. It’s cold. People look for indoor activities. It’s also, outside of summer, the biggest month for movie-going. And yet, no festivals this week or, ASAIK, this month. … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 9 – 15
The Artist
A Dramatic Comedy Written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius The question with which I opened my Hugo post applies even more to Michel Hazanavicius' new silent film: Did I--and other cinephiles--love The Artist because it is a very good motion picture, or because the story, setting, and style are so close to any cinephile's heart? … Continue reading The Artist
What’s Screening: April 16 – 22
The Sonoma International Film Festival continues through Sunday, and the San Francisco International Film Festival opens Thursday. And we’ve got an earthquake to commemorate. A- The Palm Beach Story, Stanford, Saturday through Tuesday. No one wrote and directed screwball comedies as well as Preston Sturges, and if this one doesn’t quite come up to the brilliant … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 16 – 22
What’s Screening: April 9 – 15
This is a great week for silent movie lovers. We’ve got The Gold Rush with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Sunrise with organ accompaniment (it usually plays with the original Movietone track), and Sherlock Jr. with hip-hop. On the festival beat, the Sonoma International Film Festival starts its four-day run on Thursday. A The Gold … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 9 – 15
What’s Screening: April 2 – 8
I’m trying to get back into the swing of things after my mother’s death. Expect this newsletter to be short. I missed the San Francisco International Film Festival press conference on Tuesday, but I have the press kit. I’ll get to it probably on Sunday. B+ The President’s Analyst, Castro, Wednesday. This little comedy from … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 2 – 8