A Modern Times, Rafael, Sunday, noon. Leave it to Charlie Chaplin to call an extremely anachronistic movie Modern Times. Why anachronistic? Because it’s a mostly silent picture (with a recorded score) made years after everyone else had started talking. Why Modern Times? Because it’s about assembly lines, mechanization, and the depression. Chaplin’s tramp moves from … Continue reading What’s Screening: November 27 – December 3
Tag: movies
What’s Screening: November 20-26
The Chinese American Film Festival continues through Thursday at the 4-Star. A+ Double Bill: Top Hat & The Gay Divorcee, Stanford, Friday and Saturday. The Gay Divorcee, on its own, would probably get only a B-. Arguably the first Astaire-Rogers movie (certainly the first where they were the real stars), it’s a flawed entertainment with one … Continue reading What’s Screening: November 20-26
What’s Screening: November 13 – 19
In last week’s newsletter, I failed to mention the Chinese American Film Festival that opened yesterday. It runs through Thursday at the 4-Star. The San Francisco International Animation Festival continues through Sunday. And on that very day, New Italian Cinema opens an eight-day run at the Embarcadero. B For the Love of Movies: The Story … Continue reading What’s Screening: November 13 – 19
What’s Screening: November 6 – 12
The 3rd I South Asian Film Festival continues through Thursday. The San Francisco International Animation Festival opens Wednesday for a five-day run. A- Skin, Clay, Shattuck, Guild, Rafael, opens Friday. Sandra Laing (an actual, living person, played here by Sophie Okonedo) was born to white parents in South Africa in 1955, but by all appearances … Continue reading What’s Screening: November 6 – 12
Skin
A- Biographical drama Written by Helen Crawley Directed by Anthony Fabian Race can be a very difficult thing to define; especially for bureaucrats working for a government where race determines everything. Sandra Laing (an actual, living person, played here by Sophie Okonedo) was born to white parents in South Africa in 1955, but by all … Continue reading Skin
What’s Screening: October 30 – November 5
The 3rd I South Asian Film Festival opens Thursday for a four-day run at the Roxie and the Castro. French Cinema Now also starts Thursday for a seven-day run at the Clay. In My Father's Shadow: A Daughter Remembers Orson Welles with The Lady From Shanghai, Rafael, Monday, 7:00. The Lady from Shanghai is not … Continue reading What’s Screening: October 30 – November 5
What’s Screening: October 23 – 29
I haven’t done one of these in a long time, and I’m not really prepared, and I’m just trying to get my feet wet again, so bear with me. Okay, festival news: I haven’t been following the festivals, but these ones are going on right now: Cinema by the Bay, through Sunday. Doc Fest, through … Continue reading What’s Screening: October 23 – 29
I’m Back
More than four months after my last post (not counting the Soul Power review, which I’d written months before), I’m resurrecting Bayflicks. Without going into details, let’s just say I have a very busy summer, and not all of it was busy in a good way. I got to very few movies during that time, … Continue reading I’m Back
Soul Power
Music Documentary Directed by Jeffrey Levy-Hinte In 1974, many of the greatest African and African-American musicians alive came together in Zaire for a big all-star concert attached to the legendary Muhammad Ali/George Foreman fight. The fight was delayed, but the concert went on as scheduled. But the film version of the Zaire ‘74 concert was … Continue reading Soul Power
What’s Screening: June 19 – 25
Frameline continues through the week. A Katyn, Kabuki, Rafael, opens Friday. In the spring of 1940, Soviet special forces massacred over 15,000 Polish prisoners of war, including the father of future filmmaker Andrzej Wajda. After the war, Stalin’s government insisted that the Nazis were to blame and suppressed the truth. Wajda tells the story of … Continue reading What’s Screening: June 19 – 25
Bayflicks 