We're well into October, and you know what that means. We have more horror flicks, but also more Oscar bait. The horror flicks are obvious. But why Oscar bait? The best movies are held back in hope of getting a nod from the Academy. Anyway, I don't think that any of the movies playing this … Continue reading What’s Screening: October 13 – 20
Tag: Nicholas Ray
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of June
When June disappears and July appears, you'll probably still be shivering with cold. So, before this month goes away, here are eight worthwhile films that will disappear from the Criterion Channel come July. Full recommendations A Dogtooth (2009) This very dark satire of over-protective parents – and arguably totalitarianism – examines an upper-middle class nuclear … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of June
What’s Screening: July 15 – 21
We start this week with two very romantic movies. Then two double bills at the finally-open Stanford. Those are followed by one of Pixar's best and two adaptions of Broadway musicals. And finally, crime stories from Tarantino and Ozu. (Yes, Ozu made crime flicks.) And three film festivals run this week. Festivals & Series The … Continue reading What’s Screening: July 15 – 21
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of January
Want to experience something frightening? A lot of Alfred Hitchcock movies will disappear from the Criterion Channel at the end of January. But this is not only about the Master of Suspense. Movies by Billy Wilder, Nicholas Ray, Julie Dash, Elia Kazan, George Stevens, and more will also disappear. See them before February. Full recommendations … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of January
What’s Screening: April 2 – 8
What's happening this week in Bay Area movie-watching? Mank appears in a real movie theater! Virtually, you can stream the rip-roaring silent melodrama The Signal Tower, along with dramas by Ryan Coogler and Nicholas Ray. And at the drive-in, you can revisit Casablanca, Mary Poppins, Wall-E, and more. But no festivals. New films opening in … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 2 – 8
Columbia Noir at the Criterion Channel
It's a dirty, corrupt, and evil world, filled with lust for money, lust for power, and just plain old lust. And it just got dirtier on Wednesday, when the Criterion Channel opened up a collection of Columbia Noir. Yes, the lady with the torch is looking over the crime-filled streets. The collection contains 26 movies … Continue reading Columbia Noir at the Criterion Channel
A Discovered genre: The contemporary western drama
I think I discovered a genre. It's been around for more than 60 years and has never been recognized as such. But it's worth considering. The films in this genre, or at least the ones I've seen, have all been excellent. I call them contemporary western dramas. These are not westerns, although they echo that … Continue reading A Discovered genre: The contemporary western drama
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: In a Lonely Place, Wonder Woman, & Tiny Furniture
Here are three movies I've recently seen. I'll also tell you where I saw them. A In a Lonely Place (1950), FilmStruck Nicholas Ray critiqued masculinity in many of his films, but rarely as strongly as he does here. Early on, the movie feels like an exposé of Hollywood. Then it becomes a murder mystery. It … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: In a Lonely Place, Wonder Woman, & Tiny Furniture
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