If you're getting tired of horror movies, don't despair; Halloween will soon be over. This week, Bay Area theaters will show non-scary gems from Peter Bogdanovich, Mira Nair, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Hayao Miyazaki, and Vincente Minnelli. But if you're still looking for a fright, there are works from Jordan Peele, Alfred Hitchcock, Roman Polanski, Victor … Continue reading What’s Screening: Oct. 28 – Nov. 3
Tag: Peter Bogdanovich
What’s leaving Criterion at the end of June
A lot of early John Ford films will disappear from the Criterion Channel at the end of June. There are several other good films that will go away after June 30. Click the film's title to start watching the movie – assuming as if you subscribe to the Channel. Full recommendations A+ The Last Picture … Continue reading What’s leaving Criterion at the end of June
What’s Screening: April 15 – 21
I've changed the format of this weekly newsletter. Hopefully, it will make choosing a theater or a screening time easier to find. And among these easy-to-find classics are works by Federico Fellini, Milos Forman, Roman Polanski, Peter Bogdanovich, Richard Linklater, the Coen Brothers, and Monty Python - all on big screens. But first, we have … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 15 – 21
What’s Screening: February 4 – 10
We've got two worthwhile new documentaries about race and gender in theaters this week. And for vintage cinema, you can go to a movie theater and see classics from Hitchcock, Coppola, Miyazaki, Poitier, Bogdanovich, and Van Peebles. I've added a new section: Films of historical interest. These pictures aren't all that good, but are worth … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 4 – 10
What’s Screening: January 14 – 20
I have stopped going to movie theaters because of Omicron. I just don't think it's safe - even though I wear a mask and have all the right shots. I'm not the only one who thinks that way. The Film Noir Foundation has postponed this year's Noir City festival. And the New Parkway has gone … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 14 – 20
What’s Screening: January 7 – 13
I dedicate this week's newsletter to film historian and filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich (July 30, 1939 – January 6, 2022). Considering what Omicron is doing all over the world, we have a surprising number of vintage movies playing in real theaters. We've got major works from Peter Jackson, F.W. Murnau, Wong Kar Wai, The Coen Brothers, … Continue reading What’s Screening: January 7 – 13
What’s Screening: June 18 – 24
I discuss two new movies this week in Bay Area cinema. And no, In the Heights isn't one of them (I haven't got to it, yet), but one of them is about a Puerto Rican dancer. If you like to go to the drive-in, I can recommend five excellent films you can watch from your … Continue reading What’s Screening: June 18 – 24
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Matewan, Crescendo, Paper Moon, Sophie Tucker, & the Bounty
Once again, a collection of films I've recently seen, either in the first time or the first in a long time, that didn't belong in any other article I've written. From best to worst: A Matewan (1987), recently-bought Blu-ray Outside of John Sayles' oral history trilogy, this story of union organizing and union busting circa … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Matewan, Crescendo, Paper Moon, Sophie Tucker, & the Bounty
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Pleasantville, Joker, Targets, & Gorillas in the Mist
Here are four movies I've seen recently. I saw all of these at home, of course. A Pleasantville (1998), Blu-ray Along with laughs and entertainment, you can find so much meaning in this fantasy about two 1998 teenagers pulled into a 1958 TV situation comedy. It deals with bigotry, fear of change, small-town fascism, and … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Pleasantville, Joker, Targets, & Gorillas in the Mist
What’s Screening: September 20 – 26
This week in Bay Area theaters: Nicholas Cage and Sean Connery save Alcatraz. Teenage vampires and a hammy Shakespearean reduce the population. Silent builders put up a rickety shack and the Taj Mahal. And Peter Bogdanovich closes the last picture show. Plus four film festivals. Festivals The Oakland International Film Festival opened yesterday (sorry, I … Continue reading What’s Screening: September 20 – 26
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