Here's something to scare you as Halloween approaches: 45 movies will disappear from the Criterion Channel as the kids go virtual trick-or-treat. Here are six of these movies that I can recommend. That doesn't mean I hate the other 39. I just haven't seen most of them. Others I haven't seen or didn't really like. … Continue reading Before Halloween: 6 good movies leaving Criterion October 31
Tag: Preston Sturges
More good than bad in August at the Criterion Channel
If you love great cinema, you really should subscribe to the Criterion Channel. Here you can get your fill of Akira Kurosawa, Fritz Lang, Mike Leigh, Atom Egoyan, Yasujiro Ozu, Asghar Farhadi, and so much more. And it's not all serious. Search for comedy, and (as I write this), you'll get 378 results. Throughout August, … Continue reading More good than bad in August at the Criterion Channel
Good movies, but strangely appropriate double bills
The double bill is almost a lost art. Here in the Bay Area, only the Castro and the Stanford regularly give you two movies for one admission. (I once had to explain the word intermission to my daughter.) Most double bills contain two films with matching moods or belong to the same genre. You don't … Continue reading Good movies, but strangely appropriate double bills
What’s Screening: July 6 – 12
After a couple of stubborn years, I've decided to accept the Pacific Film Archive's no-longer-new name, BAMPFA. It stands for Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive. I would rather they had called it PFABAM, because in my mind, the movies come first. Anyway, this week we have Jewish triplets, African-American telemarketers, animated Beatles, live Beatles, … Continue reading What’s Screening: July 6 – 12
What’s Screening: June 29 – July 5
Stoned grandpa and dead meat, along with Sturges, Hawks, Spielberg, Lubitsch, Antonioni, and no film festivals in Bay Area movie theaters this week. New films opening A- Eating Animals, Clay, Shattuck, opens Friday Considering the documentary's title and the involvement of outspoken vegan (and movie star) Natalie Portman, one would assume that Eating Animals preaches … Continue reading What’s Screening: June 29 – July 5
What’s Screening: June 22 – 28
Fred and Ginger meet Preston Sturges. Ingmar Bergman makes us laugh about sex. Kurosawa takes on Shakespeare. Wes Anderson and Greta Garbo take you to two very grand hotels. And it all happens this week on Bay Area movie screens. Festivals Frameline closes Sunday Promising events Grand Hotel, Pacific Film Archive, Sunday, 7:00 It's been … Continue reading What’s Screening: June 22 – 28
What’s Screening: June 23 – 29
Samurai, dancers, Mary Pickford, and alienated teenagers light up Bay Area movie screens this week. Also two film festivals. Festivals Frameline continues through Sunday The Broncho Billy Silent Film Festival opens today and runs through Sunday New films opening A Maudie, Embarcadero, opens Friday Here's a love story, set on the beautiful Nova Scotia coast, about … Continue reading What’s Screening: June 23 – 29
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