Ang Lee and James Schamus' Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is playing in eight Bay Area theaters! And yet, not even one is in the East Bay. The 4-Star seems to have noticed that it's Black History Month, with screenings of Black Panther, Fences, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. They're also giving us masterpieces by Stanley … Continue reading What’s Screening: February 17 – 23
Tag: Stanley Kubrick
What’s Screening: December 16 – 22
Remember that cute Christmas movie from 2003 called Elf? It's playing in five different theaters this week, some of them free. Overall this week, the theaters are giving us movies to make us merry. There's two of the most beloved family movies of all time, and more of Buster Keaton. And if you want to … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 16 – 22
What’s Screening: October 14 – 20
Remember when Imax was for documentaries and travelogues? This Monday, you can see a doc that's also a love story and seems to be perfect for the gigantic screen. Also in movie theaters this week: James Cameron's excellent sequel, the noir that broke the color line, Kubrick's horror, and vampires haunting both Iran and New … Continue reading What’s Screening: October 14 – 20
What’s Screening: Sept 30 – Oct 6
I wrote this newsletter in September, and I expect it will still be September when you read it. And yet, this blog post seems very much like October. All the classic movies I'm recommending this week were made to scare you out of your pants. And most succeeded. Festivals & Series Mill Valley Festival Green … Continue reading What’s Screening: Sept 30 – Oct 6
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
Early Kubrick in 4K Ultra HD: The Killing
Stanley Kubrick started his Hollywood career with this crackerjack noir heist thriller. He did it so well that it's hard to believe that he never tried to do a noir again. Professional criminal Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) orchestrates a complex racetrack robbery likely to net two million 1956 dollars. Hayden's rat-a-tat-tat delivery does wonders for … Continue reading Early Kubrick in 4K Ultra HD: The Killing
What’s Screening: July 22 – 28
The Bay Area hosts several theatrical screenings of classic cinema this week. You can choose between laughs from Preston Sturges, Kubrick's great SciFi epic, Norman Jewison (who is, by the way, not Jewish) and changed the look of noir while breaking the color line. James Whales made the monster who just wanted to be loved. … Continue reading What’s Screening: July 22 – 28
What’s Screening: May 13 – 19
This week opens on Friday the 13th - not just the date but also two sequels. And what else is available in Bay Area theaters? A new film from Iran. A popular event returns to the Castro. Also, classics by Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Quentin Tarantino, Bob Fosse, and George Lucas. Plus, four festivals that … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 13 – 19
What’s Screening: May 6 – 12
What a week for Bay Area cinema! Six days of silent films. Another six of documentaries. And those are just the festivals. You can also see classics on the big screen from Elia Kazan, Studio Ghibli, Federico Fellini, Stanley Kubrick, and a couple of duds. Festivals & Series DocLands closes Wednesday. I recommend Fire of … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 6 – 12
What’s Screening: April 8 – 14
Want to see an old movie the old way - in a theater? Here's what classics are playing this week in the Bay Area. But remember to wear your mask and carry proof of vaccination. Also, three film festivals are running this week. Festivals & Series The Glas Animation Festival closes Sunday The International Ocean … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 8 – 14