This week in Bay Area cinema: More of Star Wars - along with Indiana Jones, an excellent drama set in Montana, and the cheap sci-fi flick that started John Carpenter's and Dan O'Bannon's careers. Festivals & Series Doc Fest, which is not to be confused with the recently closed DocLands, opens Wednesday, and ends next … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 27 – June 2
Tag: Star Wars
What’s Screening: May 20 – 26
Science fiction takes over Bay Area cinema this week with Star Trek, RobCop, and the original Star Wars trilogy. There's also a David Lynch/David Cronenberg double bill, a French thriller by Henri-Georges Clouzot, and Paul Thomas Anderson's porn epic. Another cinema bites the dust Berkeley's Shattuck Cinema will close on June 1. When I moved … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 20 – 26
Great films selected for the National Film Registry
As happens every December, the National Film Registry adds 25 films to its list of movies that have historical, artistic, or cultural significance. This year, the new honorees include a Star Wars flick, two concert films, and the beginning of The Lord of the Rings. Here's the list in chronological order, from 1902 to 2008. … Continue reading Great films selected for the National Film Registry
What’s Screening: November 12 – 18
Want to see the (not quite) original Star Wars trilogy on the big screen in one day? Or learn about the most capitalist country in the world? How about discovering Communist comedy? And then there's daughters of the dust, vampires who aren't sure they're vampires, and a very funny swordfight. All this in Bay Area … Continue reading What’s Screening: November 12 – 18
What’s Screening: July 9 – 15
What's in Bay Area cinema this week? The absurdity of Fractured Flickers, a talk about Taxi Driver, lesbians young and old, The Beatles, The Jedi, and dancing in LA. Sorry that I haven't been posting as often as I should. I've been busy with other work. Festivals windrider bay area opened yesterday (sorry about that). … Continue reading What’s Screening: July 9 – 15
What’s Screening: Jan 29 – Feb 4
This week in mostly virtual Bay Area moviegoing: Listen to reviewers about reviewing, discuss Casablanca with the Thrillville crowd, restore home movies, catch films about autism and striking workers, along with three enjoyable entertainments at the drive-in. Also, three film festivals. Festivals For Your Consideration continues through the week and beyond SF Indiefest opens Thursday … Continue reading What’s Screening: Jan 29 – Feb 4
In Bay Area Drive-ins & Virtual Cinema: October 9 – 15
This week in Bay Area screenings: The Talking Heads, the Day of the Dead, vampires, Black Americans in Paris, and that distant galaxy all arriving either by virtual cinema or to the drive-in. Also, three mostly virtual film festivals. Virtual Festivals The Mill Valley Film Festival continues through this week and beyond. Follow my previews … Continue reading In Bay Area Drive-ins & Virtual Cinema: October 9 – 15
In Bay Area Virtual Cinema & Drive-ins: Sept 24 – Oct 1
Talk about Kubrick, or go to the drive-in with Billy Wilder or Martin Scorsese. Also, a farewell to a great American in virtual cinema. In Memorial A- RBG (2018), BAMPFA, Cerrito, Elmwood, New Mission, Roxie There's nothing objective about this documentary on Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The filmmakers clearly believed that the Supreme Court's progressive hero … Continue reading In Bay Area Virtual Cinema & Drive-ins: Sept 24 – Oct 1
Revisiting the original Star Wars trilogy
When we talk about films that significantly influenced cinema, we generally mention classics like Citizen Kane and Rashomon. But the real big influences were surprise commercial hits such as The Jazz Singer, This is Cinerama, and, yes, the original Star Wars. These influences, of course, weren't always for the better. You could argue that Star … Continue reading Revisiting the original Star Wars trilogy
Coming in December
Here's just a few of the movie revivals playing in the Bay Area next month. I'm skipping the Pacific Film Archive because I've already written about it. Alamo Drafthouse New Mission Ready for a marathon of all eight Star Wars movies, starting at 1:00am on Wednesday, December 13? The downside: No late entry allowed. You'll … Continue reading Coming in December
Bayflicks 