Who would shell out money and travel across town to see a movie they already own on Blu-ray? I would. Nothing you can do in your own home competes with the theatrical experience. Within the last 10 days, my wife and I bought tickets and crossed town to see two favorites on the big screen: … Continue reading Great Movies are Better on the Big Screen
Tag: Steven Spielberg
What’s Screening: August 23 – 29
This week on Bay Area movie screens: Indiana Jones searches for the Holy Grail, rich people can't leave the room, tempers get hot in Brooklyn, a band says goodbye, and a vampire haunts Tehran. And only one film festival. Festivals Modern Cinema: Haunted! (Gothic Tales by Women) continues. Read my preview. The Week's Big Event A+ … Continue reading What’s Screening: August 23 – 29
What’s Screening: June 21 – July 11
I'm writing this very long newsletter on June 11, just before taking a few weeks off Bayflicks. I thought I'd let you know about at least some of what's coming up while I'm off. And because I wrote this early, I'm missing a lot of things. For instance, I know nothing about what will screen … Continue reading What’s Screening: June 21 – July 11
What’s Screening: March 15 – 21
What's on Bay Area screens this week? Dangerous dinosaurs. Dangerous French women. Swiss women so dangerous they insist on getting the vote! And if that's not scary enough, we've got two Hitchcock double bills. Also two film festivals and Laurel and Hardy. Festivals The Albany FilmFest opens Saturday and through the week and beyond. Read … Continue reading What’s Screening: March 15 – 21
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Ben is Back, Stalag 17, Vox Lux, The World Is Not Enough, Ready Player One
Another five movies I've seen since my last list, in order of quality: A Ben is Back (2018), Shattuck, one of their tiny, lousy theaters This excellent drama about drug addiction turns into a crime thriller, and amazingly, despite the change in tone, it works. A nice, small-town family has its Christmas plans blown when the … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Ben is Back, Stalag 17, Vox Lux, The World Is Not Enough, Ready Player One
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
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Mudbound, The Post, & High Sierra
2017 was a great year for motion pictures, even if it was a lousy year for everything else. In the last week, I've seen two excellent films from last year (one of which was barely shown in the Bay Area) and revisited one from another great movie year (that was even worse in the real … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Mudbound, The Post, & High Sierra
What’s Screening: December 1 – 7
Loony Tunes, friendly aliens, an Indiana Christmas, and the forgotten TV version of 12 Years a Slave. All this and more on Bay Area movie screens. Festivals There's only one film festival this week, and it only runs for one day: Saturday. It's A Day of Silents, and you can read my preview. Promising events … Continue reading What’s Screening: December 1 – 7
Revisiting Schindler’s List
I loved Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List when I first saw it in 1993. It blew me away. Within a year or so I bought the Laserdisc (used), and watched it two or three times over the next decade. I recently revisited it for the first time in maybe 15 years - this time via Netflix. … Continue reading Revisiting Schindler’s List
What’s Screening: September 1 – 7
Marlon Brando, aliens, fascist bureaucrats, and teenage love light up Bay Area movie screens this week. Also, two film festivals. Festivals New Filipino Cinema 2017 continues through Sunday The Japan Film Festival of San Francisco opens today and runs through this week and beyond. Promising events Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Alamo Drafthouse New … Continue reading What’s Screening: September 1 – 7