Arts & Culture :: Movies

Aggressive reporting

Aggressive reporting

  • by David Lamble
  • Jul 30, 2019

The provocative new bio-doc "Mike Wallace is Here" (opening Friday) is an instructive guide to a chaotic universe.

A very Castro Theatre August

A very Castro Theatre August

  • by David Lamble
  • Jul 30, 2019

The Castro Theatre seeks to provide cinematic relief for the deep-summer dog days with an August schedule that combines the newest fare ("The Last Black Man in San Francisco") with the old reliable widescreen treats ("Lawrence of Arabia").

SF Jewish Film Festival Opening Party @ Contemporary Jewish Museum

SF Jewish Film Festival Opening Party @ Contemporary Jewish Museum

  • by Steven Underhill
  • Jul 24, 2019

After the opening night screening of 'Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles' at the Castro Theatre, filmmakers, producers, actors and patrons enjoyed the Opening Night party at The Contemporary Jewish Museum.

Swinging into summer

Swinging into summer

  • by David Lamble
  • Jul 23, 2019

Our 10 summer films to catch at a Bay Area theater are full of proven talent.

Fiddling through a difficult history

Fiddling through a difficult history

  • by Roberto Friedman
  • Jul 23, 2019

The opening-night film for the 39th San Francisco Jewish Film Festival lit up the Castro Theatre screen last Thursday night.

Portrait of a tragic movie star's life

Portrait of a tragic movie star's life

  • by David-Elijah Nahmod
  • Jul 23, 2019

There are fewer tales in Hollywood lore sadder than that of Barbara Payton (1927-67).

'Before Stonewall' returns

'Before Stonewall' returns

  • by David-Elijah Nahmod
  • Jul 16, 2019

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the riots, "Before Stonewall" has been re-released to theaters. A powerful piece of moviemaking, the film screens at the Roxie Cinema in SF.

Jewish spectacle

Jewish spectacle

  • by David Lamble
  • Jul 16, 2019

The 39th edition of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival includes a documentary on a queer Israeli disco band ("Army of Lovers in the Holy Land") and portraits of "Casablanca" director Michael Curtiz and film critic Pauline Kael.

Double featured

Double featured

  • by David Lamble
  • Jul 9, 2019

Recovering from its extraordinary role during Pride Month, the Castro Theatre dives back into classical noir to offer nine days of double features wrapped around the 2019 San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.

Haunted by women's words

Haunted by women's words

  • by Sura Wood
  • Jul 9, 2019

The fairer sex has been concocting Gothic tales of ghosts, monsters, supernatural phenomena and science run amok! Just look at the latest installment of Modern Cinema, "Haunted! Gothic Tales by Women," a series of dark, atmospheric tales penned by women.

Rival houses vogue

Rival houses vogue

  • by David Lamble
  • Jul 2, 2019

First released at the height of the AIDS health crisis, "Paris Is Burning" is a 1990 feature-length documentary in which director Jennie Livingston embeds us with a subversive and feverishly nimble community of gay and trans, white, black and brown kids.

Pride 2019: LGBTQ Pride whirlwind

Pride 2019: LGBTQ Pride whirlwind

  • by Roberto Friedman
  • Jun 25, 2019

There's an old comic movie about a European charter tour called "If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium." Likewise, you could call the movie of our whirlwind last week "If It's Thursday, It Must Be Frameline."

Pride 2019: Why Judy Garland still matters

Pride 2019: Why Judy Garland still matters

  • by Brian Bromberger
  • Jun 25, 2019

While she was not the greatest singer of the 20th century, Judy Garland was possibly the greatest entertainer of the modern age. June 22 was the 50th anniversary of her untimely death at age 47 from an accidental overdose of barbiturates.

Say it isn't so: Jean-Pierre Leaud at 75

Say it isn't so: Jean-Pierre Leaud at 75

  • by Sura Wood
  • Jun 25, 2019

In the wrenching final freeze-frame of Francois Truffaut's 1959 masterpiece "The 400 Blows," a 14-year-old Jean-Pierre Leaud turned toward the camera and became the face of youthful alienation and the French New Wave.