May 5 – 7: True Grit (Red Vic)

The Old Western setting is finely crafted to be believable, the characters are fully developed, and the plot feels natural.  In other words, the Coen Brothers once again display their mastery of film form.  It is not their masterpiece, but it is a worthwhile addition to their pantheon and a fine film and Western in and of itself. (Click here for full review)

May 6: Meeks Cutoff (Landmark)

There is nothing like a western to get my juices flowing.  Though I loved this film, fans of the traditional story structure in Hollywood films might absolutely hate it.  This is not a glorified western with shootouts and outlaws, it’s about getting from point A to point B in an unknown and unforgiving landscape.

May 6 Cave of Forgotten Dreams (Kabuki)

Cave of Forgotten Dreams is basically Herzog being given permission by the French government (a rare honour which will likely not be repeated for a long time) to spend a few days filming the most ancient, delicate cave paintings known to man, created during the last Ice Age and twice as old as the next oldest set we have discovered.  Using 3-D is Herzog’s acknowledgment of the enormity of a privilege he was granted by this, and his desire to share this experience with everyone else in the fullest capacity. Read More…

As always, the Red Vic will be smokin' on 4/20 Dude

This Month’s list of films to see in San Francisco is somewhat of an extensive one.  With the San Francisco International Film Festival steadily approaching (April 21 – May 5) it looks like other San Francisco theatres are trying extra hard to entice me into going to their theatres.  Not only is there an abundance of must-see films screening at the grand daddy of all San Francisco Film Festivals but there are plenty of must-see films in other theatres as well, Reservoir Dogs, Manhattan and Baraka, just to name a few.  Follow the jump to see all that April has to offer the San Francisco film scene outside of the awesome festivals. Read More…

March 4: Medium Cool & Blow-Up (Castro)

While I’ll be heading to the Castro to check out Antonioni‘s now cult classic plot twisting thriller of a fashion photographer thrusted into a murderous adventure, Blow-Up, I’m also looking forward to seeing Medium Cool, a film I know little about.  According to the Castro Theatre’s website synopsis it’s part documentary part social commentary fiction on the 1960s social tension in America.  If this is anything like Punishment Park (1971) I will not be disappointed.

March 6: Anita – Dances of Vice & Lost Highway (Castro)

Listen up cinephiles!  No drugs needed, as this mind-bending double feature is sure to mess with your perception of reality.  First up is the 1987 film, Anita – Dances of Vice.  Rosa von Praunheim‘s biopic of sorts on the eccentrically mad Anita Kutowski, a schizophrenic provocateur, is filmed in juxtaposing black and white to color, which further emphasizes the film’s subject frame of mind and making for uniqely fun cinema.

And being no stranger to uniquely fun cinema is David Lynch.  His surreal thriller featuring dynamic and impressive performances by both Patricia Arquette and Bill Pullman can be argued as the best of Lynch’s already imposing filmography.

(Follow the jump to see what other films were excited for this March) Read More…

Feb 1 – 2: Lemmy (Roxie)

A well-edited and well-shot documentary on the life and career of Heavy Metal musician Lemmy Kilmister, known mostly for his involvement with the band, Motorhead. “The Ace of Spades, the ace of spades!”  All reviews I have read on-line have been positive ones.  Being a fan of Motorhead, I’m looking forward to this one.

Feb 9: Double Feature: Seven – Memento (Castro)

Every Wed from the 9th until the end of February the Castro is showing a Fincher-Nolan double feature. This one is my favorite, as I think Seven and Memento are their best works. Others will disagree, so here’s the rest of schedule: 16th: Fight Club and Insomnia, 23rd: Zodiac and Dark Knight.

Click on the jump to see what else is coming to San Francisco this month Read More…

Hello, and welcome to moviephone. To see a list of great films, please hang up and log onto Filmbalaya's website

Ah yes, January is fastly approaching (or, already here, depending on when you read this post), and like most Januarys, that usually means a lot of sub-par films will be released by most of the big studios.  But fear not my eager San Filmciscans, because here in our golden City there is almost always something worth getting out of the house to go see.  New releases be damned, from films released earlier in the year to films from earlier in the 20th Century this city has you covered.  Follow the jump to find out where you can see the films we’re looking forward to this month, which, subsequently should be the films you are looking forward to as well.  Read More…

Forget Santa Claus, that guy is over rated. This year my presents are coming from Darren Aronofsky and the Coen Brothers. This December the aforementioned heavy hitters are pulling out the big guns. The Coen Brothers are going western and will more than likely give us the best west themed movie since Clint Eastwood‘s Unforgiven. Aronofsky’s Black Swan on the other hand promises to be one of the most intense thriller since… well… since his last thriller Requiem For A Dream. Those two films mixed in with a few oddballs, including a Christmas flick you don’t want to miss, make December a movie lovers dream. Read More…

11/2 – 11/3 Ticked-off Trannies With Knives (Roxie)

What makes Trannies with Knives stand out amongst all other exploitative films is its funny script, strong acting performances, the satisfyingly fun violence, and its smooth transitioned tonal shifts.  This film pays homage to the great low-budgeted exploitative revenge films that were being shown in grindhouses throughout much of the 70′s and 80′s, and does it without relying solely on obvious sight gags ie, missing film reels, purposeful bad editing, interruptions from theatre management etc.  

11/5 127 Hours (Major)

Throughout all of Danny Boyle‘s films (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later…, etc.,) there lies an undercurrent theme of survival.  In his latest film, Boyle brings to light the ultimate tale of survival in one man’s horrific ordeal, as his mountain biking expedition goes terribly wrong.  While the hype preceding this film is all about James Franco‘s character performing some gut-wrenching dull-bladed surgery, I’m expecting some more classic Boyle camera fluidity, along with some choice pop electronica.  Either way, I only count three duds in Boyle’s 10 film career (A Life Less Ordinary, Millions, and Sunshine), with all the others being 4 stars or higher, which is why the release of 127 hours is on my radar this month.

11/13 Domo Arrigato Mr. Roboto Quintuple Feature (Castro)

In order to stay awake through 11-plus hours of 5 films dealing with all things robotic you have to either be A) part droid, B) able to ingest an entire bottle of No-doze without puking, or C) an avid fan of genre filmmaking at its very best.  Personally I choose option C.  

First up is Michael Criton’s Hollywood directorial debut with the Yul Brynner, James Brolin western in which a robotic wild-west theme park made up of droids goes on the fritz in Westworld. 

This is to be followed by the film that cemented Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s legacy with his famous line of, “I’ll be back.”  In The Terminator, our governator (of California) plays a bad-ass robot sent from the future to destroy James Cameron‘s (director of the film) ex-wife, Linda Hamilton.  

Except for T2: Judgment Day, I can’t think of a better film to follow Cameron’s Terminator than Paul Verhoven’s Robocop.  Take 1 part robot plus 1 part cop, then multiply that by a ton of unnecessary explosives and a lot of fun set pieces and tada…  you have 1980′s excessivness at its finest. Read More…

October is looking like it might be an expensive month for us at Filmbalaya with Hollywood films, awesome triple features, and museum showings all on our radar. Here are the gold nuggets. 

October 1st – BIG day for BIG movies. Go for a hop!

Let Me In (Major)

When I found out  Hollywood was already remaking Let The Right One In I was pissed. I’m completely against remaking a film just to appeal to english speaking audiences. Let Me In however, is being applauded by critics for the film being adapted not only in language but in culture. I still recommend you go see the original film first and not just wait for the english remake. They are both playing this month. 

The Social Network (Major)

To tell you the truth I could care less about Facebook. However, it does fascinate me that sitting in front of your computer for hours on end is now constituted as being social. David Fincher’s film, The Social Network is about the founding of Facebook and all the real life drama that came with it. I don’t know how excited I actually am for this film, but I will check it out. Fincher has made some good films in the past, and I’m hoping this film will also contain more about the appeal of social networks and why they’re so addictive to some. 

You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger (Embarcadero)

Dating back to the mid-60′s, Woody Allen has made a film every year without fail. Some have been good, some have been not so good. Critics are leaning towards not so good with this one, but what the hell do they know? The film has an amazing cast, which includes Antonio Banderes, Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts, and Josh Brolin. Without giving too much away, the film is about what every Woody film is about, people with tangled love lines trying to resolve their problems. 

A Film Unfinished (Opera Plaza)

Yael Hersonski‘s powerful documentary achieves a remarkable feat through its penetrating look at another film, the now-infamous Nazi-produced film about the Warsaw Ghetto. Discovered after the war, the unfinished work, with no soundtrack, quickly became a resource for historians seeking an authentic record, despite its elaborate propagandistic construction. The later discovery of a long-missing reel complicated earlier readings, showing the manipulations of camera crews in these “everyday” scenes. Well-heeled Jews attending elegant dinners and theatricals (while callously stepping over the dead bodies of compatriots) now appeared as unwilling, but complicit, actors, alternately fearful and in denial of their looming fate. Written by Sundance Film Festival.

Click on the jump to read the highlights for the rest of the month Read More…