Image from Spike Jonze’s Her

Let’s just get this out of the way right now, movies such as The Hangover part 3, The Fast & The Furious part 6, Scary Movie 5, the next Hunger Games movie or the next Hobbit movie will not be on this list.

What will be on this list are films being released by today’s auetuers, and potential classics in the making – I hope.

I listed the films in alphabetical order, because choosing my favorite was just too damn tough.  Click the jump to see what 2013 has to offer Read More…

August 1st: The Big Lebowski (Vogue Theatre)

Few films are powerful enough that they inspire a new religion, The Big Lebowski is. Dudeism, now an official religion is growing quickly and is similar to Buddhism.  Dudeists pay respect to not one but many historical figures such as Kurt Vonnegut, Julia Child, Buddha, Snoopy, Quincy Jones, and of course, The Dude. Point being, if you haven’t seen The Big Lebowski or if you didn’t fully grasp the power of this mighty film the first time around, you are getting a second chance.

August 2nd: The Science of Sleep (Vogue Theatre)

I love this movie.  Lucid dreaming never seemed so realized – or fun, for that matter – in film as it does in Michel Gondry‘s wildly imaginative tale of awkward romance.  The first time I saw this movie I made the mistake of thinking Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, released just 2 years prior, could never be topped in terms of sheer originality, at least as far as storytelling and practical effects were concerned.  I was wrong.  The fact that this film was made on a budget 14 million dollars less than that of Eternal Sunshine’s only makes it that much more impressive.  Did I mention that I Love this movie?

August 5th: Gone With The Wind/Citizen Kane (Castro Theatre)

Have you ever met an avid film enthusiast who still hasn’t seen either Gone With The Wind and/or Citizen Kane?  Well, allow me to introduce myself.  Hello, my name is Adam and I have still not seen either of these two films.  Go on, judge me if you must.  All this will soon change of course, thanks to the wonderful programmers at the Castro Theatre.  Finally, I get to see what all the hype is about, and I get to see it on San Francisco’s best screen, as far as I’m concerned.

August 10th: Ed Wood/Mulholland Dr. (Castro Theatre)

Hmm, what should I do Friday, August 10th?  While I don’t usually like to plan that far into the future, I do know one thing’s for certain.  I won’t be going to band practice, or any other social gathering for that matter, because I’ll be front row and center in my beloved Castro Theatre watching both my favorite Tim Burton movie and my favorite David Lynch movie as a 2-for-1 double-feature.  Oh happy day! Read More…

“There’s the Butch, or the Heinie, the Flat Top, the Ivy, the Crew, the Vanguard, the Junior Contour and, occasionally, the Executive Contour.  Adults get variations on the same, along with the Duck Butt, the Timberline, and something we call the Alpine Rope Toss.”

Whatever style or cut you call it, one thing’s for sure, over the years the Coen Brothers have amassed a plethora of unique looks from their actors by simply having fun with their hair.  Here are some of their highlights. Read More…

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…

Having neither seen the first adaptation of the book “True Grit”, nor read the book, I can review the film on its merits alone. Reading a bit into the back story surrounding both, though, I have discovered that this film is not so much a remake of an older film, but a new adaptation of a book which has already been adapted into film. And it contains so many aspects of the Coen Brothers’ work which make them among the elite filmmakers today. It has all of their complete, dedicated attention to set detail: marking, for instance, the use of tracks to mark the end of a newly set railroad tracks on an unfinished course; to every little bottle in a department store; to the archaic pronunciation of words and the usage of dated vocabulary. The Old Western setting is finely crafted to be believable, the characters are fully developed, and the plot feels natural (except for a few points which I’ll mention later). In other words, the Coen Brothers once again display their mastery of film form. Read More…