2012 in film was all over the place.  Films we wanted to love left us heartbroken and films we wanted nothing to do with ended up holding a spot in our hearts.  I hate to say it was a disappointing year for film, but that seems to be the word that keeps popping into our heads.  There were bright spots though – Paul Thomas Anderson made another masterpiece, foreign directors continued to challenge Hollywood style and content, and William Friedkin (The Exorcist) exploded back onto the radar. With the amazing slate of films lined up for 2013 we may eventually look back at 2012 as the calm before the storm, but as we take shelter inside our boats and sail into that storm, these are the films we’re bringing with us.

The list is presented in alphabetical order. 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…

A switch of venues today.  Moving from Japan Town to the Castro District I was on my way to see Francis Ford Coppola‘s latest movie, Twixt, but first I had some time to kill.

What better way to kill time than at the library?  The Movie doesn’t start until 7:30pm, and my watch, I mean cellphone – who wears a watch anymore? – read 5:00pm.  Going to the Library, which is located just a few blocks away from the theatre and is in a supposed non-violent and peaceful neighborhood, was an interesting experience on its own.  Peaceful at this library means people arguing in their outside mountaintop voices, sticky stuff on the keyboard resembling the ectoplasm from Ghostbusters, and 3 consecutive minutes of a blaring car horn as a result of somebody’s roidrage.  As soon as a little boy and his mother decided to sit next to me and start whining and bickering over how he didn’t want to read the book she picked out for him I was done.  Not wanting to stay in this “sanctuary” that is the public library anymore I made way to one of my real sanctuaries, the DVD store, particularly, Streetlight.

After talking to my buddy Art, who works at the store, about various cinematic topics including his love for Andrezej Zulawski films I made my way to The Castro Theatre.  Art, sorry I didn’t buy anything today.  I’m on a budget, and besides, you didn’t seem to have a copy of Francis Ford Coppola‘s Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which for some reason I was in the mood to buy.  Having killed enough time – my watch now read 6:30pm – I finally made my way to The Castro Theatre to grab my ticket for FFC’s latest stab at the Vampire genre. Read More…

This is a list of some of our most anticipated movies of 2011. These films have the potential to knock a cinephiles socks off and hopefully most of them will. I must admit, after making this list, this could be a truly fantastic year for movie fans.

Before I get started, a disclaimer: this is not a list for those of you who think that Transformers, The Green Lantern, Harry Potter, or Twilight are going to be the best films of the year. If you made a funny face and almost spewed just from thinking about the aforementioned films, this is your list.  Maybe.

Feel free to leave comments down below.  I was pretty thorough with my list, but I could have forgotten something. To see the list click the link below.

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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…