Feb 1: Midnight In Paris (Castro Theatre)

Midnight in Paris might be Woody Allen‘s first great comedy in decades, but it was worth the wait. The film follows an author (Owen Wilson) on an unexpected journey through different eras in Paris’ history. As he travels through the years and meets some of histories most eccentric and hilarious characters, he tries to find validation of his book and meaning in his life.  Midnight in Paris is a surreal, intelligent comedy that’s as entertaining as it is meaningful.

Feb 1 – 2: Drive (Roxie Theatre)

The whole feel of Drive is as if Stanley Kubrick rose from the grave to direct the screen adaption of popular video game Grand Theft Auto. Drive is a poem composed of love, graphic violence, fast cars, and an awesome jacket. Director Nicolas Winding Refn brings the beauty of an “art house” film into the action/suspense genre and by doing so he has created one of the best films of the year. The film stars Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan with brilliant support from Albert Brooks, Bryan Cranston and Ron Perlman.

Feb 2: Groundhog Day/Caddyshack (Castro Theatre)

Groundhog Day on Groundhog Day, it’s a no-brainer really.  This movie easily falls into my top 10 comedies of all time.  Yeah, it’s that good!  Bill (Motha fuckin’!) Murray is at his best as the cynical, grumpy weatherman forced to repeat the same day over and over again for what is the equivalent of years.  Everything that makes Bill Murray great is on display here, from his acute reactive comedic timing to his dry wit.

As for Caddyshack, I can never understand why this movie is so popular.  The last time I saw it (about 10 years ago) I was dumbfounded as to why I was the only one in a full theatre to not utter a single chuckle.  But since The Castro offers a two-for-one deal on all Double-Features, I think I’ll try and give it another chance. Read More…

Well, folks, it’s about that time again.  The new year has come, and it is up to us to tell you what the best movies were last year because, let’s face it, we’d hate to force you to think for yourself.  We tried to do this as objectively as we possibly could, and, in using the scientific method, employed such tools as our trusty alembic, abacus, and many systems of levers and pulleys to finally arrive at the definite conclusions presented below. Make sure to comment and let us know what you think!

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Filmbalaya wholeheartedly wishes you a happy new year. No matter what you offered to give up in your New Years’ Resolution, the people at the movie theatre won’t betray your conscience. To keep your potentially rainy month dry, we’ll tell you what good (or, failing that, perhaps worthwhile) movies to see to fill up many of your days.  Fortunately for us all, there are plenty of films to watch, including some that you may have missed in the past couple of months.

See the list after the jump! Read More…

A stowaway and a shoe shiner, a room full of food-obsessed chefs, a death row inmate, Werner Herzog, and a manically depressed Kristen Dunst.  What do all these people have in common?  They’re all featured in new films opening this week in San Francisco theaters.  To see the full list of films and where they’re playing follow the jump. 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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