Arts & Culture :: Movies

Martyrdom of St. Pier Paolo Pasolini

Martyrdom of St. Pier Paolo Pasolini

  • by Brian Bromberger
  • Oct 8, 2019

Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922-75) had an iconoclastic career as a gay Italian film director, poet, novelist, journalist, actor, playwright, political figure, philosopher, and intellectual.

Bitter pills: 'The Ground Beneath My Feet'

Bitter pills: 'The Ground Beneath My Feet'

  • by David Lamble
  • Oct 8, 2019

"The Ground Beneath My Feet" is a minutely observed drama about the downside of success in Austria.

More cinema from Mill Valley

More cinema from Mill Valley

  • by David Lamble
  • Oct 8, 2019

The 2019 Mill Valley Film Festival more than fulfills its duty of showcasing the best of the year's award-worthy films.

Cinema action in Mill Valley Film Fest

Cinema action in Mill Valley Film Fest

  • by David Lamble
  • Oct 1, 2019

There's a remarkable queer accent to the Mill Valley Film Festival, playing Oct. 3-13 at venues in Mill Valley, San Rafael, Larkspur and Berkeley.

Unforgettable Judy

Unforgettable Judy

  • by David-Elijah Nahmod
  • Oct 1, 2019

One of the most moving scenes in "Judy," the new biopic now playing in theaters, finds Garland meeting two of her gay fans in London.

Giraffe whisperer studies in the wild

Giraffe whisperer studies in the wild

  • by David Lamble
  • Oct 1, 2019

With "The Woman Who Loves Giraffes," openly lesbian filmmaker Alison Reid creates a uniquely captivating hybrid of a movie.

Still here: The Castle on the Hill

Still here: The Castle on the Hill

  • by Tavo Amador
  • Oct 1, 2019

In "The Castle on Sunset — Life, Death, Love, Art, and Scandal at Hollywood's Chateau Marmont," Shawn Levy breathlessly relates the fascinating history of a unique property.

Upstairs, downstairs: 'Downton Abbey' returns

Upstairs, downstairs: 'Downton Abbey' returns

  • by David Lamble
  • Sep 24, 2019

"Downton Abbey," a BBC-TV import that ran for six hit seasons on PBS, makes the tricky transition to a stand-alone for a movie audience.

Lost history of woman film pioneer

Lost history of woman film pioneer

  • by Brian Bromberger
  • Sep 24, 2019

"There is no merit in being first," is an incredible understatement by Alice Guy-Blache, the subject of the new comprehensive Blu-ray documentary "Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blache, the First Female Filmmaker."

Joining the cult of Judy

Joining the cult of Judy

  • by David Lamble
  • Sep 24, 2019

What's the secret to creating a hit bio-pic about a person we feel we already know too well? Do as Renée Zellweger does in her moving homage to one of the last great entertainers, Judy Garland.

Karaoke hostess: 'Ms. Purple'

Karaoke hostess: 'Ms. Purple'

  • by David Lamble
  • Sep 17, 2019

In director Justin Chon's melancholy but moving drama "Ms. Purple," a young Korean-American woman's world comes unraveled.

Painted bird springs the coop: 'The Goldfinch'

Painted bird springs the coop: 'The Goldfinch'

  • by David Lamble
  • Sep 17, 2019

If you come away liking "The Goldfinch," a lavishly mounted art thriller adapted from Donna Tartt's 2013 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, as I did, thank the casting gods.

When women helm feature films

When women helm feature films

  • by Sura Wood
  • Sep 10, 2019

That women are more than capable of directing feature films, including blockbuster hits — think Patty Jenkins and "Wonder Woman" — is not in doubt, but they're offered far fewer opportunities to do so than men.

Castro Theatre coming attractions

Castro Theatre coming attractions

  • by David Lamble
  • Sep 10, 2019

The Castro Theatre goes mostly British in the final weeks of September as the theatre plays host to the big-screen version of "Downton Abbey."