There is a great deal of mileage to be had with characters as intrinsically adorable the Minions. And MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU takes it as far as it can go with a script that wobbles as uncertainly as Otto, the most loyal and least competent of little yellow creatures, does on the steep streets… Read More »
I’M CHARLIE WALKER — Patrick Gilles Interview
Click here to listen to the interview. I’ve lived in San Francisco for many, many years, and yet I’d never heard the story of Charlie Walker, an African-American man with a dream and a real gift for playing the system against itself. I was delighted to learn about that part of my city’s history… Read More »
VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE
Just as I was thinking what a waste Tom Hardy was in VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE, I remembered that Mr. Hardy, who was so impressive in INCEPTION, MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, and a slew of other films, co-produced this sequel to VENOM, and also came up with the story. The… Read More »
VENOM
We none of us, least of all your humble correspondent, lives in a vacuum. So perhaps it’s because I’ve recently seen THE PREDATOR that the mere, yet aggressive, mediocrity of VENOM did not make for a completely awful cinematic experience. Which is not to say that this ploddingly plotted effort is good, but for sheer… Read More »
DEFENDER — Jeff Adachi Interview
Jeff Adachi has devoted his professional life to public service, serving as a public defender for 32 years, the last 15 of which in the top elected spot in the public defender’s office. Somehow he has also managed to carve out a sideline as a filmmaker, making documentaries that examine racial issues in our culture… Read More »
COMPANY TOWN — Deborah Kaufman & Alan Snitow Interview
The 2014 election for the supervisor of District 3 in San Francisco became the referendum on tech for filmmakers Deborah Kaufman and Alan Snitow. The two candidates, Aaron Peskin and Julie Christensen had different approaches to the issues, including the effect of the so-called “sharing economy” on affordable housing in San Francisco. When we spoke… Read More »
Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition — Katharina Kubrick Interview
One of the first things I said to Katharina Kubrick when I interviewed her on July 1, 2016, was that for every question I asked her, there would be another 100 that would have to go unasked. That’s the tyranny of time, and, to be fair, a week with this charming, witty, and vivacious woman… Read More »
PUSHING DEAD with Tom E. Brown
One of the first things I established with Tom E. Brown when I spoke with him on June 17, 2016 was that his debut feature film, PUSHING DEAD, was not autobiographical. It does, however, reflect his mordant sense of humor about living with HIV+ status, and it includes an interlude where a character is pelted… Read More »
Anita Monga on the 2016 San Francisco Silent Film Festival
Few people speak about silent cinema with such authority and such affection as Anita Monga, Artistic Director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. When we spoke on May 16, 2016, it was to discuss not just the dynamic slate of films at this year’s festival, its 21st, but also the work that the festival… Read More »
Donna LoCicero and Robert Campos Pay Tribute to 3 STILL STANDING
Robert Campos and Donna LoCicero started out as fans of the three stand-ups profiled in their film, 3 STILL STANDING. Will Durst, Johnny Steele, and Larry “Bubbles” Brown were part of that heady brew that was the comedy scene in San Francisco in the 1970s and 80s that also gave us Robin Williams, Paula Poundstone,… Read More »