SATURN BOWLING is a horror film as cold-blooded as the serial killer it depicts on a rampage through Calvados, France. And as cold-hearted as the father whose sins are visited in abundance upon two brothers attempting a détente after a lifetime of estrangement. Chillingly observational, and unflinching in its depiction of violence, psychological and physical,… Read More »
BREAKDOWN
As summer comes to a close, so does the San Francisco Mime Troupe’s 2023 season of free live performances of its scathingly scintillating production of BREAKDOWN. This year, you can also enjoy it as VOD here through 9/4, password PowerToThePeople!, yes the exclamation point is part of the password). Every year the Troupe takes on… Read More »
10th Annual Disposable Film Festival — Carlton Evans Interview.
The Disposable Film Festival started 10 years ago with the advent of the then cutting-edge technology of a one-use video camera. Hence the “disposable” part of the festival’s name. When I spoke by phone with festival co-founder Carlton Evans on March 8, 2017, my fist question was how the idea had come to him and… Read More »
THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT (Le tout nouveau testament )
THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT is a clever and wise deconstruction of dogma and patriarchy. Taking as its premise that God (Benoît Poelvoorde) is real, but less than benevolent, it gives us the story of his other child, the one who didn’t get her own book and who doesn’t like the status quo and takes it… 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 »
TALLULAH — Sian Heder
I try to steer clear of questions that others have asked when conducting an interview, but when it came to the remarkable timing of Sian Heder’s giving birth a mere three hours after locking down her film, TALLULAH, I was curious about what deal she may or may not have made with the universe to… Read More »
THE LADY IN THE VAN
Alan Bennett may be the Michel de Montaigne of our present age. Starting from the very personal, he composes perfect gems of reflection on the human condition as a whole. Where Montaigne was limited to the personal essay, Bennett essays several creative outlets, including memoir, theater and film, which brings us to THE LADY IN… Read More »
LAST DAY OF FREEDOM — Dee Hibbert-Jones & Nomi Talisman Interview
Dee Hibbert-Jones and Nomi Talisman are first-time filmmakers whose short film, LAST DAY OF FREEDOM, has been short-listed for the Oscars™. The hand-drawn animation tells the story of Bill Babbitt and his beloved brother Manny, two men who were let down by the system in which they placed their trust. When Bill realizes that Manny… Read More »
NASTY BABY
It’s a toss-up which is more unpredictable: creative impulse when given full rein, or that same impulse when it is stymied, though, perhaps one is a little that is more dangerous than the other. The struggle, be it artistic or procreative, is the theme of Sebastian Silva’s NASTY BABY, a modern fable about family, friendship,… Read More »
Amy Schumer is No TRAINWRECK
Turning gender roles neatly on their heads, Amy Schumer has created a screwball comedy of considerable substance. Taking sure aim at the abomination of the formula rom-com, she satirizes not just the genre, but the state of contemporary single-hood. Starring in a script of her own devising, she is fearless, relentless, and completely unapologetic as the titular hot mess, also named Amy, with commitment issues and a healthy libido.