SF360

Events

Mexico Rising: The Films of Nicolás Pereda
Oct 20, 2011
YBCA screens five films by 27-year old Mexican auteur Nicolás Pereda in this lauded retrospective, justifiably making its San Francisco debut after playing earlier this year to acclaim in points east. Deadpan comedy 'Juntos' plays Thursday. More info ybca.org.
Events

Taiwan Film Days
Oct 14, 2011
SFFS's Taiwan Film Days opens Friday with director Wang Chi-tsai's well modulated dark comedy 'Formosa Mambo' and an accompanying post-screening party at SF Film Society | New People Cinema. The now annual showcase closes Sunday evening with Chienn Hsiang's riveting 'Ranger.' More info at sffs.org.
October 11, 2011

Taiwan Film Days
Oct 14, 2011
SFFS's Taiwan Film Days opens Friday with director Wang Chi-tsai's well modulated dark comedy 'Formosa Mambo' and an accompanying post-screening party at SF Film Society | New People Cinema. The now annual showcase closes Sunday evening with Chienn Hsiang's riveting 'Ranger.' More info at sffs.org.
Home

Gordon-Levitt's Chances Better than '50/50'
Dennis Harvey
Sep 30, 2011
Up-and-comer Joseph Gordon-Levitt is so good he compensates for the cancer comedy's shortcomings, even if he can't erase them.
October 6, 2011

Gordon-Levitt's Chances Better than '50/50'
Dennis Harvey
Sep 30, 2011
Up-and-comer Joseph Gordon-Levitt is so good he compensates for the cancer comedy's shortcomings, even if he can't erase them.
Reviews

Gordon-Levitt's Chances Better than '50/50'
Dennis Harvey
Sep 30, 2011
Up-and-comer Joseph Gordon-Levitt is so good he compensates for the cancer comedy's shortcomings, even if he can't erase them.
September 29 2011

Gordon-Levitt's Chances Better than '50/50'
Dennis Harvey
Sep 30, 2011
Up-and-comer Joseph Gordon-Levitt is so good he compensates for the cancer comedy's shortcomings, even if he can't erase them.
Home

Gordon-Levitt's Chances Better than '50/50'
Dennis Harvey
Sep 30, 2011
Up-and-comer Joseph Gordon-Levitt is so good he compensates for the cancer comedy's shortcomings, even if he can't erase them.
October 6, 2011

Gordon-Levitt's Chances Better than '50/50'
Dennis Harvey
Sep 30, 2011
Up-and-comer Joseph Gordon-Levitt is so good he compensates for the cancer comedy's shortcomings, even if he can't erase them.
Reviews

Gordon-Levitt's Chances Better than '50/50'
Dennis Harvey
Sep 30, 2011
Up-and-comer Joseph Gordon-Levitt is so good he compensates for the cancer comedy's shortcomings, even if he can't erase them.
September 29 2011

Gordon-Levitt's Chances Better than '50/50'
Dennis Harvey
Sep 30, 2011
Up-and-comer Joseph Gordon-Levitt is so good he compensates for the cancer comedy's shortcomings, even if he can't erase them.
Festivals

SFFS's Hong Kong Cinema Series Brings Fan Fare to New Screen
Adam Hartzell
Sep 22, 2011
Audience-engaging stories in a variety of genres highlight SFFS's inaugural Hong Kong Cinema weekend.
Home

SFFS's Hong Kong Cinema Series Brings Fan Fare to New Screen
Adam Hartzell
Sep 22, 2011
Audience-engaging stories in a variety of genres highlight SFFS's inaugural Hong Kong Cinema weekend.
september 22 2011

SFFS's Hong Kong Cinema Series Brings Fan Fare to New Screen
Adam Hartzell
Sep 22, 2011
Audience-engaging stories in a variety of genres highlight SFFS's inaugural Hong Kong Cinema weekend.
Festivals

SFFS's Hong Kong Cinema Series Brings Fan Fare to New Screen
Adam Hartzell
Sep 22, 2011
Audience-engaging stories in a variety of genres highlight SFFS's inaugural Hong Kong Cinema weekend.
Home

SFFS's Hong Kong Cinema Series Brings Fan Fare to New Screen
Adam Hartzell
Sep 22, 2011
Audience-engaging stories in a variety of genres highlight SFFS's inaugural Hong Kong Cinema weekend.
september 22 2011

SFFS's Hong Kong Cinema Series Brings Fan Fare to New Screen
Adam Hartzell
Sep 22, 2011
Audience-engaging stories in a variety of genres highlight SFFS's inaugural Hong Kong Cinema weekend.
Festivals

Telluride’s 38th Festival Underway in Colorado
Jackson Scarlett
Sep 2, 2011
Berkeley-programmed Festival is a favorite for cinephiles; features Caetano Veloso as 2011 Guest Director.
Home

Telluride’s 38th Festival Underway in Colorado
Jackson Scarlett
Sep 2, 2011
Berkeley-programmed Festival is a favorite for cinephiles; features Caetano Veloso as 2011 Guest Director.
September 8 2011

Telluride’s 38th Festival Underway in Colorado
Jackson Scarlett
Sep 2, 2011
Berkeley-programmed Festival is a favorite for cinephiles; features Caetano Veloso as 2011 Guest Director.
July 19, 2011

Last Showing: 'Harold and Maude'
Jul 22, 2011
SF institution The Red Vic Movie House celebrates both its anniversary and its closure with screenings of house favorite 'Harold and Maude'—perhaps the quintessential quirky romantic comedy. Those who haven't seen 'Harold and Maude' since its release will delight to revisit its many Bay Area locations and Cat Stevens soundtrack. Red Vic promises a "special birthday treat" for Monday's attendees. More info redvicmoviehouse.com
July 19, 2011

Hands Up! Essential Skolimowski
Jul 22, 2011
PFA opens Hands Up! with a double-bill of Polish New Wave legend Jerzy Skolimowski's early European works, 'Deep End' and 'The Shout,' both featuring bleak comedy, dynamic camera work and soundtrack contributions by then-avant touchstones (Can and Genesis, respectively). The series runs through August 25, see Dennis Harvey's in-depth coverage here. More info bampfa.berkeley.edu.
Festivals

Critic's Notebook: Frameline at 35 Still Finds Youth a Focus
Matt Sussman
Jun 25, 2011
It gets better: Frameline35 offers a strong selection of work about youth.
Home

Critic's Notebook: Frameline at 35 Still Finds Youth a Focus
Matt Sussman
Jun 25, 2011
It gets better: Frameline35 offers a strong selection of work about youth.
June 30, 2011

Critic's Notebook: Frameline at 35 Still Finds Youth a Focus
Matt Sussman
Jun 25, 2011
It gets better: Frameline35 offers a strong selection of work about youth.
June 21, 2011

'Oki's Movie'
Jun 23, 2011
Prolific producer, art-house fave and proponent of "radical banality" Hong Sang-Soo juxtaposes moments from a young woman's relationships with two men, a year apart, in the formalist comedy/romance ‘Oki's Movie.’ Screens at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. More at ybca.org.
June 21, 2011

'I Love You, Alice B. Toklas'
Jun 23, 2011
Potent period nostalgia and Peter Sellers' impeccable comedic timing ignite this goofy ode to tuning in, turning on, and wondering... what now? This dippy comedy was an inspiration for Mike Meyer's 'Austin Powers' franchise. More at sfmoma.org.
June 21, 2011

'Oki's Movie'
Jun 23, 2011
Prolific producer, art-house fave and proponent of "radical banality" Hong Sang-Soo juxtaposes moments from a young woman's relationships with two men, a year apart, in the formalist comedy/romance ‘Oki's Movie.’ Screens at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. More at ybca.org.
Home

Lewis Rides Herd on Lusty ‘Longhorns’
Michael Fox
Jun 13, 2011
An SF Chronicle editor speaks about his third feature, a Texas-set sex comedy making its debut at Frameline35.
June 16, 2011

Lewis Rides Herd on Lusty ‘Longhorns’
Michael Fox
Jun 13, 2011
An SF Chronicle editor speaks about his third feature, a Texas-set sex comedy making its debut at Frameline35.
Q & A

Lewis Rides Herd on Lusty ‘Longhorns’
Michael Fox
Jun 13, 2011
An SF Chronicle editor speaks about his third feature, a Texas-set sex comedy making its debut at Frameline35.
June 7, 2011

‘Playtime’
Jun 8, 2011
The 1967 nearly dialogue-free comedy ‘Playtime,’ which is the fourth feature and the most notably boldest piece from late French filmmaker-actor Jacques Tati, plays at Castro Theatre. More at castrotheatre.com.
May 31, 2011

‘The Best & The Brightest’
Jun 2, 2011
Josh Shelov’s comedy ‘The Best & The Brightest’ plays at Roxie Theater before its wide release this summer. The film features Neil Patrick Harris and Bonnie Somerville as yuppies from New York fighting to get their daughter into an elitist private kindergarten. More at roxie.com.
Festivals

Frameline Announces Titles in 2011 Festival
Susan Gerhard/Michael Fox
May 25, 2011
Margaret Cho, transgender cinema are highlights of 2011 LGBT festival.
Home

Frameline Announces Titles in 2011 Festival
Susan Gerhard/Michael Fox
May 25, 2011
Margaret Cho, transgender cinema are highlights of 2011 LGBT festival.
May 26, 2011

Frameline Announces Titles in 2011 Festival
Susan Gerhard/Michael Fox
May 25, 2011
Margaret Cho, transgender cinema are highlights of 2011 LGBT festival.
April 28, 2011

Tindersticks Fuel the Claire Denis Film Fire
Dennis Harvey
Apr 26, 2011
A soundtrack staple in the Denis oeuvre, Tindersticks play their beautifully brooding music live to clips at SFIFF54.
Festivals

Tindersticks Fuel the Claire Denis Film Fire
Dennis Harvey
Apr 26, 2011
A soundtrack staple in the Denis oeuvre, Tindersticks play their beautifully brooding music live to clips at SFIFF54.
Home

Tindersticks Fuel the Claire Denis Film Fire
Dennis Harvey
Apr 26, 2011
A soundtrack staple in the Denis oeuvre, Tindersticks play their beautifully brooding music live to clips at SFIFF54.
April 28, 2011

SFIFF54's 'Beginners' Brings Surprises
Susan Gerhard
Apr 23, 2011
Mike Mills and Ewan McGregor lit up the Castro on San Francisco International's opening night.
Festivals

SFIFF54's 'Beginners' Brings Surprises
Susan Gerhard
Apr 23, 2011
Mike Mills and Ewan McGregor lit up the Castro on San Francisco International's opening night.
Home

SFIFF54's 'Beginners' Brings Surprises
Susan Gerhard
Apr 23, 2011
Mike Mills and Ewan McGregor lit up the Castro on San Francisco International's opening night.
April 7, 2011

Ozon's 'Trophy Wife' Is a Winner
Dennis Harvey
Apr 1, 2011
Ozon's Deneuve vehicle, filled with comedy and politics, travels well.
Home

Ozon's 'Trophy Wife' Is a Winner
Dennis Harvey
Apr 1, 2011
Ozon's Deneuve vehicle, filled with comedy and politics, travels well.
Reviews

Ozon's 'Trophy Wife' Is a Winner
Dennis Harvey
Apr 1, 2011
Ozon's Deneuve vehicle, filled with comedy and politics, travels well.
03.31.11

SFFS Announces 2011 SF International Film Festival Titles, Events
Susan Gerhard
Mar 29, 2011
SF International's 54th wide-ranging program is announced.
Festivals

SFFS Announces 2011 SF International Film Festival Titles, Events
Susan Gerhard
Mar 29, 2011
SF International's 54th wide-ranging program is announced.
Home

SFFS Announces 2011 SF International Film Festival Titles, Events
Susan Gerhard
Mar 29, 2011
SF International's 54th wide-ranging program is announced.
Home

Wolos’s ‘Trattoria’ Serves Up Spicy Comedy
Michael Fox
Mar 9, 2011
Jason Wolos builds a drama about family and food with a few key ingredients.
In Production

Wolos’s ‘Trattoria’ Serves Up Spicy Comedy
Michael Fox
Mar 9, 2011
Jason Wolos builds a drama about family and food with a few key ingredients.
March 10, 2011

Wolos’s ‘Trattoria’ Serves Up Spicy Comedy
Michael Fox
Mar 9, 2011
Jason Wolos builds a drama about family and food with a few key ingredients.
Home

'Boonmee's' Magic Lights Up SFFS Screen
Dennis Harvey
Mar 4, 2011
Apichatpong Weerasethakul returns to the jungle, and full-on magic realism, with 'Uncle Boonmee.'
March 10, 2011

'Boonmee's' Magic Lights Up SFFS Screen
Dennis Harvey
Mar 4, 2011
Apichatpong Weerasethakul returns to the jungle, and full-on magic realism, with 'Uncle Boonmee.'
March 3, 2011

'Boonmee's' Magic Lights Up SFFS Screen
Dennis Harvey
Mar 4, 2011
Apichatpong Weerasethakul returns to the jungle, and full-on magic realism, with 'Uncle Boonmee.'
Reviews

'Boonmee's' Magic Lights Up SFFS Screen
Dennis Harvey
Mar 4, 2011
Apichatpong Weerasethakul returns to the jungle, and full-on magic realism, with 'Uncle Boonmee.'
February 22, 2011

Ariel Award Best Picture 'Nora's Will'
Mar 4, 2011
Mariana Chenillo’s comedy ‘Nora’s Will' (Cinco Dias Sin Nora), winner of seven Mexican Ariel Awards, including best picture, actor, supporting actress and screenplay opens at the Smith Rafael as well as Landmark's Bridge and Shattuck. More at cafilm.org and landmarktheatres.com.
March 1, 2011

Ariel Award Best Picture 'Nora's Will'
Mar 4, 2011
Mariana Chenillo’s comedy ‘Nora’s Will' (Cinco Dias Sin Nora), winner of seven Mexican Ariel Awards, including best picture, actor, supporting actress and screenplay opens at the Smith Rafael as well as Landmark's Bridge and Shattuck. More at cafilm.org and landmarktheatres.com.
Feb 3 2011

Eclectic Expectations Met at SF Indiefest
Matt Sussman
Feb 3, 2011
SF Indiefest brings drama, doc, fact, fiction and physique into its annual showcase.
Festivals

Eclectic Expectations Met at SF Indiefest
Matt Sussman
Feb 3, 2011
SF Indiefest brings drama, doc, fact, fiction and physique into its annual showcase.
Home

Eclectic Expectations Met at SF Indiefest
Matt Sussman
Feb 3, 2011
SF Indiefest brings drama, doc, fact, fiction and physique into its annual showcase.
Home

Season's Screenings Bring out Best Films of the Year
Dennis Harvey
Nov 24, 2010
The year closes with six weeks of strong foreign and arthouse awards-seekers as well as solid franchise holiday entertainments.
November 24, 2010

Season's Screenings Bring out Best Films of the Year
Dennis Harvey
Nov 24, 2010
The year closes with six weeks of strong foreign and arthouse awards-seekers as well as solid franchise holiday entertainments.
Reviews

Season's Screenings Bring out Best Films of the Year
Dennis Harvey
Nov 24, 2010
The year closes with six weeks of strong foreign and arthouse awards-seekers as well as solid franchise holiday entertainments.
November 16, 2010

‘Life During Wartime’
Nov 16, 2010
Writer-director Todd Solondz revisits familiar themes and characters in his latest offering, a sequel to 1998’s critically acclaimed ‘Happiness.’ In ‘Life During Wartime’ Solondz proves he is one dark comedy’s most serious players as he further dissects the struggles of the Jordan family. Plays at the Red Vic on $7 night. More at redvicmoviehouse.com.
Festivals

New Italian Cinema Puts Focus on Ferzan Ozpetek
Dennis Harvey
Nov 14, 2010
'When in Rome,' or outside it: NIC offers fresh voices, new locations.
Home

New Italian Cinema Puts Focus on Ferzan Ozpetek
Dennis Harvey
Nov 14, 2010
'When in Rome,' or outside it: NIC offers fresh voices, new locations.
November 11, 2010

New Italian Cinema Puts Focus on Ferzan Ozpetek
Dennis Harvey
Nov 14, 2010
'When in Rome,' or outside it: NIC offers fresh voices, new locations.
November 18, 2010

New Italian Cinema Puts Focus on Ferzan Ozpetek
Dennis Harvey
Nov 14, 2010
'When in Rome,' or outside it: NIC offers fresh voices, new locations.
October 12, 2010

Arab Film Festival
Oct 14, 2010
Lyes Salem’s dark comedy ‘Masquerades’ opens the Arab Film Festival at the Castro; it tells the story of Mounir, a young Algerian misfit who informs the whole town his narcoleptic sister Nim is engaged to a handsome, wealthy foreigner. The festival runs October 14–24. More at arabfilmfestival.org.
October 5, 2010

Judd Apatow in Conversation with Dave Eggers
Oct 7, 2010
The preeminent voice of mainstream American comedy struggled long and hard as a standup before successes '40 Year Old Virgin,' 'Knocked Up' and 'Funny People.' Writer, producer and director Judd Apatow sits down to discuss his life and work with Bay Area author and screenwriter Dave Eggers at the Herbst.
September 21, 2010

Elegant Perversions: The Cinema of João César Monteiro
Sep 22, 2010
Pacific Film Archive celebrates the iconoclastic Portuguese filmmaker João César Monteiro with a curated collection of his films. This week's programs offers Monteiro's figurative and literal journey through Portugal with 'Trails' (September 24) and an exaltation of sensual pleasure, 'God's Comedy' (September 25).
Home

'Change of Plans' Finds Humor in Mid-Life
Dennis Harvey
Sep 9, 2010
'Change of Plans' charts an eventful year in the lives of a dozen or so disparate Parisians.
Reviews

'Change of Plans' Finds Humor in Mid-Life
Dennis Harvey
Sep 9, 2010
'Change of Plans' charts an eventful year in the lives of a dozen or so disparate Parisians.
September 16, 2010

'Change of Plans' Finds Humor in Mid-Life
Dennis Harvey
Sep 9, 2010
'Change of Plans' charts an eventful year in the lives of a dozen or so disparate Parisians.
September 9 2010

'Change of Plans' Finds Humor in Mid-Life
Dennis Harvey
Sep 9, 2010
'Change of Plans' charts an eventful year in the lives of a dozen or so disparate Parisians.
Home

Going McCarey's Way
Dennis Harvey
Sep 2, 2010
A Mechanics' Institute series appreciates Leo McCarey's genius with comedy.
Reviews

Going McCarey's Way
Dennis Harvey
Sep 2, 2010
A Mechanics' Institute series appreciates Leo McCarey's genius with comedy.
September 2, 2010

Going McCarey's Way
Dennis Harvey
Sep 2, 2010
A Mechanics' Institute series appreciates Leo McCarey's genius with comedy.
Home

Going McCarey's Way
Dennis Harvey
Sep 2, 2010
A Mechanics' Institute series appreciates Leo McCarey's genius with comedy.
Reviews

Going McCarey's Way
Dennis Harvey
Sep 2, 2010
A Mechanics' Institute series appreciates Leo McCarey's genius with comedy.
September 2, 2010

Going McCarey's Way
Dennis Harvey
Sep 2, 2010
A Mechanics' Institute series appreciates Leo McCarey's genius with comedy.
08-12-10

Schneider and Zanuck on the Highs of 'Get Low'
Jessica Sapick
Aug 6, 2010
Filmmakers working with Duvall, Murray and Spacek talk about humor, perseverance, and process.
Home

Schneider and Zanuck on the Highs of 'Get Low'
Jessica Sapick
Aug 6, 2010
Filmmakers working with Duvall, Murray and Spacek talk about humor, perseverance, and process.
Q & A

Schneider and Zanuck on the Highs of 'Get Low'
Jessica Sapick
Aug 6, 2010
Filmmakers working with Duvall, Murray and Spacek talk about humor, perseverance, and process.
07-21-2010

Lisa Cholodenko Makes High Art of Family Hijinx
Dennis Harvey
Jul 16, 2010
A festival and awards-buzz favorite since its January Sundance premiere, The Kids Are All Right has real depth and drama yet is largely comedic in tone.
Home

Lisa Cholodenko Makes High Art of Family Hijinx
Dennis Harvey
Jul 16, 2010
A festival and awards-buzz favorite since its January Sundance premiere, The Kids Are All Right has real depth and drama yet is largely comedic in tone.
Reviews

Lisa Cholodenko Makes High Art of Family Hijinx
Dennis Harvey
Jul 16, 2010
A festival and awards-buzz favorite since its January Sundance premiere, The Kids Are All Right has real depth and drama yet is largely comedic in tone.
Q & A

On the Road with 'Joan,' Stern and Sundberg Talk Big Picture
Michael Fox
Jun 14, 2010
The makers of Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work speak about their latest, as well as the state of documentary filmmaking.
Q & A

Bowden Exposes San Francisco in Full Picture
Michael Fox
Jun 7, 2010
San Francisco filmmaker Jon Bowden brings a second comic feature, The Full Picture, to screens.
Reviews

Looking for Comedy in Ken Loach's 'Eric'
Dennis Harvey
May 28, 2010
It s not a laugh-out-loud film, but Looking for Eric can be considered a comedy…in comparison to just about any other Ken Loach movie you could name.
Reviews

Looking for Comedy in Ken Loach's 'Eric'
Dennis Harvey
May 28, 2010
It s not a laugh-out-loud film, but Looking for Eric can be considered a comedy…in comparison to just about any other Ken Loach movie you could name.
Festivals

San Francisco International Film Festival's 53rd Edition
Susan Gerhard
Mar 30, 2010
Director of Programming Rachel Rosen and programmers Rod Armstrong, Audrey Chang and Sean Uyehara shared thoughts on 177 films from 46 countries.
Reviews

Buscemi in Fine, Droll Form in 'St. John of Las Vegas'
Dennis Harvey
Feb 11, 2010
Steve Buscemi is one of those actors people are instantly happy to see on screen, even if their recall stretches no farther than, Hey, it's that guy!
Reviews

Can't Stop the Musical: PFA's Classics
Dennis Harvey
Jan 27, 2010
As soon as the silent era hit sound circa 1927, musicals became a leading genre worldwide. How could their appeal possibly die out?
Reviews

It's 'Playtime' with Jacques Tati in New Series
Dennis Harvey
Jan 13, 2010
You could make a case for Tati as the last great silent comedian even if he didn't begin making features until two decades into the sound era.
Festivals

Wintering with the SF Silent Film Festival
Dennis Harvey
Dec 9, 2009
Highlights from the 2009 San Francisco Silent Film Festival winter event.
Reviews

Feast Your Eyes: A Holiday Film Preview
Dennis Harvey
Nov 25, 2009
Dennis Harvey weighs in on the upcoming films of the holiday season.
Festivals

French Cinema Now—and then
Dennis Harvey
Oct 29, 2009
Francois Truffaut’s The 400 Blows is being revived as part of San Francisco Film Society’s second annual French Cinema Now festival, which runs the week of October 29 through November 4 at the city’s Clay Theatre.
Q & A

'Sorry, Thanks' Lavishes Love on the Mission
Michael Fox
Oct 24, 2009
From the steep slope of 22nd Street down to La Taqueria, from the Attic to Boogaloos, this droll feature showcases the Mission to glowing advantage.
Festivals

Live from Mill Valley: Woody Harrelson and Uma Thurman
Dennis Harvey
Oct 19, 2009
At their respective festival tributes, the actors gave entertaining and revealing onstage interviews.
First Person

A Fat Line Between Love and Hate
David Munro
Oct 6, 2009
First Person: How can people respond in diametric and, at times, vitriolic opposition to the same film? Mine.
Q & A

Cory McAbee and 'Stingray Sam'
Dennis Harvey
Sep 13, 2009
High-concept cabaret-act favorite in the Bay Area who sidelines as a filmmaker, Cory McAbee (The American Astronaut) speaks about his latest, Stingray Sam.
Screenwriting

Understanding Backstory
Lisa Rosenberg
Aug 25, 2009
Behind any narrative for the screen is the story that came before it—the life that shaped the central character, who arrives fully formed as your story opens
Q & A

Bob Goldthwait, Fate and 'World's Greatest Dad'
Dennis Harvey
Aug 23, 2009
Bay Area favorite Bob Goldthwait, whose pop culture moment seemed to expire in the mid '80s, returns with comedic vengeance via World's Greatest Dad.
Q & A

Bob Goldthwait, Fate and 'World's Greatest Dad'
Dennis Harvey
Aug 23, 2009
Bay Area favorite Bob Goldthwait, whose pop culture moment seemed to expire in the mid '80s, returns with comedic vengeance via World's Greatest Dad.
Reviews

Whip-smart, Witty 'In the Loop'
Dennis Harvey
Jul 23, 2009
Director Armando Iannucci's razor-sharp satire is about how the politics of spin can determine critical decisions on both sides of the Atlantic.
Screenwriting

Beyond Words: Comedy That Sticks
Lisa Rosenberg
Jul 7, 2009
What's the key to writing comedy that sticks with us, despite perhaps an overblown story line or how lost and low-down the characters seem at the time?
Screenwriting

Beyond Words: Comedy That Sticks
Lisa Rosenberg
Jul 7, 2009
What's the key to writing comedy that sticks with us, despite perhaps an overblown story line or how lost and low-down the characters seem at the time?
Q & A

Kutner and Goldstein on 'The Snake'
Michael Fox
Jul 6, 2009
Adam Goldstein and Eric Kutner discuss their debut, The Snake, an unapologetically impertinent, made-in-S.F, comedy that marks its creators as resourceful wiseguys.
Q & A

Kutner and Goldstein on 'The Snake'
Michael Fox
Jul 6, 2009
Adam Goldstein and Eric Kutner discuss their debut, The Snake, an unapologetically impertinent, made-in-S.F, comedy that marks its creators as resourceful wiseguys.
Festivals

Another Hole in the Head
Dennis Harvey
Jun 4, 2009
At a film festival called Another Hole in the Head, dedicated to sci-fi, horror and fantasy, catastrophic carnage meets comedy more often than not.
Reviews

Raimi's Return to Horror: Drag Me to Hell
Dennis Harvey
May 29, 2009
Despite a few flaws in story and continuity, Drag Me to Hell offers the pleasures of a first-class entertainer thoroughly enjoying himself.
In Production

'In-World War:' Brant Smith's Directorial Debut
Michael Fox
May 20, 2009
Michael Fox reviews Brant Smith's In-World War, a dark sci-fi comedy about a beta tester trapped in a futuristic war on terror.
In Production

'In-World War:' Brant Smith's Directorial Debut
Michael Fox
May 20, 2009
Michael Fox reviews Brant Smith's In-World War, a dark sci-fi comedy about a beta tester trapped in a futuristic war on terror.
Reviews

SFIFF52: "Lightness of Being" – Eight Wry Films
Dennis Harvey
Apr 24, 2009
The eight films in the San Francisco International Film Festival's Lightness of Being spotlight are Laila's Birthday, Small Crime, Mid-August Lunch, Every Little Step, (Untitled), In the Loop, Our Beloved Month of August and Still Walking.
Reviews

"Observe and Report:" Seth Rogen Strikes Again
Dennis Harvey
Apr 9, 2009
If it grows darker than one might expect, Observe still hesitates at becoming a true black comedy; it's more medium-gray, earning stripes for breaking from current comedy norms on a moment-to-moment basis without quite arriving at an original, fully-developed whole. But Hill has a good eye, ear (the soundtrack choices are notably sharp), sense of off-kilter pacing, and, most importantly, a firm grasp on character.
Reviews

César Charlone Directs 'The Pope's Toilet'
Miguel Pendás
Jan 27, 2009
Oscar-nominated cinematographer César Charlone recently codirected his first theatrical feature film, a darkly comic farce about Pope John Paul II.
Reviews

Bud Cort Honored at Sketchfest
Robert Avila
Jan 20, 2009
SF Sketchfest pays tribute to Bud Cort with a live Q&A and screening of Harold and Maude.
Reviews

Bud Cort Honored at Sketchfest
Robert Avila
Jan 20, 2009
SF Sketchfest pays tribute to Bud Cort with a live Q&A and screening of Harold and Maude.
Reviews

The Year in Film: What did Women Want?
Matt Sussman
Jan 1, 2009
Matt Sussman draws conclusions about women and Hollywood from three big women-oriented films of 2008.
Q & A

Tom E. Brown on 'Pushing Dead' and Stayin' Alive
Michael Fox
Dec 23, 2008
Tom E. Brown talks about producing and funding Pushing Dead, a film about an HIV-positive writer forced to give up his daily drug regimen.
Reviews

Season's Gleanings, a Holiday Preview
Dennis Harvey
Dec 15, 2008
Dennis Harvey reviews some of 2008's year-end sobering dramas.
News & Blogs

Québec Film Week's Unprovincial Pleasures
Dennis Harvey
Dec 10, 2008
Québec's thriving regional cinema is showcased in San Francisco Film Society's latest mini-festival addition to the annual Bay Area movie calendar.
In Production

Kroot's Planet Kuchar
Michael Fox
Nov 25, 2008
Bay Area filmmaker Jennifer Kroot talks about her inspiration to make a documentary on legendary, underground filmmaking twins George and Mike Kuchar.
Q & A

A Talk With Arab Film Festival's Executive Director
Michael Fox
Oct 13, 2008
We sat down with Michel Shehadeh, who joined the festival earlier this year, for a wide-ranging interview on Arab film.
Festivals

Mill Valley Film Festival's Maher Moment
Dennis Harvey
Oct 2, 2008
Religulous is a desperately awaited and already vehemently decried film by Bill Maher and director Larry Charles.
Q & A

SFFS Screen's 'Hank and Mike'
Pam Grady
Jul 3, 2008
Thomas Michael remembers well the birth of Hank and Mike, the titular blue-collar Easter bunnies in director Matthiew Klinck's absurdist workplace comedy.
Q & A

SFFS Screen's 'Hank and Mike'
Pam Grady
Jul 3, 2008
Thomas Michael remembers well the birth of Hank and Mike, the titular blue-collar Easter bunnies in director Matthiew Klinck's absurdist workplace comedy.
Reviews

Jimmy Stewart at 100
Dennis Harvey
May 22, 2008
For all his lasting wholesome appeal, Stewart was an oddity: Gangly, stammering, Pennsylvania-drawling and not particularly attractive by 1930s studio standards.
Q & A

SFIFF51: On the Breeding Behind "Evolution: The Musical!"
Robert Avila
Apr 22, 2008
Think of it as The Sound of Music meets Quest for Fire, or Jesus Christ Superstar rocks Land of the Lost.
Festivals

San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival 2008
Erika Young
Mar 12, 2008
The 26th annual SFIAAFF plays in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose, and kicks off with Wayne Wang's A Thousand Years of Good Prayers.
Reviews

10 Reasons to See "Cinema Piemonte"
Staff
Feb 29, 2008
The Associazone Piemontesi of Northern California, with the Italian Cultural Institute and Regione Piemonte, presents "Cinema Piemonte," four movies made in that beautiful region.
Festivals

Noise Pop Film Festival
Dennis Harvey
Feb 26, 2008
In addition to practically every extant band you’d want to see, an art exhibit, and comedy shows, there are movies at Noise Pop.
Q & A

Eran Kolirin and "The Band's Visit"
Judy Stone
Feb 12, 2008
Underneath The Band's Visit's poignant humor, the film subtly reflects the director's attempt to comprehend Israel's pull between the Middle East and the West.
Q & A

Eran Kolirin and "The Band's Visit"
Judy Stone
Feb 12, 2008
Underneath The Band's Visit's poignant humor, the film subtly reflects the director's attempt to comprehend Israel's pull between the Middle East and the West.
Reviews

Cassandra's Dreamer, Woody Allen
Dennis Harvey
Jan 17, 2008
Even when just stringing gags together in his early comedies, Woody raised the level of the game, making humor intellectual and the intellectual humorous.
Reviews

Reviews: "Walk Hard"; "Charlie Wilson's War"
Dennis Harvey
Dec 18, 2007
Judd Apatow has come to so dominate American comedy that I often find myself thinking, "If only this movie had been written by Apatow..."
Reviews

Reviews: "Walk Hard"; "Charlie Wilson's War"
Dennis Harvey
Dec 18, 2007
Judd Apatow has come to so dominate American comedy that I often find myself thinking, "If only this movie had been written by Apatow..."
Q & A

Jessica Yu, "Protagonist"
indieWIRE
Dec 10, 2007
Yu's latest doc centers on four rather damaged individuals, applying the dramatic structure of Greek playwright Euripedes to contemporary life.
Festivals

The 11th Arab Film Festival
Robert Avila
Oct 18, 2007
The Arab Film Festival, now in its 11th year, is featuring not just 80 movies from 13 countries, but is also including screenings in LA, a first for a Bay Area-based fest.
Festivals

Mill Valley Film Festival at 30
Dennis Harvey
Oct 4, 2007
The Mill Valley Film Festival turns 30 years young this year, sporting none of the girth and wobbly ankles suffered by other way-out-west fests that began life in 1978.
Q & A

Finn Taylor on Natural Selection and "The Darwin Awards"
Susan Gerhard
Sep 10, 2007
SF360.org spoke with director Finn Taylor about ÔThe Darwin Awards' and all the films he's directed in a Bay Area that's offered him years of inspiration.
Q & A

"2 Days in Paris" with Julie Delpy
Michael Fox
Aug 24, 2007
Delpy, who studied film at NYU in the early '90s, spoke fluent, rapid-fire English during a late-July visit to San Francisco.
Reviews

Jewish Humor, After Woody
Michael Fox
Aug 15, 2007
Although it's too early to write Allen off, it's also clear that he hasn't connected with younger audiences in a long time, so who's the next Woody Allen?
Reviews

"This is England;" "Rocket Science"
Dennis Harvey and Anthony Kaufman
Aug 7, 2007
SF360.org reviews Shane Meadows' finest directorial effort yet and an offbeat coming-of-age comic-drama.
Reviews

Reviews: 'Comedy of Power'
Robert Avila
Apr 17, 2007
in Claude Chabrol's latest film, Isabelle Huppert plays a judge plunging headlong into a dangerous investigation of french corruption and gender dynamics.
Reviews

Reviews: 'Comedy of Power'
Robert Avila
Apr 17, 2007
in Claude Chabrol's latest film, Isabelle Huppert plays a judge plunging headlong into a dangerous investigation of french corruption and gender dynamics.
Q & A

Mike White's Alter Egos
Michael Fox
Apr 14, 2007
White's heroes and heroines are content with their mundane lives until some uninvited intruder or unforeseen event exposes their frustration and complacency.
Reviews

Reviews: "I Don't Want to Sleep Alone"; "Mafioso"
Max Goldberg
Apr 10, 2007
“I Don’t Want to Sleep Alone” puts its melodrama and comedy within a Malaysian mattress. 1962’s “Mafioso” may be the mob-chronicle genre’s ground zero.
Reviews

Reviews: "Family Law"; "Amazing Grace"
Michael Fox
Feb 20, 2007
Daniel Burman's smartest play was casting Daniel Hendler as his onscreen alter ego. Michael Apted's worthy Grace, reminds that period pieces make effective message movies.
Festivals

Indiefest Lineup Announcement
Miljenko Skoknic
Jan 19, 2007
SF IndieFest's founder/director Jeff Ross announced the ninth edition of the Bay Area's indie showcase festival
Reviews

"Samoan Wedding"; "Romantico"
Robert Avila
Jan 16, 2007
A delightfully funny movie on boy-men redeeming themselves from New Zealand, and Mark Becker's absorbing documentary on a musician in the Mission.
Festivals

Berlin & Beyond 2007
Dennis Harvey
Jan 11, 2007
Rock&Roll, romantic comedy, fantasy and adventure, among the themes of this year's festival.
Festivals

Berlin & Beyond 2007
Dennis Harvey
Jan 11, 2007
Rock&Roll, romantic comedy, fantasy and adventure, among the themes of this year's festival.
Reviews

James Broughton, and a DVD Eden
Robert Avila
Dec 20, 2006
The product of a true cinematic innovator and gloriously individual poet, Broughton's film work remains much too idiosyncratic to be deconstructed,
Reviews

Written and Directed by Preston Sturges
Max Goldberg
Dec 13, 2006
It would not seem to bode well for the stewardship of studio classics that Preston Sturges's indomitable comedies have been so slow to DVD.
Reviews

Cheryl Eddy's Badder Santas
Susan Gerhard
Dec 1, 2006
You can't imagine a critic like Cheryl Eddy,with her dazzlingly caustic skepticism, ever believed in Santa Claus.
Q & A

Killing My Lobster Gets Krunk With Andrew Bancroft
Sean Uyehara
Nov 21, 2006
Half of Illbilly Productions and 1/45th of Killing My Lobster, Bancroft has made claymation shorts and perhaps the quintessential rap video, Maximum Wage.
Reviews

The "remake," re-made
Michael Fox
Sep 26, 2006
Why do updates of Jerry Lewis flicks get more slack from critics than Zailian's "All the King's Men" and Demme's "The Manchurian Candidate?"
Festivals

Ariella Ben-Dov on View-Mastery and "Women's Work"
Susan Gerhard
Sep 11, 2006
The founder of the Madcat International Film Festival talks about the 2006 lineup.
Q & A

Filmmaking in 48 Hours
Susan Gerhard
Jul 19, 2006
Leena Prasad talks about making a sci-fi comedy featuring a pillow and a character named Mark Pantagenet, Foreign Ambassador in just 48 hours.
Reviews

Four Performers on Getting "Fired!"
Susan Gerhard
May 19, 2006
Four stories from familiar performers who once found themselves in the "formerly employed by" category, taken from Fired!, which plays Docfest 2006.
Reviews

Four Performers on Getting "Fired!"
Susan Gerhard
May 19, 2006
Four stories from familiar performers who once found themselves in the "formerly employed by" category, taken from Fired!, which plays Docfest 2006.
Q & A

"Full Grown Men" On the Road
Michael Fox
Apr 17, 2006
David Munro and Xandra Castleton speak about making their indie Full Grown Men and taking it to the Tribeca Film Festival.
Q & A

"Full Grown Men" On the Road
Michael Fox
Apr 17, 2006
David Munro and Xandra Castleton speak about making their indie Full Grown Men and taking it to the Tribeca Film Festival.
Reviews

"Reel SF" Finds a Tough, Moody Kinda Town
Dennis Harvey
Apr 13, 2006
Until the 1960s, Hollywood cast S.F. as a city where everyone was too busy brawling, floozing,and plotting intrigue to exclaim,"Look at that view!"
Festivals

Tiburon Film Festival Turns a Tourist Town Around
Louise Carroll
Mar 9, 2006

The newest film festival on the dock, Tiburon International, turns a tourist town around.