Yearly Archives: 2011

A Life in the Circus

For a wonderful movie experience, get a copy of “Dumbo,” the terrific animated film from the Walt Disney Studios.  Today’s audiences don’t all think alike, but back in 1941 when Disney made this film, an almost universal feeling of uncertainty … Continue reading

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San Francisco Silent Film Festival

In a few weeks, on Saturday, February 14, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival holds its winter event at the Castro Theater in San Francisco.  The festival shows films from the silent era as they were meant to be seen, … Continue reading

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Japanese Wartime Film

After watching so many World War II American movies, I watched a Japanese wartime film called “The Most Beautiful”  (1944), about a group of women who join the war effort to make precision optic gunsights.  Since this is about what … Continue reading

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TCM Treasure

I tell everyone that if I was ever stranded on a desert island and could bring along only one television station, it would be Turner Classic Movies (TCM).  They offer consistently great programming for a movie buff, and they do … Continue reading

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Indian Movies

I made an effort this year to watch some Bollywood flicks, and a few Tamil movies (aka Kollywood) too.  Like Hollywood, star power goes a long way in Indian cinema.  Take Shahrukh Khan, for example.  I attended the Regal Cinema … Continue reading

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Netflix Rules

Although Netflix continues to amaze me with their selection, I wonder sometimes why some classic movies don’t seem to be available.  My “Saved DVD” queue currently contains 35 titles, many of whom have been on the list for several years. … Continue reading

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Low Budget

Zasu Pitts, another prolific character actor from Hollywood’s golden age, had a career that lasted from the silent era to television of the early 1960s.  She estimated that she appeared in 500 films, and I’m sure she forgot quite a … Continue reading

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Film Noir Beginnings?

I watched a film tonight from 1935 and Columbia Pictures called “Crime and Punishment,” directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring Peter Lorre, Edward Arnold and Marian Marsh.  It veers from the story by Fyoder Dostoevsky in that it does … Continue reading

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