Yearly Archives: 2013

The House on Trubnaya Square

Posted on August 13, 2013 by John Grant

After seeing “The Girl With the Hatbox,” the 1927 silent Soviet film directed by Boris Barnet, I realized that laughs and funny situations can occur in any society and under any circumstances.  That film reminded the populace of the glories … Continue reading →

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Gribiche

Posted on August 10, 2013 by John Grant

I pulled out my trusty Harrap’s French dictionary to look up “gribiche,” but I could not find a definition.   A different source mentioned a French sauce called gribiche that consists of oil, egg yolks, mustard, capers and tarragon.  It’s … Continue reading →

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Blue Jasmine

Posted on August 7, 2013 by John Grant

Even though I try to see every Woody Allen film, I became particularly intrigued by “Blue Jasmine (2013)” because Allen filmed some of it in San Francisco. I’m used to seeing my city portrayed in many films as a romantic … Continue reading →

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Legong: Dance of the Virgins

Posted on August 4, 2013 by John Grant

The great thing about the “Process 2” technical process is that it produces a dreamy quality to films.  The Process 2 Technicolor method uses 2 filters, one red and one green.  The filtered exposures are developed and then cemented together … Continue reading →

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The Half-Breed

Posted on August 1, 2013 by John Grant

The 2013 San Francisco Silent Film Festival (SFSFF) went all the way back to 1916 to unveil Douglas Fairbanks playing an American Indian/white character named Lo Dorman, who lives as an outcast in the forests around Calaveras County, California.  The … Continue reading →

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The Golden Clown

Posted on July 28, 2013 by John Grant

I knew what to expect when the 2013 San Francisco Silent Film Festival (SFSFF) ended Friday night with “The Golden Clown,” a 1926 Danish film directed by A. W. Sandberg.  The SFSFF often presents horror, science fiction and futuristic fantasies … Continue reading →

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Tokyo Chorus

Posted on July 25, 2013 by John Grant

“Tokyo Chorus,” another film that played at the 2013 San Francisco Silent Film Festival, tells the story of what happens when a family man loses his job. The 1931 film, directed by Yasuhirõ Ozu, begins at a school, where a teacher … Continue reading →

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The First Son

Posted on July 22, 2013 by John Grant

The San Francisco Silent Film Festival (SFSFF) showed its affection for British silent films with its presentation of “The First Born,” a 1928 film directed by and starring Miles Mander.  After screening 9 Alfred Hitchcock (mostly British) films in June … Continue reading →

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Prix de Beauté

Posted on July 19, 2013 by John Grant

The lovely Louise Brooks plays a typist at a Paris newspaper who enters a beauty contest in “Prix de Beauté (1930),” the opening film of the 2013 San Francisco Silent Film Festival (SFSFF).  The festival began Thursday, July 18, and … Continue reading →

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2013 San Francisco Silent Film Festival

Posted on July 18, 2013 by John Grant

The San Francisco Silent Film Festival (SFSFF) presented a wonderful showing tonight of “Prix de Beauté,” a 1930 film starring Louise Brooks.  This year’s summer festival will continue through Sunday, July 21, 2013.  Besides the excellent movies presented at the … Continue reading →

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