Author Archives: John Grant

Song of the Fisherman

Posted on June 1, 2014 by John Grant

With names like “Little Cat” and “Little Monkey,” the characters in the 1934 Chinese silent film “Song of the Fisherman (Yu Quang Qu),” seem destined for a wild and strenuous life. Being born in a poor fishing family in a … Continue reading →

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Midnight Madness

Posted on May 30, 2014 by John Grant

The San Francisco Silent Film Festival (SFSFF) showed “Midnight Madness,” a film from 1928, at 3 o’clock in the afternoon on Friday, May 30, 2014. Rather than being a film about nightlife in the big city, most of the action … Continue reading →

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SFSFF Opening Night

Posted on May 29, 2014 by John Grant

The 2014 San Francisco Silent Film Festival (SFSFF) opened today with a splendid screening of “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1922),” a Rudolph Valentino movie directed by Rex Ingram. Even sitting in the balcony, I could here the gasp … Continue reading →

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Mughal-E-Azam

Posted on May 25, 2014 by John Grant

“Mughal-E-Azam,” a Hindi language film released in 1960, became the most expensive Indian film ever made, but rewarded its makers with record crowds and a favorable response from critics. It tells the story of a love affair between a Mughal … Continue reading →

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Baseball’s Last Hero

Posted on May 22, 2014 by John Grant

Richard Rossi’s “Baseball’s Last Hero: 21 Clemente Stories (2013),” tells the life story of the greatest right fielder of all time, Roberto Clemente, who played his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. I grew up in Pittsburgh and I remember … Continue reading →

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Serge Bromberg

Posted on May 19, 2014 by John Grant

The much-decorated Serge Bromberg brings some silent film rarities the 2014 San Francisco Silent Film Festival (SFSFF) at the Castro Theater in San Francisco on Saturday, May 31 at 12 noon. In an event called “Serge Bromberg’s Treasure Trove,” Bromberg … Continue reading →

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BFI Honored

Posted on May 16, 2014 by John Grant

The British Film Institute (BFI) will be honored with a 2014 Silent Film Festival Award at the showing of the silent film documentary “The Epic of Everest,” a gem which screens on Saturday, May 31, 2014 at the Castro Theater … Continue reading →

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The Blind Side

Posted on May 13, 2014 by John Grant

“The Blind Side,” released in 2009, does a good job in establishing its non-football story before delving into the inevitable big-game sequence that occurs in all sports movies. Sandra Bullock, who won an academy award for best actress for her … Continue reading →

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2014 San Francisco Silent Film Festival

Posted on May 10, 2014 by John Grant

The San Francisco Silent Film Festival (SFSFF) opens Thursday, May 29 at 7 PM with a screening of “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” the star-making film of Rudolph Valentino. The exciting 4 days of the festival, held at the Castro … Continue reading →

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Can-Can

Posted on May 7, 2014 by John Grant

I put the DVD for “Can-Can,” the 1960 Twentieth Century Fox film, in my machine and the screen went black while some orchestral music played. It took me a while to realize that the film starts with an Overture that … Continue reading →

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