Film & Photography

There’s A New Documentary About Emperor Being Made…and Guess Who’s in it!
Shortly after I first moved to San Francisco I learned about Joshua Abraham Norton aka Emperor Norton I, the Gold Rush era eccentric who, after losing all his money (and subsequently losing his marbles as well), showed back up in San Francisco in full royal regalia and declared himself the

7 of the Oldest Surviving Films of San Francisco
San Francisco has always been a city in motion. Influxes of people from around the world; planet-changing events; epic businesses opening their doors; while others shutter theirs. While The City experiences another series of massive changes, it is as important as ever to keep our history and culture(s) alive, preserved, and shared with others. We need a reminder of what San Francisco was, still is, and can still be.

10 Brave, Bizarre, & Beautiful Films at CAAMFest
It’s Asian-American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2024. This also means it’s time for the 2024 edition of the annual Center for Asian-American Media Film Festival (hereafter “CAAMFest”). Running from May 9-19, 2024, CAAMFest will screen films at the SFMOMA Phyllis Wattis Theatre, the Great Star Theater, the Roxie Theatre,

All The Cool Stuff Coming To Hulu In May 2024
Call this May on Hulu a “something for everyone” month. There’s a heartwarming nature documentary, an action film classic and its sequels, an acclaimed historical epic, a weird trip through American subcultures, and a strange but true documentary about a jaw dropping Japanese reality TV show. You might not want

I Lived “The Devil Wears Prada,” Part Two
Miranda got away with her devilish persona because there was a method to her mania. It takes exactly zero talent to be a dick, and I do not respect unwarranted authority. By Week Four with Ħażin totali, my respect for Massimo was almost gone. I’d heard him berate contractors, clients,

The Photography That Changed The Way We See the World: Irving Penn
Irving’s Penn’s level of craft and decades-long career make for a must-see show at de Young.

April 2024 Weekends Are For Film Festivals (Mostly)
There are fewer theatrical venues available. Returning to the in-theater experience still proves a hard lift for way too many viewers. And the 800-pound gorilla known in film festival circles as the San Francisco International Film Festival (hereafter “SFFILM”) has radically downsized in scale and scope this year. Should this

All The Cool Stuff Coming To Netflix In April 2024
This April’s premieres on Netflix have some worthy offerings even if it won’t necessarily take viewers’ minds off the trash fire nature of current events. There’s an animated update of a classic Norman Lear comedy. The “Train To Busan” director adapts a science fiction body horror manga. A spinoff series