Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
One of the best movies of the year opens today, and it also happens to be a quintessential San Francisco film that a smart theater programmer (Roxie? Vogue?) might put on a double bill with the award-winning 2008 Harvey Milk biopic Milk. Also based on a true story, Fairyland similarly captures a time and place in San Francisco history that makes the personal political and vice versa. Continue reading “Film Review: “Fairyland””
If it’s October, it must be Mill Valley. Yes, everyone’s favorite fall film fest opens tonight, Thursday, October 2nd. You can check out the full program here, and don’t despair if a screening is listed as “standby”: more tickets may be released before the screening date, and same-day wait list tickets most likely will be available. Check out the Box Office for more information. We already presented a sneak peak of three of of this year’s offerings, and below we highlight five more: four great features and an equally worthy documentary. See you at the Fest!
1.) Metallica Saved My Life
(United Kingdom, 2025. 99 min.)
Anyone looking for a sort “Behind the Music” exposé about Metallica would be better served by watching the 2004 documentary Metallica: Some Kind of Monster. That the band is still together 20+ years since that film is a testament to its staying power, which aligns with the angle this new doc takes. “Metallica is everybody” is the rallying cry of Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund’s new film, which Metallica’s PR team is no doubt swooning over. Despite its Metallica-can-do-no-wrong vibe, this documentary about the band’s devoted fans is infectious and disarming. Filled with stories of people from all walks of life and all across the globe who have found solace, connection, and joy in the band’s music and concerts, the picture paints a warm portrait of a Metallica family that embraces anyone who wants to love the band and its community. Particularly affecting interviews from a trans man in Austin and fans from Iraq, Botswana, and Ukraine are emotionally raw, and help keep the picture from sinking too deeply into hagiography. Metallica band members are also interviewed, and they come across gracious and sincere in their appreciation of their fans. Sure the film is terrific PR, but it’s also genuinely uplifting.
Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Thurs., Oct. 9th, 6:00pm at CinéArts Sequoia, Mill Valley (at standby)
– Fri., Oct. 10th, 3:00pm at Smith Rafael Film Center
The chill is as palpable as the midwest accents in Dead of Winter, a brisk 90-minute thriller that compensates for some glaring plot holes with an otherwise engrossing story and a stellar, go-for-broke performance by Emma Thompson. Continue reading “Film Review: “Dead of Winter””
In a brief scene in the new film Relay, its star, Riz Ahmed, gets a chance to use the sign language skills he picked up in his 2020 Oscar-nominated performance in Sound of Metal. That’s a cool throwback for Ahmed fans, and, given his exceptional talent (see also Encounter, Nightcrawler, and HBO’s series The Night Of), he no doubt has many. But his fans may be disappointed in Relay, a serviceable corporate espionage thriller in which Ahmed’s performance is the only bright spot. Continue reading “Film Review: “Relay””
Zach Cregger triumphs with Weapons, proving the success of his 2022 critically acclaimed horror movie Barbarian was no fluke. Indeed, the writer/director’s sophomore effort is the better picture. Clever, downright scary, and at times laugh-out-loud funny. Cregger’s new film brings freshness to a glutted genre in need of something new. Continue reading “Film Review: “Weapons””
Fans of the Netflix series Nobody Wants This will love Bad Shabbos, a new film that similarly deals with an interfaith relationship, this time between the Jewish David (John Bass) and the Catholic-raised Meg (Meghan Leathers). Director Daniel Robbins’s film is more farcical than the Adam Brody/Kristen Bell series, but shares some of its sweetness, as well as some of its more cliched stereotypes. That the movie won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival is no surprise. Lightweight but amusing, the picture is a definite crowd pleaser.
Continue reading “Film Review: “Bad Shabbos””
The 68th San Francisco International Film Festival opens today, Thursday, April 17th, and will run through Sunday, April 27th with screenings at San Francisco’s Marina and Premiere (Presidio) theaters and at Berkeley’s BAMPFA. You can browse the complete Festival program here, and below we highlight four films worth seeing: two documentaries and two features. And check out our previous preview post here for more tips on best bets. See you at the Fest! Continue reading “Film Feature: 68th SFFilm Festival Preview #2”
Bay Area viewers may wince when they hear a character refer to San Francisco as “San Fran” in the new movie Sacramento, but that head-shaking tidbit is the least of this odd indie film’s problems. The second feature film from writer, director, and actor Michael Angarano (Minx; This is Us), Sacramento is an uninspired and mostly forgettable picture, saved only by an excellent, layered performance from the always reliable Michael Cera.
Continue reading “Film Review: “Sacramento””
I’m not sure how well Freaky Tales will play in middle America, but for those of us who live or grew up in the Oakland area–especially in the late 1980s–the movie is like our own personal valentine. Weird, wild, and more than a little crazy, the Oakland and Berkeley-set film is a rousing ode to Mayor Lionel Wilson’s Oakland, with its attendant complex mix of charm, edge, creativity, and simmering racism and misogyny.
Continue reading “Film Review: “Freaky Tales””
Bob Trevino Likes It is the first movie I’ve seen this year to make my 2025 Top 10 Films contender list, and no matter what else comes out this year, I’m going to reserve a spot for this exceptional picture. After garnering a slew of film festival nominations and awards, including winning both the Grand Jury prize and the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at last year’s SXSW Festival, Bob Trevino Likes It is now showing in theaters. You shouldn’t miss it.
Continue reading “Film Review: “Bob Trevino Likes It””