Screens

The Show Did Go On

Seats may be empty, but performing arts organizations are figuring out innovative ways to attract audiences nonetheless.

Embarrassment of Riches
Three prominent archives of rare materials that document the history…
California Schemin’

Three films reveal the dark side of the California dream.
Four Films That Shaped a Critic

These diverse films offer important lessons on filmmaking.
Pepe the Frog’s Leap to the Dark Side
A documentary on the alt-right’s appropriation of a cute meme arrive…
Aug 24, 2020
A Film Critic Takes Direction

Connecting with an idol summons the early ecstasy of falling in love with movies.
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Apr 28, 2020
Hollywood’s First Million-Dollar Movie

A new restoration of Erich von Stroheim’s Foolish Wives reveals the extravagance of his imagination.
Feb 12, 2020
Jack London’s Return to the Screen

Forthcoming adaptations of The Call of the Wild and Martin Eden promise to stay true to Jack London’s characters—and his life.
Dec 9, 2019
‘The L Word’ Gets Woke

After a 10-year hiatus, The L Word returns to reflect a changed world.
Nov 27, 2019
The Never-Ending Content Stream

The peril—and promise—of too many movies, sports events, and television programs to watch.
Nov 11, 2019
‘Blade Runner’ and Los Angeles, Then and Now

The iconic film’s futuristic vision of life in 2019 is already in the past.
May 30, 2019
‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco’ Will Make You Cry

The Last Black Man in San Francisco wrests lyrical beauty from a tale of gentrification, economic inequality, and homesickness.
Mar 11, 2019
In Celebration of the Body Snatchers

Philip Kaufman’s sci-fi masterpiece “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” celebrates pre-tech San Francisco’s soul.
Feb 26, 2019
Down at the Farm, in L.A.

Harold Lloyd creates a buoyant rural fantasyland; Charles Burnett reveals the Deep South in South L.A.
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Jan 22, 2019
Ferrante Fever

‘My Brilliant Friend’ is a coming of age series that rivals Virgil’s ‘Aeneid.’
Nov 19, 2018
Stretching the Movie Experience

We’re sitting and bingeing on filmed entertainment for hours at a time. Does that mean the two-hour movie format is dead?
Jul 12, 2018
Not Feeling The Force
Longtime movie critic David Ansen has a confession: He’s not wild about the “Star Wars” movies. And that doesn’t sit well with fans of …
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Dec 27, 2017
Unbroken Bulldog
Winston Churchill is the hero in our soft-minded and cliched interpretation of modern history. But “Darkest Hour” respects history and …
Sep 22, 2017
Summer of War
“Monterey Pop” celebrated the Summer of Love that quickly was overtaken by the quagmire documented in Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s “The …