Film

SAN FRANCISCO—The Jewish Film Institute (JFI) announced the full lineup of “Cinegogue Summer Days,” a primarily-virtual film festival, on Wednesday, July 1. The JFI also runs the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (SFJFF), which was established in 1980. Aside from being the biggest and longest-running event of its kind, the SFJFF is also a self-proclaimed “leader in the curation and...

HOLLYWOOD—The theatrical releases of “Halloween Kills” and “Halloween Ends” have been delayed by Universal Pictures which made the announcement on Wednesday, July 8. The films are sequels to the 2018 “Halloween,” a direct follow-up to John Carpenter's 1978 classic. “Kills” will move from October 16, 2020, to October 15, 2021; “Ends” will move from  2021 to October 14, 2022. “Kills” and...

SAN FRANCISCO—On Monday, July 6, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival (SFSFF) announced that it had created an Event Archive featuring past festivals and “satellite programs.” Almost a month earlier, SFSFF 2020 was cancelled after initially being postponed to November. The SFSFF is “a nonprofit organization dedicated to the presentation and preservation of silent cinema, and the education of the...

HOLLYWOOD─All over the world artists are struggling due to the impact of COVID-19 on venues. From LA to Broadway to Europe, musicians are feeling the impact that the music industry is facing. Dua Lipa and Sir Paul McCartney, Ed Sheeran, Rolling Stones, and Coldplay are just a few that are calling for support of the music industry. As of press...

HOLLYWOOD─Another day, another award show. When I heard a week ago that the BET Awards would still host its 20th anniversary of the show, while also highlighting its 40th anniversary on the air, I was baffled to figure out just how they planned to make it happen. Low and behold the network still held the awards show, but it...

HOLLYWOOD─I had been wondering for quite some time what would happen with awards shows, in the midst of a pandemic America. However, it seems things are not coming to a standstill because the nominees for the 2020 BET Awards were unveiled on Monday, June 15. Leading all contenders was rapper Drake who earned six nominations including Best Male Hip-Hop Artist...

HOLLYWOOD─I was probably the biggest fan of the animated cartoon series Scooby Doo growing up as a kid. I loved and I mean loved the series “Scooby Doo: Where Are You?” It was like an opportunity for the viewers to participate in the mystery with the characters. Would you solve who the culprit was before they were unmasked? On...

HOLLYWOOD─I had been hearing about this indie horror movie for weeks, and with theaters closed, the notion of renting a movie just drives me bonkers. I rather buy the movie or simply see it at the multiplex, but “The Wretched” which was growing in popular because of its showings at the drive-in, caught my attention. Yes, you heard me...

HOLLYWOOD─I don’t think anyone in America could have predicted the things that have unfolded in the past 3 months, particularly in regards to race relations. The deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmad Aubrey, George Floyd and that disturbing video that transpired in Central Park has all forced the conversation of race front and center. Hollywood is no stranger to addressing...

HOLLYWOOD─It is a daunting task to deliver a musical drama that works without moving in multiple directions. I had high hopes for “The High Note,” but it totally falters in my opinion. It is not a bad movie, but it’s a movie that is not certain of which trajectory it wants to take. The movie stars Tracee Ellis-Ross, Dakota...