Phil attends THE HITCHCOCK 9: Day Three-June 16, 2013

Greetings everybody and welcome to the third and final day of the HITCHCOCK 9 film event at the majestic Castro Theatre in lovely San Francisco! I saw another four films on Sunday so let the good times roll!!

Lillian Hall-Davis and Jameson Thomas in THE FARMER'S WIFE.

Film number one was Hitchcock's sixth silent film THE FARMER'S WIFE (1928), which was one of the funniest films this weekend! Tibby, the wife of Samuel Sweetland (Jameson Thomas) dies, and shortly afterwards his daughter marries and leaves home, leaving him on his own with his two servants. His wife had told him that he should remarry after her death, so he pursues some local spinsters who were at his daughter's wedding after he and his housekeeper Minta (Lillian Hall-Davis from THE RING) make out a list of possibles. Needless to say, the possibles provide many hilarious scenarios! However, in the end, Samuel finds the love of his life, and it was right in front of him the whole time (in case you can't figure it out, it's Minta).

Once again the Master of Suspense shows us all that he defiantly had the chops to make romantic comedies. Also look for supporting actor Gordon Harker as the handyman in the film. Here's another fun film fact: Harker also appeared as the father in CHAMPAGNE and Jack's trainer in THE RING. Yup, it looked like Alfred had his own stock company!

Accompanying the film was the one-man-band himself Stephen Horne. I think he played another four to five instruments again. I know one was the grand piano. I think he played the accordion again. Maybe a flute too. Probably. I lost track folks.

Isabel Jeans (L) and Robin Irvine (R) in EASY VIRTUE.

The second film of the day was EASY VIRTUE (1928), the seventh silent film Hitchcock made. The heroine Larita (Isabel Jeans from DOWNHILL) is married to a drunken brute. After he catches her almost being seduced by the artist who has been painting her picture, he brings suit for divorce on the grounds of adultery. Since she is now a disgraced woman of "easy virtue", Larita leaves for the French Riviera, where she meets and marries a rich younger man, John Whittaker (Robin Irvine also from DOWNHILL). She does not tell him about her past, and they return to England to meet his family. His mother strongly disapproves of her, suspecting Larita of immorality. Her past comes to light and she decides to allow John to divorce her so he can marry Sarah, a local girl whom his mother had in mind as a suitable match.

Both this film and the last one showcase once again that obvious word called misogyny. In the FARMER'S WIFE, the misogyny was played for laughs and silliness and absurdity. However here, it's just blatant and kinda ugly. Everything that Larita has to endure is because the society of that time has declared her unfit and she's just treated so cruelly. By the end of the film, you really sympathized with her. You feel sorry for her because she didn't do anything wrong really. She's just a victim of the times. Fun fact: the film is loosely based on the play Easy Virtue by Noël Coward.

Returning once again to the grand piano was the incredible Judith Rosenberg! One of the pianist that plays at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum and over at the Pacific Film Archives in Berkley, she was just amazing! After this weekend, I sincerely hope that the SF Silent Film Organization asks her to return again in July!

Miles Mander (L) gets friendly with a native in THE PLEASURE GARDEN.

The third film screened on Sunday was Alfred Hitchcock's very first film! OK, it's his first completed film (his first film NUMBER 13 was never finished). THE PLEASURE GARDEN (1925) is about two chorus girls Patsy Brand (Virginia Valli) and Jill Cheyne (Carmelita Geraghty) that work at the Pleasure Garden Theatre in London and their troubled relationships. Jill's fiance Hugh (John Stuart) arrives with a colleague named Levet (Miles Mander). Soon he and Patsy become very close while Jill is being pursued by a number of rich men, particularly a Prince Ivan after becoming famous in the show. Hugh is sent to Africa by his company and Levet soon follows, but not before marrying Jill, which leads to their material problems. Jill believes in her husband, but once in Africa, Levet becomes involved with one of the locals from the nearby village. When Hugh becomes sick, Jill rushes out to Africa to save him and to find out what happened to her beloved husband.

On his first outing as a director, Hitchcock was already showing his genius behind the camera. Using simple but effective set ups, suspense, comedy, and nice twist at the end, this was one helluva debut! Here's another fun film fact: The film was shot in 1925 and shown to the British press in March 1926 but not officially released in the UK until 1927.

Back on the grand piano was the one-man-band himself Stephen Horne. Look, he played everything again during the film. I'll just leave it at that. The man is a musical genius!!

Actor Ivor Novello in THE LODGER: THE STORY OF THE LONDON FOG.

The fourth and final film of the day, and the closing night film of the festival was Hitchcock's greatest silent film ever: THE LODGER: A STORY OF THE LONDON FOG (1927). A number of fair-haired young ladies have been murdered on successive Tuesday nights in London, and the police basically have no clue as to the killer's identity. The only clue they have is that the killer (calling himself The Avenger) leaves a triangular note at the scene of his crimes. On the heels of the sixth murder, a stranger (Ivor Novello from DOWNHILL) comes seeking a room at the lodging house of an elderly couple. They're put off because he's dressed up like The Avenger. Then he's taking down all the pictures of fair-haired girls in his room, and sneaking out for a half hour on the next Tuesday night, returning just after a fresh murder had been committed down the street. The couple worries about their daughter Daisy (June Tripp but credited only as June), who has taken a definite shine to the strange young man, much to the chagrin of her traditional suitor, Police Detective Joe Chandler (Malcolm Keen from THE MANXMAN), who just so happens to assigned to The Avenger case. Determined to keep Daisy away from possible danger, her parents nevertheless manage to let her go out with the lodger the next Tuesday night, and this serves as the setup for the culminating scenes wherein Detective Chandler accuses the lodger of being the infamous Avenger.

The movie would introduce many themes that would run through much of Hitchcock’s later work: the innocent man on the run, hunted down by a self-righteous society, and a fetishistic sexuality. The film was based on a novel of the same name by Marie Belloc Lowndes, about the Jack The Ripper murders, and on the play Who Is He?, a comic stage adaptation of the novel by the playwright Horace Annesley Vachell that Hitchcock saw in 1915. While Hitchcock had made two previous films, in later years the director would refer to THE LODGER as the first true "Hitchcock film". After seeing the film again, it's hard not to argue with this statement!

And there you have it folks! What an amazing time I had!! And now I can't wait for July 18-21 for the SF Silent Film Festival!! Tickets for this event are now on sale so buy them before they sell out! To purchase tickets, and to learn more about the SF Silent Film Festival, and how to become a member, visit their website at http://silentfilm.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends THE HITCHCOCK 9: Day Two-June 15, 2013

Hello again folks and welcome back to my trip to the HITCHCOCK 9 at the historic Castro Theatre is beautiful San Francisco! On Saturday, I had the privileged to see four classic Hitchcock silent films, so let the fun begin!

Betty Balfour in CHAMPAGNE.

First film of the day was the comedy CHAMPAGNE (1928), which was Hitchcock's eighth movie he made. The film's about a young woman named Betty (Betty Balfour), an heiress whose very frivolous with her daddy's money. You see, she flies out to the middle of the ocean to meet up with a cruise ship which her fiance (Jean Bradin) is on! Yup, she's spoiled. But when her father's champagne fortune is lost because thanks in large part to Wall Street, she must learn responsibility and is forced to get a job. The results are hilarious and touch!

Believe it or not, before Hitchcock became the Master of Suspense, who made light hearted comedies. A lot of you out there may not have known this. I sure as heck didn't know this fascinating fact. And you know what, he was very good at this. Comedies are hard to do, but Hitchcock was able to make a film that made me laugh. Again, very interesting camera set ups and angles, plus a really neat shot of seeing Betty and Jean as seen through the bottom of a champagne glass!!

On the piano for the screening was the incredible Judith Rosenberg, who was making her SF Silent Film Fest debut! In case you forgot, Judith is one of the pianist that plays at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum and I was so excited to see her performance! She just nailed it! She was fantastic!!

Isabel Jeans (L) & Ivor Novello (R) in DOWNHILL.

Up next was Hitchcock's fifth film he made DOWNHILL (1927), a very powerful and controversial drama in my humble opinion. The film first takes place at English boarding school for boys and features actor Ivor Novello as Roddy Berwick, who's life goes completely south, or should I say downhill. First he takes the blame for his best friend Tim Wakely (Robin Irvine) who gets the local waitress Mabel (Annette Benson) pregnant, because if Tim gets expelled, he won't win a scholarship to attend Oxford University. So Roddy takes the blame for Tim. Then his parents kick him out of their house. So what's a strapping, young, ex-rugby player dropout to do next? He becomes an actor, and then marries the leading actress Julia (Isabel Jeans) after inheriting a large sum of money from a relative. After she's done spending all of his money, Roddy becomes a becomes a gigolo in a Paris music hall and dances with old women for money. After he quits his job at the dance hall, well, it just gets worse.

However, the film does have a happy ending, but only after we learn some very valuable lessons: never help your best friend out and never trust women because they will wreck you life! Sounds misogynistic, doesn't it? Well this is what I got out of this film as well as the previous one. Women had a rough time back then. Women having premarital sex and partying and having fun? Blasphemous!! FYI: the film's American alternative title was When Boys Leave Home.

Providing musical accompaniment was the amazing Stephen Horne, who played the grand piano, accordion, flute, and....to be honest I lost track on how many instruments he played! The man is literally a one man band!!

Lilian Hall Davis (L) & Carl Brisson (R) in THE RING.

The third film I saw was THE RING (1927), which was Hitchcock's fourth silent film he made. It centers on two friends and boxers: 'One-Round' Jack Sander (Carl Brisson) and Bob Corby (Ian Hunter). They both are in love with the same woman: Mabel (Lilian Hall Davis). She becomes engaged to Jack and the soon marry. But while Jack trains and begins to slowly move up in the rankings, she finds comfort in spending time with Bob. This sends Jack into fits of anger and jealousy. Soon, Jack has his shot at the championship against the reigning title holder: Jack Sander!

Here we see Alfred Hitchcock making a film that is not the norm: a boxing film! So far I have seen a crime thriller, a comedy, a drama, and now a boxing film! This proves that he was more than capable of making specific genre pictures. Now what's really interesting is that each film showcased his use of experimentation with the camera and using his unique techniques towards storytelling. We will see the love triangle scenario come up again, but this is the only time we will see a boxing film! Another fun film fact: THE RING is Hitchcock's only original screenplay although he worked extensively alongside other writers throughout his career.

Once again the Mont Alto Orchestra provided the musical accompaniment, along with a Foley artist to provide the ringside bell sound. Everybody was amazing, as always!

L-R: Carl Brisson, Anny Ondra, & Malcom Keen in THE MANXMAN.

The fourth and final film of the day was THE MANXMAN (1929), the ninth silent film that Hitchcock made. Appearing in the movie once again is Carl Brisson, who plays a fisherman Pete Quilliam who lives and works on the Isle of Man (Manxman is the term of a resident of the Isle). He's childhood best friend is Philip Christian (Malcolm Keen,) a lawyer who is destined to become a Deemster (a fancy name for judge) on the Isle. Both are in love with the same girl: Kate (Anny Ondra from BLACKMAIL), the landlord's daughter at the local inn. Pete wants to marry Kate, but her father Old Caesar (Randie Ayrton), refuses to consent to their marriage. So Pete sets off to Africa to seek his fortune, and asks Kate to wait for him until he returns. He also asks his old friend Philip to watch over her while he's gone. Feelings grow on Philip's part, but he keeps them in check. But when the receive word that Pete has been killed, Kat reveals to Philip of her feelings for him! Surprised, right! Oh wait, it gets better. No sooner than Philip and Kate plan for their wedding, Pete comes back!! Didn't see that coming, did you?  Now Old Caesar agrees to let Kate marry him, and neither she nor Philip have it in them to break Pete's heart. The rest of the film is one big twist and surprise after another. They don't make films like this anymore.

This was my favorite film of the day! It had it all: a great love triangle, forbidden love, lies, secrets, and betrayal! It contains all the hallmarks of a great Hitchcock film! Most of these themes would reappear in many other of Hitchcock's movies. But I think this is one of best and is largely overlooked. I hope all of his fans will rediscover this overlooked cinematic classic!

Stephen Horne once again provided the accompanied, and was just fantastic! Joining him was Diana Rowan on the Celtic harp. These two make beautiful music together!!

Day Two was just amazing!! Remember tickets for this event are still on sale now so buy them before they sells out! To purchase tickets, and to learn more about the SF Silent Film Festival, and how to become a member, visit their website at http://silentfilm.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends the opening night of the HITCHCOCK 9 at the Castro Theatre-June 14, 2013

The wait is finally over! After waiting patiently since the announcement back in February during the Silent Winter Event, The San Francisco Silent Film Festival, in conjunction with the British Film Institute (BFI) presented the HITCHCOCK 9 event! Over the course of the weekend, silent film fans were treated to all nine surviving silent films that the Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock made (FEAR O' GOD aka THE MOUNTAIN EAGLE is considered to be lost)! And all my friends were there on opening night! There was my partner-in-crime Jason Wiener, the mastermind behind the film blog Jason Watches Movies. And I also finally got to see my friend Lara Gabrielle, who's amazing film bog Backlots is one of my favorites to read and follow. The air was filled excitement as silent film fans poured into the Castro Theatre, my home for the next two and a half days! Yup, this is how all weekends should be spent!!

Before the screening, the festival's artistic director Anita Monga greeted the audience and gave us some interesting info about tonight's film. First off this Hitchcock's last silent film and was actually shot twice: a silent version for those theaters that didn't have sound capability and a "talkie" which has been the more popular and the most seen version. Plus, this film has the longest cameo appearance by the Master of Suspense himself: a whole 20 seconds, to which he is a passenger that's being pestered by a kid on a train. It's a classic cameo! After Anita's lovely intro, the lights dimmed and we were suddenly transported back in time!

The film BLACKMAIL (1929) is about the daughter of a London shopkeeper named Alice White (Anny Ondra), whose Scotland Yard detective boyfriend Frank Webber (John Longden) seems to be more interested in police work than in her. This causes Alice to secretly arranged to meet another man named Mr. Crewe (Cyril Ritchard) for a drink. She then agrees to go to see his studio, where he tries to rape her. Alice defends herself and kills the him with a bread knife. Her boyfriend is assigned to investigate and soon determines that his girlfriend is the killer, but so has someone else and threatens to blackmail them both.

It's really interesting to see Alfred Hitchcock's roots in the world of cinema! During the silent film era, he was more experimental with his set ups, panning the camera, extreme close-ups, and fades. One can obviously see the genius of Mr. Hitchcock, and with this film, you can tell he was going to make cinematic history!

Now to bring this film to life was the incredible Mont Alto Orchestra, whose music was just outstanding!! They were on fire at the screening!! Their music was the perfect fit for this Hitchcock classic!!

What a night!! Remember tickets for this event are still on sale now so buy them before they sells out! To purchase tickets, and to learn more about the SF Silent Film Festival, and how to become a member, visit their website at http://silentfilm.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil hosts the Cult Movie Screening of TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose-June 13, 2013

Hello again everybody and welcome to Month Five of the 2013 Cult Movie series at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! Now for those of you who are late to the game, let me explain this cool series. In 2011 the Camera Cinemas started up the Cult Movie series (which for years had been called the Midnight Movie series). They would show one cult film twice a month (Thursday nights at 9:30 and Saturday nights at midnight) from February through November. Tonight we screened the David Lynch's 1992 cult film TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME. Once again yours truly was back as the host for tonight's screening. Prizes were donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby.

Theatrical Movie Poster (1992)

Essentially a prequel to David Lynch and Mark Frost's earlier TV series "Twin Peaks." The first half-hour or so concerns the investigation by FBI Agent Chet Desmond (Chris Isaak) and his partner Sam Stanley (Kiefer Sutherland) into the murder of night-shift waitress Teresa Banks in the small Washington state town of Deer Meadow. When Desmond finds a mysterious clue to the murder, he inexplicably disappears. The film then cuts to one year later in the nearby town of Twin Peaks and follows the events during the last week in the life of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) a troubled teenage girl with two boyfriends; the hot-tempered rebel Bobby Briggs (Dana Ashbrook) and quiet biker James Hurley (James Marshall), her drug addiction, and her relationship with her difficult (and possible schizophrenic) father Leland (Ray Wise), a story in which her violent murder was later to motivate much of the TV series.

If you have never seen this film before, it's a freaking trip! It's not for the faint of heart. Don't watch this before you go to bed because it will give you nightmares. Seriously, it will. It will f*ck with your head so badly you will seek psychiatric help. It's an amazing film, don't get me wrong! But it's a pretty f*cked up movie. But then again, we are talking about David Lynch here. The man who gave some truly outstanding and sureal cinematic gems such as ERASERHEAD, BLUE VELVET, WILD AT HEART, MULHOLLAND DRIVE, and ISLAND EMPIRE. A true definition of the word auteur, you will never mistake his films with any other director!

The film was released to theaters by New Line Cinema on August 28, 1992. The film's budget was an astounding $10 million dollars. Unfortunately, it only grossed $4,160,851. It literally bombed at the boxoffice. The only people who saw the film were the die hard fans of the show and Lynch's loyal fans. But when it was released on VHS, that's when word of mouth began to spread, and the film is now regarded as one of his best films!

Remember folks, the Camera 3 will be showing one cult classic film every month from now till November. Next month we'll be screening Steven Spielberg's 1981 action film RAIDER OF THE LOST ARK on July 18th and again on July 20th. So make plans to attend this screening folks! To view their upcoming schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends a very special advanced screening of MAN OF STEEL in 3D at the AMC Saratoga 14-June 5, 2013

In December of 1978, my mom took me to see director Richard Donner's SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE. I was five years old and it changed my life forever. From that moment on, I believed that a man could very well fly. Star Christopher Reeve literally flew out of the movie! Since then I've been a huge Superman fan. I started reading the comics at a feverish pace. Eventually I soon saw the sequels as they were released to theaters. Unfortunately, each one was worse than the previous. Shorty thereafter, Superman disappeared from the silver screen. Then in 2006, he returned to the big screen in SUPERMAN RETURNS, which was directed by Bryan Singer (X-MEN, X-MEN 2, and THE USUAL SUSPECTS). While the film had good intentions, it received a lukewarm reception from moviegoers and mixed reviews from critics. These factors caused the film to fail in relaunching the franchise. It looked like Superman's future at the movies was over.

Then in 2010, it was announced that director Zack Snyder (300, THE WATCHMEN, DAWN OF THE DEAD) and producer Christopher Nolan (director of the DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY) were teaming up to reboot the franchise and bring the last son of Krypton back to the big screen. Fans around the world waited in anticipation, myself included. Which brings me to this past Wednesday, where I was standing in line at the AMC Saratoga 14 with my fellow film buff and screenwriter Danny Rubio to attend a very special advanced screening of MAN OF STEEL in 3D!

It's interesting to see in this reboot just how much the filmmakers used several ideas and references from the comic book. Unlike the cold, icy planet of Krypton as depicted in Donner's 1978 classic, this Krypton is a perfect hybrid of organics and alien creatures as well as hi-tech battleships and cities. It's here that we are introduced to Superman's parents: scientist Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and wife Lara (Ayelet Zurer). History repeats itself as Jor-El stands before the council about the impending doom of their home planet, but this time we get to see an event that was only mentioned in the 1978 film: the nefarious attempt to overthrow the council by the evil General Zod (Michael Shannon). Once again he and his army are thwarted and they are sentenced to spend forever in the Phantom Zone. But during this attempted coup, Jor-El sends his infant son to the far reaches of space. Soon after, Krypton explodes and Kal-El reaches Earth.

What Nolan and Snyder do differently is that we don't see young Kal-El aka Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) grow. Rather we see him in his youth in a series of flashbacks, like what Nolan used in the DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY. In fact, the beginning of the film features Clack trying to figure out who he is and to find his place in the world. What's this your asking? Superman is suffering from self doubt and ponders his existence in the world? Well, yes. Here we have our lead, our hero, dealing with the issue of self doubt and self discover, which makes him more relatable. However, let's not forget, this is an action packed superhero movie, and when he finally dons his costume, he then becomes Superman. Cavill portrays both Clark Kent and Superman with such convection, strength, and vulnerability. Truly this man was born to wear the suit. He brings a new dimension to this iconic superhero.

Now there's another interesting twist that the filmmakers have made to the film which involves the famous Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams). Here, she is a Pulitzer prize investigating reporter, and in the film, she does something that the other previous incarnations have never done. Now I don't want to spoil the surprise, but this change was a welcome surprise. For the past 75 years, Lois never put the pieces together to deduce that Clark Kent was Superman, and that made her look a little stupid. Well, Nolan and Snyder has remedied this problem, and I thought it was a brilliant move. Also Kudos to Adams, who turns in a great performance and has great on-screen chemistry with Cavill.

General Zod has never been so evil, and that due in large part to Michael Shannon. Now nothing against Terence Stamp from SUPERMAN II, but Shannon goes over the edge and really makes our antagonist just simply cold, a calculating vicious individual. But in his mind, what he and his minions are doing to the Earth is logical. His mission is to preserve the legacy of Krypton, and he does that with extreme prejudice. Truly one of cinema's greatest villains!

Currently as I am writing this, the film has broken records for the month of June, but there is also a backlash to the film, which surrounds the climatic finale between Superman and General Zod. So before I go any further, let me now issue a MAJOR SPOILER WARNING!!! STOP READING THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE YET!! STOP READING THIS RIGHT NOW!!!!

OK, let's discuss the ending, shall we? In case you haven't heard let me just say this outright: Superman breaks General Zod's neck. And he does this because Zod was about to zap a bunch of people and Superman comes to the realization that he had no other way to stop him. So he snapped his neck like a twig and let's out a horrendous scream. Now when I saw the film, and I saw what happened, I will admit I was pretty shocked by that. But then I realized something: In SUPERMAN II, Superman strips General Zod's superpowers, then crushes his hand, picks him up and tosses him to the bottomless pit of the Fortress of Solitude. Plus in the 1980s, Superman used green kryptonite to kill a General Zod from the "Pocket Universe." And let's not forget he was fighting to the death with the creature called Doomsday in the comics back in 1993. So he has killed, but very rarely. A lot of fans and critics are gripping big time about this incident, but remember the SUPERMAN II Hypocrisy!! How was that different than this film?!?

END OF SPOILER ALERT!!! END OF SPOILER ALERT!!! END OF SPOILER ALERT!!!

OK now that's over, let me state that I really enjoyed MAN OF STEEL! It was an excellent film, full of superhero action, romance, some humor, alien invasion, and one heluva super battle finale!! After 75 years, it looks like there's no slowing down for this iconic comic book hero!! 4 1/2 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

MAN OF STEEL is now currently playing in theaters nationwide, including at the AMC Theaters here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at http://www.amctheatres.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends a special advanced screening of THE PURGE at the Century 20 Oakridge Mall-June 4, 2013

Every now and then I get passes for advance screening of films before they come out. This past Tuesday I was able to attend an advanced screening of the new film THE PURGE, which was held at the Century 20 in Oakridge Mall. After seeing the trailer for it for past couple of months, I was really looking forward to seeing the movie.

The film's synopsis: Set in the year 2022, in which the United States has become "a nation reborn", with crime and unemployment rates hitting an all-time low. To keep these rates low, the government has instated an annual 12-hour time period called "The Purge", during which people can vent their negative emotions because all crime (including murder) is legal and emergency services are suspended. During one of these free-for-alls, James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) and his family – wife Mary (Lena Headey), teenage daughter Zoey (Adelaide Kane) and younger son Charlie (Max Burkholder) – are tested to see how far they will go to protect themselves when they give refuge to a stranger seeking shelter, and their home is subsequently invaded by a ruthless gang of thugs.

Written and directed by James DeMonaco, the film is an interesting mix of horror, suspense, thriller, and social commentary. The threat of home invasion is true modern horror and it's something that we all fear. But if we're in our home during the invasion, it only makes it ten times more horrifying. How far are we wiling to go to protect our family? Are we willing to kill? To shed blood on our hands? These are some of the questions that are raised within the film.

The other social commentary I noticed was this: We as human beings get angry. If you are not allowed to show our anger, we repress it. But what happens if we can't express this anger for an entire year? How explosive will we become when we are allowed to show this anger? I know that I get angry every day because I work in sales. And if I have a bad day at work, look out! But here in the America of 2022, they are only allowed to get crazy for one night. But some see this annual Purge as a means to eradicate those that plague society's utopia, namely the homeless. So it begs the question: are we using the Purge Night to release out anger and frustration properly or are we using it as a excuse to make the country the way we see fit?

OK enough with the movie analysis! Let's talk about what I thought of the movie!

While Ethan Hawke does an extraordinary job of bring depth to his character James, and it was cool to see Lena Headey's Mary evolve over the duration of the film, I found it somewhat predictable. Maybe it's because I've seen so many horror films, and thrillers, and suspenseful flicks that at some point during the film, I called out what was going to happen next. And about 90% of it I was correct. But both Ethan and Lena have great on-screen chemistry and you believe that they are married. And look for out Australian actor Rhys Wakefield as the film's antagonist Henry! Truly a chilling performance that will give you nightmares! But like I said, I found it predictable. However, don't let this deturate you from seeing the film. If you want to see the film, then by all means go see it!

Overall THE PURGE is a good micro budget thriller that will have you think twice about buying an expensive alarm system. I wouldn't be surprised if people, after seeing the film, run out and by an house alarm. Just make sure it actually works! 3 out of 5 stars! Worth a look! 

THE PURGE is currently playing in theaters nationwide, including the Century Theaters here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at http://cinemark.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends CHARLIE CHAPLIN DAYS at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum-June 1 & 2, 2013

During the year of 1915, the world of cinema was making history. D.W. Griffith's THE BIRTH OF A NATION  changed the landscape of cinema forever. Producer/distributor William Fox founded the new Fox Film Corporation. Also in the small town of Niles, California, a little comedian came into town, made about five films in three months, and then left. However, those five films helped paved the way for Charlie Chaplin's signature character The Tramp to become one of cinema's most beloved icons. This past weekend, the town of Niles, as well as the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, celebrated its most famous actor with its annual Charlie Chaplin Days, which are held every year on the first weekend of June.

Charles Chaplin (1889-1977)

Before I begin, let me tell you how Mr. Chaplin found his way to Niles real quick. In late 1914, Essanay Studio co-founder G.M. Anderson (also known as Broncho Billy, the screen's first cowboy superstar) signed the then yet well known comedian Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin had been discovered by Mack Sennett, founder of Keystone Films, the home of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Mabel Normand, and the infamous Keystone Cops. Anderson offered the young comedian complete creative over his films: he would write, direct, and star in his films. To sweeten the deal, Anderson offered Chaplin a $10,000 signing bonus, which was a large sum of money back in late 1914. Chaplin made one film for the Chicago Essanay Studio branch, but he didn't get along very well with co-owner George Spoor. Chaplin soon left to make films out in Niles. During this time he made an astounding five films in just three months, as well as discovering his leading lady Edna Purviance. However, Niles was a little too boring and country-ish for Chaplin, who loved the city life. So with Anderson's permission, Chaplin took Purviance and a small crew to Los Angles, where he finished up his contract. The following year, Chaplin singed a deal with Mutual Pictures, where they offered him more money, his own production company, and a $150,000 signing bonus. But it was his time in Niles is where he developed his Tramp character. By combining pathos, sympathy, while still bringing a smile to our faces, Chaplin's Little Tramp became an overnight sensation, and thus creating one of cinema's most treasured characters.

On both Saturday and Sunday, the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum showed all five of Chaplin's films he made here in Niles: A NIGHT OUT (co-starring Ben Turpin), THE CHAMPION, IN THE PARK, A JITNEY ELOPEMENT, and his most famous film THE TRAMP, featuring the most iconic image and ending in film history of the Little Tramp walking away in Niles Canyon. One of Chaplin's most important films he ever made. Also shown on both days was the documentary short WHEN THE MOVIES GO WEST, a 1974 PBS short. The other documentary short, the 1964 KPIX WHEN THE MOVIES CAME FROM NILES was shown on Saturday afternoon.

Later that Saturday night, there was a show showcasing other Chaplin films. The first films screened were three shorts: MAKING A LIVING (a 1914 Ketstone film), A NIGHT AT THE SHOW (a film he made for Essanay in LA in 1915), and EASY STREET (from 1916, after he left Essanay for Mutual). The main feature of the night was 1918's SHOULDER ARMS.

On Sunday afternoon the museum held their annual Chaplin lookalike contest. Also there was a cool train ride through Niles Canyon, courtesy of the Niles Canyon Railway. It's the perfect way to see the canyon were film history was made 100 years ago!

This was such a fun filled weekend! I for one can't wait till next year's Charlie Chaplin Days! In the meantime, there are plenty more excitement happening at the museum. We have a weekly Saturday Night shows, including the extremely popular Comedy Shorts Night. The last weekend of June is their annual Bronco Bill Film Festival! So don't delay! Come on down to the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, where silent films live forever!!

To learn more about Charlie Chaplin, visit the official website at www.charliechaplin.com. To learn more about the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, how to become a member, and to view their film schedule, visit their website at www.nilesfilmmuseum.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!