Taking Inventory as of March 8

For the past several weeks, I've been battling a chest cold that has hampered my movie going abilities. I feel on the mend but still haven't shaken the cough completely.

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From January 16 to February 27, the PFA ran a series called Before “Capraesque”: Early Frank Capra. I was able to view five films in the series.

American Madness starring Walter Huston; (1932)
Submarine; silent with intertitles; (1928)
Rain or Shine starring Joe Cook; (1930)
The Matinee Idol; silent with intertitles; (1928)
The Way of the Strong; silent with intertitles; (1928)

All silent films were accompanied by Judith Rosenberg on piano.

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From January 22 to February 13, the PFA screened Complicated Shadows: The Films of Val Lewton. Lewton was a producer at RKO in the 1940 who cranked out horror films that were a cut above the rest.

I have previously seen two films in the series - The Cat People (1942) and I Walk with a Zombie (1943). I watched:

Youth Runs Wild; (1944)
The Ghost Ship; (1943)
Bedlam starring Boris Karloff; (1946)

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On February 19, I was able to watch an early work by Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu.

That Night's Wife; silent with Japanese and English intertitles; piano accompaniment by Judith Rosenberg; (1930)

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This past weekend, I watched all three films in the Red Riding Trilogy based on the novels of David Peace. Peace also wrote The Damned Utd which was adapted into a well received film last year.

The Red Riding films were originally aired on the BBC. The three films are a fictionalized version of the Yorkshire Ripper murders in the 1970's.

Red Riding 1974 starring Andrew Garfield and Sean Bean; directed by Julian Jarrold; (2009) - Official Website
Red Riding 1980 starring Paddy Considine; directed by James Marsh; (2009) - Official Website
Red Riding 1983 starring David Morrissey; directed by Anand Tucker; (2009) - Official Website

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Although I had hoped to see several more films at Cinequest in San Jose, my illness derailed those plans. Armed with anti-biotics, I only saw three films.

The Merry Widow starring John Gilbert and Mae Murray; directed by Erich von Stroheim; silent with intertitles; organ accompaniment by Dennis James; (1925)
The Real Revolutionaries; documentary; directed by Paul Crowder; (2010)
The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg starring Ramon Novarro and Norma Shearer; directed by Ernst Lubitsch; silent with intertitles; organ accompaniment by Dennis James; (1927)

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On the day I started feeling ill, I went to the 4-Star to see the Hong Kong double feature. I didn't feel well so I left after the first film.

72 Tenants of Prosperity starring Jacky Cheung; Cantonese with English subtitles; (2010) - Official Website

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When I was last at the PFA, I picked up a flyer that announced a 30 film Kurosawa series from June to August in celebration of the centennial of his birth. I guess that explains why Stanford Theater is currently having a retrospective.

Details on the PFA retrospective will be announced April 15, I believe.