We've got quite a diversity of recommendations this week - from the politically conscious, to the "sick and twisted", to the, well, sick and twisted and Russian. Check it out! First on our list is the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, which runs February 19- 26 at the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley and March 10, 16, 23, 30 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. This year the festival......

We've been hearing so much about The New World, Terrence Malick's retelling of the fourth verse of Peggy Lee's "Fever", but all we could think when we'd watch the trailer is "BORING!" Well, our disinterest has been validated yet again by our nemesis Mick LaSalle, who terms it "a masterpiece". Yeah, that tears it -- we won't be seeing that. Fortunately, there's lots of other cool movie stuff going on this weekend. For example, Joseph......

Wow! We just got off the phone with Ralph Arlyck, who reminded us that his film Following Sean, (which we know a lot of you saw at last year's SFIFF) is opening tonight at the Lumiere. Arlyck made a short about 4 year old Sean, when he lived in the Haight in the 60s. This film shows what he found when he caught up with him 30 years later. How did a preschool aged......

There is nothing -- we mean, nothing -- opening today. But it's a long holiday weekend, and we'll bet you'll get in the mood to go see something, right? Before you to head to the Metreon and stand there agape at your big budget options, take a look at our handy list of all our favorite local theatres below. Instead of just giving up and seeing Rumor Has It, why not take a look......

Wow, it's a massive weekend for movies, as studios do their best to present us with ways to escape familial holiday stress. We hate to do this, but as there are so many great new films opening this weekend, we suggest you take a look at the Chron's New Flicks page, (as long as you promise not to take any of the reviews even remotely seriously) to make sure you don't miss any of......

Yeah, we know. d=hv&cf=info&id=1808505212&intl=us">King Kong came out on Wednesday, and people love it. We've tried to be all cool "we already know how it ends, what's the point?" about this movie, but we'll tell you a secret: the reason we'll never see this movie is because we just can't f**king stand how sad we know it will make us. Just watching the Ebert and Roper review of it was enough to choke us up.......

This is a hott and sexxy weekend for mainstream movies. We've been eagerly anticipating Syriana (which confused Ruthe Stein, so good sign there), and The Chronicles of Narnia (our hearts sink as we read bizarro world critic LaSalle's glowing review). Other folks are all hot and bothered (in the good way) about gay cowboys and hot and bothered (in the bad way) about English speaking Chinese actresses playing geishas. But we've already had to......

One of our fondest slacker memories was killing time with our dear friend Brian, waiting for Aeon Flux on Liquid Television. And Charlize sure looks purty in the trailers for the live action version, doesn't she? So why do we feel so "meh" about it? We're way more excited about the Samurai series starting tonight at the Balboa. Tonight the great Harakiri, opens with the evening showings featuring introductions from Patrick Galloway, author of......

Sure, we're interested in the new Harry Potter, but are anxious about going to see it in the theater, for the reasons SFist Jon and our wonderful commenters laid out here. Have you gone to see it already? How was the crowd? Any tips or insights you have would be welcomed in the comments. Even for those of us living Potter-free there are still a lot of interesting options this weekend. For example, the......

We got to see an advance screening of Donal Logue's Tennis, Anyone...?, and liked it enough that we're going to tell you to go over to Berkeley's Act 1&2 to see it. Reminiscent of the indie classic Bottle Rocket, this semi-autobiographical film (written, directed, and starring Logue) details the small failures and triumphs of two slightly successful actors. We'll be interviewing Logue next week, so see the movie now so you know what the......

There are a lot of film festivals underway this weekend -- and we're going to most of them! So, stay tuned all next week for SFist reports from the trenches, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be out there seeing some of these movies for yourself. Before we get to our picks from these fests, here's some news (remember: you heard it first on SFist) from our pals at IndieFest: IndieFest is opening a......

It was just last year that we made Saw our pick of the week, and we still don't regret it. OK, we do a little, because while the movie is a great specimen of the genre throughout, the end left us very "meh." Another year brings us Saw II, and we're already not interested. But it's the American way to go see something scary this weekend, isn't it? While we agree that Nic Cage's......

Oh man oh man, we cannot freakin' wait to see Where The Truth Lies, opening this weekend at the Lumiere. We're big fans of the director, Atom Egoyan, who is not only an Oscar nominee but also a frequent director on the late, great "Friday the 13th: The Series". Hell, yeah. Anyway, the movie is unrated (which still gives us an adolescent thrill), and tells the story of a Martin and Lewis inspired comedy......

What a random assortment of movies are opening this weekend! While we believe that Capote is probably a great movie, we were totally over that voice after the brief clip we saw on "Ebert and Roper." Wallace and Gromit are cute and all, but if we were up for 94 minutes of them, we wouldn't give our babies away. We find ourselves intrigued by Waiting, but we think -- we know-- we're just feeling......

Oh man, it's a busy weekend for movies. There are two opening today that you absolutely must go see: Serenity, from Buffy-creator Joss Whedon, and Mirrormask, from the Jim Henson Company and writer Neil Gaiman and artist Dave McKean. We've been waiting all summer for A Good Movie to come out, and now, FINALLY, at long last, there's two reasons to go to the theater with our expectations high. Both are mandatory viewing, but......

See those tumbleweeds blowing down the aisle? That's yet another sign that our "mainstream" film prospects this weekend are mighty grim. We can't stomach Lord of War on the big screen because all we'll do is stare at Nic Cage's very strange hair. OK, fine, we're somewhat tempted by the dueling pop star B horror possibilities (oh, and speaking of B horror, don't forget to enter to win passes to Helbent) in a double......

Not a lot going on this weekend! Nothing interests us on the big budget front, that's for sure. Fine, we were considering The Exorcism of Emily Rose. That was before we saw that Mick LaSalle liked it, so now we're sure it's crap. Instead, we're harking back to some classic cinema, stuff we've either seen before (or should have).......

Hello, Mr. Fancy Pants! The San Francisco International Film Festival has chosen Graham Leggat to be their new Executive Director (replacing Roxanne Messina Captor). We just want to burn our resume after looking at his, which includes the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the New York Film Festival, and Film Comment magazine. It'll be interesting to see what he brings to the 49th Festival (April 2006 - May 4, 2006), given the mixed response......

If we hadn't already spooged all over Dead and Breakfast at the Balboa this weekend in its own column, this is where we'd be doing it. Love for the zombie musical aside, there are plenty of other movies to see this weekend. What do you think about The Brothers Grimm? We keep feeling like we should be more excited than we are about it than we are. Is it us, or them? If you......

Another great weekend for movies here in the Bay Area! For example: SFist Rita went to see 2046 at a sneak preview last night (thanks, Larsen!), which was packed to the gills with Asians, fans of Asian art movies, or both. It's a beautifully-shot film, filled with gorgeously sad women and starring a morose-yet-suave Tony Leung Chiu-Wai. It's kind of a Nick Hornby High Fidelity of 1960s Hong Kong, as Leung reminisces about all......

Damn! So many great movies to see this weekend, none of which are playing at any big-ass metroplexes. It's truly the best of both worlds. Of course, you've already heard all about The Aristrocrats, which, incidentally, "had the highest per screen average, for any film opening on more than one screen, of any other film this year after its opening in New York and Los Angeles." That's right, it's the new hotness, so get......

What a random assortment of movies this weekend! On screen one, there's the unrestrained yee-haw of state's rights advocates the The Dukes of Hazzard, which needs no further description. On (much smaller) screen two, we have yet another restrained performance by Bill Murray in Broken Flowers, a Jarmusch directed story of a confirmed bachelor (not that way) who discovers he has a 19-year-old son. SPOILER ALERT: A source tells us that the kid is......

Wow, we almost fell like real film writers when we realize that we've actually seen some of the movies we're recommending this week. First, there's Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus, which opens at the Balboa tonight. SFist Krissy reviewed this "creative non fiction" film which attempt to answer the question "Why does so much music and writing come out of the south?" She dug it and we think you will too. If you come......

If the last few weekends have been movie famine, this weekend is movie feast. So many richly diverse options this weekend that you have no real reason to go out in the horrible sunlight until Monday morning. We're so happy that Crónicas is finally opening in the Bay Area, at the Lumiere. We saw this Ecuadorian thriller when it premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival, and were bowled over by its dark......

We hate to sound like a broken record, but if we didn't already feel like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory looked kinda ass, Mick LaSalle's glowing review sealed it for us. We don't really care if they remake every single movie made since 1971, we still won't be sobbing "you raped my childhood" or anything, we promise. But when you have Johnny Depp apparently playing Anna Wintour instead of Willy Wonka, you can't expect......

We're bored silly just looking at most of the new releases this weekend, which have striken us with a malaise so severe we can't even summon the energy to make fun of Mick LaSalle. There's only one cure for the illness we're suffering from: the magical healing power of Madonna. That's right, folks, Midnight Mass at the Bridge Theater continues this week with Sing-Along Truth or Dare. (We can still remember sitting in the......

Of course, this wouldn't be a good movie column unless we brought up the big opening this weekend, a film starring a volatile, manic, and very popular actor with romantic links to an actress from popular teen-oriented TV show. But we won't be seeing Rebound, because we'd rather clean out the cat boxes, which give off an odor better than this Martin Laurence vehicle about coaching a young misfit basketball team. PS -- LaSalle......

Aw yeah, we're so excited about this weekend, what with Pride, Dyke March, and movies! We've been loving Matt's Frameline 29 coverage, but that doesn't mean we won't be making it out to catch the tail end of the festival this weekend. What better break from a long night at Esta Noche than gay cinema just a block away? We'd also like to point y'all in the direction of the Roxie again on Sunday......

The only reason we haven't been out to see Batman Begins (besides the fact that Katie Holmes is really starting to freak us out) is because we hate big, rowdy crowds. Any recommendations on where we can see this movie without ringing cell phones, encouragement shouted from the crowd, and with decent sound and projection? If so, please please share with us in the comments. In any case, Londonist Mike has our backs with......

Fine, we still think you should go see Evil Aliens tonight, but what about tomorrow or Sunday? You'll probably need something to cleanse your palate after the wacky fun gore of Evil Aliens, so we have some higher-minded recomendations for all you smarty-pants kids out there.......