The Two Faces of January

Since enthusiastically devouring a few of Patricia Highsmith’s dark, exotic and suspenseful novels, I’ve been excited about the film adaptations and a little skeptical ... Read More

Movie Reviews

Whiplash

By Michael Snyder

Virtuosity is more than just a fancy word suggesting excellence in one’s field. It’s a life goal for many aspiring, dedicated musicians. As such, the drive to be great ... Read More

Coastal Commuter

To the memory of lost friends

By Michael Snyder

October is here, when thoughts of ghosts and the afterlife are among the pillars of a very popular and fun-filled celebration that’s especially omnipresent in San Francisco. ... Read More

Movie Reviews

Fall movie preview

By Michael Snyder

Fall arts previews in the media are almost as inevitable as autumn itself — and they usually include a look at coming attractions in cinema, so here’s one for the Marina Ti... Read More

Coastal Commuter

No rain, big flame

By Michael Snyder

As I write this, California is dealing with yet another drought, something that’s been more the rule than the exception in recent memory. It’s kind of bizarre to be ens... Read More

A & E

Appreciating Robin Williams

By Michael Snyder

His untimely departure, perhaps to dimensions unknown, was devastating to countless fans and admirers, but no one feels the recent painful loss of the protean actor and comedian Ro... Read More

Movie Reviews

The blockbuster burden

By Michael Snyder

The movie business has undergone radical changes in the past decade. That would be the movie business, not the film business. The industry is still producing moving pictures, but l... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Change and loss in the city of gloss

By Michael Snyder

A day prior to writing this piece, I posted a status update on Facebook about the demise of a favorite Thai restaurant in my neighborhood — a pleasant, increasingly upscale distr... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Going forth on the Fourth for bombast and bomb blasts

By Michael Snyder

Allow me to get a little onomatopoeic … ka-boom! The Fourth of July is the summer’s major party in the good ol’ US of A — and the noisiest celebration of the ye... Read More

Movie Reviews

‘Boyhood’

By Michael Snyder

In an astonishing feat that echoes and even trumps some aspects of his time-spanning Before trilogy, filmmaker Richard Linklater has produced Boyhood, a thoroughly engaging, often ... Read More

Coastal Commuter

The Coastal Commuter

By Michael Snyder

Recently, a colleague directed my attention to an organization called Groupmuse, which is dedicated to bringing classical music to people’s homes in the Bay Area via intimate... Read More

Movie Reviews

‘We Are the Best!’ and ‘Cold in July’

By Michael Snyder

There are so many different genres in the world of cinema and such a wide range of quality (with mediocrity being the rule) that it’s downright gratifying when a filmmaker ta... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Earthquake country

By Michael Snyder

California residence offers so many benefits that the few liabilities can usually be dismissed. This is particularly true the closer you are to the glorious Pacific. If you’r... Read More

Movie Reviews

‘Belle’: Breakout role for Mbatha-Raw as Dido

By Michael Snyder

Even if you’re suffering from docudrama fatigue or are skeptical of the assertion (or disclaimer) “inspired by a true story” that precedes so many films these day... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Weather or not

By Michael Snyder

I’ve been spending a big chunk of the spring in Los Angeles for a variety of reasons, after being in the area for much of what people still call winter in Southern California... Read More

Michael Snyder