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Category: Film

  • TODAY: Showing of new movie by Abby Martin – Earth’s Greatest Enemy

    (From press release) The just-released documentary Earth’s Greatest Enemy dramatically details the damage inflicted on the global environment by the U.S. military. The film director and producer, Abby Martin, is an American journalist, television presenter, and activist (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abby_Martin). Short introductory comments on the links between militarism and climate change will be presented by Veterans For Peace volunteers who are participating in the Wake Up to Climate Crisis and NO MAS (NO Military Air Shows) Tour – https://www.veteransforpeace.org/take-action/climatecrisis/wake-climate-crisis-tour   

    Free and open to the public!

    Where: Guild Theatre @ 2828 35th St. Sacramento, CA

    Time: 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm

    Date: Wed, Oct. 15, 2025

    Organizers are Veterans For Peace – Climate Crisis & Militarism Project Climate Crisis & Militarism Project | Veterans For Peace

  • Go See “October 8th” @ Davis Varsity playing through Thursday

    by Alan C. Miller

    The showtimes for Monday March 31st – Thursday April 3rd are:  6:10pm & 8:40pm

    The official summary is:

    "OCTOBER 8th" offers a look at the explosion of antisemitism on college campuses, social media and in the streets of America beginning the day after the October 7th attack on Israel by Hamas. Through meticulous investigation, the film also uncovers how over decades, Hamas created sophisticated networks in America to permeate U.S. institutions and examines the tsunami of online antisemitism, propaganda, and disinformation unleashed by Iran, China and Russia – with the sole purpose of dividing American society.

    I am sure some will dismiss this movie as "Isreael propaganda".  I've seen two single-showing pro-Palestine movies at The Varsity that could  be considered Palestinian propaganda.  Not that I didn't learn anything or that it is all BS, but of course the most effective propaganda contains mostly truths and leaves out truths not flattering to the propaganda side.  I did not consider "No Other Land" to be propaganda; it was about a particular situation from the effects of the settlements in the West Bank.  I have yet find anything convincing to morally justify the settlements.

    I haven't seen "October 8th" yet, but will be seeing it this week.  From the clips I've seen, there is a parallel to what I felt on October 8th and the days following.  I had lived as we all have, knowing there were, as in the 40's, and through much of history, people out there who wanted to kill us for who we are, for some to kill all of us —- with one or dozens killed in individual terrorist attacks over the last few decades.  I had only come into contact with real antisemitic hatred a few times, but it's really ugly when it happens directly, and astounding.  And it has been ramping up, and most white people don't get it.  I said that on purpose to get a rise; most non-Jews don't get it.

    And then it happened.  1200 Jews killed, and hundreds dragged over the border.  I never thought I'd see an event of the mass slaughter of Jews reflecting of the Holocaust in my lifetime.  While not as massive, the genocidal intent and the hate was clear.

    The next day, on October 8th, I had no expectation of the media and public reaction, but I was shocked by what occurred.  Why would I not hear mass mourning and understanding by so so many?  I heard calls for Israel to 'stop the genocide', still weeks before Gaza was invaded, with no recognition of the genocidal attack that had just occurred.  Multiple independent news sources that I trusted and hosts I admired suddenly turned with narratives that bordered on or were outright antisemitic.  1200 Jews had just been killed, and the term 'Zionist' was now being openly used with the same tone as 'Nazi' by large swaths of the public and even some media outlets — Israelis were even being called Nazis.

    I was watching Israeli media directly as much as possible.  The day after the "40 beheaded babies" story broke, the story was debunked in Israel.  Yet days later our President (Biden) repeated it (why??? @#$%&!).  Then for months this group, suddenly empowered in the media, the 'anti-Zionists', including anti-Zionist Jews, began repeating the 40 beheaded babies story as a lie told by Israel, even though it had been debunked the next day in Israeli media.

    And the most heinous lie of all – summed up by many as "Listen to all Women, Unless they are Jewish".  The anti-Zionists spreading information that there were no rapes.  One of the darkest things I ever witnessed was — just a few days after October 7th — two hours of interviews with a team of women who had prepared the bodies of the women slaughtered at the Nova Festival for respectable and fast Jewish burial.  This wasn't propaganda — there wasn't even time to have orchestrated such a thing — these were women who had traveled to help out due to the massiveness of the task.  They described the burns, the semen stains, the broken bones and pelvises, the severed limbs.

    And then — journalists I respected said it was all a lie — there were no rapes.  Some say it to this day.  I believe the NY Tines didn't get it all right, but that doesn't mean there were no rapes.  And this just a handful of years after 'Me Too'.  And all this macro-hate directed at Jews when just a few years earlier we were told of the evil of 'micro-agressions'.

    I've made it a point to listen to both sides, to all sides, and seek to watch every pro-Palestine movie that comes through, to fully understand, if not to agree.  And yes, criticism of Israel is more than valid, it's a right and necessary.  I am not a fan of Netanyahu nor the West Bank settlements and Israel deserves much criticism.  But the outright double-standard used against Jews, and the hate, that has to be recognized by more Americans for what it is, as it isn't going away.

    So this may be propaganda in some people's eyes, and maybe it is.  As I said, I haven't seen it yet.  But I make it a point to see what is put out by all sides on this issue.  I hope you will too.

  • Go See “No Other Land” Davis Varsity Tonight – Thursday

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    Hamdan Ballal (left) jointly won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for "No Other Land" earlier this month. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)

    By Scott Steward

    The film "No Other Land," showing at the Davis Varsity for three more nights, does not answer the questions about why we are all suffering this terrible attempt at erasing Palestine.  It does show the result of hatred between the Israelis and the Palestinians.  It does not show why this colonial act of creating a state of Israel saturates US society or why we are funding this genocide if Israel is an independent state. 

    It begins to show what peace could look like, and for the crime of showing the reality on the ground in Palestine and for showing what peace could look like, Israelis beat Academy Award-winning director Hamdan Ballal nearly to death when he arrived back in his homeland yesterday.

    Now showing at the Davis Varsity Theater.  The people who might be most opposed to this film are the people who most need to see it.  Do we keep paying for the killing, or do we stop?

    "No Other Land" shows 6:30 and 8:30 tonight through Thursday.

  • Film screening and immigration discussion is Nov. 2

    Free event presented by UC Davis Global Affairs and the City of Davis Arts & Cultural Affairs

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    Tania is one of four protagonists in “FROM HERE,” a documentary on the immigration experience screening on Thursday, Nov. 2 at Veterans Memorial Theatre in Davis. (Film still courtesy of With Wings and Roots)

    (From press release)  UC Davis Global Affairs and the City of Davis Arts & Cultural Affairs Program present a free screening on Thursday, Nov. 2 of “FROM HERE,” a documentary illustrating the struggles of immigration and integration.

    The event is from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Theatre in Davis, at 213 E. 14th St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with several interactive elements for patrons. The film is 90 minutes long, followed by a question-and-answer session with Director Christina Antonakos-Wallace and two of the film’s protagonists, Tania and Sonny. Refreshments will be served. Organizers request an RSVP at http://bit.ly/fromherescreening. 

    Filmed over a decade in two of the world’s largest immigration cities – New York and Berlin – the sensitive and nuanced documentary captures the journeys of four young people caught in the crosshairs of immigration debates. The film is a coming-of-age portrait of people working through migration, citizenship and growing nationalism on both sides of the Atlantic. The documentary seeks to define what it means to “belong” as immigrants.  

    As the U.S. and Europe grapple with rising nationalism and movements against increasing diversity, “FROM HERE” offers a fresh perspective on the issues of immigration and belonging. The film is an intimate yet epic look at the stories of four children of immigrants, Tania, Miman, Sonny and Akim, as they move from their 20s into their 30s and face major turning points in their lives: fighting for citizenship, starting families and finding room for creative expression. See the trailer here: https://vimeo.com/109329686.

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  • Film Common Ground in Davis – One Week Only

    By Scott Steward

    What do you say to a flash mob climate action watch party?   Varsity Theater owner Sinisa Novakovic successfully brought the film Common Ground to DAVIS during the films premiering run (many thanks). The closest theater was San Rafael.  

    What does this mean?  That you can bike to see what Climate Change Solutions looks like.  I’ll be going to one of the two showings today (4:10 and 6:00 Sunday – today). There are 2 other showings Monday and Thursday at 6:00

    Common Ground provides many answers to how we get ourselves out of this climate catastrophe.  

    I will see the Davis showing, 616 Second Street, and I would also like to hear directly from the Common Ground directors at the San Rafael showing on October 22nd.  I already bought a ticket for that show too :).

     

    The Common Ground Trailer is HERE!

     

    May we find inspiration in the film and take action amidst the havoc of desperation caused by those that wield terrible powers of which we must dispatch from them as quickly as possible and find our additional power in that act – and also do that as quickly as possible.

    The living earth demands no less.  Common Ground summary follows.

    Common Ground is the highly anticipated sequel to the juggernaut success documentary, Kiss the Ground, which touched over 1 billion people globally and inspired the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to put $20 billion toward soil health. The film profiles a hopeful and uplifting movement of white, black, and indigenous farmers who are using alternative “regenerative” models of agriculture that could balance the climate, save our health, and stabilize America’s economy – before it’s too late.

  • Soroptimist International of Davis presents LUNAFEST: Films by and about women

    Luna-posterSoroptimist LUNAFEST is Sept. 25

    (From press release) Tickets are still available for LUNAFEST, a series of short films by and about women that will run on Sunday, Sept. 25 at Davis Odd Fellows Hall, or online that weekend. The event is a fundraiser for Soroptimist International of Davis.

    The event includes eight short films, told from perspectives that champion women and gender-nonconforming individuals, highlighting their aspirations, accomplishments, resilience, strength and connection. Though the films are unrated, they are most appropriate for ages 13 and up.

    The in-person event will be Sunday, Sept. 25 at Davis Odd Fellows Hall, 415 Second St. Doors open at 3 p.m. and the screening begins at 3:30. Food and drink will be available for purchase, including alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.

    TESE

    LUNAFEST attendees who bring a new package of girls’ or ladies’ panties to the Sept. 25 screening are eligible to receive a free item from the snack bar. (Dzokerayi Minya/Courtesy photo)

    Those unable to join in person can still support Soroptimist programs by watching the films virtually from their smart TV or device. Beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23, those purchasing virtual tickets will have 48 hours to begin watching the films, and 48 hours to finish viewing once they’ve started. The total running time for the eight short films is 80 minutes. Before the films, there’s a brief video from Soroptimist International of Davis, outlining how its programs improve the lives of women and girls in Yolo County.

    SI Davis is working with its Ruby Award winner Dzokerayi Minya of the TESE Foundation. Attendees who bring a new package of girls’ or ladies’ panties to the screening are eligible to receive a free item from the snack bar. These donations will support rural girls in Zimbabwe who need the panties to attend school.

    Proceeds from LUNAFEST benefit Soroptimist International of Davis, and its programs to educate and empower women and girls, as well as Chicken & Egg Pictures, a nonprofit organization that supports female nonfiction filmmakers.

    For LUNAFEST tickets, visit https://sidavis.org.

  • LUNAFEST features short films by and about women

    B8B7DF6B-A065-4FEA-B5E5-E6471036D979(From press release) Soroptimist International of Davis is the local host for LUNAFEST, a lineup of eight short films by female filmmakers. The films will premiere on Sept. 25 at Davis Odd Fellows Hall, or online that weekend.

    This year’s stories are told from perspectives that champion women and gender-nonconforming individuals, highlighting their aspirations, accomplishments, resilience, strength and connection. Though the films are unrated, they are most appropriate for ages 13 and up.

    The in-person event will be Sunday, Sept. 25 at Davis Odd Fellows Hall, 415 Second St. Doors open at 3 p.m. and the screening begins at 3:30. Food and drink will be available for purchase, including alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.

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  • Hidden Figures, Billie Jean King, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg

    HiddenfiguresUnfortunately, movie reviews are not my forté. (The Davisite looks forward to the time when our movie reviewer, G. Bruno Fischer, can resume writing his reviews again).  But three recent movies, all focused on women, have me reflecting on what they have in common. 

    I've begun to think that all women are, in some sense, hidden figures. 

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  • Wes Anderson’s The Isle of Dogs: Movie Review

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    There are few working directors whose entire filmography is so uniquely stylized that the man or woman behind the camera becomes a genre onto themselves and Wes Anderson is perhaps the most grandiose example of that fact. His last three films; The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Moonrise Kingdom (2012), & The Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) have each been masterful productions of Wes Anderson and his latest film, The Isle of Dogs (2018), is no exception. Like The Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Isle of Dogs is a work of stop-motion animation that fits so snuggly in Wes Anderson’s unique brand of visual storytelling. The film’s plot is relatively simple but by no means is it any less layered or complex than any of this other screenplays. And if you hadn’t guessed already, it looks incredible from start to finish. Wes Anderson has become one those directors audiences either love or hate so for those who already love ’his work you’ve probably already seen the movie or are planning on seeing it already. But if that's the case then just let me say this I think this may be an (if not the) perfect Wes Anderson film. At least that’s what I’m telling myself in preemptive justification while I catch two-three more screenings in theaters whilst I can.

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  • Ready Player One: Movie Review

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    I’ll be honest; I wasn’t looking forward to seeing Ready Player One, the newest courtesan to Hollywood grandmaster Steven Spielberg’s harem of family-friendly adventure fantasy films, up on the big screen. No, I haven’t anything against the man for the vast majorityof his features are nothing short of fantastic (with exceptions to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and 1941), I simply just wasn’t all that jazzed up for Ready Player One’s premise. I still haven’t read the novel by Ernest Cline, but from what I gathered from the marketing and trailers it seemed like yet another cinematic hero’s journey structured as a Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory-esque wish-fulfillment fantasy with all the sweets replaced by video game/retro pop-culture icons. Now while that all sounds chaotically amazeballs on paper I was still somewhat skeptical of how the whole picture would turn out; and you know what? I had a total blast! Once again Spielberg has proven himself as the crown king of whimsically potent visual storytelling and has produced a cinematic adventure that’s so remarkably fluid and fun that I still feel silly for doubting him in the first place.

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