Tag archives: cinema

‘Carnal Knowledge’ at the Riviera
By Christopher Matteo Connor   |   October 11, 2022

Who has Doc Brown’s number? He lives around here, right? We could use his DeLorean right about now, ‘cause we’re taking a ride back to the ‘70s! This week at the Riviera is a 4K Restoration of Mike Nichols’ 1971 film, Carnal Knowledge starring Jack Nicholson, Art Garfunkel, Candice Bergen, and Ann-Margret. Really, how could […]

“I Wanna Be in Pictures”
By Hattie Beresford   |   September 27, 2022

The town is awash with the news that Betsy Green, local historian and author, has published a book about the “pictures” that were filmed at some of Montecito’s most notable estates. Betsy, a transplant from the Chicago area and former staff editor of World Book Encyclopedia, has written an encyclopedia of moviemaking in Montecito during […]

Local (Movie) History of Montecito
By Kim Crail   |   September 6, 2022

Montecito is fortunate to have a rich history and generous historians who research and share with us through library programs, all open to the public. Historian and author Betsy Green will be giving a presentation on Saturday, September 10 from 1 to 2 pm here at the Montecito Library. Sitting down with Green to hear […]

Where We Came In
By Ashleigh Brilliant   |   August 30, 2022

There was once a common expression, “This is where we came in.” The meaning was originally quite literal. In the early days of movies – and at least into my childhood in the 1940s – when movies, especially new releases, were still something most people went out to, rather than seeing them at home – […]

Festival Finale
By Steven Libowitz   |   March 10, 2022

Just three days are left in Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) ‘22, but that’s still plenty of time to partake of a plethora of movies in virtually every genre as a significant percentage of the films are either premiering or having second screenings March 10-12, while others might enjoy a third showing to fill […]

SBIFF’s New Programmer Provides Critic-al Thinking
By Steven Libowitz   |   March 1, 2022

One year after the Santa Barbara International Film Festival went virtual with a bonus drive-in at the beach option, the city’s signature wintertime event is back as a full 11-day extravaganza. The festival is back to full-strength complete with Oscar-nominated movie stars doing on-stage interviews at the Arlington (with Penélope Cruz joining a line-up that […]

Great Reads for December
By Leslie Zemeckis   |   December 7, 2021

Whether “naughty” or “nice,” I’ve got something for everyone on your list for the holidays. First, Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Executive Director Roger Durling has a gorgeous coffee-table book called Cinema In Flux: A year of Connecting Through Film, filled with essays and mouthwatering photos of Durling’s movie recommendations, all started during the pandemic. […]

SBIFF Closes with Santa Barbara Short Docs
By Steven Libowitz   |   April 15, 2021

Despite the pandemic, the film festival is continuing its recent tradition of giving over the prestigious closing night slot to selected short documentaries shot by Santa Barbara filmmakers. We caught up with two of the locals who have contributed frequently to the fest’s film lineup. First up is Casey McGarry, who tackled roller skating old […]

SBIFF is Here: Roll Out the Wheels
By Steven Libowitz   |   April 8, 2021

What does one say to welcome filmmakers, stars, and guests to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival this year, the 36th, which holds the strange honor of being the first-ever hybrid event in SBIFF’s history? While movies, tributes, and filmmaker Q&As will all stream online from April 1-10, the only live interaction between people from […]

Viva la FIESTA FIVE! Movies Return to Downtown as Metro Theatres Reopen
By Steven Libowitz   |   April 1, 2021

In one of those quirky COVID coincidences, Metropolitan Theatres is reopening its doors just as the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is about to get underway with a hybrid virtual/drive-in edition.  Nine days after the county moved back into the red tier, movie theaters will be allowed to open indoors at 25 percent capacity or […]

Getting Innovative: From Drive-ins to Zoom Q&As, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is Ready
By Steven Libowitz   |   April 1, 2021

Over its 36-year history, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival has had to deal with challenges such as raising funds to keep the fest afloat in the early days; pivoting quickly following the departure of its new executive director after a single season at the helm; and erecting barricades to hold back the masses when […]

Metro Theatres Ready to Reopen
By Steven Libowitz   |   October 1, 2020

Normally a designation as a red zone would mean no parking or even stopping. But when it comes to pandemic procedures, the designation is more like rolling out a red carpet, as two weeks of reduced cases means more businesses can reopen. Accordingly, Metropolitan Theatres plans to welcome back moviegoers at two of the Santa […]

Arts in Lockdown Series Part 6: Michael DeVorzon, Actor and Writer
By Joanne A Calitri   |   September 10, 2020

Michael DeVorzon grew up in Montecito, with a great family lineage in music, and carved his own way in film and TV. Still working actively during the lockdown, he is polished in defining the narrative of the hard work it takes to stay in the game, do it like a pro, and always with kindness. […]

Arts Lockdown Series Part 4: From Space with Astrophysicist Andy Howell, PhD
By Joanne A Calitri   |   August 27, 2020

Transporting us from science to sci-fi films is astrophysicist Andy Howell, PhD. He is a staff scientist at Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO), where a global network of 23 telescopes operate 24/7. His team co-discovered the first “kiloanova” in 2017, two neutron stars that rotate around each other and release gravitational waves, merging to create a […]

SBIFF Film Talk
By Steven Libowitz   |   July 23, 2020

The Riviera Theatre is once again closed due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, and online screenings of new arts films have also come to a close, or at least hasn’t ramped up again as the new closures aren’t in effect nationwide. So turning even more local, SBIFF has segued into a new online […]

Cinema Survives Shutdown
By Steven Libowitz   |   July 16, 2020

The Sunken Gardens at the Santa Barbara Courthouse is off limits for events as the coronavirus pandemic continues, as UCSB Arts & Lectures summer film series’ grass-fed version of beach blanket bingo would surely lead to a bounce in new cases of COVID-19. Instead, pivoting has produced a more practical solution for the free annual […]

‘Crystal’ Visions
By Steven Libowitz   |   June 25, 2020

UCSB’s Carsey-Wolf Center, which has been posting video recordings of discussions with directors, writers and other filmmakers that were held at the Pollock Theatre on campus following live film screenings, along with links to watch the movies available on streaming sites on your own time, is joining the ranks of organizations offering hybrid events. The […]

Focus on Film: Riviera Reaches Out
By Steven Libowitz   |   April 16, 2020

Film is a medium that lends itself perfectly to streaming and other methods of home delivery, perhaps a perfectly-placed panacea during the pandemic, entertainment-wise at least. No one needs an introduction to Netflix, Amazon Prime and the like, but perhaps some prodding is in order to visit our local cinematic specialists. The Santa Barbara International […]

Rest in Peace
By Richard Mineards   |   July 11, 2019

On a personal note, I remember Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli, who has died in Rome aged 96. I met the Oscar nominee a number of times with New York socialite Mary Mead Carter, a good friend of the helmsman of the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet, and the 1999 gem Tea with Mussolini, starring […]

Fun After the Sun: Fifties Flicks al Fresco
By Steven Libowitz   |   July 11, 2019

What could be more fun than spending a Friday evening with your friends watching a free classic film outdoors in a gorgeous garden setting? That’s basically the premise behind UCSB Arts & Lectures and the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture’s annual summer film series at the Courthouse Sunken Gardens downtown – a […]