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BALBOA THEATRE NEWSLETTER | |||||||||
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General Admission: $9.00, Senior (60+) or Child (11-): $6.50 WHAT’S IN THE NEWS: Showtimes, Dear Friends, The American, Army of Crime, The Disappearance of Alice Creed, Remembering Playland at the Beach, Left in the Dark: Portraits of San Francisco Movie Theatres Now On Sale, Photos in the Lobby: Remembering Playland, Theater Information. | |||||||||
SHOWTIMES - Wednesday, September 1 - through Thursday, September 9, 2010 |
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THEATRE #1 |
THEATRE #2 |
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THE AMERICAN (R) |
DOUBLE FEATURE (separate admission) |
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COMING SOONOpens Friday, September 17: Opens Friday, September 24: Opens Friday, October 22: |
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UPCOMING EVENTSSaturday, September 11 @ Noon: Tuesday, October 12: |
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I am in Telluride, Colorado, 9000 feet above sea level. It is so beautiful here that it is hard to believe several thousand people will join us over Labor Day weekend to sit in dark theaters watching movies from 8:30am until after 1am. But for 37 years, film lovers have been returning to see a selection of new films being shown for the first time, classics and restorations including silent films with live music, three tributes to film artists, and a variety of special events, intimate conversations and panels. 50 college students and 15 high school students participate in our educational programs that offer them a full schedule of movies and sessions with filmmakers. Our Guest Director is the only thing we announce in advance and following Alexander Payne, Don DeLillo, Stephen Sondheim, Laurie Anderson, Salman Rushdie, Peter Bogdanovich, Slavoj Zizek, and many others might seem like a daunting task, but this year’s Guest Director jumped in with a passion. Michael Ondaatje (THE ENGLISH PATIENT) screened many favorites from the past to select the final six incredible choices that he will introduce.
And the Balboa’s General Manager, Roger Paul, will manage the unique Backlot Cinema, specializing in movies about the movies, artists and musicians.
I cannot tell you any more than that. But, if you are curious what we have planned, check the Telluride website www.TellurideFilmFestival.org after 12 noon on Thursday for an overview, and on Friday afternoon to download the complete program book (minus a few sneak previews to be announced on Saturday and Sunday).
A local film magazine, Cinesource, recently interviewed me and I was somewhat surprised and a little embarrassed to see how long it turned out, with many stories included that I had not expected. I hesitated to even mention it but so many people have now said it was informative, especially in my discussion about how we select the Telluride program that I have agreed to include a link: http://cinesourcemagazine.com/index.php?/site/comments/gary_meyer_adventures_in_exhibitionism/
Copies of the magazine are around town including at the Balboa.
IF YOU AREN’T GOING OUT OF TOWN
We are proud to present the premiere of a terrific, thoughtful thriller starring George Clooney, THE AMERICAN, that is getting rave reviews. Also we have a surprise hit Double Feature that is drawing bigger audiences each night. Two adult thrillers, ARMY OF CRIME and THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED are the kind of movies that got rave reviews, but with tiny advertising budgets seemed to disappear from theaters before people knew they were there. So we grabbed them last week and the word-of-mouth is turning them into San Francisco hits. Remember, two movies for the price of one.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
There is a lot coming to the Balboa this fall. In addition to the high profile films, Ben Affleck’s THE TOWN, David Fincher’s THE SOCIAL NETWORK, and Clint Eastwood’s HEREAFTER, we have exclusive engagements of two great new documentaries, WHIZ KIDS by San Francisco’s Tom Shepard (SCOUT’S HONOR, KNOCKING) opens on Friday, Sept. 24. D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus (MONTEREY POP, DON’T LOOK BACK, THE WAR ROOM, etc) bring us their tasty THE KINGS OF PASTRY on Oct. 15.
So many people loved REMEMBERING PALYLAND that we must suggest you see Ernie Gehr’s COTTON CANDY filmed at the Musee Mechanique when it was still at the Cliff House. Gehr recaptures the dream of cinema before it found its big screen. Gehr introduces the film and joins us for a post-screening discussion.
Read about it here and here.
And click here to learn about the "Infinite City: Cinema City" series presented by SFMOMA.
We have just confirmed for Tuesday, October 12, - One Night Only!
"Return of the Bride of the Son of Creature Features." – John Stanley hosts an evening of rare "not seen since the early 1980s" Creature Features. Rare stuff. Followed by WATCH HORROR FILMS, KEEP AMERICA STRONG directed by Tom Wyrsh, the creator of REMEMBERING PLAYLAND.
And the new book about San Francisco Theaters, "Left in the Dark" curated by Julie Lindow, will be the focus for a series of special events around the city. The Balboa will host one on October 21. For more about the book and how to buy it, plus all the events: http://www.leftinthedark.info/about.html
Read more about the creation of the book.
Have a great holiday weekend and... we’ll see you at the movies.
Sincerely,
Gary
#1 ON BAYLIST
Thanks for your many kind words about the Balboa winning #1 Indie Theater on BayList.
We love all the comments on the list too.
AND SAN FRANCISCO MAGAZINE
The readers of San Francisco Magazine also love us. We came in number 2 and can’t complain about the company.
As an assassin, Jack (played by Mr. Clooney) is constantly on the move and always alone. After a job in Sweden ends more harshly than expected for this American abroad, Jack retreats to the Italian countryside. He relishes being away from death for a spell as he holes up in a small medieval town. While there, Jack takes an assignment to construct a weapon for a mysterious contact, Mathilde (Thekla Reuten). Savoring the peaceful quietude he finds in the mountains of Abruzzo, Jack accepts the friendship of local priest Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli) and pursues a torrid liaison with a beautiful woman, Clara (Violante Placido). Jack and Clara’s time together evolves into a romance, one seemingly free of danger. But by stepping out of the shadows, Jack may be tempting fate. "A gripping film with the focus of a Japanese drama. It is so rare to see a film this carefully crafted, this patiently assembled like a weapon. Clooney is in complete command of his effect." "One fine-looking and extraordinarily thoughtful movie, its scenes laid out with fastidious care." "The rare grownup thriller that knows the link between peace and danger and the tension that comes from both." "As meticulous, enigmatic and restrained as its protagonist. A haunting rather than a galvanizing experience." "Crisp, compact and cryptic... a standard-issue hit-man thriller tailor made for George Clooney.... works its way past 'formula' by the manner in which it builds its suspense." "The film's many pleasures are in its slow reveals, the dangerously enchanting scenery being among them." |
ARMY OF CRIME is a revealing thriller about the very first days of the French Resistance to Nazi occupation, a time when many of the movement’s leaders and foot soldiers were often foreigners — Poles, Jews, Armenians, Spaniards, Italians — who feared French collaborators as much as the Germans. Armenian poet Missak Manouchian, portrayed in a stand-out performance by Simon Abkarian, and his French wife Mélinée, played by the luminous Virginie Ledoyen, lead a resolute assortment of volunteers against German occupiers and their French allies. Varying in their actual homelands, and in their personal and tragic reasons for joining the struggle, they are united by the understanding that the danger and ferocity of Nazi oppression will only increase unless squarely confronted. Their valiant plot to assassinate a general ultimately shows that resistance is indeed possible, but their activity attracts the attention of the German high command, which extracts from their act of defiance an unforgettable lesson for the French people.
"Impressive recreation of World War II French Resistance movement, marked by a deep humanity and piercing intelligence." "A passionate act of remembrance." "Virginie Ledoyen stars as Missak's impossibly lovely, stalwart wife, and a troupe of supporting players give life to the men and women who died not for the miserable France of that moment, but for the vision of what it could be." "The film is always fascinating and is a crucial, stirring addition to the cinema about wartime France." |
On a suburban street, two masked men seize a young woman. They bind and gag her and take her to an abandoned, soundproofed apartment. She is Alice Creed, daughter of a millionaire. Her kidnappers, the coldly efficient Vic and his younger accomplice Danny, have worked out a meticulous plan. But Alice is not going to play the perfect victim – she’s not giving in without a fight. In a tense power-play of greed, duplicity and survival we discover that sometimes disappearances can be deceptive.
"This taut crime drama is thrillingly old-fashioned in the best sense." "Alice Creed sucks you in immediately with a beautifully edited opening sequence." "A pulsating revelation on many levels at once." "Crisp handling, some clever twists and a welcome streak of dry humor hold attention throughout this indie Brit thriller." |
This full length documentary tells the history of San Francisco's famous 10-acre seaside amusement park, Playland at the Beach. Located next to Ocean Beach, it was torn down in 1972 to make way for a condominium development. Gone now for more than 3 decades, it remains one of the city's lost treasures. Go back in time to see Laffing Sal, the Fun House, the Carousel, the Big Dipper, the Diving Bell, Dark Mystery, Limbo, Fun-tier Town, and much, much more, all through the eyes of the people who were there. The first and only documentary ever made about Playland, it features 12 interviews, 20 minutes of archival footage, 187 photographs, and original music. The film was written and directed by Tom Wyrsch.
"Wyrsch’s film lovingly re-creates some of the spectacle of this 365-day-a-year carnival with old pictures and film footage plus lots of interviews, many of them with members of a group dedicated to maintaining a museum of Playland relics." "The film is a giddy nostalgia trip for those who remember the place and a pop history lesson for others." "The Playland documentary was better than one could have hoped for. Thank you to all that helped make those memories live forever." "Allows everyone to experience Playland for themselves, if only vicariously. Go back in time to see Laffing Sal, the Fun House, the Carousel, the Big Dipper, the Diving Bell, Dark Mystery, Limbo, Fun-tier Town, and much, much more, all through the eyes of the people that were there." "Wyrsch has turned Playland at the Beach into a twilight zone all its own by unearthing historic film footage and photos that vividly re-create the unique look and feel of the seaside attraction." "Conjures the joys of summers past through a season’s pass worth of archival footage and photographs, abetted by a slew of choice interviews." "For those of us who loved Playland, this superb film brings to life again an unforgettable part of our lives. If you never experienced Playland, this wonder-filled look at a vanished part of San Francisco will give you a taste of what was and what must never be forgotten."
Take a look at the first sneak preview’s crowd. Read an interview with George K. Whitney about his family’s operation of Playland. Other articles and home movies on the Western Neighborhoods Site. Playland-Not-At-The-Beach is a wonderful museum of fun dedicated to the real thing. WE URGE YOU TO VISIT IT IN PERSON. It is the perfect site for a party unlike any you’ve ever attended. |
Left in the Dark: Portraits of San Francisco Movie Theatres celebrates twentieth-century movie theatres and moviegoing through lush full-color fine art photographs and personal essays with both scholarly and literary appeal. R.A. McBride’s vivid portraits of the Castro, New Mission, Balboa and many other theaters illuminate the role of the movie house as a great social nexus. McBride gained rare access to the interiors of closed theatres, picturing them empty and allowing the grandeur of the architecture to take center stage. Casting the theatres as characters within the city's cultural landscape, scholars and film exhibitors such as Rebecca Solnit, Eddie Muller, Chi-hui Yang, and Gary Meyer, among others, uncover a spectacular variety of forgotten or never-before revealed histories. As society retreats from public life into the anonymity of multiplexes and personal entertainment technologies, our moviegoing heritage becomes ever more significant and inspiring. San Francisco is fortunate to be one of the world’s most vital moviegoing cities and to have so many of its historic movie theatres. By drawing a continuum from past to present, Left in the Dark offers hope that even as these gorgeous historic theatres crumble, the spirit of Cinema thrives. Praise for Left in the Dark: "McBride’s well-crafted photographs provide a valuable record of a disappearing institution as well as an insightful look behind the scenes at the mechanisms and structures that create the visual experience we call cinema." The book is available to order now through www.leftinthedark.info. |
All materials from the collection of Tom Wyrsch and Joe Mirante. |
3630 Balboa Street (between 37th and 38th Avenues)
San Francisco 94121
(415) 221-8184
www.BalboaMovies.com
Bike Rack in front of the Balboa
Muni Bus #31 Balboa or #18 46th Ave stop at Balboa & 37th.
Also #5 Fulton and all 38 Geary Street buses stop two (long) blocks from Balboa.
Relatively easy Parking
San Francisco's Favorite Neighborhood Theatre
Voted by the Bay Guardian, SF Weekly, SF Gate's A List
and San Francisco Magazine
General Admission: $9.00
Seniors (60+) and Children (11-) $6.50
Bargain Matinees: All seats $6.50 for shows in ( )
SCHOOL NIGHT - Mondays are School Days and Nights. With proof of being a student, faculty, or staff member, your admission is only $6.50 on Mondays.
On Your Birthday, You Are Our Guest. That’s right. You get in free with proof of your birth date.
And at all other times you can get the "I’d Rather Be At the Balboa" Discount Card. What a deal! 5 tickets to the Balboa for $32.50. That is only $6.50 per show. Good every day and night. And two people can use the card at once. You can go on a date even when you are low on cash with your Balboa Card. A savings of up to $12.50! Makes a perfect gift as well. And every Discount Card comes with a FREE POPCORN!
The Balboa is Wheelchair and Handicapped Accessible.
One of the strengths of the Balboa is our neighborhood. Other than the bank, all the businesses are family owned and operated. The restaurants are especially wonderful. On the outer Balboa strip there are 24 eating establishments by my count. You can eat Chinese, Japanese, Egyptian, Italian, American, Mexican, Seafood and Vietnamese cuisines. The foods are fresh, distinctive and all reasonably priced. The media food critics have only discovered a few of them but the locals know a good thing. We encourage you to enjoy a meal at one of these fine eateries while visiting the Balboa. All are within easy walking distance. And please send us reviews and recommendations we can share with our other guests. Send reviews to balboafans (at) yahoo.com . (Change (at) to @. We are trying to avoid spam.)
We love it when you send us a review of a neighborhood restaurant you've enjoyed. We encourage you all to write about your culinary adventures in the Outer Richmond. Check out the Menu Book in our lobby and our COMPLETE RESTAURANT LIST.
Rated R for violence, sexual content, and nudity. 1 hour 45 minutes.
Not Rated. Contains violence, including torture and vivid scenes of assassinations. 2 hours, 19 minutes. In French with English subtitles.
"Army of Crime shouldn't be missed. This is a fact-based story of the French resistance who had to fight not only the Germans but their own people."
Rated R for violent content, pervasive language and some sexuality/nudity. 1 hour, 40 minutes.
60 minutes, plus an additional 25 minutes of brand new footage preceding the film!
"I laughed at the varied reactions each patron had to the different rides. Wyrsch treats each major attraction with fragile respect, as if their memories might break if we rushed through. As someone who wasn’t even alive when it was open, I found myself nostalgic for something I’d never know…I suspected most of the audience did know. As they featured each ride, collective gasps and chuckles of familiarity took over the theater."
Photographs by R.A. McBride
A large lobby display of Playland at the Beach photographs, posters, articles, and other memorabilia will be on exhibit during the engagement. Also on display will be original Playland items, Playland tickets, signs, and a few surprises. The perfect addition for seeing the movie and going back to Playland again!