Mission Mission

Local animator David Enos just finished this great short film about some young people having a party:

In addition to screening big blockbusters like Finding Dory and indie darlings like the Lobster, our new neighborhood movie theater the Alamo Drafthouse also gets wacky and wild every Tuesday and Wednesday night:

This week’s Terror Tuesday is Evil Dead at 9:30pm.

This week’s Weird Wednesday is Skatetown USA at 10pm.

Read our review of Skatetown USA from a few years back when we saw it at the Roxie.

1. LA DOLCE VITA! Saturday afternoon at the Alamo Drafthouse, as part of Negroni Week 2016!
2. PITCH PERFECT! Saturday night in Dolores Park, as part of this year’s Film Night in the Park programming!

Our pal Mike Keegan (the man who runs the formerly abandoned New Mission Theater down the way) stumbled upon an open door on his way to work today:

Construction crew said they were scoping out plaster removal, so I have zero idea what’s actually going on in there in the coming weeks/months/years, but the FOR SALE sign is off the marquee, as is that “coming soon: mission cinema school” banner.

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And on the big (huge) main screen at the Alamo, in 35mm!! The screening is tonight at 10:10pm, one time only, and there are still some great seats left!

It’s a road movie, from the very early ’70s, and I think it’s best if you don’t know any more than that. Just go see it!

First, the Victoria Theater on 16th Street. (You’ve never been inside, and now’s your chance!) The SF International Film Festival is on for the next couple weeks, and this Saturday there are two great looking events:

1. At 2pm they’re honoring Ellen Burstyn and then screening Requiem for A Dream!
2. Then at 6pm it’s a new Greta Gerwig movie!

Next, over to Rickshaw Stop in Hayes Valley sort of. Great stuff all weekend:

1. Saturday night it’s the Sheer Mag concert everybody’s been talking about!
2. Sunday night brings the return of the Karaoke Underground from Austin! (Pictured.)

Have fun, everybody!

Whit Stillman’s The Last Days of Disco has been one of my faves since I was way too young to understand its heavy themes about friendship and growing up and times a-changing. (I liked it for the witty banter and the tunes–which ran a cool NYC ’77 gamut that went way past just disco.) But I rewatched it a couple months ago and was struck by all the parallels with the Mission of today. We should all rewatch it. It’s got:

• Yuppies
• Ad agency guys
• Young people who don’t really know what they want
• Dance music
• A little bit of reggae
• Drugs
• Mean girls
• A vibrant scene gradually dying

Anyway, this Thursday at the Castro for Opening Night of this year’s SF International Film Festival, it’s Love & Friendship, Whit Stillman’s first new movie in 5 years (and only his second since 1998′s Last Days of Disco). I haven’t read anything about it because I hate spoilers, but look who’s in it:

Should be awesome! Whit Stillman and Kate Beckinsale are expected to attend, and there’s an afterparty in the Mission after the movie.

Get tickets to either or both right, and read more about the movie, here.

The film is called Beautiful by Night and it is a tribute to Aunt Charlie’s in the Tenderloin, and it’s screening this Thursday night at the Roxie in the Mission. Here’s some detail:

Don’t miss a historic occasion at a historic cinema- this is a one time only chance to see drag performances at the oldest continuously operating movie theater in San Francisco.

The Tenderloin Museum brings James Hosking’s “Beautiful By Night” to the Roxie Theater on April 7th for a one night only special engagement. “Beautiful by Night” follows three older drag entertainers at the legendary Aunt Charlie’s over the course of one evening. The film, along with show-stopping drag performances from the three ladies, played to a sold out show at the Tenderloin Museum. Don’t miss an encore presentation of this award winning documentary film and photo series. Director James Hosking and cinematographer Vanessa Carr will be in attendance and will lead a discussion with subjects Donna Personna, Collette LeGrande and Olivia Hart, who will also dazzle us with not-to-be-missed drag performances (for the first time ever at the Roxie Theater!).

RSVP and invite your friends and get tickets!

Here’s a trailer:

Local film historian David Enos tells us all about it:

In the movie “Howard the Duck”, Howard and his human girlfriend are in a taxi which turns left at this intersection on 9th Avenue. It cuts away just as they round the corner. If you were to make the same left, you’d find these two side-by-side businesses.

Read on for a couple of important questions and some other startling news.

Local cineaste David Enos recently got to interview the great Elijah Wood:

You’re an actor but also a big record collector.  What kind of used shops do you like to check out, and have you found any obscurities we should listen to?

Yeah, man, I’m glad you asked.  My favorite record store is Amoeba Records on Sunset, because they have all the hard-to-find, unusual stuff.  Problem is I can’t leave without spending at least $500 (laughs).  Just last week, I scored an original vinyl copy of “Rumours” by a band called Fleetwood Mac.  The worker man at the counter told me they only pressed 100 copies and I was lucky to find it.  By the end of my shopping trip I also picked up rarities by The Tubes, Joan Armatrading and Boz Scaggs.  Sometimes I’ll buy records just for the cover art. It’s so crazy and great to have this happen in 2016, but my assistant says vinyl is actually making a comeback.

Wood stars in The Witch, currently playing at the Alamo Drafthouse here in the Mission.

Read on for lots more.