This Sunday night is the grand dame of the award shows and the Balboa Theater is hosting a live Oscars party where you can watch the evening unfold on the big screen. Cheer on your favorite films, jeer at the dresses and oogle the bling along with your Richmond District neighbors.

After a successful run at the Balboa’s Golden Globes event, Reed Kirk Rahlmann will return as the Master of Ceremonies for the night. He’ll help pass the time during commercials and thanks to the Balboa’s DVR, you won’t miss a minute of the ceremony. Reed has this to tell those who are thinking about attending:

“So bring your opinions and all those people who would be cluttering up your sofa and ruining your coffee table when forgetting to put a coaster under their drinks. And if you bring alcohol, bring enough to share with someone sitting next to you. Or me.”

And if you’re really into movies, come dressed as your favorite nominated film (bad puns and outrageous spoofs encouraged) or performer. They’ll have a costume contest, lots of surprises and plenty of prizes to give away including autographed posters of nominated films.

The party begins at 4:30pm and tickets are $10 (get advance tickets here).

Even if you can’t attend, you could still win a free 2010 VIP Pass for two to the Balboa by entering your picks for all the Oscar categories. Only one entry per person. No purchase is necessary and you do not have to be present to win. Ballots must be mailed with postmark no later than March 5, 2010 or dropped off at the Balboa no later than 4:30pm, March 7, 2010. Download the ballot here

Sarah B.

Travel back in time to check out Playland at the Beach, the once bustling, 10-acre amusement park that sat on Ocean Beach here in the Richmond District until it closed in 1972. A new documentary about the park, entitled “Remembering Playland”, will premiere at the Balboa Theater on Tuesday, March 16th at 7pm.

The 62 minute film documents all the great landmarks of Playland like Laffing Sal, the Fun House, the Carousel, the Big Dipper, the Diving Bell, Dark Mystery, Limbo, and Fun-tier Town. Plus hear stories from people that worked and played there. This is the first and only documentary ever made about this San Francisco landmark.

This is sure to sell out, so get your tickets in advance ($6.50 – $10). The premiere will also include other short films on Playland.

More on the history of Playland at the Beach

Sarah B.

This Sunday, The Balboa Theater will celebrate its 84th birthday with a special show of old films, a live vaudeville show, prizes and of course, birthday cake.

After kicking off with the premiere of a delightful new silent short filmed at the Balboa, Double Features, watch the 1926 film The Cat and the Canary, which has been called “the finest spooky house movie ever made.” It’s a suspenseful mystery about an heiress who is provided with a large inheritance, as long as she is deemed sane. When the estate lawyer disappears, things begin to unravel.

The birthday party will also include a live vaudeville show with magician James Hamilton and singer Linda Kosut. Jack Tillmany will also be at the event, signing and selling copies of his books on the theatres of San Francisco and Oakland.

Sunday’s party and show will be dedicated to the memory of theater owner Irma Levin, who died a few weeks ago. Chronicle columnist Leah Garchik had this to say about the film lover:

Levin and her husband founded the San Francisco International Film Festival, and – I’m picturing her, lively, smart, beautifully dressed in clothes she’d always sewn herself, at a film festival event at Tiffany a few years ago – she was one of the grand old ladies of San Francisco.

The show starts at 7pm on Sunday. Tickets are $10; purchase them in advance here. Happy Birthday to the Balboa!

Read more about The Balboa’s history

Sarah B.

Starting today, the 4-Star Theater kicks off their Chinese New Year celebration with a double feature of popular comedies from Hong Kong.

The first film is All’s Well, Ends Well, starring Louis Koo as a womanizer who is hired to woo a hot-tempered young woman by her brother in the hopes of following a family marriage tradition. A little comedy mixed in with some martial arts. Showtimes at 12noon, 3:45pm, and 7:25pm.

The second film is 72 Tenants of Prosperity, a comedy which stars over 100 of Hong Kong’s best known film and television actors and pop singers. The story begins in 1970s Hong Kong, where two brothers help a group of 72 tenants defeat landlords who are trying to evict them. During the fight, the brothers fall for the same girl but only one wins her. And an intense rivalry continues for decades. Showtimes at 1:55pm, 5:40pm, and 9:20pm.

Kung Hei Fat Choy to everyone!

Sarah B.

Looking for something fun and light for Valentine’s Day? Head out to the Balboa Theater for a screening of Beach Blanket Bingo, hosted by cult movie group Thrillville.

Released originally in 1965, Beach Blanket Bingo, starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, is considered the best of the 60’s beach flicks. This one has it all: surf music, teenage romance, beautiful scenery, bikers, bikinis, go-go dancing, and even a mermaid!

Along with the fun film you’ll get to see vintage drive-in movie trailers (making out during these is optional), prizes and even a live performance from San Francisco’s leading lady of burlesque, Kitten on the Keys. From her website photo, she looks like a walking candy heart…

Tickets are just $10 and the beach party starts at 7:30pm. Cowabunga!

Sarah B.

Next Sunday night, February 7, The Balboa will host acclaimed Russian animator Yuri Norstein. He’ll present three of his works: “Hedgehog in the Fog,” “Tale of Tales,” and a segment of his work in progress, Nikolai Gogol’s “Overcoat”.

Norstein (Yuriy Norshteyn) was born in Russia during his parents’ World War II evacuation. After studying at an art school and a short stint at a furniture factory, he found employment at studio Soyuzmultfilm in 1961. The first film that he participated in as an animator was Who Said “Meow”? (1962).

Norstein uses a special technique in his animation, involving multiple glass planes to give his animation a three-dimensional look. The camera is placed at the top looking down on a series of glass planes about a meter deep (one every 25-30cm). The individual glass planes can move horizontally as well as toward and away from the camera (to give the effect of a character moving closer or further away). He does not use computers in his work.

One of the films that will be shown, “Overcoat”, has an interesting backstory. Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, Norstein earned many state and international awards for his work. Then, in a bitter twist of irony, he was fired from Soyuzmultfilm in 1985 for working too slowly on his latest film, a (presumably) feature-length adaptation of Gogol’s Overcoat. By that time he had been working on it with his usual small team of three people for two years… and had only finished ten minutes.

Fast forward to 2010, and Norstein is still finishing the film; his stubborn perfectionism has earned him the nickname “The Golden Snail”. He’ll show some of the yet-to-be finished film at the event. And to help fund its completion, proceeds the Balboa event will benefit Norstein’s studio in Moscow.

The duration of the screening will be about 90 minutes; doors open at 8pm with the screening starting at 8:30pm. The show is expected to sell out, so purchase advance tickets here ($25).

Watch the short documentary below about Norstein where he talks about his work and gives you a tour of his studio, where the magic happens.

Sarah B.

Check out this scene from last year’s Star Trek film. Looks like the Starfleet Academy is located in Sea Cliff and Baker Beach! Nice to know we have a bright future.

Thanks to Janna for sending this in.

Sarah B.

Continuing their series of classic B-movies, Thrillville presents Shanty Tramp at the 4-Star Theater on Thursday night.

The scintillating synopsis of this 1967 gem: On a hot night in Dixie, the local shanty tramp heads out for adventure and leaves disaster in her wake. The lust she excites in the local men leads to fights, murders, lynch mobs, ruined reputations, and broken homes.

Listen to the provocative radio commercial that ran to promote the film:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

In addition to this steamy film, enjoy entertainment from Hubba Hubba Revue, “San Francisco’s biggest, wildest, most elaborate burlesque & variety show”.

The show begins at 8pm at the 4-Star Theater on Clement Street. Tickets are $10.

Sarah B.