The 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.

I’ve seen the film and highly recommend it. It’s a great look into our neighborhood’s entertaining past.

“Remembering Playland” filmmaker Tom Wyrsch will also be at the Library presentation to intro the film and take questions. The program room at the library is not very big, so be sure to arrive early if you want a seat.

And if you can’t make it, the “Remembering Playland” DVD is available for $15 (+$2.50 for shipping). Click here to order it online. The DVD also includes three short subject films on Playland.

Sarah B.

Idiosyncrasies presents an exploration of some truly unique minds, revealing what’s behind the impact of some of surfing’s most influential underground individuals. Through their art and music, surf craft and lifestyle choices, Patrick Trefz offers an intimate look into the vital and intriguing lives of these iconoclasts – ranging from twenty-year old Leanne Curren to sixty-one year old Harbor Bill Mulcoy.

The cast of the film includes Richard Kenvin, Andrew Kidman, Lance Ebert, Christian Beamish, Pat, Frank, Leeann and Tom Curren, Bill and Josh Mulcoy (note: Kelly Slater is not in the film).

This is a one-night-only premiere that begins at 9pm. Advance tickets are available.

Sarah B.

Irving will show two short films, followed by a Q&A session. 19 Arrests, No Convictions: A portrait of George Farnsworth (30 mins.), follows a legendary bar owner with a fishy night life who redeems himself as a San Francisco Bay open-water swimmer, “escaping” from Alcatraz to the mainland.

Christmas at the Bait Shop (6 mins.), is a short film celebrating the friendship between Keith Fraser, a San Rafael bait shop owner and his avian buddies, Ahab, a Heermann’s gull, Nasty, a great blue heron and Wee Willie, a snowy egret.

The free event begins at 6:30pm at the Richmond branch library, 351 9th Avenue.

Sarah B.

Variety magazine had this to say about the film that took in $10 million in its opening weekend in China:

Golden Age Hollywood meets Chinese period melodrama in “The Message,” a full-bore WWII spy whodunit that plays like an Asian cross between “Clue” and “Now, Voyager.” Laden with homages to classic Warner Bros. dramas and tips of the hat to mystery writers like Agatha Christie, this star-laden monster-mash will prove too rich a mixture for most Western palates. But for those prepared to go the distance (and fans of popular Asian cinema), it’s an exhilarating, intensely cinematic ride.

The movie is set in 1942. Following a series of assassination attempts on officials of the Japanese-controlled puppet government, the Japanese spy chief gathers a group of suspects in a mansion house for questioning. A tense game of “cat and mouse” ensues as the Chinese code-breaker attempts to send out a crucial message while protecting his/her own identity. (IMDB)

Sarah B.

Sarah B.

Captured in London at the Hard Rock Calling Festival on June 28, 2009, a special 90-minute version of this highly anticipated outdoor concert film comes to the Balboa for one night only with showings at 7:15pm and 9:15pm.

Tickets are $10 and half of every ticket sold benefits the The Danny Fund/Melanoma Research Alliance, a charity set up after the 2008 passing of Danny Federici, longtime Springsteen friend and E Street Band member.

Purchase advance tickets here

Thursday night’s screening showcases Bruce spontaneously directing the E Street Band through 13 live tracks, all recorded in glorious HD. As a special bonus, three lucky attendees will win the deluxe 2-DVD extended version of “London Calling”, a 172-minute film with 27 tracks. Just fill out the entry form in our lobby the night of the show.

Check out Bruce and the band playing the opening number of their set, “London Calling”. He’s still got it.

Sarah B.

Director John Waters (in the awesome blazer) with the staff at Green Apple Books. May 28, 2010

The crew at Green Apple had a movie legend in their midst today. Film director John Waters was at the store to sign copies of his new book, Role Models, a collection of profiles of the director’s favorite personalities. More from the Green Apple website:

Role Models is, in fact, a self-portrait told through intimate profiles of favorite personalities—some famous, some unknown, some criminal, some surprisingly middle-of-the-road. From Esther Martin, owner of the scariest bar in Baltimore, to the playwright Tennessee Williams; from the atheist leader Madalyn Murray O’Hair to the insane martyr Saint Catherine of Siena; from the English novelist Denton Welch to the timelessly appealing singer Johnny Mathis—these are the extreme figures who helped the author form his own brand of neurotic happiness.

Don’t you just love his expression in that photo?! If you want one of the autographed copies of his book, stop by Green Apple Books at 506 Clement Street or call them at 387-2272 to reserve one.

Sarah B.

There’s a new photo exhibition in the lobby of the Balboa Theater (3630 Balboa Street). Stop in to see “100 Hours in the Dark”, a portfolio of photos by Kate Kline May. The images from the show were shot off the movie screen while vintage movies were shown at the Telegraph Repertory Movie Theater shortly before it closed.

May is a Bay Area photographer and filmmaker whose photographs have been shown at SFMOMA, at Zeit Foto Gallery in Tokyo, and at Bank of America World Headquarters here in San Francisco.

In book news, both the Balboa Theater and the 4-Star are included in a new release, Left in the Dark: Portraits of San Francisco Movie Theatres, which chronicles the history and cultural impact of San Francisco’s independent movie houses. The book is a collection of full-color art photographs and personal essays about local theaters like the Castro, 4-Star, Bridge, Clay, Balboa and many others.

Left in the Dark is available for pre-order ($39.95) at leftinthedark.info. Only 2,000 copies will be made available beginning in October.

Sarah B.

Balboa Theater Sidewalk Lights. Photo by R.A. McBride

4-Star Theater Screen. Photo by R.A. McBride

In anticipation of this summer’s upcoming installation in the Twilight vampire series (“Eclipse”), the library will screen “New Moon”, the second movie in the series.

Now your teen can lose themselves in the saga of Edward and Bella one more time. The drama begins at 3:30pm on Friday at the Richmond Library, 351 9th Avenue.

For more information, call 355-5600.

Sarah B.

The “Richmond District YMCA Movie Premiere” event takes place at 11am on Saturday at the Balboa, 3630 Balboa Street. The films being shown are movies that K – 5 students in the program wrote, made the costumes for and starred in.

Tickets are $5 per person (adult or child) and all proceeds benefit the the Richmond District YMCA Afterschool Program for children at Argonne and Lafayette Elementary schools.

For more information, contact Raquel Espana at the Richmond District YMCA at 666-9605 or respana@ymcasf.org.

Sarah B.