THURSDAY: The 26th Mill Valley Film Festival opens here with John Sayles' Casa de los Babys (2003). Film $20, film and party to follow $125. The movie screens at 7, 9:15 p.m. Madame Brouette (Absa, Senegal) 8 p.m.
STARTS FRIDAY: Daily screenings of Mill Valley Film Festival continue here and at the Sequoia Theater in Mill Valley through Oct. 12. See Zoom Lens box on Page 58 for commentary and www.cafilm.org for programs.
RED VIC
1727 Haight (at Cole), 668-3994, www.redvicmoviehouse.com. $6.50 save as noted. There's a spot on the couch for you at this collectively owned rep house.
WEDNESDAY: That "'70s Cinema" -- The still underrated Hal Ashby's sex and politics farce Shampoo (1976) 2, 7:15, 9:35 p.m.
THURSDAY: "'70s Cinema" -- William Friedkin's landmark thriller The French Connection (1971), with Gene Hackman as a Popeye sans spinach 7:15, 9:30 p.m.
FRIDAY: "'70s Cinema" -- Robert Altman's surgical comedy MASH (1970) 7:15, 9:35 p.m.
SATURDAY: "'70s Cinema" -- John Travolta's dance moves focus the very period Saturday Night Fever (John Badham, 1977) 2, 4:30, 7, 9:30 p.m.
SUNDAY & MONDAY: Jeffrey Blitz's absorbing documentary about kids who are Spellbound (2003) 7:15, 9:25 p.m.; also Sun 2, 4:15 p.m.
TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY (Oct. 7 & 8): A program of new anti-war shorts precedes a documentary of last spring's protests, We Interrupt This Empire... (2003) 7:15, 9:20 p.m.; also Wed 2 p.m.
ROXIE
3117 16th St. (at Valencia), 863-1087, www.roxie.com. $8 save as noted. Short-run repertory in one of the most adventurously programmed theaters in the USA.
DAILY: George Butler's strongman doc Pumping Iron (1976) shows Arnold Schwarzenegger doing to his rivals what he'll do for the state of California 6, 8, 10 p.m.; also Wed, Sat, & Sun 2, 4 p.m.
SHATTUCK
2230 Shattuck (at Kittredge), Berkeley, (510) 843-3456, www.landmarktheatres.com. $9.25. This venerable theater assigns one of its eight screens to repertory programming. For the rest of the Shattuck's schedule, see our Showtimes page.
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY: A scoundrel becomes rich in Tycoon (Pavel Lounguine, Russia, 2002). See Ongoing for review. Call for times.
FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY (Oct. 3-9): China's role in Tibet is condemned in Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion (Tom Peosay, 2003). See Opening for review. Call for times.
SPANGENBERG THEATRE
Gunn High School Campus, 780 Arastradero (at Foothill Expressway), Palo Alto, (650) 354-8263, www.spangenbergtheatre.com. This recently refurbished Center for the Arts offers a 35mm film series on a large 30-foot screen. $5.
THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY (Oct. 2-4): Conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler is critiqued for not Taking Sides (István Szabó, Germany, 2002), the most recent of Piano scenarist Ronald Harwood's music-themed revisitings of World War II. See Ongoing for review 7 p.m.; also Sat 9:15 p.m.
WHEELER AUDITORIUM
Bancroft & Telegraph, UC Berkeley campus; www.aff.org and (925) 866-9559 for festival information. This college theater hosts screenings from Cinemayaat, the seventh annual San Francisco Arab Film Festival. $9.
SATURDAY (Oct. 4): Planet of the Arabs (Salloum) 2 p.m. Souha Surviving Hell (Sabbag, Lebanon) 3:45 p.m. Under the Sky of Baghdad (Balsamo and Scialotti, Italy) 5:30 p.m. Forget Baghdad (Samir, Germany, 2002) 7:15 p.m. Closing Night Party 9:45 p.m.
YERBA BUENA CENTER FOR THE ARTS
701 Mission (at Third Street, in Yerba Buena Gardens), 978-2787, www.YerbaBuenaArts.org. $6 save as noted. This venue's Screening Room is a home for film and video programs of all sorts.
WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY (Oct. 1-5): Continuous daily screenings of "Looking Is Better Than Feeling You," a loop of videos by women 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
WEDNESDAY (Oct. 1): Chantal Akerman's From the Other Side (Belgium, 2002) explores the U.S.-Mexican border 7:30 p.m.
THURSDAY (Oct. 2): A program of films by Naomi Uman includes a hand-processed portrait of life on a dairy ranch in central Mexico, Leche, and its sequel, Mala Leche, following members of the same family to Central California. Uman in person 7:30 p.m.
FILM NOTES
Cinemayaat, the seventh annual San Francisco Arab Film Festival, also continues at the Towne Theater in San Jose; see www.aff.org for more info.
