Reps Etc.

Commentary by Gregg Rickman (greggr1@mindspring.com). Times compiled from information available Tuesday; it's always advisable to call for confirmation. Price given is standard adult admission; discounts often apply for students, seniors, and members.

We're interested in your film or video event. Please send materials at least two weeks in advance to: Film Editor, SF Weekly, 185 Berry, Suite 3800, San Francisco, CA 94107.

ACT I & II

2128 Center (at Shattuck), Berkeley, (510) 464-5980, www.landmarktheatres.com. $9.25 save as noted. One of this venue's two screens is a "calendar house" for Landmark Theatres. For additional screenings, see our Showtimes page.

WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY: Daybreak (Björn Runge, Sweden, 2003) 7, 9:30 p.m.

FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY (May 13-19): Save the Green Planet (Jang Jun-hwan, Korea, 2003). See Opening for review. Call for times.

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE

345 Bush (at Polk), 775-7755, www.afsf.com. French-language films shown on projected video. $5 donation.

WEDNESDAY (May 11): An Italian communist flees fascist Italy for Marseilles in Bella Ciao (Stéphane Giusti, France, 2001) 6 p.m.

ARTISTS' TELEVISION ACCESS

992 Valencia (at 21st Street), 824-3890, www.atasite.org. $5 save as noted. This venue offers all manner of strange and unusual video and film.

WEDNESDAY (May 11): Veronica Lipgloss joins forces with various "urban creatures" in Justin Kelly's shot-on-Muni music video Strip Mall Glass (2005) 7 p.m.

FRIDAY (May 13): A program of works by local filmmakers on themes of "Emergency, Distress, Struggle, Paranoia, Disillusion, Unrest, Strife" screens as "Mayday" 8 p.m.

SATURDAY (May 14): Other Cinema hosts "Exploding Cinema," a half-dozen projector performance pieces by Pad McLaughlin (Depth of Field), Steve Polta (Drone Tones), Dean Santomieri (Three Views From the Panopticon), Ken Paul Rosenthal (The Galloping Whore-May), Craig Baldwin (Unified Film), and the Light Surgeons. Plus filmstrips and more. See www.othercinema.com for more info. $6 8:30 p.m.

BALBOA

3630 Balboa (at 38th Avenue), 221-8484, www.balboamovies.com. $8.50 save as noted. This great neighborhood house shows films of all sorts. See our Showtimes page for additional listings.

DAILY: The two-part, six-hour Italian film The Best of Youth (Marco Tullio Giordana, 2003) continues on one screen through May 19 Wed -- Part 1: 12:15, 7:45 p.m., Part 2: 4 p.m.; Thurs -- Part 1: 4 p.m., Part 2: 12:15, 7:45 p.m.; Fri-Tues call for times.Separate admission for each part.

WEDNESDAY: The Balboa's Reel San Francisco series of S.F.-based films concludes with the rock docs Janis (Phil Kaufman, 1974; 12:55, 5:05, 9:15 p.m.) and The Last Waltz (Martin Scorsese, 1978; 2:50, 7 p.m.), with the Band and friends.

STARTS FRIDAY: A bill of Watermarks (Yaron Zilberman, Israel, 2004) and the short Backseat Bingo by local filmmaker Liz Blazer screens through May 26. See Opening for review of Watermarks. Call for times.

BIRD & BECKETT BOOKS & RECORDS

2788 Diamond (at Chenery), 586-3733, www.bird-beckett.com. This Glen Park bookstore offers occasional video screenings. Free.

THURSDAY (May 12): A 45-minute video of Ward Churchill, the controversial academic who called the 9/11 victims "little Eichmanns," speaking at the 2005 Anarchist Book Fair in Golden Gate Park screens twice today at 2, 6:30 p.m.

BRIDGE

3010 Geary (at Blake), 751-3213, www.pleiadesfestival.com for this series. This popular little theater offers, in addition to its regular screenings (see Showtimes for listings), a special program this weekend. $8.

FRIDAY (May 13): The second International Pleiades Film Festival of honored short films screens here and in 14 other cities around the world this weekend (including at the Landmark's Aquarius Theatre in Palo Alto tomorrow). Films include The Man Without a Head (Juan Diego Solanas, France/Argentina), The Knickerman (Sonja Phillips, U.K.), and Meine Eltern (My Parents, Neele Vollmar, Germany). Call for times.

CASTRO

429 Castro (near Market), 621-6120, www.castrotheatresf.com, $8 save as noted. Short-run rep in a spectacular 1922 Greco-Roman-themed palace designed by Timothy L. Pflueger. Evening intermissions feature David Hegarty on the Mighty Wurlitzer.

DAILY: Todd Solondz spelled backward is Palindromes (2005), screening through May 19 7, 9:15 p.m.; also Sat, Sun, & Wed 12:30, 2:45, 4:45 p.m.

CLAY

2261 Fillmore (at Clay), 267-4893, www.landmarktheatres.com or www.8tales.com for this series. "8 Tales," a midnight movie series, continues. For additional Clay screenings, see our Showtimes page. $7.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY (May 13 & 14): It's all relative as geniuses fall out in Wes Anderson's dramedy The Royal Tennenbaums (2002), with Gene Hackman, Ben Stiller, and the Wilson brothers midnight.

DOLORES PARK

Dolores & 19th streets, 465-3456, www.sfntf.org. The San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Foundation presents "Film Night" in this park on a giant outdoor screen. Free.

SATURDAY (May 14): It's no Vertigo, but despite the fact that none of its scenes were shot right here at the mission, Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959) is considered one of the best films of its era. BYO pillows and blankets; chairs discouraged 8 p.m.

FOREIGN CINEMA

2534 Mission (between 21st and 22nd streets), 648-7600, www.foreigncinema.com. Free with meal. This restaurant screens foreign films, usually in 35mm, on the back wall of its outdoor patio, with drive-in speakers available for the tables of those who want to watch while they dine.

DAILY (Closed Mondays): Redirect from Broadway, the original Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Terry Jones, U.K., 1975) screens through May 29 8:15, 9:45 p.m.; also Fri-Sun 11:15 p.m.

GOETHE-INSTITUT

530 Bush (at Grant), 263-8760, http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/saf/enindex.htm. The place to go for German cultural events. $5.

TUESDAY (May 17): A new German documentary series spotlights choreographer Pina Bausch in the short Coffee With Pina (Lee Yanor, Germany, 2003) and Ladies and Gentlemen Over 65 (Lilo Mangelsdorff, Germany, 2002), about her work with seniors who answered an ad 7:30 p.m.

LARK

549 Magnolia (at Post), Larkspur, 924-5111, www.larktheater.net. This single-screen art deco theater mixes new and repertory programming. $8 save as noted.

WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY: Tennessee schoolchildren set out to represent the scale of the Holocaust by collecting Paper Clips (Elliot Berlin and Joe Fab, 2005) Wed 7 p.m.; Thurs 4:25 p.m.

THURSDAY: A neglected boy reveals hidden talents in Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi (Shemi Zarhin, Israel, 2003) 8:45 p.m.

STARTS FRIDAY: Call theater for program.

MECHANICS' INSTITUTE LIBRARY

57 Post (near Market), 393-0100 and www.milibrary.org for information; phone or e-mail rsvp@milibrary.org for reservations. $5. This cultural asset of long standing offers a weekly film series. Shown on projected video, with salon-style discussions to follow.

FRIDAY (May 13): An Alec Guinness series continues with The Man in the White Suit (Alexander Mackendrick, 1951), an excellent science-fiction comedy (of sorts) about the unexpected consequences of the naive Guinness' invention 6:30 p.m.

NILES ESSANAY SILENT FILM MUSEUM

Edison Theater, 37395 Niles (near G Street), Fremont, (510) 494-1411 and www.nilesfilmmuseum.org. A weekly "Saturday Night at the Movies" series screens silent films in this historic theater. $5.

SATURDAY (May 14): Douglas Fairbanks makes The Mark of Zorro (Fred Niblo) even as Harold Lloyd inquires Number, Please? (Fred C. Newmeyer and Hal Roach) in this entertaining program of films from 1920 7:30 p.m.

OPERA PLAZA

601 Van Ness (at Golden Gate), 352-0810, www.landmarktheatres.com. This multiplex is only partly a "calendar house" rep theater. For the rest of the Opera Plaza's schedule, see our Showtimes page. $8.75.

FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY (May 13-19): Save the Green Planet (Jang Jun-hwan, Korea, 2003). See Opening for review. Call for times.

PARKWAY

1834 Park (at Lake Merritt), Oakland, (510) 814-2400, www.picturepubpizza.com. $5 save as noted. Pizza, beer, and movies on two screens. Call theater for programs, booked a week in advance. The Parkway also offers occasional scheduled special programs.

THURSDAY (May 12): Weather experiments (read: global warming) lead to an attack of giant mantises (higher gas prices) as the life and career of the 43rd president are accurately predicted in Son of Godzilla (aka Monster Island's Decisive Battle: Godzilla's Son, Jun Fukada, Japan, 1967). Live hula dancers and an episode of Ultra Man before the film. $7 9:15 p.m.

SUNDAY (May 15): The Oakland East Bay Men's Chorus performs live onstage before a screening of Trick (Jim Fall, 1999), a boy-meets-boy Broadway comedy featuring Tori Spelling. A benefit for the OEBMC at $8 9:15 p.m.

TUESDAY (May 17): "Audience Appreciation Night" features a free screening of Laserblast (Michael Rae, 1978), about a teenager who takes on an alien. The (still) unknown lead actors are supported by the likes of Eddie Deezen, Roddy McDowell, and Keenan Wynn 9:15 p.m.

MIDNIGHT SHOW (Saturday): The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Jim Sharman, 1975), with live performance by Barely Legal. $6.

RAFAEL FILM CENTER

1118 Fourth St. (at A Street), San Rafael, 454-1222, www.cafilm.org. $9 save as noted. This three-screen repertory theater, now officially the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, is operated by the California Film Institute. Programs are complex; check carefully and call for confirmation.

WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY: The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (Judy Irving, 2004) 6:15 p.m. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (Alex Gibney, 2005) 6:30, 8:50 p.m. Turtles Can Fly (Bahman Ghobadi, Iran/Iraq, 2004) 6:45 p.m. Downfall (Oliver Hirschbiegel, Germany, 2004) 8:15 p.m. Don't Move (Sergio Castellitto, Italy, 2004) 9 p.m.

STARTS FRIDAY: Watermarks (Yaron Zilberman, Israel, 2004); see Opening for review. Call for other films and times.

RED VIC

1727 Haight (at Cole), 668-3994, www.redvicmoviehouse.com. $7 save as noted. There's a spot on the couch for you at this collectively owned rep house.

WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY: This year's "Academy Award Nominated Shorts" includes the live-action winner Wasp (Andrea Arnold, U.K.) and the animation winner Ryan (Chris Landreth, Canada) 7:15, 9:25 p.m.; also Wed 2 p.m.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY: Peer Inside Deep Throat (Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, 2005) in this "tabloid" documentary 7:15, 9:15 p.m.; also Sat 2, 4 p.m.

SUNDAY & MONDAY: Learn about "the Bitter and the Sweet of Temporary Things" in Travellers and Magicians (Khyentse Norbu, Bhutan, 2005) 7:15, 9:30 p.m.; also Sun 2, 4:15 p.m.

TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY (May 17 & 18): Sound The Sea Inside (Alejandro Amenábar, Spain, 2004) as famed author Ramón Sampedro (Javier Bardem) fights for the right to die 7, 9:30 p.m.; also Wed 2 p.m.

ROXIE

3117 and 3125 16th St. (at Valencia), 863-1087 and www.roxie.com for regular screenings ($8 save as noted); 820-3907 and www.sfindie.com for S.F. Documentary Film Festival screenings ($9 save as noted). Short-run repertory on two screens, separated by a bar, in one of the most adventurously programmed theaters in the USA.

WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY: A jazz musician is profiled in Cecil Taylor: All the Notes (Christopher Felver, 2005) 6:30, 8, 9:30 p.m.; also Wed 2, 3:30, 5 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Hal Hartley's latest, The Girl From Monday (2005) 7, 9 p.m.

THURSDAY: The fourth San Francisco Documentary Film Festival opens with Mana: Beyond Belief (Peter Friedman and Roger Manley, 2004) 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY (May 13-19): Girl Play (Lee Friedlander, 2005); see Opening for review Fri & Mon 6:15, 8, 9:45 p.m.; Sat & Sun 2, 4, 6:15, 8, 9:45 p.m.; Tues 5 p.m.

MONDAY: S.F. Doc Fest -- In a Nutshell (Bernier) 7:15 p.m. Trudell (Rae) 9:30 p.m.

TUESDAY: The San Francisco Irish Film Festival screens here through next Thursday. Tonight, "Magners 'n' Shorts" (short films). $10 7 p.m. Adam and Paul scrounge for drug money in Lenny Abrahamson's dark comedy. $10 9 p.m. Also, S.F. Doc Fest -- Call It Democracy (Kohn) 7:15 p.m. Derailroaded (Rubin and Lubin) 9:30 p.m.

SAN FRANCISCO LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER

1800 Market (at Octavia), 865-5555; www.frameline.org for this program. "Frameline at the Center," a free monthly film series, continues.

THURSDAY (May 12): A long-lasting lesbian bar is profiled in Last Call at Maud's (Paris Poirier, 1993) 7:30 p.m.

SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

Koret Visitor Education Center (save as noted), 151 Third St. (between Mission and Howard), 357-4000, www.sfmoma.org. Screenings are free with museum admission of $10.

DAILY (closed Wednesday): Gary Hill: Transcending the Senses (2001) Thurs, Fri, Mon, Tues 2:30 p.m.; Sat & Sun 1 p.m. A 15-minute film, Artist at Work: Robert Bechtle (Spark, 2005), also screens throughout the day.

THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY (May 12-15): In conjunction with "John Szarkowski," John Szarkowski: A Life in Photography (Richard B. Woodward and Sandra McLeod, 1998) Thurs 4 & 7:30 p.m.; Fri 4 p.m.; Sat & Sun 3 p.m.

THURSDAY (May 12): In the Phyllis Wattis Theater, Sam Peckinpah's handsome rodeo drama Junior Bonner (1972), with Steve McQueen, screens in conjunction with the ongoing Jeremy Blake exhibition 7 p.m.

MONDAY & TUESDAY: A half-hour documentary, Video as Art (Art/New York, 1983), begins screenings through May 30 4 p.m.

SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY

Koret Auditorium, Lower Level, 100 Larkin (at Grove), 557-4400, http://sfpl.lib.ca.us/. A weekly video program screens on Thursdays. Free.

THURSDAY (May 12): Brock Peters, Melba Moore, and Raymond St. Jacques star in Lost in the Stars (Daniel Mann, 1975), book by Maxwell Anderson from Alan Paton's South African novel Cry the Beloved Country, with a score by Kurt Weill noon.

WOMEN'S BUILDING

3543 18th St. (at Guerrero), 820-3907 and www.sfindie.com for S.F. Documentary Film Festival screenings. $9 save as noted.

FRIDAY (May 13): The San Francisco Documentary Film Festival screens here this weekend and next. Today, The Education of Shelby Knox (Lipschutz and Rosenblatt) 5:30 p.m. Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music? (Whinna and Hunter) 7:30 p.m. POPaganda (Carvala) 9:30 p.m.

SATURDAY (May 14): S.F. Doc Fest -- The Loss of Nameless Things (Rose) 1 p.m. In a Nutshell (Bernier) 3:15 p.m. A Whale of a Tale (Lynch, Canada) 5:30 p.m. Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party (Brinkmann) 7:30 p.m. Derailroaded (Rubin and Lubin) 9:30 p.m.

SUNDAY (May 15): S.F. Doc Fest -- Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party 1 p.m. Trollywood (Farley, U.K.) 3 p.m. Awake Zion (Haim) 5 p.m. The Education of Shelby Knox 7 p.m. Kaikohe Demolition (Habicht, New Zealand) and Ghetto Fabulous (Lilla) 9 p.m.

YERBA BUENA CENTER FOR THE ARTS

701 Mission (at Third Street, in Yerba Buena Gardens), 978-2787, www.ybca.org. $7 save as noted. This venue's Screening Room is a home for film and video programs of all sorts.

THURSDAY (May 12): Bill Basquin's triptych of films about "work, mortality, identity and the flesh" includes Martin, The Last Day of November, and Range. They screen with his The Ride, and three by Michelle Silva including the "more carnal" How the West Was Hung 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY (May 13): A Fridays-in-May series of "Anarchists and Film" continues with Steven Soderbergh's heavy sophomore film, Kafka (1991; 7 p.m.), from an absurdly overvalued script by Lem Dobbs about the real Franz Kafka's supposed surreal experiences as a file clerk. Hector Olivera's Rebellion in Patagonia (Argentina, 1974; 8:45 p.m.) records the suppression of a farmers' strike in the 1920s. $8.

TUESDAY (May 17): The 20th anniversary of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company is marked by videotapes of different versions of such works as Continuous Replay, with discussions by dancers present 7:30 p.m.

FILM NOTES

This Thursday, May 12, at 8 p.m. the Danger and Despair Knitting Circle screens Jacques Tourneur's swamp melodrama Experiment Perilous (1944), with Hedy Lamarr. For more info, see www.noirfilm.com; to make a reservation and get directions to the screening locale, contact 552-1533 or e-mail screenings@hotmail.com.