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.
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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: 9 Songs (Michael Winterbottom, U.K., 2004) 7, 9:30 p.m.
FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY (Aug. 19-25): A revival screening of Elevator to the Gallows (Louis Malle, France, 1958). Call for times.
ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE
345 Bush (at Polk), 775-7755, www.afsf.com. French-language films shown on projected video. $5 donation.
WEDNESDAY (Aug. 17): The travails of a Brazilian transsexual living outside Paris are followed in Tiresia (Bertrand Bonello, France, 2002) 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.
THURSDAY (Aug. 18): An Amnesty International screening of Oil Curse, on the impact of ChevronTexaco's oil operations in Ecuador and Angola 8 p.m.
FRIDAY (Aug. 19): A locally shot comedy about a director who makes his romantic breakup the subject of his film, Lost in the Wash (Aren Haun, 2005). Filmmaker in person 8 p.m.
SATURDAY (Aug. 20): The SF Chongolized Film Festival screens Radio Rockers by Ricardo Carpenter, about "an intergalactic street dancer" out to avenge his master; A Guy Walks Into a Bar (Jason Buckley); and more 8 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.
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY: It's hard work in Japan in Fear and Trembling (Alain Corneau, France, 2004) 12:25, 2:35, 4:45, 7, 9:10 p.m.
WEDNESDAY: A Louis Malle series continues with a very fine character study of a man (Maurice Ronet) just discharged from a sanitarium, The Fire Within (France, 1964; 2:35, 7 p.m.), and Jean-Paul Belmondo as The Thief of Paris (France, 1967; 12:15, 4:40, 9:05 p.m.).
THURSDAY: Jeremy Irons attracts his son's fiancee in Louis Malle's Damage (U.K., 1992; 2:50, 7 p.m.), screening with the surreal Black Moon (France, 1975; 12:50, 5, 9:10 p.m.).
FRIDAY & SATURDAY: Malle's two films about life in Occupied France, the excellent Lacombe Lucien (France, 1974; 2:05, 6:45 p.m.) and Au Revoir les Enfants (France, 1987; 12:05, 4:40, 9:20 p.m.).
SUNDAY: The final four hourlong episodes of Malle's mammoth documentary Phantom India (France, 1969) noon, 4:10, 8:20 p.m.
MONDAY: More Malle -- A dubbed-in-English version of the rare Brigitte Bardot-Marcello Mastroianni vehicle A Very Private Affair (France, 1961; 12:40, 4:55, 9:15 p.m.) screens with the Bardot-Jeanne Moreau adventure comedy Viva Maria (France, 1965; 2:40, 7 p.m.).
TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY (Aug. 23-25): The bourgeoisie observe the May '68 rebellion from afar in May Fools (Malle, France, 1989; 12:45, 4:50, 8:55 p.m.), screening with the comedy Zazie Dans le Metro (France, 1960; 2:55, 7 p.m.).
BRIDGE
3010 Geary (at Blake), 751-3213, www.peacheschrist.com for this series. This popular little theater offers, in addition to its regular screenings (see Showtimes for listings), a "Midnight Mass" every Saturday this summer, hosted by Peaches Christ. $10.
SATURDAY (Aug. 20): The San Francisco Underground Short Film Festival screens an assortment of locally made "ultra outrageous" movies of 15 minutes or less midnight.
CASTRO
429 Castro (near Market), 621-6120, www.thecastrotheatre.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.
WEDNESDAY: A Federico Fellini series continues with the landmark dance of decadence La Dolce Vita (Italy, 1960; 12:30, 6 p.m.), screening with La Strada (1955; 2:30, 7 p.m.), with Giulietta Masina and Richard Basehart as holy fools who get on loutish Anthony Quinn's nerves.
THURSDAY: La Dolce Vita 9:30 p.m.
FRIDAY: A weeklong reissue of Harold Lloyd's generally pretty wonderful silent comedies opens with his still-iconographic Safety Last! (Fred Newmeyer and Sam Taylor, 1923; 7 p.m.) -- the one with the man on the clock -- and the very appealing Girl Shy (Newmeyer, 1924; 8:30 p.m.).
SATURDAY: Another great double bill, a charming mix of modern life and the old-fashioned way in the filmed-in-New York Speedy (Ted Wilde, 1928; noon, 3:30, 7 p.m.) and a Lloyd masterpiece in which the insecurities underlying all this comedian's work give the piece some real depth, The Freshman (Newmeyer and Taylor, 1925; 1:45, 5:15, 8:45 p.m.).
SUNDAY: The unseen-in-75-years silent version of Lloyd's first talkie, Welcome Danger (Wilde and Clyde Bruckman, 1929; noon, 3:45, 7:30 p.m.), not as good as his best silents, thanks to the smarty-pants characterization Lloyd sometimes used, but superior to the labored sound version. It screens with the agreeably silly Why Worry? (Newmeyer and Taylor, 1923; 2:15, 6, 9:45 p.m.), with Lloyd deploying his arrogant fool character to South America.
MONDAY: Lloyd's rarely screened sound-era The Cat's Paw (Taylor, 1934; 7 p.m.), about a missionary's son who brings his crusading ways to the big city, and Hot Water (Newmeyer and Taylor, 1923; 9 p.m.), a series of gags about married life.
TUESDAY: Lloyd never made a better film than the beautifully mounted The Kid Brother (Wilde, 1927; 7 p.m.), with Girl Shy and The Freshman the last of a trio of comedy masterpieces. It screens with the delightfully peppy Dr. Jack (Newmeyer, 1922; 8:45 p.m.).
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