Commentary by Gregg Rickman (greggr2006@yahoo.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.
FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY (Feb. 3-9): Be Here to Love Me (Margaret Brown, 2004). See Opening for review. Call for times.
MIDNIGHT SHOW (Friday & Saturday): Michael J. Fox goes Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis, 1985) and finds a world with no digital effects midnight; also Sat noon.
ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE
345 Bush (at Polk), 775-7755, www.afsf.com. French-language films shown on projected video. $6 donation save as noted.
WEDNESDAY (Feb. 1): Two eccentric sex-crazed teens find Hair Under the Roses (Jean-Julien Chervier and Agnès Obadia, 2000) 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 (Feb. 2): International ANSWER screens Negroes With Guns (Sandra Dickson and Rob Churchill, 2004), the story of a North Carolina man who advocated armed resistance in the 1960s 7:30 p.m.
TUESDAY (Feb. 7): The new year's first meeting of the Super 8 Militia, a screening, discussion, and workshop of Super 8 cinema. Free 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.
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY: A "Photographers Double Feature" screens William Eggleston in the Real World (Michael Almereyda, 2005; 2:15, 5:20, 8:25 p.m.) and Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Impassioned Eye (Heinz Bütler, Germany, 2003; 12:50, 3:55, 7 p.m.). On screen two, the Balboa revives the hugely popular, six-hour Italian epic The Best of Youth (Marco Giordana, 2003). Separate admission. Part 1 Wed noon, 7:30 p.m.; Thurs 3:45 p.m. Part 2 Wed 3:45 p.m.; Thurs noon, 7:30 p.m.
FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY (Feb. 3-9): A pre-Code double feature offers Barbara Stanwyck in the restored, five-minutes longer, Nietzsche-quoting Baby Face (Alfred E, Green, 1933), screening with a musical short, School for Romance (Archie Gottler, 1934), at 2:15, 5:20, 8:25 p.m. On the same program, William Wellman's Night Nurse (1931; 12:50, 3:55, 7 p.m.), with Stanwyck the heroine this time, battling evil chauffeur Clark Gable and drunken socialite clients. Call for programming on second screen.
MONDAY (Feb. 6): The documentary Bluegrass Journey (Ruth Oxenberg, 2003) screens with live bluegrass by the local band Homespun Rowdy between the first and second shows of this 86-minute film. $10 7, 9:30 p.m.
CASTRO
429 Castro (near Market), 621-6120, www.thecastrotheatre.com; 820-3907 and www.sfindie.com for the S.F. Independent Film Festival (Thursday). $9 regular admission 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: The history of William S. Burroughs' violence is traced in Naked Lunch (David Cronenberg, The Zone, 1991) 7, 9:30 p.m.
THURSDAY: The S.F. Independent Film Festival screens Blood Tea and Red String (Cegavske). $10 5 p.m. The Proposition (Hillcoat, Australia). $25, with opening-night party to follow at Balazo (Mission and 18th streets) 7 p.m. These Girls (Hazlett, Canada). $10 9:15 p.m.
FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY (Feb. 3-9): Join in the chorus with Maria and her charges with a week's worth of "Sing-A-Long Mary Poppins" (Robert Wise, 1965) -- projected subtitles facilitate your warbling. Dress as your favorite character. There's pre-show singing as well. $16 Fri 7 p.m.; Sat & Sun 2, 7 p.m. $15 Mon-Thurs 7 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: Thwarted lover Dirk Bogarde melts in the sun in Luchino Visconti's Death in Venice (Italy, 1971), screening through Feb. 26 "Starts at dusk."
LARK
549 Magnolia (at Post), Larkspur, 924-5111, www.larktheater.net. This single-screen art deco theater mixes new and repertory programming. $9 save as noted.
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY: Johnny Cash learns to Walk the Line (James Mangold, 2005) Wed 7 p.m.; Thurs 6:45 p.m. George Clooney learns to connect the dots in Syriana (Stephen Gaghan, 2005) 9:30 p.m.
STARTS FRIDAY: Call theater for program.
SUNDAY (Feb. 5): Once upon a time, Steven Spielberg's aliens were friendly, as for example E.T. the Extraterrestrial (1982). $5.75 3 p.m.
MONDAY (Feb. 6): Orson Welles locates a Touch of Evil (1958) in Walter Murch's 1999 restoration 7 p.m.
LUMIERE
1572 California (at Polk), 352-0810, www.landmarktheatres.com. This multiplex is only partly a "calendar house" rep theater; for the rest of the Lumiere schedule, see our Showtimes page. $9.50.
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY: Bubble (Steven Soderbergh, 2006) 4, 5:45, 7:30, 9:15 p.m.
STARTS FRIDAY: Call for program and times.
MECHANICS' INSTITUTE LIBRARY
57 Post (near Market), 393-0100 and www.milibrary.org for information; phone or e-mail rsvp@milibrary.org for reservations. $7. This cultural asset of long standing begins a spring film series this week. Shown on projected video, with salon-style discussions to follow.
FRIDAY (Feb. 3): CinemaLit opens its spring season with a new host, our own Michael Fox. Tonight, Barbara Stanwyck is the notorious Baby Face (Alfred E. Green, 1933) in the pre-Production Code jaw-dropper 6:30 p.m.
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