Arthouse movie listings for May 13-19, 2009

Artists' Television Access. Waging a Living: Roger Weisburg's documentary on the lives of low-wage-earning families. Thu., May 14, 7:30 p.m. $6. "Flowers": Joe Golling and Bob Thayer's short 8mm films, accompainied by poet Erik Noonan and Rad Cloud. Fri., May 15, 8 p.m. $6. "Introduction to Experimental Animation": David Cox and Molly Hankwitz of Archimedia offer workshops on high-tech/low-tech animation. Saturdays. Continues through June 20. $40. 992 Valencia (at 21st St.), 824-3890, www.atasite.org.

Castro Theatre. Z: Costa-Gavras directed this famous political film in 1969, based on the 1963 assassination of Grigoris Lambrakis. Through May 14, 7 & 9 p.m.; Wed., May 13, 2 & 4:25 p.m. "Women on the Verge": Murder-nuns, bad moms, tough dames, and more at this series of ladies' films. May 16-21. 429 Castro (at Market), 621-6120, www.thecastrotheatre.com.

Dark Room Theater. Bad Movie Night: A View to a Kill: The view is San Francisco, the killer is James Bond, and the killed is the audience. Sun., May 17, 8 p.m. $5. 2263 Mission (at 18th St.), 401-7987, www.darkroomsf.com.

Diego Rivera Theater/CCSF. City Shorts Student Film Festival: New work from the Cinema Department. Fri., May 15, 6 p.m. $2. www.myspace.com/cityshorts. 50 Phelan (at Judson), 239-3100, www.ccsf.edu/Info/Map/theatre.shtml#8.

Exploratorium. Magnetic Movie: Through May 31. 3601 Lyon (at Marina), 397-5673, www.exploratorium.edu.

Oddball Films. "Slapstick Follies (And Other Fine Messes)": Selections from the archive, curated by Pete Gowdy. RSVP to info@oddballfilm.com. Fri., May 15, 8:30 p.m. $10. "Visionary Design: The Cinema of Charles and Ray Eames": Vintage films from the archive. RSVP to info@oddballfilm.com. Sat., May 16, 8:30 p.m. $10. 275 Capp (at Mission), 558-8117, www.oddballfilm.com.

Red Vic Movie House. Gran Torino: Wed., May 13, 2, 7 & 9:25 p.m.; Thu., May 14, 7 & 9:25 p.m. $6-$9. Gomorrah: Unsentimental look at the Mafia in Naples. Fri., May 15, 8 p.m.; Sat., May 16, 2, 5 & 8 p.m. The English Surgeon: A profile of brain surgeon Henry Marsh, with a soundtrack by Nick Cave. Sun., May 17, 2, 4:15, 7:15 & 9:20 p.m.; May 18-19, 2, 4:15, 7:15 & 9:20 p.m.; Wed., May 20, 2, 7:15 & 9:20 p.m. 1727 Haight (at Cole), 668-3994, www.redvicmoviehouse.com.

Roxie Theater. Know Your Mushrooms: Ron Mann's documentary about the many uses of fungi. Wed., May 13, 7 & 8:50 p.m.; May 15-21, 6:45 p.m.; May 16-17, 3:20 p.m. Ferlinghetti: Christopher Felver's documentary on the owner of City Lights bookstore. Wed., May 13, 7 p.m.; May 16-17, 1:50 p.m. Medicine for Melancholy: Barry Jenkins' feature about a one-night stand between twentysomething African Americans in San Francisco. Wed., May 13, 8:45 p.m.; May 15-16, 4:50 p.m.; May 15-21, 8:10 & 9:50 p.m. "I Wake Up Dreaming": Two-week series of film noir B-movies. Pre-opening party is May 14 at 7 p.m. May 14-28. $10. 3117 16th St. (at Valencia), 863-1087, www.roxie.com.

SFMOMA. Robert Frank Retrospective: A near-complete, two-month survey of the enigmatic artist's avant-garde narrative films. See site for schedule. Through June 27, 3 p.m. free-$5. San Francisco Art Institute MFA Screening: Films from SFAI's newest MFA graduates. Sun., May 17, 3 p.m. 151 Third St. (at Mission), 357-4000, www.sfmoma.org.

The Vortex Room. Thief and Top of the Heap: Part of the "Cinema Strange and Deep Drinks" series of hardboiled film. Thu., May 14, 8 p.m. $5. 1082 Howard (at Seventh St.), www.myspace.com/thevortexroom.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Frontier of Dawn: Philippe Garrel's suicide romance. Thu., May 14, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., May 17, 2 p.m. $8. 701 Mission (at Third St.), 978-2787, www.ybca.org.