A few juicy items coming up in August:
Almodóvar at the PFA
The Pacific Film Archive has already started the series Women’s Troubles: The Films of Pedro Almodóvar, and you’ve already missed Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
(unless you didn’t). But there’s plenty of other great movies in this series of pictures from Spain’s bad boy.
His most recent feature, Julieta, screens Saturday. It’s a lush, sexy, romantic tragedy with high emotions. You can read my full review; I gave it an A. Others that I’ve seen and liked include All About My Mother, and Talk to Her.
This isn’t a full retrospective of his work. Law and Desire, for instance, is about women’s troubles. And the extremely kinky Matador is so absurd that it’s hard to pin down.
Tales of the Obsessed at the New Mission
Have you ever been so fanatical about something that you lose all perspective? Of course not, but you’ve probably known others who have.
Throughout August, the Alamo Drafthouse New Mission will screen 11 films about people who have lost all sense of proportion. Among the films that I can recommend are The King of Comedy, Mulholland Dr., and To Die For.
Yes, there’s a webpage for the series, listing 24 films rather than the 11 scheduled. Click on any one of the other 13, and you’ll be told that “This show is not currently scheduled for this market.”
Too bad. Among the unscheduled films you’ll find Bottle Rocket, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, and Harold and Maude
(read my appreciation). Maybe they’ll turn up in September.
The Castro in August
There are no real series or festivals at the Castro this month, but there are some good movies:
- Sing-along Mary Poppins (Thursday, August 3 – 5): These sing-alongs must be popular. The Castro and other theaters keep bringing them back. I’ve never tried one, but between this and Sound of Music, I’d pick the one with the nanny.
- Some Like it Hot & Hedwig and the Angry Inch
(Thursday, August 10): One of the greatest comedies every made, billed with one I haven’t seen but have read good things about. Read my Blu-ray Review of Some Like it Hot. - Monterey Pop & Easy Rider (Wednesday, August 23):
Remember, you can’t smoke in a California theater, so be sure to bring edibles. - Indiana Jones Triple Bill (Sunday, August 27): The first
three movies in the series. The first is an escapist classic, although in my opinion a flawed one. The third one is much, much better. Unfortunately, the truly awful second one is in between. You may want to take a long break. - Lawrence of Arabia (August 31 – September 4): A brand new 70mm print of David Lean’s epic masterpiece.
The New Parkway, Also in August
Note: I added this section to the post Wednesday morning, some 15 hours after I posted the article.
The New Parkway also has some specials worth checking out:
- Best of CineKink 2007 (Thursday & Friday, August 3 & 4): A selection of sexy shorts. Short movies, not…you know.
- The Mummy (Wednesday, August 10): Not the recent, critically-panned Tom Cruise disaster, nor the original with Boris Karloff, but the 1999 one starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. Played largely for laughs with an Indiana Jones vibe, it’s a lot of fun.
- Harold and Maude (Wednesday August 17): One of the greats. Read my appreciation.
- Night of the Living Dead (Friday, August 18): Another great classic. I have some thoughts on this one, too.
And, of course, let’s not forget all those wonderful Warner Brothers movies at the Stanford.
