San Francisco - Alison Bing [159]
The Lady from Shanghai (1948) – Orson Welles not only wrote the script, but also played the hero in this classic femme fatale story that weaves through the Golden Gate and makes surreal use of SF sights like Chinatown and Steinhardt Aquarium, as well as some very unfortunate makeup.
The House on Telegraph Hill (1951) – A Polish survivor of a Nazi death camp takes the identity of her deceased best friend and leaves for a new, privileged life in SF. But in the mansion by the bay, things turn sinister when suspicions begin to mount.
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FILM
Dinner-and-a-movie remains the classic way to spend a Friday night in SF, and the city’s many cinemas present everything from the latest Hollywood blockbusters to indie foreign features that would never succeed at suburban shopping malls. Discerning local film buffs support multiple art-house venues, as well as several world-class annual film festivals. Movie tickets typically cost about $10, and weekday matinees, no longer the great bargain they once were, now cost about $8. Check online for schedules.
If you object to sitting through 20 minutes of corporate commercials preceding a film, you’ll find plenty of independent theaters in SF. We particularly love the Bridge, the Roxie, the Red Vic, the Four Star and the grandest movie palace of all, the Castro Theatre. Nobody would dream of answering a cell phone at these places, and the crowd is often as stimulating as the film.
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PEACHES CHRIST: DRAG DEITY, MOVIE MUSE & HOSTESS
What’s so special about movies in SF? I’ve traveled all over Europe and the US to present movies, and we have the best audiences in the world here. The audiences don’t just sit there: they’re gonna hiss at the screen, and tell you how it is. We’re hitting our 11th anniversary for Midnight Mass at the Bridge (below), and really, no other city would have nurtured Peaches Christ. You have to see a film at the Gay & Lesbian Film Fest at the Castro, too, so just book your plane ticket already.
Events worth dragging yourself out of bed and into drag for? On Easter weekend there are the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence events, though personally I don’t recommend daytime drag. Folsom Street Fair never fails to shock new arrivals.
Any tips for drag novices? Give yourself a night to practice before your debut. Most people don’t realize that there’s a lot of trial and error, and it can go devastatingly wrong – there’s good-bad, and then there’s bad-bad. You can do crooked lipstick like Courtney Love, or decide you’re going to have blood or spit-up on your dress – but really commit to it, have a blast.
Most underrated SF attractions? Cable cars get so much attention, but I love the vintage F Market streetcars. When you head down Market and see rainbow flags lining the city’s major thoroughfare, it really makes you well up with pride. Alcatraz is perfect if you’re a little sick-minded. I find it amazing that families go to that island, which is so dark and twisted and surrounded by the most beautiful views – I love that juxtaposition of evil wickedness with natural beauty and happy families.
Peaches Christ is the Midnight Mass hostess at the Bridge Theater (below).
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Amc Loews Metreon 16
Map
415-369-6201; www.amctheatres.com; 101 4th St; adult/child/senior & matinee $10.50/7.50/8.50; 30, 45; & Powell St
Housed in a mega-entertainment complex, the 16-screen Metreon has stadium reclining seats, digital projection screens and an IMAX theater. Downstairs are multiple shops and restaurants, but the wandering packs of loud teenagers are annoying to mellow types.
Amc Van Ness 14
Map
415-674-4630; www.amctheatres.com; 1000 Van Ness Ave; adult/child/senior/matinee $10.75/6/7.75/8.75; 42, 47, 49
An enormous multiplex (14 screens) in a former Cadillac dealership, 1000 Van Ness mostly shows mainstream Hollywood releases, and has state-of-the-art