Author / DrMabuse

by DrMabuse

Castro Theatre in Trouble

I was sent the following email. If you care at all about the greatest movie theatre in San Francisco, I urge you to read this and write in (that includes you, Cinetrix!):

Friends and Colleagues:

Whether I have mentioned to you or not, the Castro Theatre is in serious trouble. The owner of the business, in his desire for sure profit, has made drastic staffing cuts and is on the verge of changing things for the worse by monkeying with programming. Anita Monga, who has programmed the theatre since 1986, long before this present owner/adminstration, has guided the Theatre through heavy times, the good and the bad years, to be able to make the Castro a unique movie theatre experience, not just locally but internationally.

If the Castro Theatre goes, an important cultural institution will forever perish. We all know the state of movie exhibiton, so this is no
exageration. The less venues there are to show unique, interesting,
non-mainstream films, the less opportunity filmmakers will have to make
those kinds of films.

This might be hard to imagine today, but the current owner’s father ran the Castro Theatre into the ground in the late 60s, early 70s, showing
third-run in an unfortunate state of disrepair. He had hoped to turn that piece
of land into a seemingly more profitable apartment building. It was the
passion of programmer Mel Novikoff who took over operations, and created
the beautiful Castro we know today, cultivating an audience for classics
and independents. Anita Monga took up Novikoff’s vision when he passed
away.

I include below a request to you made by the staff of the Castro Theatre. Whether you have, in recent times, come to see theatrical premieres of extraordinary docs like The Corporation or The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, the antics of Marc Huestis’ Ladies and Gentlemen Prefer Jane Russell with the singular Ms Jane Russell in person, gorgeous revivals of The Leopard, La Dolce Vita or Tokyo Story, or have come to the Asian American, SF International, Frameline Lesbian and Gay, the Arab or the many other film festivals we host, you know how important this theatre is.

Thank You, and please pass this on.

Dear Friend:

Can you do a favor?

Can you write a simple letter of appreciation for the Castro
Theatre? Some critical points to make (if you’re comfortable doing so)
are: 1) The programming is interesting and intelligent and is one of the
things that sets the theatre apart. 2) The staff is intelligent,
knowledgeable and responsive to the audience’s needs, and is one of the
things that sets the theatre apart. 3) The theatre is a vital part of the
cultural life of the Bay Area.

Please be positve. Any negativity, including fears about the
theatre’s future or pleas to save the theatre will be extemely
counterproductive. Rather, take the tone of a recommendation letter or a
simple thank you note. You can address it to the Castro Theatre.

This doesn’t have to be long (unless you feel inspired)a few sentences will do. If you can write it on letterhead and mail it to Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street, San Francisco CA 94114, or attach it to e-mail and send it to castrotheatre@aol.com, that’d be great.

If you think of anyone else who might appreciate what we’re doing, let me know to contact.

If you feel that you can do this, please don’t delay. The next few weeks are critical.

by DrMabuse

Will the Real Editors Please Stand Up?

Jessa takes King and Rowling to task for thinking “they’re above having editors.” Well, if that were the case, then I suspect the latest installments of the Dark Tower and Harry Potter series would be a good deal longer and more incoherent.

With the exception of the first book, Stephen King has in fact had an editor through the Dark Tower series. And, in fact, he went back and revised the first volume with the Donald M. Grant team specifically because these early stories lacked an editor. And, as usual, King also enlisted longtime agent Arthur Greene as his editor. One can also turn to the final pages of On Writing to see King’s editing in action.

As for Rowling, Barry Cunningham and Arthur Cunningham have, respectively, edited the UK and US editions of Potter.

So to hell with Indian Massacre Day or whatever today’s supposed to evoke. Return of the Reluctant proclaims today International Editor Day, saluting the fine folks who kept these writers under wraps.

by DrMabuse

RIP Christopher Reeve

superman.jpgSuperman was the first movie I saw in a theatre. I was four years old, but I remember being taken by my mother to one of the Century domes (long since demolished) in Corte Madera. I remember the lines and the sense of excitement that the audience would, as the advertisements promised, believe that a man could fly. But most importantly, I remember Christopher Reeve’s commanding presence in the movie poster and as he flew over Metropolis, his steel blue eyes shooting an impenetrable look to any who would dare return his gaze. (There was of course Reeve’s wink to the audience during the final moment above the earth in any Superman film, but I present this in hindsight to what my four year old eyes remembered.)

The film and its sequels made an impression upon me that still resonates with me today. There are moments in my life when I find myself functioning in Reeve’s bumbling Cary Grant mode as Clark Kent, befuddled but often processing the info around me, and there are other moments where I quietly commit some noble deed while maintaining my secret identity. (I was a kid who wore Superman Underoos, for crying out loud. These things make an impression.)

So Christopher Reeve’s death (particularly after Dangerfield’s) came as a blow to me, particularly since Reeve was determined to find hope within a life confined to a wheelchair. He gazed clearly and confidently into the future and envisioned the inevitable moment where he would rise from his chair. And now, sadly, that moment won’t arrive.

In an age where tyros walking on ethical ground as shaky as Krypton just before its inevitable destruction would deny pivotal research funds to those who might need them, in an age where real heroes are at a premium, Reeve demonstrated to everyone that courage and sunny effrontery mattered most. Superman, it turned out, wasn’t a role, but the man he was all along. We are all the lesser for his loss.