The Castro Theatre presents a mix of repertory and holiday programming, with takes on the Christmas season ranging from Monty Python's Life of Brian to the traditional Christmas Eve program from the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus.
Life of Brian (1979) In their prime the British comedy troupe Monty Python were irreverent about every subject imaginable, but none was subjected to more spoofing than traditional religious beliefs. In this delicious parody the Pythons give us a rival savior, a guy named Brian, whose misadventures in the Holy Land include hilarious riffs on themes like the meaning of the Crucifixion.
History of the World Part I (1981) Mel Brooks wrote, directed and starred in this uneven assault on human history assisted by such comic luminaries as Sid Caesar, Harvey Korman, Dom DeLuise and Cloris Leachman. The piece meanders from the Stone Age through the French Revolution, with results that depend on what you think is fair game for ridicule. (both 12/2)
Bugsy (1991) Barry Levinson orchestrates a colorful bio-pic of gangster Bugsy Siegel (Warren Beatty) with the assistance of Beatty's real-life spouse Annette Bening and a splendid supporting ensemble including Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley, Elliot Gould, Joe Mantegna and Richard Sarafian.
Casino (1995) Martin Scorsese stages a star-studded history of Vegas in the early 70s: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, James Woods, Don Rickles, Alan King, Dick Smothers and Kevin Pollak. (both 12/4)
Bullitt (1968) Director Peter Yates had an embarrassment of riches at his disposal for this taut police procedural: star action hero Steve McQueen in his prime, the hills of San Francisco to launch one of the greatest car chases in American film history, and a third-act climax at the city's airport that's still not been topped.
Dirty Harry (1971) Clint Eastwood created a peerless cop-vigilante in the person of Harry Callahan. The Don Siegel-directed shoot-em-up came out when the American Right was responding to college campus protests, the escalation of the Vietnam War, and a sense that America was going to the dogs. The first and best of the series that created a grass-roots push for Eastwood to run for President (he refused) as well as fueling the law-and-order politics of Nixon, Reagan and Trump. (both 12/9)
North by Northwest (1959) Arguably the best of Alfred Hitchcock's American period, this Ernest Lehman-penned adventure benefits from an absurd plot, a slick and funny turn from Cary Grant, railroad dining-car chatter, and a climax atop a recreation of Mount Rushmore that still can produce chills. All this and a memorable Bernard Herrmann score.
The Trouble with Harry (1955) Possibly the most deftly funny entry in Hitchcock's greatest American period, Harry is the body that won't stay buried. The screen debut of Shirley MacLaine, this richly staged tapestry unfolds amidst autumn leaves in an eccentric New England landscape. (both 12/10)
The Lady from Shanghai (1948) An underappreciated work from Orson Welles' first decade, this Rita Hayworth vehicle features Welles' masterpiece wall-of-mirrors sequence, filmed at SF's Ocean Beach's Playland amusement park.
Gilda (1946) Charles Vidor helmed this revenge-themed drama with Hayworth, Glenn Ford and George Macready. (both 12/11)
Cash on Demand (1961) Peter Cushing is gripping as a bank manager facing peril because would-be robbers have abducted his wife and daughter. A rare film from Britain's Hammer Studios not in the horror vein.
The Ice Harvest (2005) John Cusack is Charlie, a Wichita, KS-based lawyer who works for the Mob. Charlie and his pal (Billy Bob Thornton) decide to steal $2 million of the Big Boss' (Randy Quaid) money, starting a series of Christmas Eve pratfalls involving a strip-club performer (Connie Nielson). (both 12/14)
Little Shop of Horrors (1986) This Frank Oz-directed black comedy features a nerdy flower-shop worker (Rick Moranis) who stumbles upon a diabolical plant with human attributes and a secret desire to take over the world. Ellen Greene and Moranis have great chemistry, evidenced by the film's show-stopping set-piece "Suddenly Seymour." Based on the 1960 Roger Corman cult film (produced in two days) starring a then-unknown struggling actor named Jack Nicholson.
The Three Amigos (1986) Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short sparkle as a trio of silent-screen cowboys whose mission is to save a small Mexican village from bandits. (both 12/15)
Mamma Mia (2008) A terrific international cast has a great time with the Swedish group ABBA's greatest hits, strung together by the slenderest of possible storylines. With Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried and Christine Baranski.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) Australia's Stephan Elliott gives us an exuberant, campy road trip. Three drag performers commandeer an RV bus for a very entertaining trip through the Aussie Outback. With Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce and grand drag dame Terence Stamp. (both 12/16)
The Shining (1980) Stephen King's horror novel is brought to the screen by Stanley Kubrick, featuring a campy, over-the-top performance from Jack Nicholson ("Here's Johnny!") and nifty supporting turns from Shelley Duval and Scatman Crowthers. The famous trailer featured elevator doors opening to unleash a river of blood.
The Mosquito Coast (1986) Harrison Ford spearheads this dystopian drama as a man who takes his young family to a small South American country with a mad vision of leaving corrupt consumer society and creating a new utopian one in the jungle. Charismatic River Phoenix recreates a version of his nomadic biological clan's early journeys, along with Helen Mirren, Martha Plimpton and Andre Gregory. (both 12/17)
Singin' in the Rain (1952) A film that fits everything the Castro represents, this Gene Kelly/Stanley Donen-directed gem contains in its title sequence three minutes guaranteed to cheer up the grumpiest soul, as Kelly taps his way through a studio-created rainstorm. Along with An American in Paris, this is Kelly's true legacy piece.
The Gang's All Here (1943) Busby Berkeley, a Kelly predecessor, displays the lively style of choreography and musical arrangements that kept civilians and soldiers entertained through the long painful years when the outcome of WWII was very much in doubt. (both 12/18)
Casablanca (1942) "We'll always have Paris." No film from Hollywood's classic studio period has more quotable lines than Michael Curtiz's Casablanca. Humphrey Bogart's most memorable role has survived intact over 75 years, the one-time "B-actor" emerging during WWII as an iconic screen figure, a genuine liberal who didn't buckle during the postwar red scare. (12/20)
Gremlins (1984) This Steven Spielberg-produced live-action cartoon is rambunctious and silly in all the right ways. Spielberg's talent has been to embody America's suburban spirit in all its facets, and this spunky story, where evil creatures take over a typical American kitchen, is an example of his magnificent silly side.
Trading Places (1983) SNL alumnae Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd are a stockbroker (Aykroyd) and street hustler (Murphy) who swap jobs, with hilarious results. (both 12/21)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946) Frank Capra's brilliant evocation of everything Christmas has come to mean for generations of Americans. It ushered Air Force bomber pilot Jimmy Stewart back to civilian life, setting the stage for his glorious 50s work for Hitchcock, Anthony Mann, Otto Preminger and Billy Wilder. (12/22)
The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus give three performances of Home for the Holidays. (12/24: 5, 7 & 9 p.m.)
Sing-along Sound of Music (1965) Director Robert Wise creates the definitive film version of one of Broadway's most popular musicals, a show that walks the line between inspiration and corn. With Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Marni Nixon and Eleanor Parker. (12/26-1/1)