In this week's Field Notes: from a chic Mission dog shelter and a mansion under the Bay Bridge to pavement plants and dahlias in Oakland. Also, tactile SF maps, Obon in the park, queer family stories, cat zines, and a Sacramento ghost town.

Inside Muttville’s chic new HQ

In San Francisco’s Mission, Muttville’s new shelter blends style and dog-friendly design with Missoni carpets, playful murals, and Zen rooms for newcomers to decompress.

Interior designer Ken Fulk helped furnish the space with stylish but functional donations from storage. The on-site vet clinic, grooming area, and open adoption rooms keep tails wagging and humans lingering — where short visits often stretch into hours of play and companionship. — Dwell, neemtravels

New film traces LGBTQ+ SF family life

Fairyland, opening nationwide October 10, tells the story of poet and activist Steve Abbott and his daughter Alysia as they build a life together in San Francisco after her mother’s death.

Based on Alysia Abbott’s memoir, the film follows their unconventional family through the city’s queer community of the 1970s and into the devastation of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. It shows how love and resilience carried people through a hard chapter in LGBTQ+ history. — Edge Media Network

A Japanese American celebration in Golden Gate Park

BonPOP reimagines the Obon festival with dance, taiko, and ritual led by Japantown artists and cultural practitioners in Golden Gate Park on August 31.

Obon, a 500-year-old tradition originating in Buddhist and Taoist festivals, is marked across Japan each August with temple visits, lanterns, and family gatherings in honor of one’s ancestors — and BonPOP carries that spirit into San Francisco. — BonPOP

Tactile maps

Maps you can feel, shapes that spark memory and imagination — Fully Tactile Art SF’s Exploring Maps exhibition turns navigation into touch, emotion, and connection.

A nonprofit dedicated to free public art, they create spaces that engage all the senses and let artists reimagine how their work is experienced. Runs August 30–September 7. — Fully Tactile Art

Zine dad

Oakland dad, preschool volunteer, and longtime arts and justice professional, Channing Kennedy, draws the family cats for his kids every school day.

He’ll be at Berkeley’s Zine Fest August 23 (sorry for the late notice) and SF Zine Fest next Saturday, August 31, with new zines, cute stickers, and pawsitive vibes. — Berkeley Public Library

Gold Rush underfoot in Old Sacramento

On Sacramento’s riverfront, Old Sacramento still has wooden sidewalks, brick storefronts, and the kind of Gold Rush atmosphere that feels almost staged — except it’s real.

Decades of digs have made it one of the country’s most intensely studied 19th-century sites, with archaeologists unearthing bottles, tools, and everyday scraps of life. A historic district layered over an excavation site turned tourist stop. — Secret San Francisco

Mansion under the bridge

From the road it’s easy to miss, but tucked on Yerba Buena Island there’s a full-size mansion sitting almost directly beneath the Bay Bridge. It looks out at the water but mostly lives in the bridge’s shadow. Built in 1900 for Navy commanders, the Nimitz House once hosted brass and dignitaries, and schoolkids used to stop by with birthday cards for Admiral Chester Nimitz himself.

For a time, the house served as an event venue, which was short-lived due to the constant hum of traffic. These days it’s just another relic on the island — weathered, quiet, and nearly invisible to drivers above. — SFGate

Life in the cracks

Biology educator Mr. Kelkar turns a crack in the Oakland pavement into a classroom, pointing out foxtail, barley seed, marsh parsley, and other hardy invaders.

His whirlwind lesson shows how a handful of species dominate urban landscapes — and what we lose when they crowd out native plants. — Oakland Now

Explosion of color at Lake Merritt

The Lake Merritt gardens are full of dahlias, lined up for the San Leandro Dahlia Society’s annual show. Rows of yellow, pink, purple, orange, and white flowers fill the space, many named after family members or grown from cross-pollinated varieties.

Award-winning blooms like Olivia Maureen and Verde sit alongside favorites like “Just Married.” Each flower must bloom for three years before it can be officially named, ensuring only the strongest varieties make the cut.

After the show, the plants continue to bloom until October, when tubers are dug up, stored, and replanted in spring. Bouquets are sold to support ongoing garden care. — The Oaklandside

Dancing with visitors

For one day only, Alonzo King LINES Ballet steps into Ragnar Kjartansson’s The Visitors, weaving live movement through the iconic video installation on SFMOMA’s sixth floor.

Dancers respond to and expand the work, turning projections into a stage where choreography becomes its own living conversation.

The Visitors installation itself runs through September 28, so catch it while you can. — SFMOMA

Top image: Muttville/Facebook

Field Notes: Recology AIR 35th, Aquatic Park Doc, Rodin with Pipe Organ, and Teen Chase Film

This week’s mix of culture, nature, and flavor includes queer hikes, show-tune karaoke, booza ice cream, an Oakland-based wine company, Lake Temescal swims, Foster City Eichler homes, SF skate history, and bold films at BAMPFA.

Pride in nature

Several LGBTQ+ groups around the Bay Area are hosting outdoor events during Pride Month to create inclusive, welcoming spaces in nature. Activities include birdwatching with Queer Birders Bay Area and Queers of a Feather, which provide gear and beginner-friendly guidance. Queer Surf hosts beach events and lessons that celebrate gender diversity in surfing culture.

Branching Out Adventures and the Rainbow Sierrans lead hikes and camping trips with a focus on accessibility and community-building. The San Francisco Hiking Club, active since the 1980s, continues to connect queer people through weekly scenic treks.—KQED

Show tunes and karaoke

A Broadway-themed singalong bar is opening in SF’s Marina District on June 26, offering a full immersive musical theater experience, including show-tune karaoke, red carpet photo ops, and themed cocktails like the “Ozmopolitan.” From Hamilton to Phantom, it’s your chance to belt it out with fellow fans. Early reservations are now open via SFBucketList.—SFBucketList

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Summer swims and scenic trails at Lake Temescal

Lake Temescal, a serene reservoir in the Oakland Hills, is open daily for the 2025 summer swim season. Just under an hour from SF via BART and bus, it features a sandy beach with lifeguards, a peaceful trail, fishing, picnicking, and WPA-era architecture.

Temescal Creek was dammed in 1868 to provide drinking water to the East Bay, and the lake’s stone beach house dates to the 1930s. Two playgrounds and shady groves round out this East Bay gem.—Secret San Francisco

San Francisco’s skateboarding culture and legacy

SFGovTV’s new short documentary explores how San Francisco helped shape global skateboarding culture. More than just a pastime, skating is part of the city’s identity—etched into its hills, plazas, and neighborhoods. The film highlights its gritty history, iconic street spots, and influential skaters.—SFGovTV

Booza in the Bay

Booza, a stretchy traditional Arab ice cream, is making its mark on the Bay. The rare treat is available at Berkeley’s Roast & Toast, where Palestinian owner Fadi Alhour serves classic and cardamom-rose flavors topped with pistachio and crispy kataifi.

Booza is also sold at Levant Dessert in Menlo Park and SF’s Dalida, and a few local markets carry packaged versions made in Texas. Its elastic texture comes from orchid root and tree resin, making it dense and slow-melting—perfect for summer.—Chronicle

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Changing the face of wine—from Oakland

Jonathan Yang and Tiffani Patton are reimagining wine from their base in Oakland. As the duo behind Laughing Gems, they craft natural wines that reflect their Chinese American and Black and Korean American heritage—designed to pair with the bold flavors they grew up with.

Their fizzy Muscat Pet-Nat and orange Muscat “Florascent” cut through rich foods, and their labels feature playful designs by local artists. They got their start at Purity Wine in Richmond, and now they're building a culture that feels like home.—EaterSF

Eichlers, bayfront living, and fair housing

Foster City is home to 200 Mid-Century Modern Eichler homes built between 1964–1966 across three neighborhoods. Known for their open layouts, glass walls, and indoor-outdoor flow, the homes reflect a bold vision of equitable housing championed by developer Joseph Eichler, who sold to buyers of all races when discrimination was still legal.

While some have been remodeled, others are being lovingly restored. Their legacy is matched by Foster City's original vision of blending modern living with open space and nature.—The Eichler Network

Global stories and bold directors at BAMPFA

Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive’s Summer and Fall 2025 film lineup explores memory, identity, and endurance across international cinema. Programs include Robert Altman at 100 and In Lonely Places, expanding noir into uncanny suburbs and isolation.

Retrospectives of Tsai Ming-liang, Mikio Naruse, and Tarkovsky highlight solitude and human connection, while works by Vivien Hillgrove and Bruce Conner showcase transformation through editing. From The 400 Blows to A Photographic Memory, it’s a season of storytelling that spans continents and generations.—Broke-Ass Stuart

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Top image: Still from 'A Photographic Memory,' screening at BAMPFA on June 28 and July 20

Previously: Field Notes: New Peninsula Trail Network, Nesting Falcons, and Black History in California

This weekend: Scenes from Carnaval and Chinatown Pride. Last week: A BART wedding, a Muni tram, a Seth Rogan rom-com, and AI bots on the fritz; This week: book festival, menstrual dignity day, pro-wrestling, and SF LGBT Center block party.

Weekend Highlights:

Here are some last-minute additions before we close out the weekend. Scroll ahead for last week's round-up, followed by things to do in the coming week.

• The Chronicle and Mission Local posted some galleries showcasing the weekend-long Carnaval celebration in the Mission.
• And some lively scenes from Saturday’s Chinatown Pride:

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• A bright streak over the Bay Area Saturday night was the SpaceX Dragon returning from the International Space Station and touching down off California’s coast, NASA confirmed, as reported by KRON4.
• According to California Academy of Sciences, the next few weeks are prime Tidepool time, as the tide is low enough for searching for star fish and other intertidal creatures. See their Tidepooling 101 guide, as well as some of the best tidepooling spots in the Bay Area.

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Week in Review:

Wrapping up the week of May 19–25.

Transit Highs and Lows

• Muni’s boat tram is back for the summer.
• A couple got married on BART (!).
• Muni hit a maintenance snag at Embarcadero Station on Wednesday, halting service between Embarcadero and Van Ness.
• An electrical fire at San Leandro BART caused major delays Tuesday and shut down the Green Line through May 27.

Scandals and Legal Trouble

• A Sonoma County real estate mogul was arrested in a gym parking lot after allegedly scamming nearly 200 investors out of millions.
• The Parks Alliance is under fire — its own chair called it a “dumpster fire.”
• The rookie cop who got a DUI has been fired and charged with multiple counts.

Politics and Public Safety

• Barbara Lee was sworn in as Oakland mayor.
• Organizers behind the Recall Joel Engardio Campaign are moving forward.
• Speed cameras are catching 1,000 drivers a day.
• There were two suspicious fires at Lafayette Elementary School in Outer Richmond.
• ICE agents were seen inside Bay Area courthouses, with one man arrested outside Concord court.

Crime and Cannabis

• A Glendale woman was arrested at SFO for allegedly trying to fly with 151 pounds of cannabis.
• Synthetic cannabis is reportedly being smuggled into prisons via doctored legal paperwork.
• Two people were fatally shot at the same Oakland intersection within two days.
• One person was shot (non-fatally) in SF’s Potrero Hill neighborhood.
• The killer in the 42-year-old murder case of a Vacaville teen got a life sentence, and he’s already serving a sentence for a different murder..
• Three suspects were arrested in Berkeley after a failed carjacking attempt in SF’s Potrero Hill led to a police pursuit across the Bay Bridge on Friday afternoon.

Film, Art, and Tech

• Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde were seen filming a rom-com in the Mission.
• Artist Armand Vaillancourt flew in from Montreal to defend his 1971 Brutalist fountain at Embarcadero Plaza, which is at risk of being removed in the city’s proposed redesign.
• Square is moving into the old Lucca Ravioli space — turning it into a product store.
• Musk’s AI chatbot went on the fritz, talking about fictional South African “white genocide.”
• Amazon-backed AI model, Claude Opus 4 reportedly attempted to blackmail engineers, and earlier versions were willing to assist with harmful activities.

The Week Ahead

Things to do during the week of May 26–June 1.

Tuesday:

Comic-actor David Dean Bottrell (Modern Family, Frasier) presents Teenage Wasteland: Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen, a one-man show featuring five hilariously raw stories of adolescent heartbreak and awkwardness. Tuesday, May 27, 7–8:30 p.m. // Eclectic Box SF, 446 Valencia St // $15

Wednesday:

Celebrate Menstrual Dignity Day with a screening of the documentary Periodical, hosted by DailyBasis and Haus of Flow. The evening includes wellness mocktails, light bites, a Q&A on menstrual health, and a donation drive for PERIOD., a nonprofit fighting period poverty. Attendees are encouraged to bring menstrual products to support local women in need. Wednesday, May 28, 6–8:30 p.m. // NEON, 1974 Union St // $7

Friday:

West Coast Pro Wrestling returns to The Foundry for When The Lights Go Down In The City, an all-ages night of high-impact action. Featured wrestlers include Lee Moriarty, Starboy Charlie, Adam Priest, Vinnie Massaro, Jiah Jewell, and Maggie Lee, with more to be announced. Friday, May 30, 6–10 p.m. // The Foundry, 1425 Folsom St // $25

Saturday:

The SF LGBT Center kicks off Pride season with Building the Block: House Party at their iconic purple building on Market Street. This all-ages, official SF Pride event features live entertainment, an art exhibit, Queer & Well workshops, a free clothes closet, bang trims, a fat-positive flea market, community resources, and more. Saturday, May 31, Noon–6 p.m. // SF LGBT Center, 1800 Market St // free, all ages

The 11th Annual Bay Area Book Festival returns to Downtown Berkeley with two packed days of literary programming, headliner events, and a vibrant outdoor fair. Presented by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, the festival features Family Day (co-hosted with the Social Justice Children’s Book Fair), writers’ workshops, six indoor stages, a Bookworm Block Party, and more. Saturday May 31–Sunday, June 1 // Downtown Berkeley // free, all ages

Sunday:

Join fellow film lovers for the Bay Area Indies 2025 Film Festival, featuring 18 short films from local independent filmmakers. Expect a powerful mix of storytelling styles—from noir to satire to heartfelt drama. Sunday, June 1, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. // Delancey Street Screening Room, 600 The Embarcadero // $25, 14+

Previously: Last Week, This Week: Chinatown Pride Silent Disco and Drag Procession

This week, 4/21-27: Five-day sustainable fashion exhibition; queer-oriented climate meetup; live-painting and art auction; two-day celebration of queer country-western dance culture; and the 5th anniversary of the JFK Promenade.

Monday

• Rethink the Runway presents Threads of Change, an immersive, five-day sustainable fashion exhibition taking place during SF Climate Week. Featuring guided tours and work by Bay Area designers, the event highlights innovative, upcycled, and regenerative fashion—from 3D weaving tech to curated vintage—showcasing how creativity can drive climate-conscious change in the fashion industry.
  Monday, April 21 – Friday, April 25 // Tours offered daily at 4pm, 5pm, and 6pm // Humanmade, 655 Bryant St // Suggested donation: $10

Tuesday

• Rooted in Rainbows is SF Climate Week’s first queer-centered event, celebrating the intersection of LGBTQ+ identity and climate action. The evening features trivia, drag performances, and community-building aimed at uplifting queer visibility and leadership within the environmental movement.
  Tuesday, April 22, 6–10 pm // Buzzworks, 365 11th St // Free

Wednesday

• Art Battle is a live painting and creative competition in which local artists face off in three timed rounds, creating original works before a live audience. Spectators play a key role by voting for their favorite pieces and helping crown the night’s champion. All artwork created during the event will be available for purchase through a silent auction, giving guests the chance to take home a one-of-a-kind piece.
  Wednesday, April 23, doors 7pm; painting 8pm // The Great Northern, 119 Utah Street // $21 – $26.26 // 21+

Saturday

• The San Francisco Dance Film Festival presents a two-night event celebrating queer country-western dance culture. The event kicks off on Saturday with a screening of Last Dance at the Sundance Stompede, an impassioned documentary capturing the final year of the iconic queer country-western dance event and its legacy of joy, resilience, and community. The premiere includes a Q&A with the filmmakers, and live performances, and some dancing. Ticketholders to Saturday’s event will then head on down to Sundance Saloon on Sunday night for some lessons and line-dancing.
  Saturday, April 26 // Brava Theater, 2781 24th St // $30.65

Sunday

• Celebrate five years of the beloved car-free JFK Promenade with a lively picnic hosted by Walk SF and partners. Enjoy family-friendly activities, lawn games, drag performances, a talk on the history of car-free spaces, and a birthday raffle.
  Sunday, April 27, Noon – 3pm // Peacock Meadow at JFK Promenade // Free

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The second annual PROXY and HERE FOR NOW Fall Film Festival in Hayes Valley is set to kick off this Friday, and they just released their full lineup of films.

Whereas many outdoor film festivals often showcase older movies (usually because it's easier or cheaper to license them), PROXY looks to showcase some fairly recent, modern flicks at their outdoor theater. What's more, the films are geared toward adult audiences, with four rated-R films.

Here's your lineup, complete with descriptions from PROXY's post about the event.

Friday, September 22: I Am Not Your Negro
Directed by Raoul Peck, 2016 [PG-13]

In 1979, James Baldwin wrote to his literary agent describing his next project, Remember This House, a revolutionary, personal account of the lives and successive assassinations of three of his close friends—Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. At the time of Baldwin’s death in 1987, he left behind only thirty pages of his manuscript. In this incendiary new documentary, filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished: a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, confronting the deeper connections between the lives and assassination of these three leaders, the civil rights movement, and #BlackLivesMatter.

Friday, September 29: The Big Sick
Directed by Michael Showalter, 2017 [R]

Based on the real-life courtship between Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon — the screenplay’s co-authors — The Big Sick tells the story of Pakistan-born aspiring comedian Kumail (played by Nanjiani), who connects with grad student Emily (Zoe Kazan) after one of his standup sets. What they thought would be just a one-night stand blossoms into the real thing, complicating the life Kumail’s traditional Muslim parents have planned for him. When Emily is beset with a mystery illness, Kumail must navigate the medical crisis with her parents, Beth and Terry (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano), while dealing with the emotional tug-of-war between his family and his heart.

Friday, October 6: Landline
Directed by Gillian Robespierre, 2017 [R]

When two sisters suspect their father (John Turturro) may be having an affair, it sends them into a tailspin that reveals cracks in the family façade. For the first time, older sister Dana (Jenny Slate), recently engaged and struggling with her own fidelity, finds herself bonding with her wild teenage sister Ali (Abby Quinn). The two try to uncover the truth without tipping off their mother (Edie Falco) and discover the messy reality of love and sex in the process. Set in 1990s Manhattan, Landline is a warm, insightful and comedic drama about a family united by secrets and lies.

Friday, October 13: A Ghost Story
Directed by David Lowery, 2017 [R]

With A Ghost Story, director David Lowery returns with a singular exploration of legacy, loss, and the essential human longing for meaning and connection. Recently deceased, a white-sheeted ghost (Casey Affleck) returns to his suburban home to console his bereft wife (Rooney Mara), only to find that in his spectral state he has become unstuck in time, forced to watch passively as the life he knew and the woman he loves slowly slip away. Increasingly unmoored, the ghost embarks on a cosmic journey through memory and history, confronting life’s ineffable questions and the enormity of existence. An unforgettable meditation on love and grief, A Ghost Story emerges ecstatic and surreal—a wholly-unique experience that lingers long after the credits roll.

Friday, October 20: PATTI CAKE$
Directed by Geremy Jasper, 2017 [R]

In a coming-of-age story straight out of Jersey, an unlikely rapper finds her voice as a one-of-a-kind hip-hop legend in the making in PATTI CAKE$, the first feature film from acclaimed commercial and music-video director Geremy Jasper. Set in gritty strip-mall suburbia, PATTI CAKE$ chronicles an underdog’s quest for fame and glory with humor, raw energy and some unforgettable beats.

Additionally, SF Weekly shared some helpful rules if you're planning on stopping by: don't BYOB, make sure you check the ratings if you've got little ones coming with, and even though all the showings start at 7:30 p.m., it is outdoors, so roll in whenever. Just, you know, don't be obnoxious when you do it. Yeah, it's an outdoor movie, but come on, be polite, alright?

If you did want to get your drink on, PROXY's walk-in theater offers food and drink. Also, there are a couple of bars nearby (Biergarten, Brass Tacks, Dobbs, Noir Lounge, and many, many more). You've got options is what we're getting at.

Previously: Outdoor Cinema In Hayes Valley Becomes Non-Profit After Kickstarter Fails

San Rafael's Peacock Gap neighborhood might want to change its name to Tinseltown.

The Marin Independent Journal (breathlessly) reports that crews from both Transformers Universe: Bumblebee and Netflix's 13 Reasons Why are currently filming in the neighborhood.

Heavy security surrounds both productions, complete with officers from the San Rafael Police Department, and according to at least the Transformers folks, they have no idea how long they will be in town. Art takes time.

Apparently the code name for the Transformers movie is Brighton Falls. This is definitely the most exciting thing to happen to the region since Scott Peterson moved in.

Meanwhile, the Chronicle has the scoop that Transformers Universe: Bumblebee is set in a 1987 California beach town and stars Hailee Seinfeld as a mechanic and John Cena as presumably some sort of robot. The film is aiming for a Summer 2018 release.

13 Reasons Why, the controversial Selena Gomez-produced Netflix show about teen suicide, already filmed some scenes for their second season at San Rafael High School and plans to shoot in Marin, Martinez, and Vallejo throughout the remainder of the year. (Remember when we told you they were casting locally?)

There is not yet word on that production's secret code name.

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Related: Two Bay Area Families Say Netflix's '13 Reasons Why' Triggered Their Teens' Suicides

by Jessica Lachenal

While many people turn to cellphone photos, videos, or even journaling to remember the things that are important to them, artist Frank Wong turned to an art form once thought exclusive only to young children with dollhouses: miniatures.

Wong's dioramas depict a San Francisco Chinatown-gone-by, and the detail shown in each one is nothing short of incredible. In Forever, Chinatown, documentarian James Q. Chan seeks to learn more about Wong's story after stumbling upon an exhibit showcasing his work at the Chinese Historical Society of America.

In addition to talking about the whys and wherefores of his craft, Wong shares some wonderful gems about his own views on memory and nostalgia, which he admits may be coloring his own creations. "Memories get more fuzzy, and get more beautiful as the years go by," Wong explains. He goes on to say, "All my miniatures are composites. It’s half wishing, half memory."

But while the memories may be fuzzy, what's clear is Wong's sheer, unabashed love for the SF Chinatown of his youth. His perspective and love for his art and his home all feel a bit like a breath of fresh air in a culture so packed with discussion and arguments over gentrification and the polarization of wealth. And while the documentary certainly makes room for these discussions, its true heart seems to lie in the story of one man's tender, honest attempts to hold on to a fleeting, lost memory of a city that is no more.

Forever, Chinatown screened today at the Great Star Theater, and was shown on PBS to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month this past May. You can keep an eye on the film's Twitter for future screenings or sign up for the mailing list here.

A selection of Wong's dioramas are also on permanent display at the Chinese Historical Society of America (965 Clay Street).

Salma Hayek, who's starring in the new film How to Be A Latin Lover, has just done this cute explainer video for Vanity Fair translating various Mexican slang phrases — some of which have both literal and idiomatic meanings — like "Que pedo?" which translates as "what a fart," but is used to mean "What's up?"

Also we have "Eso que ni que," which translates literally as "That what neither what," but is used to mean, "That's for sure."

How to Be A Latin Lover tells the story of Maximo (Eugenio Derbez), who at a young age became the trophy husband of a wealthy older woman who, 25 years later at age 80, decides to dump him for a young car salesman (Michael Cera). He's then forced to move in with his estranged sister (Hayek), and start his life over again.

The trailer for that is below.

[h/t: Laughing Squid]

"It feels like a secret performance" Isaac Sherman, a projectionist at the Mission's Roxie Theater tells KQED. Their lovely video, shot by Claudia Escobar, takes us inside the projection booth at the Roxie where that secret performance takes place. Jim Lung and Linda Scobie are the other projectionists at the Roxie, and together, the trio that spans two generations are keeping the world of reel-to-reel film spinning.

The Roxie, the oldest of San Francisco's movie theaters, is now run as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Most recently, it received a three-year extension from its landlord the summer before last, so you can expect to not see Lung, Scobie, and Sherman making your movies happen at the Roxie for at least a couple of years to come.

Related: The Roxie Theater, SF's Oldest Cinema, Gets A Three-Year Reprieve From Landlord

Gosling fans, hold onto your seats. The San Francisco Film Society is hosting a special screening on December 8 of the already Oscar-buzzworthy movie musical La La Land, at the Castro Theatre, and guess who's going to be there live in person!! Stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are both going to be there for a live Q&A, along with co-star John Legend (who also composed a song for the film), and director Damien Chazelle.

The event is a first-of-its-kind award ceremony called SF Honors, a new award from the SF Film Society made possible by a gift from Board Vice President Todd Traina and his mom, Dede Wilsey. Traina has served on the board since 2009, and the award — $1 million over ten years — is meant to celebrate innovation in current cinema, and will come with an annual event like this one with a screening and special onstage tribute to the creators and cast of one of the year's best films.

"Innovation and audacity are values cherished here in San Francisco," says SF Film Society Executive Director Noah Cowan in a release. "We are grateful to Todd Traina and Diane Wilsey for their enormous generosity in launching SF Honors. Their gift will allow us to celebrate the remarkable and unique fusion of music and film that is Damien Chazelle's La La Land, adding our enthusiastic support to the film's impressive award season run."

The movie has already been heralded by the New York Times' Manohla Dargis as being able to "make musicals matter again" in a way that has eluded great directors for several decades. And, she writes, after watching it a second time after the election and surrendering to its dance numbers with Gosling and Stone, "I realized that this must have been what it was like to watch Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers during the Great Depression."

La La Land opens in theaters nationwide on December 9. Tickets ($25) for the Castro screening and event are now at rush, which means only film society members can get access to advance tickets, and some tickets will be available day-of at the theater. Maybe it's time to think about a film society membership?

I'm Not Fascinating—The Movie! The Trailer from danny plotnick on Vimeo.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the first screening of I'm Not Fascinating, a 1996 film centered on the arguably terrible San Francisco garage-punk trio The Icky Boyfriends, who were well known for being able to clear a room as soon as they took the stage.

Bandmates Jon Swift, Shea Bond, and Anthony Bedard didn't even have a name for their trio when they were offered a gig opening for the Melvins a few months after the Loma Prieta earthquake, April 8, 1990 — the same night as the premiere of Twin Peaks. They called themselves The Icky Boyfriends, and managed to piss off the booker and most of the audience that night, but nonetheless got an offer from a small record label to release their first single. Five years later, as KQED recounts, just weeks before Swift planned to leave the city for good, bringing the band to an end, filmmaker Danny Plotnick shot I'm Not Fascinating, a self-mocking, John Waters-esque, fictionalized day-in-the-life about the band, loosely modeled on A Hard Day's Night.

The film went on to be screened on both coasts, get translated into French, and bring some cult notoriety to the defunct band, which the East Bay Express also recounted in 2014. The film includes scenes shot at the warehouse of long-gone Mordam Records, and at an early location of Aquarius Records, and depicts a scrappy side of San Francisco in an era when everyone had a band, and lived on the cheap. As Bedard tells KQED, "There was almost a reverse snobbery in that if you found out anybody was paying more than $300 a month for rent, they were immediately suspected of being a yuppie."

In honor of the 20th anniversary, Plotnick and Bedard had a high-quality digital transfer of the film made, and they're considering putting it out on DVD.

I'm Not Fascinating - The Movie! screens on Monday, November 21, at Alamo Drafthouse in the Mission. Get tickets here.

A Janis Joplin biopic that's been several years in the making now has a new celebrity signed on to star, Michelle Williams. As E! News reports, the film, based on the book Love, Janis by Joplin's sister, Laura Joplin, will be directed by Sean Durkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene).

Of landing the iconic role, Williams tells E!, "I figure there’s one good day in the life of an actor, which is when you get the job. Before you get the job, you’re like, ‘Come on! I’m begging. I’m dying for this. I gotta have it! Please, I’ll do anything. I promise…Take me! Take me!' You get the job and you're like, 'I got it! I'm so excited! I can't believe I have this opportunity. I can't believe I'm going to get to do this.' And then you start worrying the next day. I'm in the worrying-the-next-day phase."

This same film originally had Tony-winning actress Nina Arianda (Venus in Fur) attached, as we learned in 2012, but the script has clearly made the rounds since.

At the time, it was reported that the film would include "21 of Joplin's best-known songs."

And, just as we did then, we remind you of Jenna Maroney's portrayal of Janet Jopler singing "A Little Chunk of My Lung" on 30 Rock, because they, on the show, hadn't yet paid for Janis Joplin's life rights, or songs.