I spent today planning a special birthday party for Dan. In honor of his favorite book, I organized a 9-course progressive Harry Potter-themed party with Hogwarts games and amazing decorations and… oh wait, no, that was Lori. Creative little sister Lori.
I did watch the next stage of the Diviz corridor beautification go up though– new street lamps!
Before
During
After
Doesn't it seem more peaceful already?
We’ve been here for almost 5 years now and I keep learning new things about the neighborhood.
1. One of my favorite middle school teachers from Concord grew up in a house 1/2 block down the street (learned via email exchange after a Christmas card). Back when Divisadero St. had gas lamps (!).
2. The site of Patty Hearst’s captivity is only a couple of blocks away. The apartment that housed the little closet she was kept in –I pass it when I walk down to my new favorite coffee place. The local neighborhood bike organization recently had a day ride which included a stop at this little bit of Bay Area history. Too bad I was at work that day …
That’s the theme of this year’s Noir City film festival. Or Noir City 8. I remember when this was a smaller festival at the Balboa theater in the outer Richmond. SF’s insatiable appetite for things noir have helped the festival snowball and it has since moved to bigger digs at the Castro. Crowds are big and their enthusiasm rivals that of the gay and lesbian film festival. I make a point of seeing one or two films each year, but in 2010, with the encouragement of Noir-o-phile Kuma, I made it to 8 screenings. If you are thinking of a trip to SF, don’t forget late Jan as a great time to visit a really fun festival.
Feb 1 Update: Noir-o-phile K provided me with some information about the previous locations for the festival. It turns out that the Balboa was a temporary home for Noir City, not the location of its humble beginnings. Thanks, K!
Eddie Muller mentioned tonight that the reason they left the Castro Theatre for two years was due to some personal politics. Apparently someone who’d worked with him on the Noir fest (program director?) was let go from the Castro, and out of friendship with her, he moved the film festival out of the Castro. But things got patched up, and so they’re back.
now all we need is a fem fatale
Half of the fun, of course, is enjoying corny lines or ones which have not aged well (“Are you a dick?”). Or to gasp at the amazingly overt sexism of the era. They always show a few classics like “The Asphalt Jungle”, but the real treat is seeing the “not available on DVD” rarities.
In addition to the movies, there was a noir bookstore, vintage program vixens and opportunities to get your mug shot taken. Some creative type had also made a really lovely tribute to noir which got a lot of play prior to the features:
bonus trailer:
I just finished Hilary Mantel’s Booker Prize-winning novel Wolf Hall. Mom and Dad gave it to Troy, but in true Tudor fashion, I saw my chance, and intervened. I don’t normally read fiction, let alone 500-page works of fiction, but I wrote a long paper in college about Tudor government, and her main character is Thomas Cromwell, so I was sympathetic to the subject matter. She is a Very Good Writer. I will have more to say after Master Barber has read it.
Below are arrayed portraits of some of Mantel’s dramatis personae, borrowed from Wikipedia. The depiction of Thomas Cromwell, by Hans Holbein the Younger, features prominently in her book.
Thomas Cromwell
Does he have the face of a murderer? Read the book and find out … (more Tudor peoples below the fold) …
… on a Saturday puzzle. You’ve only got 6 minutes left, in the hour you’ve allotted. Just a small corner left … but still, it eludes you. “12-Down: Hard-to-please wedding participant.” B-R-I-D-E-?-?-?-L-? … What the bleep is that?
Then suddenly, the lightbulb in your boyfriend’s head goes off!
The answer.
Yes! Thank you Troy. Just in the nick of time.
I know it’s a little late for a 2009 superlative list. Nonetheless, I thought i’d go thru my google calendar and netflix history and rank the 2009 movies that i’ve seen so far. i think this is all of them (not including gay film festival or obviously pre-2009 movies). I have to say that I enjoyed all but the bottom 3 or 4. My grade for Three Monkeys may be inflated b/c it was such a pleasant surprise– a small turkish movie that came and went quickly at the Kabuki. I saw it with one other person in the entire theater and just was enthralled by the color and cinematography. I need to see the director’s other films now (they are in the q).
Three Monkeys
Avatar
Inglourius Basterds
A Serious Man
The White Ribbon
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
In the Loop
Julia
Precious
(500) Days of Summer
An Education
A Single Man
Moon
Unmade Beds
Sin Nombre*
Star Trek
Up
The Watchmen
Broken Embraces
Away We Go*
Ravanche
Medicine for Melancoly
Up in the Air
Still Walking
I Love You Man*
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
Where The Wild Things Are
Gomorrah
The Cove*
Duplicity
Public Enemies
Departures
Paper Heart
G-Force
9
Don’t forget I still haven’t seen Nine, The Last Station or 2012
Here are a few of the best new restrooms I came across this year. I’m afraid it won’t be as comprehensive as 2008, but think of it as the best of the best:
Pizzetta 211, the Richmond, SF- a tiny little bathroom in the back of this tiny pizzeria has a tiny little TV above the loo with a video of the canals of Venice (sorry it doesn’t capture well):
that's entertainment
view from the sink mirror
Gitane, downtown SF- Winner of the most lovely restroom and the most difficult to find. You might walk right by the hidden door, but the challenge is worth it. Take a look:
more on the other side…
In case you were wondering, after 4 months of construction, the entire stretch of Diviz from Geary to Waller is now complete. As of an hour ago, you can drive the entire stretch on smooth virgin blacktop. It’s been a period of blocked and diverted traffic, slow buses, PGE pipe work, blocked driveways– but now we have a lovely new Divisadero. Not to mention new ADA curb cuts, bus bulbouts, and dirt medians to replace the old cement ones. New young trees are now being planted in the median (no word yet if large “signature” trees will go in at the Oak/Fell block). Next steps are supposed to include styling street lights to replace our current utilitarian ones and mark one more step in the Diviz corridor gentrification.
from the first day of work-- the McAllister/Fulton block
one of the last blocks done
Do not try this at home. (I didn’t). Or else get lots of rest first. All times calibrated to PST (UTC-8); your results may vary.
It rotates.
Wake up @ 2:50 am or so. Brush teeth.
3 am – Drink a Steinlager. Because it’s from New Zealand (UTC+13).
4 am – Sip an “orange phosphate”, to honor the phosphate mining that has devastated the environment of Nauru (UTC+12). And yes, I know it’s impossible to get phosphoric acid anymore; so have an orange Fanta instead.
5 am – Enjoy a Toohey’s New. And sing Waltzing Matilda (UTC+11).
6 am – Snack on plantain chips, (sliced and fried in oil) and think of Guam (UTC+10).
7 am – Eat a rice ball (preferably with smoked salmon) and have some cold green tea. My Japanese breakfast (UTC+9).
8 am – Haul my happy self down to Chinatown, for dim sum, or whatever else I can find that early in the morning (UTC+8).
9 am – Singha Beer. Because it’s Thailand time (UTC+7).
10 am – Fire up the movie Travellers and Magicians. To dream of Bhutan (UTC+6).
noon – Watch a replay of the 2009 Fifa Club World Cup final, held in Abu Dhabi (UTC+4). Fast forward, as there are only three goals.
1 pm – Sit down at Axum Cafe, an Ethiopian restaurant (UTC+3) in the Lower Haight. Appetizers only.
2 pm –Grab a bottle of Ouzo at a nearby liquor store and take a few sips of this Greek (UTC+2) beverage. Stagger toward Hayes Valley.
3 pm – Snack on some macaroons (pardon moi, “macarons”) from Paulette. Wash them down with a Belgian beer from Frijtz (UTC+1).
4 pm – Back down to Haight Street, for a Guinness or a Murphy’s or whatever the hell they’re serving at Danny Coyle’s Irish Pub (UTC+0). Sláinte!
And some fish and chips, since we’re not in a hurry. And they’re English.
5 pm – Think of the Azores. Walk down Haight Street.
6 pm – Grab dinner at Espetus Churrascaria Brazilian (UTC–2) Steak House, at the corner of Haight and Market Streets. Brad can recommend.
7 pm – Keep eating. It’s still midnight in Brazil.
8 pm – Raise a glass of Canadian whiskey, in honor of the maritime provinces (UTC–4).
9 pm – Troy would insist on a Manhattan (UTC–5). I couldn’t refuse at this point.
10 pm – Heat up some Little Star leftovers. That’s Chicago-style (UTC–6) pizza in case you’re interested.
11 pm – Sopaipillas at NOPA, in honor of New Mexico (UTC–7). Or something from Green Chile Kitchen. I can’t decide. What time is it?
midnight – Happy New Year! Champagne, or perhaps French 75’s, made with simple syrup, lemon juice, and two California (UTC–8) products: Junipero Gin and Iron Horse sparkling wine.
1 am – Stand outside, and enjoy the cold. It’s colder in Alaska (UTC–9).
2 am – I’ve been saving that Spam musubi all day. It tastes sooooo good right now (UTC–10). With a Primo beer.
Collapse on the sofa, or the nearest soft place. Sleep.
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