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SUNDAY DECEMBER 8-MONDAY
DECEMBER 9
GAY CHORUS DEEP SOUTH Sun 1:30, 6:15; Mon
2:30, 7:00
Q&A following the 7:00 screening on Dec 9!
BUY TICKETS
To combat the reemergence
of anti-LGBTQ+ laws and hate crimes brought upon by
the Trump era, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus
boldly toured areas of the southern United States,
bringing their message of love and inclusion for
everyone. Juxtaposing chorus members’ modern-day
encounters with historical perspectives, director
David Charles Rodrigues chronicles this intense and
inspirational journey. Fueled by fantastic music,
this dynamic documentary captures the heart and soul
of a contemporary civil rights movement. –SFFILM
(2019, 98 min, DCP)
WATCH TRAILER
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SUNDAY DECEMBER 8-MONDAY
DECEMBER 9
PAIN AND GLORY Sun 3:45, 8:30; Mon 4:30,
9:15 BUY TICKETS
Antonio Banderas won
the Cannes Film Festival’s Best Actor award for his
performance as Salvador Mallo, a filmmaker whose
career and health are on the wane. The revival of
one of Mallo’s greatest films sparks a renewed
collaboration with lead actor Alberto Crespo (Asier
Etxeandia), the fruits of which send Mallo on a
collision course with his past, and might just open
the door to a brighter future. Though not 100%
autobiographical, the latest film from Pedro
Almodóvar is unmistakably one of his most keenly
personal works, and is one of 2019’s greatest,
loveliest movies. With Penélope Cruz, luminous in
flashbacks as Mallo’s loving, determined mother.
(2019, in Spanish with English subtitles, 113 min,
DCP) WATCH TRAILER
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TUESDAY DECEMBER 10 & WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11
The Long Now Foundation's
Seminars About Long-term Thinking presents: Rick Prelinger, Lost Landscapes of San Francisco, 14

Our annual Lost Landscapes of San Francisco show
with Rick Prelinger will run for 2 nights this year
and a portion of the proceeds are going directly to
support the
Prelinger Library!
This is,
unbelievably, the 14th year of LOST LANDSCAPES OF
SAN FRANCISCO. Combining a year of exciting archival
discoveries with evergreen favorites from past
years, this feature-length program shows San
Francisco's people, neighborhoods, infrastructures
and celebrations from the early 20th century through
the 01980s.
New sequences this year run the
gamut from the streets of noirish downtown San
Francisco in the 01940s to the lively Mission,
Richmond, Sunset and Ingleside Terrace districts;
family life just prior to World War II; bohemia,
psychedelia and punk; newly discovered footage of
the late, lamented Sky Tram and the unlamented
Bayside Motel and Embarcadero Freeway; horsing
around on the Rainier Beer loading dock in 01937;
water and transit infrastructure; a hobo by the zoo;
Cinemascope footage from the 01950s; the building of
I-280; and many intimate glimpses of Latinx,
Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Black and white
families.
As always, the audience makes the
soundtrack at the glorious Castro Theatre! Come
prepared to identify places, people and events, to
ask questions and to engage in spirited real-time
repartee with fellow audience members.
The Wednesday showing will also feature a
presentation on the Prelinger Library, San
Francisco's famed experimental research library that
supports artists, historians, community members, and
researchers of all kinds. On both evenings you can
purchase $50 Prelinger Library Patron Tickets, which
includes reserved seating in the theater.
Get tickets
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THURSDAY DECEMBER 12
SPECIAL EVENT
SFFILM Presents Part of
Member Screenings
1917 7:00
Director Sam Mendes,
actors George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman,
screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns, and cinematographer
Roger Deakins are expected to attend and participate
in a post-screening Q&A.

Sam Mendes, the Oscar-winning director of
Skyfall, Spectre, and American Beauty,
brings his singular vision to his World War I epic,
1917. At the height of the First World War, two young
British soldiers, Schofield (Captain Fantastic’s
George MacKay) and Blake (Game of Thrones’
Dean-Charles Chapman) are given a seemingly impossible
mission. In a race against time, they must cross enemy
territory and deliver a message that will stop a
deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers—Blake’s own
brother among them. (2019 | 119 min | DCP) WATCH TRAILER
RSVP
https://sffilm.org/event/1917/ |
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FRIDAY DECEMBER 13
DOUBLE FEATURE BUY TICKETS
THE
LIGHTHOUSE 5:00, 9:15
In the
1890s, a pair of lighthouse keepers (Willem
Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, both excellent)
dutifully tend to their work: cleaning the
tower, maintaining the lamp, and going
completely, utterly insane. Director Robert
Eggers brings an eye for period detail and an
ear for the language to this dreamy and
intricate work, a black-and-white reverie
rooted in 19th century literature and nautical
life. One of the year's oddest pleasures, with
a grandly spooky score by Mark Korwen. (2019,
110 min, DCP) WATCH TRAILER |
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GASLIGHT 7:05 Ingrid Bergman
won the first of her three Oscars for this
taut psychological thriller about a woman
whose seemingly charming new husband (Charles
Boyer) launches a campaign of terror designed
to drive her insane after they move into her
family’s Victorian mansion. Multi-leveled and
ceaselessly entertaining, George Cukor’s film
features Joseph Cotton, Dame May Whitty, and
teenaged Angela Landsbury in her screen debut.
(1944, 114 min, 35mm) |
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SATURDAY
DECEMBER 14
SPECIAL EVENT
Peaches Christ
Productions Is Proud To Present...
FEMLINS! our live, musical
parody of everyone's favorite '80s twisted XMAS movie,
"Gremlins" CUTE - NOT CLEVER - NOT BUTCH - BUT THEIR
MAKEUP IS FIERCE! DON'T GIVE THEM VODKA - DON'T GIVE
THEM PADDING - AND KEEP THEM AWAY FROM SILICON!
Starring the gorgeous and indelible talents of
MIZ
CRACKER as PHOEBE CRACKER,
DETOX as LOVING MOTHER ,
PHI PHI O' HARA as JIZMO,
MIGITTE NIELSEN as GRETA
STRIPE and
PEACHES CHRIST as NASTY OLD LADY and more!
Written by Peaches Christ and Michael Varrati.
Besides our riotous musical stage show, we'll also
have a fabulous '80s Icons Costume Contest! Be sure to
enter to win fabulous prizes!
** Unlike recent
Peaches Christ Productions, this event
WILL be
followed be a movie screening. In celebration of
GREMLINS' 35th Anniversary, a ticket purchase is for
both the stage show and the screening of the film!
Complete with new 4K restoration DCP struck in honor
of the anniversary!**
Doors open 90 minutes
before show for Platinum Peach & VIP ticket holders
and 1 hr before show for Orchestra and Balcony ticket
holders. Will Call tickets available for pickup 90
minutes before doors open, at 1pm and 5pm
respectively. Tickets at
http://store.peacheschrist.com/products/212-femlins.aspx |
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SUNDAY DECEMBER 15
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
($16/$12)
MOANA
Sing-Along Noon
BUY TICKETS
Hosted by Laurie
Bushman & Friend.
The epic journey
continues for Moana fans with Walt Disney
Animation Studios’ sing-along version of their
critically-lauded comedy adventure hit. With
all the lyrics on-screen, experience the joy
of singing along to the songs you already love
in the company of many other delighted,
enthusiastic fans. And don’t forget the goodie
bags and costume contest! Directed by the
renowned filmmaking team of Ron Clements and
John Musker (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin), and
starring the voices of Auli’i Cravalho and
Dwayne Johnson. “You’re welcome!” (2016, full
show approx 120 min, DCP ‘Scope) |
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SUNDAY DECEMBER 15 through TUESDAY DECEMBER 17
THE IRISHMAN 3:00,
7:00 BUY TICKETS
Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci star in
Martin Scorsese’s long-awaited epic saga of organized
crime in post-war America, as told through the eyes of
World War II veteran Frank Sheeran (De Niro), a
hustler and hitman who worked alongside some of the
most notorious figures of the 20th century. Spanning
decades, the film chronicles one of the greatest
unsolved mysteries in American history, the
disappearance of legendary union boss Jimmy Hoffa
(Pacino), and offers a monumental journey through the
hidden corridors of organized crime: its inner
workings, rivalries, and connections to mainstream
politics. Harvey Keitel, Anna Paquin , Jesse Plemons,
Ray Romano, and Bobby Cannavale co-star. (2019, 209
min, 4K DCP) WATCH TRAILER
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WEDNESDAY
DECEMBER 18
SPECIAL EVENT
NOIR CITY XMAS 2019
Tis the Season
Join us Wednesday, December 18, at 7:30 pm for a
special evening of yule cruelty, as the Film Noir
Foundation presents a dark holiday classic from south
of the border--and reveals the entire schedule for
NOIR CITY INTERNATIONAL II, a program of noir from
around the globe, coming January 24-February 2, 2020,
to the majestic Castro Theatre.

LA OTRA
1946, Mexico. Producciones Mercurio. 96 min. Story:
Rian James and Roberto Gavaldon, adapted by Jack
Wagner; screenplay: Jose Revueltas; director: Roberto
Gavaldon In Spanish, DCP with English subtitles
Dolores del Rio, one of the most beautiful
actresses of all time, stars in this noir-laden
thriller as identical twins: Maria, a manicurist who
lives in near-poverty, and her sister Magdalena, who
married the wealthy man Maria once loved. When the
estranged sisters reunite at the funeral of
Magdalena's husband, Maria can't help but imagine how
different life would be if she could only trade places
with her sister. Uh-oh. Take a guess where this is
headed. Costarring Jose Baviera, Agustin Irusta, and
Victor Junco, with extraordinary cinematography by the
great Alex Phillips.
Del Rio enjoyed a
successful career in Hollywood during the 1920s and
1930s before she returned to her native Mexico in the
1940s to claim her place as one of the nation's most
renowned stars. La Otra is the first feature made
under her own production banner, Mercurio. The film
was also the initial collaboration between director
Roberto Gavaldon and writer-activist Jose Revueltas,
who would make eleven more films together, becoming
arguably the preeminent filmmaking team in Mexico.
Enjoy this hot-blooded noir appetizer in
anticipation of the full-blown feast of international
noir coming January 24-February 2, 2020 . . . NOIR
CITY 18! Get tickets:
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4448272 |
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THURSDAY DECEMBER 19
DOUBLE FEATURE BUY TICKETS
ELF
7:00
Charming Yuletide laughs blend with
fish-out-of-water antics in this hilarious
holiday tale that stars Will Ferrell (in ‘do
anything for a laugh’ mode) as Buddy, a
regular guy who was raised in the North Pole
as one of Santa's helpers. Towering over
everyone around him, Buddy finally realizes he
may actually not be an elf and sets off on a
fun-filled New York adventure to find his real
family, spreading Christmas cheer as he goes.
Top-notch supporting cast includes Zooey
Deschanel, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Ed
Asner, Peter Dinklage, and Bob Newhart. (2003,
97 min, DCP) |
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NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION 5:00,
8:50 It's hilarious holiday havoc
for Chevy Chase and his brood, as the
Griswolds' plans for an old-fashioned family
Christmas go up in smoke (just like their
cat!) when a horde of boorish relatives
descend upon their home. Comedic carol of
calamities also stars Beverly D'Angelo, Randy
Quaid, Brian Doyle-Murray, Julia
Louis-Dreyfus, and Juliette Lewis. (1989, 97
min, DCP) |
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FRIDAY DECEMBER 20
DOUBLE FEATURE BUY TICKETS
DIE
HARD 7:00 The one that started it all:
Bruce Willis is John McClane, an off-duty NYC
cop who cracks wise as he battles German
terrorists holding a holiday party for ransom
atop a LA skyscraper. As far as high-rise
action/disaster movies go, this one delivers
the goods in an explosive fashion thanks to
crack mayhem maven John McTiernan (Predator,
The Hunt for Red October). Four sequels and
many imitators followed but the original still
stands tall. Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov,
Bonnie Bedelia, and William Atherton co-star.
(1988, 131 min, DCP ‘Scope)
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THE FRENCH CONNECTION 5:00, 9:25 William Friedkin’s fictionalized account of
New York City’s biggest drug bust stars Gene
Hackman as ‘Popeye’ Doyle, a relentless,
obsessed cop closing in on the suave,
notorious heroin smuggler Alain Charnier. A
crucial component in establishing the template
of 1970s police procedurals, the film won 5
Oscars including Best Picture, Director, and
Hackman for Actor. Roy Scheider and Fernando
Rey co-star. (1971, 104 min, DCP) |
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SATURDAY DECEMBER 21
DOUBLE FEATURE BUY TICKETS
THE
NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 3:00, 7:00
Producer Tim Burton’s warped holiday fantasy
is a true stunner. Pumpkin King Jack
Skellington wants to remake Christmas in his
own image, with help from the other residents
of Halloween Town. Director Henry Selick (who
went on to make Coraline) and his
team of 120 conventional stop-motion animators
spent years bringing this wonderfully weird
tale to life. Featuring a baroque song score
by Danny Elfman; sung by the voices of Elfman,
Catherine O’Hara, Glenn Shadix, Ed Ivory, Ken
Page, and Paul Reubens. (1993, 76 min, DCP ) |
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BATMAN RETURNS 4:30, 8:30 Michael
Keaton’s second outing as the Dark Knight
Detective finds him battling for the soul of
Gotham City against a trio of villains:
scheming businessman Max Schreck (Christopher
Walken); the grotesque Penguin (Danny DeVito);
and the deadly Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer).
Given free creative reign to exercise his
spookily whimsical visual and dramatic ideas,
director Tim Burton created his most personal
opus yet, arguably the darkest, most twisted
superhero movie ever made. Merry Christmas.
(1992, 126 min, 35mm) |
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SUNDAY DECEMBER 22
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
(1:30), 4:15, 7:00
4K Restoration! BUY TICKETS
A
Christmas perennial, Frank Capra’s classic stars
Jimmy Stewart as a family man at the end of his rope
who is shown by a friendly angel what life would be
like without him. Sentimental in the best sense,
with a deep strain of melancholy coursing through
it, Stewart gives one of his finest performances.
After decades of shabby public domain prints in
circulation, Paramount Pictures has restored the
film to its pristine grandeur from the best
surviving elements. Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore and
Henry Travers co-star. (1946, 130 min, 4K DCP)
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SUNDAY DECEMBER 22
ALL SEATS $10!
NIGHT OF THE COMET 9:30 BUY TICKETS Girls just want to have fun, even after
radiation from a passing comet eliminates nearly all
life on earth—just in time for Christmas!
Writer/director Thom Eberhardt based his sci-fi
comedy, in part, on interviews with teenage girls
imagining their end-of-the-world scenarios.
Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelli Maroney play the
sisters dancing their way through the aftermath of a
very ‘80s apocalypse. Robert Beltran, Geoffrey
Lewis, and Mary Woronov co-star. (1984, 95 min,
35mm)
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MONDAY DECEMBER 23 THEATRE CLOSED |
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TUESDAY DECEMBER 24
SPECIAL EVENT
The
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus presents
“HOLIGAYS ARE HERE” 5:00, 7:00 & 9:00
Every year, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus
comes together on Christmas Eve to celebrate the
holiday season with three not-to-be-missed concerts
at the historic Castro Theatre! This year is the
30th Annual iteration of “Holigays Are Here,” and
they have quite a few tricks up their holiday
sweater sleeves from "Ring Them Bells" to "Silent
Night!" There will be joyful, raucous new takes on
holiday favorites, gorgeous new choral works, and
tons of dazzling choreography – all done up with
signature SFGMC flair. Don’t miss out on all the
festivities! These shows always sell out, so buy
your tickets early.
$35 General Admission /
$45 Priority Seating Tickets via SFGMC.org or
City Box Office at (415) 392-4400
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WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 25 THEATRE CLOSED –
HAPPY HOLIDAY! |
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THURSDAY DECEMBER 26 through SUNDAY DECEMBER 29
Plus TUESDAY DECEMBER 31 SPECIAL PRESENTATION
($16/$12)
SING-A-LONG
SOUND OF MUSIC Thu Dec 26 @ 1:30,
6:00 Fri Dec 27-Sat Dec 28 @ 2:30, 7:00
Sun Dec 29 @ 12:30 Tue Dec 31 @ 1:00
BUY TICKETS
An annual Castro
Theatre event, Sing-A-Long Sound of Music
is a screening of the classic Rodgers and
Hammerstein musical in glorious widescreen,
complete with subtitles so that the whole
audience can sing along! In addition to
belting out the tunes, goody bags will be
handed out to everyone and audience members
can add to the fun by dressing up as a
favorite character for the costume contest!
Robert Wise’s Oscar-winner for Best Picture,
Director, and Score stars Julie Andrews,
Christopher Plummer, and Eleanor Parker.
(1965, full program including intermission
runs approx. 240 min, DCP ‘Scope) |
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SUNDAY DECEMBER 29
DOUBLE FEATURE BUY TICKETS
PHANTOM
THREAD 5:30
In 1950s London, imperious fashion designer
Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) gained
the focus to rise to his profession’s peak
through rigorous routine and the ability to
regard the women in his life as wholly
disposable. His fastidious life is disrupted
by a young, strong-willed woman, Alma (Vicky
Krieps), who becomes his muse and lover. A
magnificent Lesley Manville plays Cyril,
Reynolds’ equally strong-willed sister. The
second (last?) of his collaborations with
Day-Lewis finds writer/director Paul Thomas
Anderson painting both an illuminating
portrait of an artist on a creative journey
and the women who keep his world running.
(2017, 130 min, DCP) |
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EYES WIDE SHUT 8:00 After a
shocking confession from his wife, a confused
doctor heads out into the streets of New York
City, where he embarks on a nocturnal odyssey
of perverse erotic encounters during the
Christmas holiday. Stanley Kubrick’s final
film is perhaps his most personal, exploring
the dangerous side of sexual and emotional
intimacy. Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sydney
Pollack, and Todd Field star. (1999, 159 min,
35mm) |
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MONDAY DECEMBER 30
DOUBLE FEATURE BUY TICKETS
A
STAR IS BORN 1:15, 6:00
Marvelous William Wellman classic drama about
the early days of the Hollywood star system
stars Fredric March as one-time screen idol
Norman Maine, who meets and falls for
waitress/would-be actress Esther Blodgett
(Janet Gaynor)—only to watch his career
decline, as hers rises to the top. This first
filming of the memorable story was also one of
the first films to be shot in Technicolor;
with Andy Devine, Adolphe Menjou, and Lionel
Stander. (1937, 111 min, HD digital) |
A
STAR IS BORN 3:25, 8:05
The fire of
Barbra Streisand.
The
magnetism of Kris Kristofferson.
The reckless world of big-time
rock 'n' roll. All three bring a new passion
and timeliness to one of the screen's classic
love stories (previously filmed in 1937 and
1954) and winner of five Golden Globe Awards,
including Best Picture, Actress and Actor
(Musical/Comedy). Paul Williams, Kenny
Loggins, Leon Russell and others worked with
Streisand on one of the most popular song
scores ever, topped by the Streisand/Williams
“Evergreen“ winning the Academy Award and
Golden Globe Award as 1976's Best Original
Song. Gary Busey co-stars; Frank Pierson
directs. (1976, 139 min, DCP) |
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WEDNESDAY JANUARY 1
DOUBLE FEATURE BUY TICKETS
SINGIN'
IN THE RAIN 2:00, 6:30 Gene Kelly,
Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds dance up a
storm in what is perhaps the greatest movie
musical of all time. Directed by Kelly and
Stanley Donen, they spoof the transitional
period in film from silents to talkies as
concocted by the matchless writing team of
Betty Comden and Adolph Green, plus MGM’s
catalog of Arthur Freed-Nacio Herb Brown
songs. Jean Hagen, Cyd Charisse, and Rita
Moreno co-star. (1952, 103 min, DCP) |
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THE APARTMENT 4:00, 8:30
4K Restoration!
Fresh off Some Like It Hot, Billy Wilder and
Jack Lemmon re-teamed for this darkly comic
morality tale about a go-getter insurance
clerk who, in trying to get ahead, lends out
his apartment to his adulterous boss (Fred
MacMurray). Trouble starts when the gal he has
fallen for turns out to be the boss’ mistress
(Shirley MacLaine). Clearly an inspiration for
“Mad Men,” the film won 5 Oscars, including
Best Picture and Director. (1960, 125 min, 4K
DCP ‘Scope) |
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