FREE tonight! Great shorts by local independent directors, most films are no longer than 5 minutes…read more Went last night after Off the Grid and waddled around during the Film Crawl (@ Inclusions/BHNC/Bernal Library/Bernal Yoga/4Star Video). I really like the indoor cinema crawl but tonight will be fantastic! Saturday, September 4, 6:30-9:30pm Outdoor Cinema Top of the Hill Bernal Heights Park Folsom Street at Bernal Boulevard Enjoy film and the stunning view from the top of the Hill in Bernal Heights Park. The gates will be open to pedestrians, joggers and our impromptu audience as Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema returns to set up on the northwest corner of Bernal Hill where Folsom Street meets Bernal Heights Boulevard. The "die hards" know to bring blankets, cushions, and low-backed lawn chairs to a have a comfortable view of the screen and city lights. MUSIC: Mister Odom and the Odom Poles -- 6:30-7:30pm SCREENINGS -- 7:30pm GET UP Judith Keenan TRT 2:05 Shot on the staircase in the Health Center at City College of SF. INVISIBLE BAYCAT TRT 3:50 This music video is a segment of a larger film project still in production. A plea from the youth featured in the piece to look beyond the surface and really "see" them, their struggles, hopes and dreams. THE LEGEND OF TOILET-SEAT CHARLIE Jeremy Kaller TRT 12:00 Meet Charlie Deal, Mill Valley, California's unofficial mayor, folk icon, and inventor of the toilet seat guitar. Charlie stated that he was "sitting on a good idea" in 1965, when he envisioned the unique instrument. This short documentary explores Charlie's rock 'n' roll dream and the community that cherished him. THE OAK PARK STORY Valerie Soe TRT 22:00 This documentary follows three very different families who find themselves together in a run-down housing complex in Oakland, CA. When the city condemns the building because of landlord negligence, the families form a multiethnic alliance to fight for their housing rights and preserve their community. http://www.bhoutdoorcine.org/events.html

Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema (BHOC) celebrated its 10th season this year, with screenings from…read moreAug. to Sept (4 nights). Sorry, if u missed it. Over the years the BHOC's movie nights have varied widely (Aug thru Oct). Check their website around July next year for next season's updates: number of films, screening venues, etc. This annual event is different from other SF outdoors cinema events. First, because it's not strictly outdoors, with a few indoor venues. Secondly, it's much smaller, the crowd includes all ages but most are older adults, and the movies are usually documentaries (a few stop motion animation too) - all are less than 30 min long (1 or 2 exceptions in previous years), some are less than 5 min. No commercial movies here, all are independent films, with many made by Bernal Heights residents. It's like the academy awards for local film makers. List of venues used: El Rio bar, 3158 Mission St. Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center - 515 Cortland Ave. Bernal Heights Public Library - 500 Cortland Ave. Kingmond Young Photography Studio - 416 Cortland Ave. The Liberty Café - 410 Cortland Ave. Progressive Grounds - 400 Cortland Ave. Inclusions Gallery - 627 Cortland Ave. Bernal Heights Park ("Top of the Hill" venue) Precita Park ("Under the Stars" venue)

The 7th annual season of this Free outdoors movie park site starts this evening Friday Oct. 5th -…read more6-9:30pm. Kid activities start at 6pm. This family friendly event started in 2012, and now it's "Every Friday in October" annual event. Organized by District 4 Supervisor Katy Tang, People of Parkside Sunset (POPS) merchant assoc, SF Public Library, Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD), Sunset Parkside Education and Action Committee (SPEAK), and some corporate sponsors. Bring a blanket, and come early to pick your spot on the lawn. Seating opens at 6pm, and movie starts around 7:15pm (or sunset). Schedule for 2018: Oct. 5th: Hidden Figures (2016) - NASA Ames Research Table @6pm Oct. 12th: Star Wars Episode VIII The Last Jedi (2017) - Storm Troopers and R2D2 meet & greet @6pm Oct. 19th: Wonder Woman (2017) - Wonder Woman meet & greet @6pm Oct. 26th: Coco (2017) - Kids activities: face painting @6pm

4/5 Stars STACKS OF…read moreTHEATERS This is a pretty good movie theater. All the theaters are stacked. As you enter from the bottom floor, you can either stand in line to buy tickets from the box office or go to the kiosk on the side. Its actually pretty quick to just get your tickets from the kiosk, its the same price. There are several levels of theaters so double check how many levels you have to go up. There are escalators in the center to bring you up. If your theater is near the top, remember to buy your snacks from the counters on the first couple levels, All levels have a food counter, but the ones near the top aren't always open. The place is very clean and very busy. They have great service and the food line goes by really quick. i will definitely come back here to watch more movies. The also have a current deal on ICEEs and Popcorn. It was buy one Large ICEE and Large PopCorn and get another Large ICEE for FREE. Not sure how often their promos change.

I grew up going to movies at places like the Coronet, the Alhambra and the Royal theaters…read more Sadly...they have all been destroyed, sold off to make way for crappy condos or converted into tacky health clubs. It breaks my heart. San Francisco is losing too many of the historic gems that give this city its personality and character, and among the most important of these are our neighborhood movie houses. I joined this group when it first started, happily signing petitions, sending e-mails and writing letters to help save historic, beautiful and architecturally significant San Francisco neighborhood theaters from the wrecking ball. I'm thrilled with the many victories that SFNTF has been a part of, most specifically the Cinema 21 and the Vogue theaters. They are still working hard on salvaging what can be saved of the Metro theater on Union Street. I applaud all that they do, and if you would like to keep history alive and not turned into more soulless condos or unnecessary Walgreens, you should as well! Sign up at their website!

What a great concept and a great way of bringing neighborhoods together! Come out and meet you…read moreneighbors and watch a free movie! echoing the previous reviewers, pick up your trash and take it with ya!

We came here a few years ago to see Beetle Juice 2 and had an excellent time, and were eagerly…read morewaiting to return. We decided to go for Devil Wears Prada 2 and should have known things were off when arriving and saw that the security gate was broken and we had to duck under it to get inside. Okay for us, but would have been difficult for anyone with physical ailments. We then learned that the bar doesn't open until 5, but not to worry because we could order drinks from our seats. When we arrived to our theater we were greeted and offered a glass of water. All seemed okay until they informed us that their popcorn machine was broken and there was no popcorn! My mouth dropped as the huge tins of popcorn are the main reason I loved Alamo! Overall the movie was good and we ordered a subpar pizza instead, but it wasn't quite worth going to the movies without popcorn. They offered us a voucher but I'll call ahead to ensure the popcorn machine is working next time.

Be aware regarding inconsistent enforcement of entry policies…read more It appears that some staff members allow customers to enter for movies after a certain time, while others strictly enforce a cutoff like the male staff on a power trip and who "has been working here for 5 years" This lack of consistency creates confusion and sets conflicting expectations for customers. The staff explained how its written online in the terms and conditions and then pointed to an area in the small ticketing booth. Customers purchase tickets online and are unlikely to review detailed terms presented in small print. Relying solely on this form of communication is insufficient, especially when enforcement varies between staff. If this policy is to be enforced, it should be communicated clearly and applied consistently across all staff members. And way more visible in the entrance area and walls of the theatre.

This was a great first date Lol it does get cold but cold place to hang out and get to know someoneread more

Movie Night @The Yard at Mission Rock is the latest addition to my list of free outdoor cinema…read moresites in SF, it debuted in Aug 2015 with the movie Jaws. This gathering spot (corner of SF Giants Parking Lot A) is made of shipping containers similar to the Proxy on Hayes Valley. The 20'x40' giant inflatable screen is setup on the street (Terry Francois Blvd will be closed to traffic) facing the Yard's grand staircase (aka. Giants Steps & Upper Deck), so unlike other outdoor cinema events setup on park lawns, people seated on the staircase will have unobstructed views of the movie screen. Or u can also seat on the wooden parklet on the street closest to the screen. Those dining at the food trucks section on the left side, can get a side view of the screen. The staircase space is modest (about 100 people), so get here early to get a seat. Movie starts at 8pm. Bring a blanket to sit or keep warm on windy nights. Best of all, there's food and beer available at the enclosed beer garden on the right side, until 11pm (Anchor Brewing, Creperie St. Germain, Belcampo burgers), or dine at the food trucks until 8pm (3 trucks, organized by OTG) parked on the left side (parking lot corner). 2016 movie schedule - starts @ 8pm: Sat. July 9, 2016 - Bullitt (1968) Sat. Aug. 20, 2016 - tbd Sat. Oct. 1, 2016 - tbd Note that all 2016 dates listed above coincide with Giants ballpark 1pm game days. So the beer garden probably will be packed with Giants fans during the day. Hopefully no drunken fans would hang around until nighttime when the movie starts, which might affect your movie experience.

Watched "Wicked: For Good" here…read more The parking garage just below the theater was a convenient place to park. Note: they no longer validate parking. However, $11 for a few hours or parking wasn't bad considering the ease of finding a space and proximity to the theater. It was nice to see security (SFPD) at the front door. The theater's facilities feel outdated compared to other venues out there. Its age is very apparent. The old, creaky cloth seats were a quite distracting when anyone around you moved a bit. The movie screen and sound system were fine though. Consessions - the popcorn was just OK. 1/2 of our large container was just crumbs. Perhaps they scooped from the bottom? The sugar-free ginger ale was empty at one of the self-serve soda machines. Despite all this, it was still good to be at the historic AMC Kabuki 8 theater which has been around for over 50-60 years. It'a always fun to be in Japantown San Francisco!

Got the opportunity to watch the Eternity movie premiere two weeks before it is released in…read moretheaters and it was so good! I cried twice. It was so heartfelt and sad/happy at the same time. We luckily got to sit on the balcony in theater 1 which had the best seats. The theater is so clean and has reclining seats and the staff is super nice too. I love the location of this theater because it is in the heart of Jtown and surrounded by yummy food and fun stores. There is also street parking around the neighborhood and a decent parking garage.

Great experience, and very different if you're looking for a great date idea :) Locally made films…read more I saw Seeking Asian Female which was much better than it may seem lol. The street cinema is close to a bunch of restaurants and shops to explore before the movie (since the film doesn't start until it gets dark anyway). When I went, the event said it would start at 8:30pm, but it didn't start until a bit after that. It's a good idea to bring a blanket or a small camp chair to sit on (but please be mindful of the people behind you). Also good to go early if it's one you really want to see so you can save a good seat. Also also good (lol) to bring a jacket or a blanket since it can get chilly. Street and lot parking nearby.

They're back. And great fun!! 2nd Annual. Locally made…read morefilms & live music. At the 1st, a local, 12-13yr old R&R band played originals! and rocked as they covered the greats! Music comes first. Movies start at dark, no sooner than 8:30 PM. Come early or bring a chair! Some folks brought blankets to lay on the street to star watch while movie watching. Free Hansen's & popcorn. Donation requested for various charities. If the rest are as good as the first (below), you're guaranteed a good time. THE MOVIE SCHEDULE: http://www.temescaldistrict.org/cinema.html If you missed the first one, "SPEAKING IN TONGUES" (Marcia Jarmel, Ken Schneider), i highly recommend contacting the producers, a local couple who schooled their son, so far for the past 9 years, in "language immersion" school - this one Chinese - to get more info about how to support this doc going viral around the country to educate folks, as more and more states are voting for english only schools, against overwhelming research that shows "language immersion" schooling, or at LEAST bi-lingual schools results in students with far better skills and achievement in schools, and life. Yes, i LOVED it! " 'Speaking in Tongues' - Winner of the SFIFF Audience Award for Best Documentary. Closely following four very different local public-schoolers through an academic year of language immersion learning, 'Speaking in Tongues' draws on subtle nuances of the kids' stories to illustrate the complex shades and permutations of bilingual schooling. These amazing kids will upend all your ideas about learning." http://www.patchworksfilms.net/coming_soon.html trailer: http://www.patchworksfilms.net/films/flash_video/speaking_vid.html

Quick take: 3.5/5 Good option for catching movies no longer…read moreshowing at major chains, but seating comfort is a major drawback. Small screen, very uncomfortable seating for taller people, slightly worn restrooms, and challenging parking. Arrive early for seating. In detail: I went to Presidio Movie Theater on a Wednesday night to watch a movie that was no longer available at AMC that week, which was the main reason I chose this theater. The screen is relatively small. It feels standard for a neighborhood theater, but noticeably smaller if you are used to larger cinema chains. The biggest issue for me was the seating. I am 6'1", and the seat back only supported about three fifths of my upper body. Sitting upright while trying to maintain proper neck and back support was uncomfortable throughout the movie. The restrooms were another disappointment. They felt outdated and not particularly well maintained, similar to old gas station restrooms. I purchased my ticket through the Fandango app. There is no assigned seating, so for popular movies or showtimes, arriving early is important to secure a decent seat. Parking was more difficult than usual. Many of the surrounding townhouses have driveways, which significantly limits available street parking around the block.

This is not an upscale, renovated theater but it has a charm to it that I enjoyed. Movie tickets…read moreare $18 flat at the window (no fees if you go in person) and you do not pick your seat. It is first come, first served. The staff were nice and the concession prices were reasonable. I think there were 3 rooms screening movies total in the building, but two movies playing at the time we went.

After dinner at Jack London Square, we noticed people with blankets, lawn chairs and coolers…read morewalking through the square. Then we noticed a sign and realized tonight was the second of six Thursday nights of free Waterfront Flicks. The film, which was The Secret Life of Walter Mitty this evening, is shown at the Ferry Lawn area by the ferry terminal. A portable screen is set up at one end of the lawn area with speakers set-up on both sides of the area. People take up there spots on the lawn with blankets or lawn chairs. They have two food booths selling hot dogs, snacks and beverages. Since we were not prepared to watch a movie tonight, we'll be back in a future date to catch a free flick. It was cool this evening and since the location is open to the estuary/bay, dress warmly.

Poor coordination and communication! Last week, they had the audience waiting for 2 hours in the…read morecold while they messed with broken movie projectors, only to tell us that the company they rented the equipment from didn't give them the DVD! We had an awful experience and ended up waiting for nothing. Hopefully they get it together for other screenings this summer.

We celebrated the Grand Lake's centennial with a full house tonight watching "Singin' In The Rain."…read more I think "hoot and a half" is the technical term. Hats off to owner Allen Michaan, a true showman! After 100 years, the Grand Lake is still a helluva great spot to catch a flick.

In all the decades I've been visiting Grand Lake Theatre, I can't believe I never left a review!…read moreI've been coming here since I was a teenager, and I've always enjoyed coming here. Grand Lake Theatre was built in gorgeous art deco architecture, and makes you feel like you've been thrown back into the heydays of when visiting the cinema was a formal outing. There's a chandelier hanging above the ticket booth at the entrance, and there's a grand staircase with giant paintings and more chandeliers leading up to the theaters on the second floor. Most recently, I came here to see Frankenstein the second-to-last day it was being shown here. It was my second time seeing Frankenstein in theaters, and Grand Lake was one of the theaters listed that had it playing, so I came out here on a Tuesday night to enjoy their $6 Tuesday deals. Ngl, parking in this area is absolutely horrid. I spent at least 20 minutes circling the block, driving up and down Grand Ave, and driving through the residential areas to find parking. I was very hesitant to park in the parking lot that's just a short walk down the street from the theater because I saw homeless people loitering in that parking lot, so I was very nervous of parking my car there. Ultimately, I did resort to parking there when I had no other options, and I am very grateful my car was fine.