Dear New Parkway Lover:
Here’s what’s coming up at your neighborhood picture pizza pub: lots. Now for some of the highlights:
· We’ve got a very special documentary presentation on Tuesday night of Funk Jazz Kafe, Diary of a Decade, with the filmmaker in attendance. The award-winning Funk Jazz Kafe has sold out everywhere it’s played and Oakland does not want to disappoint. Don’t miss it, and buy your tickets today.
· We’re doubling up the documentaries on Tuesday with a free showing of Out in America starting at 6PM. This is a special early start time so that we’ve got time to show…
· We’ve got at least three and likely four Warriors playoff games this week, so come on out to root for the home team as they take on the Denver McNuggets. The games are tomorrow (Friday) night in the café (free admission) and Sunday and Tuesday night on the silver screen ($5 admission). And there will likely be a game on Thursday but we don’t have info about that one just yet.
· Nerd Nite will be filling the house on Monday night. Aint hundreds and hundreds of nerds in one place worth seeing?
· If you’ve not been out to a Barely Legal event yet, you’re barely living. Instead, come live la vida loca, or, in this case, the La Vida Abba. On Saturday, they’ll help bring out your inner Abba as they lead a sing-along of Mamma Mia. Sing loud so that you can mask the less than stellar singing of Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan.
· Parkway Grindhouse is back on Friday night with Dead Alive aka Braindead, hosted by Misery Ann Mayhem. So that means that everyone will be yucking it up with corny horror and pre-film trivia and prizes.
· We’ve got the UEFA Champions League semifinals, part deux, on Tuesday and Wednesday at 11:45. What’s that you say, Germany has conquered the soccer world? The last time that Barca was counted out, they showed us, and Real Madrid has had its back to the wall a few times and they’re still around. So come out for the thrilling conclusion. Free admission.
· Next Thursday’s Parkway Classic is Pulp Fiction. If you’ve not seen it, it’s an absolute must, and if you have seen it, it’s an absolute must that you come to quote along your favorite lines. So between the two groups, it’s sure to sell out, so get your tix early.
We’ve also got some other biggies coming our way, so get your tickets now for the following events, in reverse order:
· We’re doing our second movie marathon on May 19th, this time showing the Godfather trilogy. That means roughly 10 hours of mostly outstanding moviemaking and some optional movie-inspired food and drink. Get your tickets today!
· We’re very excited about our irreverent approach to our first Mother’s Day. So come on out on May 11th for our good mother, bad mother double feature brunch, Joan Crawford style. We’ll start by delighting you with Marge Pierce, along with an outstanding brunch, and then horrify you with Mommie Dearest. How’s that for an unforgettable Mother’s Day?
· Speaking of double features and horrifying you, we’ve got a May 9th doubleheader of Room 237 followed by The Shining. Scary good!
· Our entrée into showing live TV shows on our giant screen—sports aside—will kick off with Ru Paul’s Drag Race finale. Join us on May 6th at 7pm in the Ulterior Illusions Lounge (ie the mezzanine cafe) for encore screenings of two of Season 5's most sickening episodes. Then, grab your drinks and your squirrel friends, and sashay into the auditorium for a LIVE screening of the Reunion Episode and watch as RuPaul's Drag Race crown its Season 5 Winner! Treats for anyone who comes in drag!
And here’s what Adam has to say about our features:
Hi All:
It turns out there is a real interest in romantic comedies and mental health. Well, if the movie is good. Sandra Bullock's 'All About Steve' (disturbingly also featuring Bradley Cooper) was a disaster on a number of different levels and did not receive the same level of interest. Deservedly. There is also legitimate interest in young women in bikinis making bad choices under the evil influence of James Franco. Who knew? As a result, we are holding over these two very popular movies and supplementing them with a wonderfully different choice. 'No' is the most popular word in a 3 year old's (very limited) vocabulary. It is also the name of a gripping, political thriller set in Chile. Options galore. Embrace them.
No
In 1988, Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet (under considerable international pressure, is forced to call a vote on his presidency. Opposition leaders for the NO campaign persuade a young advertising executive (Gael Garcia Bernal), to run their campaign. With few resources and under scrutiny by the dictator's followers, his team devise a plan to win the election and set Chile free. The movie is a funny look at the way the media warps public opinion. It is extremely perceptive and done in a thrillingly satirical way.
Despite being wonderful in nearly every foreign language film he appears in Gael Garcia Bernal has never managed to break through in American movies. But honestly, who cares when he is this good in foreign language films. He is intense and engaging and is allowed to flourish with a sharply written script and direction. This film is truly excellent and you will not regret taking a chance on it.
Silver Linings Playbook
David O. Russell is an interesting filmmaker. And quite a passionate person. Past history includes getting into a fistfight with George Clooney and yelling angrily at Lily Tomlin which subsequently leaked on to YouTube. But you can't deny his talent. 'Flirting with Disaster' is one of my favorite movies ever. 'Three Kings' and 'The Fighter' feature gripping stories and outstanding acting. 'I Heart Huckabees'- eh. Not much to say about that movie because I am still confused. Thankfully 'Silver Linings Playbook' absolutely belongs in the upper echelon of Russell's movies.
This is Bradley Cooper in his finest role yet. Daniel Day Lewis was outstanding in 'Lincoln'. But he must have been feeling slightly nervous before his name was called out because Cooper is a revelation here. He is in excellent company with Jennifer Lawrence who probably deserved the Oscar more for 'Winter's Bone' but is wonderful here too. You would hardly think mixing mental health and football into a romantic comedy would ever work but it really does. Robert De Niro also gives a performance that makes you angry at his time-wasting in bad movies over the last ten years.
Spring Breakers
I am big fan of the Guardian Film podcast (UK based newspaper). They take great relish in discussing movies before ripping them uniformly to shreds. No matter how highly regarded it is by the mainstream press, they will find fault and point out plot holes and inadequate (in their view) story development. Imagine my shock when asked for their favorite movie of the year so far, 'Spring Breakers' featured prominently on the list. Shock registered because of the storyline. The film follows four college-aged girls who decide to rob a fast food restaurant in order to pay for their spring break. Hardly Pulitzer Prize material.
But Harmony Korine's fast paced crime thriller transcends normal expectations and delivers a thoroughly entertaining film. It features Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez in debaucherous form that probably has their old Disney paymasters blushing. Korine's story is a 'searing indictment of today's hedonistic, nihilistic youth, and his script is loaded with sharp, telling dialogue that exposes the rotten moral cores of its characters' (Toronto Star). James Franco is delightful in full 'Drexl' mode as a charismatic drug dealer.
Adam
And now for more information about our repertory and special events programming:
New Parkway Family Classics—This week we’re showing THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER on Friday and Saturday. The Muppets. Bring the family!
Spectrum Queer Cinema—SPECTRUM Queer Media.com presents THE AGGRESSIVES. The Aggressives is a dynamic film shot in vibrant NYC on digital video, featuring intimate interviews with six lesbians who define themselves as "Aggressives." We show their daily lives and also highlight their participation in the underground lesbian "ball" scene (the female counterpart to "Paris is Burning"). The Aggressives range in masculinity but do not aspire to be men. Nor are they "drag kings." They have found an unexplored loophole in society's gender tapestry and this film seeks to expose their world.
Thrillville—on Sunday at 6PM, THRILLVILLE THEATER presents THE TINGLER (1959), hosted by THE UNDERTAKER! William Castle's most famous and frightening film stars Vincent Price in one of his most sinister roles, creating creepy spinal-monsters and experimenting with psychedelic drugs! A creature feature classic, not be missed on the big screen. As for wiring the seats and sofas for "Percepto," don't worry, you'll be wired enough. Presented by local horror host The Undertaker, making his Thrillville/Parkway debut.
Baby Brigade—We’ve got the Academy Award nominated No!, starring the man you want to father all your future babies, Gael Garcia Bernal, making his Baby Brigade debut on Monday. Come see this interesting depiction of Chile’s 1988 plebiscite, only at 4:30.
Doc Night—as described earlier, two docs, Funk Jazz Kafe and Out in America, both on Tuesday night, dueling for documentary supremacy.
2 for 1 Wednesdays—Spoiler Alert #2! Unless attendance picks up, 2 for 1 Wednesday is going to go away and we’re going to do other more expensive things that night. Here’s the info about our current Wednesday: All day Wednesday, 2 for 1 admission prices with movies starting at 3:30. Happy Hour drinks from 5-7PM followed by arts and crafts projects in the café that you can do with your buzz on.
Parkway Classics—Will the Thrill's Parkway Classics presents PULP FICTION (1994).
What else can be said about Quentin Tarantino's enduringly influential, hysterically hilarious neo-noir masterpiece? Uma Thurman, Samuel Jackson, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Harvey Keitel and many other stars make that Oscar-winning dialogue zing. The only things that could possibly make this famously fun flick a more enjoyable experience are pizza, beer and a crowd of fellow fans. Those we got. Foot massages are up to you, but be careful whom you give them to...
Thanks for your continued and growing support of the New Parkway Theater. We hope to see you soon!
Moses
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