Thursday, March 28, 2013

Schedule March 29-April 4, 2013


Dear New Parkway Lover:

A bit of a simpler week starting Friday, though there’s not much simple about us (except for the free parking, mostly $6 movies, and tasty food and drink).  We’re opening some award-winning pictures from last year, as well as some other things new and old.  Here are some of the highlights:

·      I don’t see many films, so take this with a grain of salt, but we’re showing one of my favorite movies of 2012, Don’t Stop Believin’.  I don’t want to give it away but this is a fascinating film, one of those documentaries with a story so interesting that many people might think it fictional.  Throw in some fun music and you’ve got a great two hours at the movies.  And at least one of the shows will have some live singing (and not by me).

·      Champions League soccer is down to the Elite 8, so come on out to our lunchtime specials on Tuesday (Barcelona v. PSG) and Wednesday (Real Madrid v. Galatsaray) at 11:45AM.   Free!

·      Late night shows of Evil Dead on Friday and Labyrinth Quote Along on Saturday.  Good stuff in very different ways.

·      We're offering a couple of mid-day/early afternoon brunches on Easter Sunday, each with its own bunny movie.  We'll start at 12:30 with the family-friendly Hop and then show the 1950 classic, Harvey, at 1:30.  For each movie, we'll have family style French-ish food offerings, including sweet and savory crepes and yummy salads.  The food packages are for entry plus food for either 2 or 4 people.  If you’re an odd number of people, just buy a package based on the amount of food you want and you can buy an extra entry ticket day of.  We’ll also sell movie only tickets on Sunday for $6.

·      And we’ve got both Harold AND Kumar in the house on Thursday, and guess where they’re going?  And we’ve got food to go with that Parkway Classic that might even be better than White Castle.  Might.

And now for what Adam has to say about our features this week:

Hi All,

Either the law of diminishing returns has set in (I assume you read this column religiously and can remember accurately what was written a week ago) or we just have too many good movies to show and too few screens in which to show them. But either way, we have four glorious new movies to show/share this week. You are truly spoiled for choice. You can see the 'Best Picture of the Year', the Best Foreign Picture of the Year', or Steven Soderbergh's final movie. You can even see a documentary on the band 'Journey'. But go see the others first if you haven't yet. They are better. 

Argo
Given that I was born in 1982, I knew very little about the Iranian embassy hostage-taking that occurred in 1979. One might argue that this is the reason we are taught history and I am an ignorant buffoon. In my defense I knew the American embassy was taken over and it happened in Iran in the late 70's which probably puts my knowledge well ahead of the average 30 year old American before this movie came out. But what a wonderful story this is.

It turns out when the embassy was attacked, six extremely sneaky embassy employees managed to evade capture and make it to the Canadian ambassador's residence. 'Argo' tells the gripping story of what happened next (don't want to spoil the ending). The time period and locations are meticulously re-created. The pacing and story are superb. The acting and directing is faultless. May cause stomach cramps due to nervous tension.  

Amour
Most movies have to be able to condense their plot into one sentence in order to get made. Die Hard in the White House. American Pie meets The Breakfast Club. Occasionally a European movie gets wide release in the U.S. that makes a marketing executive reach for the Valium bottle. A movie about retired music teachers. In their 80's. In French! Mon dieu! The toy line at Hasbro would be an old woman in a wheelchair and an old man who is struggling with her decline. Not an easy sell then. 

But Amour is unforgettable. One of the best-reviewed films of the last year, it truly deserves the huge amount of praise and accolades that have been heaped upon it. Each actor draws on a lifetime's worth of experience, performing with grace and rare, uncompromising realism (Minneapolis Star Tribune). Transfixing and extraordinarily touching, perhaps the most hauntingly honest movie about old age ever made (Entertainment Weekly). This is one movie you will never forget. 

Side Effects
Steven Soderbergh is prolific. In the past 15 years he has cranked out almost 20 feature movies. Including Oceans 11, Get Shorty, Erin Brockovich, Traffic, The Informant, and Contagion Understandably he is tired. Thus, this may be the last movie we get from him as he is threatening retirement (although he threatened once before so we might be seeing more of him). He has made an excellent movie to go out on if this is his last. This feels very close to Hitchcock in setup and story. 

It is a thoroughly satisfying thriller full of twists, suspense, double crosses, and dangerous liaisons. It respects a viewer's intelligence and is packed with wonderful performances and excellent direction. One might say it is the polar opposite of 'Olympus has Fallen'. Just don't have too much beer and go for a long toilet break because you will probably miss something. 

Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey

It's funny how quickly a much loved but under-recognized song can go from being on the radio once a month to being on the radio once an hour. Through a combination of the Sopranos going out on a Journey high and Glee shamelessly ripping off the classic tune, Journey have experienced one of the greatest rock comebacks of all time, without doing much at all. 

This movie follows the real life story of Filipino Arnel Pineda, who was plucked from YouTube to become the new front man for Journey. Having already overcome a life full of painful obstacles and now saddled with the immense pressures of leading a world renowned band and replacing a legendary singer, the film follows Arnel on this personal journey. 



Adam


And now for more information about our repertory and special events programming:

New Parkway Family Classics—This week we’re showing SITA SINGS THE BLUES both on Friday afternoon at 4:30 and Saturday at 12:30. I don’t know anything about this movie except that it’s one of my ex-girlfriend’s all time favorites, which doesn’t mean much in itself, except she’s one of the founders of the SF International South Asian Film Festival.  And we didn’t break up over her movie tastes.  So check it out!

Spectrum Queer Cinema—SPECTRUM Queer Media.com presents AUDRE LORDE—THE BERLIN YEARS 1984-1992.  2012 marked the 20th anniversary of Audre Lorde's passing, the acclaimed Black lesbian feminist poet and activist. Audre Lorde - The Berlin Years 1984 to 1992 explores a little-known chapter of the writer's prolic life, a period in which she helped ignite the Afro-German Movement and made lasting contributions to the German political and cultural scene before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Lorde mentored and encouraged Black German women to write and publish as a way of asserting their identities, rights and culture in a society that isolated and silenced them, while she challenged white German women to acknowledge and constructively use their white privilege.  This has the makings of a sold-out show so get your advance tickets soon!

Thrillville— THRILLVILLE THEATER presents NIGHT OF THE LEPUS (1972), guest hosted by Misery Ann Mayhem!  Gigantic, savage, mutant killer rabbits terrorize a peaceful, remote Southwestern community in this psychotronic seasonal favorite starring Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh, Rory Calhoun, and DeForest "Bones" Kelley!

Baby Brigade—After a couple weeks in a row of only one Baby Brigade, we’re back to two this week with a 4:30 showing of Side Effects and a 6:30 showing of Argo.  Heck, tell the baby it’s double feature night and stay for both!

Doc Night—We’ll be showing one of our features, Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey, as our doc this week.  Come out to see Bay Area’s own Journey and Arnel Pineda’s fascinating story.  Be ready to sing and smile!

2 for 1 Wednesdays—All day Wednesday, 2 for 1 admission prices with movies starting at 3:30.  And now with 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 HAROLD AND KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE (2004).  This contemporary comedy classic about two slacker stoners (Kal Penn and John Cho) dealing with racist cops, rogue raccoons, extreme sports punks, and an escaped cheetah during their quest to satisfy the epic "munchies" was a huge hit at the original Parkway. Let's see if history will repeat itself. Smoke 'em before you get here...


Thanks for your continued and growing support of the New Parkway Theater.  We hope to see you soon!

Moses

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Schedule Week of March 22-28


Dear New Parkway Lover:

You got the schedule yesterday so today’s newsletter is about some of the details.  You may have seen that we’ve got 17 different offerings.  Wow!  With so much diversity, I think we can say with a high degree of certainty that there’s something for everyone.  Here are some of the highlights:

·      We’ve got two big sports games: Cal vs. UNLV NCAA Tourney basketball game tomorrow at 4:30 PM and the US vs Mexico World Cup Qualifier soccer game on Tuesday at 7:30.  Giant screen equals giant fun.

·      March 22nd was the day that the old Parkway went dark which was the event that got this whole New Parkway thing underway.  So come out for half-price beers and free popcorn all night long.  We love you, New Parkway patrons, and hope you’ll join us on Friday to celebrate the Parkway being back in our lives.

·      After a standing-room only showing yesterday for Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and the Farm Midives, we’re offering three more showings of this award-winning documentary on Friday, Saturday, and Monday.

·      Join us late night on Friday at 10:15 and Saturday at 11:15 for Prince in all his Purple Rain glory.

·      We’re thrilled to welcome back not only The Waiting Room for a second week, but filmmaker Pete Nicks for a second Q & A following the Saturday show.

·      We’ve got the Bay Area premiere of Mommy is Coming on Saturday night.  It’s clever, raunchy, and pornorific.  Filmmaker Cheryl Dunye in attendance and doing a Q & A.

·      We’re holding our first movie marathon on Sunday with the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Join us for one movie or for all three, maybe even with special food and drink.

·      We’ve got two documentaries on Sunday, Playland and Sutro, along with filmmaker Tom Wyrsch.

·      While Friday is William Shatner’s birthday, our annual Shatfest happens on Sunday.  Join Will the Thrill and a whole bunch of shatting.

·      Nerd Nite is back with another exciting chapter: Nerd Nite East Bay:  Sleep, War of 1812, and Meteorites.  Doors at 7, show starts at 8.


And now for what Adam has to say about our features this week:

Hi All,

This is what happens when movies are successful. You hold them over until the law of diminishing returns sets in and people stop going to see them. It is the reason Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves lasted 18 weeks in movie theaters when most summer movies are lucky to get 8 weeks. It was that good. Or Alan Rickman was that good. Or people wanted to hear Kevin Costner's suspiciously American accent over and over. But this week, we have the same movies we had last week. Fortunately for you, it is highly unlikely you have seen all of these movies and they are all worth a watch. 

Zero Dark Thirty
How did we find Osama Bin Laden (like when your sports team wins, you say to your friends, 'We Won!', like you had something to do with the victory)? If you are into conspiracies, the CIA always knew where he was. They were just waiting for the perfect moment to uncover him to maximize the political capital. If you are into the truth, it was a seedy journey of torture, lost trails, beautiful Lamborghinis and a difficult decade dealing with the 'War on Terror' (I am still waiting for the 'War on Misuse of Disability Placards for cars in San Francisco). 

Zero Dark Thirty takes you on a journey exploring the latter. And what a gripping journey it is. Combining deft storytelling with nail-biting tension, it is undoubtedly one of the best thrillers of the year. Jessica Chastain has cemented herself (weird image) as one of the finest actresses of her generation (technically Megan Fox is part of her generation). 

Lincoln
Quick disclaimer- I am a huge Steven Spielberg fan. I have watched Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom about 69 times over the last 22 years (about 40 of the viewings were between the ages of 10 and 15). I stopped swimming in the ocean after Jaws. I got into dinosaurs after Jurassic Park. I joined an Israeli hit squad after 'Munich'. So I may find it hard to be objective regarding his latest masterpiece. However I did fall asleep during Tin-Tin and found War Horse kind of boring. So I can recognize his misses as well. 

Lincoln is in the higher echelon of Spielberg movies. It is wonderfully written. It is beautifully acted. It is perfectly paced. It is amusing and smart. It makes you pine for the days of smart politicians. Detailing how the amendment for slavery came to pass (tiny spoiler but if you don't know slavery is illegal, you probably should by now), this is one of the finest movies of the year (the year being technically 2012). Don't miss it. 

Warm Bodies
Just when you think Zombie movies have been done to death (who does not like a good pun), the odd gem pops up (in addition to the excellent 'Walking Dead on AMC) and Warm Bodies definitely falls into this category. After a zombie epidemic, R (a highly unusual zombie) encounters Julie (a human survivor), and rescues her from a zombie attack and a romance begins. 

This movie is funny, unique and definitely has the feel of a cult classic. It is also surprisingly emotional, and thick with irony. If you like the supernatural genre (vampires, werewolves, zombies) and want to get that pungent Twilight taste out of your mouth, this movie is the ticket. Sometimes you don't want to go to a movie and sit on edge (Zero Dark Thirty) or inadvertently learn some history (Lincoln). Sometimes you you just want to soak up a good zombie horror teenage comedy. And this does the job. Very well. 

The Waiting Room
This one hits close to home. Literally. I live about 50 feet from Highland Hospital. This documentary goes behind the doors of an Oakland public hospital struggling to care for a community of largely uninsured patients. Dealing with all aspects of the hospital including patients, doctors, administrators, it looks into how each cope with disease, bureaucracy and hard choices.  It details a day in the life of an ER ward. But crazily enough, there are no George Clooney lookalikes spouting witty dialogue throughout the day. 

The Waiting Room successfully captures the current state of the American medical system. And some of the results can be very alarming. It also stands as a very powerful rebuke of Romney's conception of emergency rooms as a reasonable option for the uninsured.


Birth Story- Ina May Gaskin and the Farm Midwives
We are adding this for a few select shows. I know what you are thinking. Along with 'Norbert' (classically bad Eddie Murphy 'comedy') this has to have one of the worst titles ever made. It practically screams 'put on your Netflix queue to seem smart but when the DVD arrives you can never watch it because it sounds too boring'. But if you were to do that, you would be doing yourself a great disservice (ok, a moderate disservice- I don't want to oversell it). 

It tells the story of counterculture heroine Ina May Gaskin and her spirited friends, who began delivering each other's babies in 1970, on a caravan of hippie school buses, headed to a patch of rural Tennessee land. With Ina May as their leader, the women taught themselves midwifery from the ground up, and, with their families, founded an entirely communal, agricultural society called The Farm. It got an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. Plenty of you got an 83% on a school paper and were delighted. So support it. 


Adam


And now for more information about our repertory and special events programming:

New Parkway Family Classics—This week we’re showing MUPPET MOVIE both on Friday afternoon at 4:30 and Saturday at 12:30. Kermit and his new found friends trek across America to find success in Hollywood, but a frog-legs merchant is after Kermit.  Tickets available at the door.

Spectrum Queer Cinema—SPECTRUM Queer Media.com presents SPEAKING FOR OURSELVES, featuring a Q&A w/ Director John Mifsud.  SPEAKING FOR OURSELVES introduces you to a wide variety of LGB youth: a young woman who drank turpentine because she wanted to die rather than deal with being bisexual; young people who play baseball; act in plays; and go to science classes. You will empathize with their tears, their courage and the laughter generated by their candid sharing.

Thrillville— THRILLVILLE THEATER presents SHATFEST.  It's back, making its New Parkway premiere: Will the Thrill's legendary SHATFEST, Thrillville's annual tribute to the inimitable William Shatner, featuring surprise Shat-shorts and his classic 1977 creature feature, KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS, in which Shat battles an army of angry arachnids!

Baby Brigade—This week there’s only one showing, Birth Story at 4:30, since we’ve got Nerd Nite after that.  Sorry!

Doc Night—We’re partnering with Youth Uprising to show Miss Representation.  Miss Representation includes stories from teenage girls and provocative interviews with politicians, journalists, entertainers, activists and academics like Condoleezza Rice, Lisa Ling, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, Rosario Dawson, Jackson Katz, Jean Kilbourne, and Gloria Steinem.  The film offers startling facts and statistics that will leave audiences shaken and armed with a new perspective.

2 for 1 Wednesdays—All day Wednesday, 2 for 1 admission prices with movies starting at 3:30.  And now with 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: A SCANNER DARKLY.  Set in suburban Orange County, California in a future where America has lost the war on drugs. When one reluctant undercover cop is ordered to start spying on his friends, he is launched on a paranoid journey into the absurd, where identities and loyalties are impossible to decode. It is a cautionary tale of drug use based on the novel by Philip K. Dick and his own experiences. 


Thanks for your continued and growing support of the New Parkway Theater.  We hope to see you soon!

Moses

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Schedule March 15-21, 2013


Dear New Parkway Lover:


My apologies to all of you longtime readers who have put up with my overly wordy writing AND my lack of proper web-linking etiquette.  Leave it to dedicated reader, Melissa Smith, to straighten me out and teach me how to hyperlink.  So now you’ll still get the diarrhea of the keyboard but it will all now have a much cleaner look to it.  Thank you, Melissa.  I’ve actually been wanting to learn how to do this for a while, so here goes…

In addition to letting you know the highlights for the week, I’m also going to put in a plug for several other March events for which you’ll want to get advance tickets.  As for this week, be sure to check out:

Birdemic Tomorrow—Have you ever seen something that is so phenomenal that words betray it?  Birdemic is that thing.  Birdemic is that event, the one you don’t want to miss, the one you’ll tell your grandchildren about, when you were here at the New Parkway for the first showing.  I’d heard about things being so bad that they’re good, but until seeing this, I was not a believer.  This has everything!  The writing, the editing, the cinematography, the scantily clad foxy woman, the Bay Area connection.  This is the next great thing.  Be there!

The Waiting Room and Mumia: Long Distance Revolutionary are back for another week after full houses and guest speakers in week 1.

•Encore screening on Saturday at 4:45 of the very powerful Flag Wars as part of the Brooklyn Reconstructed Series.

Burlesque on Saturday at midnight.  Movies, music, pasties…this is good stuff.  Advance tickets here!

•Return of the FREE Appreciating Diversity Film Series on Tuesday night, this month showing Lives Worth Living.

•Quick reminder that we’ve got awesome and mostly free café activities every Monday through Thursday nights.  We’re having a great response to our live music on Mondays, 6-9PM (beer tasting could use some more tasters 7:30-9), Trivia Tuesday (7:30-9) was packed, Happy Artsy Wednesday is getting off the ground (Happy Hour 5-7, arts and crafts from 7:30-9), and board games all night on Thursdays.  You should check it out.  These activities are the new internet, only with real friends, real chatting, and real meet-ups.

And some other not-to-be-missed March events:

Nerd Nite—The demand for Nerd Nite has been so big that we’ve expanded from one screen to two.  So if you’re not celebrating Passover on the 25th, come celebrate your nerdiness or the nerdiness of others with the 6th chapter of Nerd Nite East Bay:  Sleep, War of 1812, and Meteorites.  Doors at 7, show starts at 8.

LOTR Movie Marathon--in honor of March 24th being marathon day in Oakland, we're presenting our first-ever movie marathon at the New Parkway.  We'll be showing the Lord of the Rings trilogy, one after the other after the other.  And we'll be serving up special food and drink to make this an unforgettable morning, afternoon, and evening.  So join us for our first hobbitty marathon.

Easter Brunch + Movies--we're offering a couple of mid-day/early afternoon brunches on Easter Sunday, each with its own bunny movie.  We'll start at 12:30 with the family-friendly Hop and then show the 1950 classic, Harvey, at 1:30.  For each movie, we'll have family style French-ish food offerings, including sweet and savory crepes and yummy salads.  A great way to celebrate Easter no matter your religion.

US vs Mexico Soccer—OK, so maybe it’s not Spain vs. Germany in terms of quality, but it’s a huge game for many Bay Area residents as we look ahead to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil., and we’ll have it on our giant screen.  Mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 26th and join us!

Patron Appreciation Day—we might have more than one of these but, as some of you know, March 22nd was the day that the old Parkway went dark—with only three days notice, mind you—which was the event that got this whole New Parkway thing underway.  So come out for half-price beers and free popcorn all night long.  We love you, New Parkway patrons, and hope you’ll join us on the 22nd to celebrate the Parkway being back in our lives.


Here’s what Adam has to say about this week’s features:

Hi All,
I think it's safe to say that this week has one of the strongest lineups of new movies since the New Parkway opened. Catering for every taste (unless you like Adam Sandler's 'Jack and Jill') this is the VIP film buffet you have been waiting for. If last week was a solid Marriott offering, we are now bumping it up to a Fairmont offering with exceptional quality and variety. I think I have taken this analogy far enough. Or too far probably. 

Zero Dark Thirty
Kathryn Bigelow has balls (disclaimer: not literally). Having perfected the dumb, high-octane, awesome thriller genre with Point Break (classic Keanu: what's a 50 year storm?) she made one of the most gripping movies ever made with 'The Hurt Locker' over 2 years ago. She is probably the best action director in Hollywood with the exception of her ex-husband James Cameron. 

Zero Dark Thirty details the hunt for Osama Bin Laden. But this movie is so much more. It successfully captures the entire 'War on Terror' and skillfully weaves it throughout the story while never straying too far from Jessica Chastain's character who is the main analyst responsible for finding Bin Laden. Showing both the questionable methods of data extraction in addition to questionable payoffs and wrong leads, this movie is definitely one of the strongest of the year. It also features a strong supporting cast of both Kyle Chandler and James Gandolfini. Combine Tony Soprano with Coach Taylor and you have movie gold, guaranteed. Don't miss this one. The final assault is one of the finest action sequences ever committed to film. Especially considering you already know the ending. 

Lincoln
At this point, I am slightly worried about the roles Daniel Day Lewis chooses to take on. Known for this intense method acting as part of his preparation for playing the frontiersman in 'The Last Of The Mohicans', he learned how to build canoes. As the Irish artist Christy Brown in My Left Foot, he spent almost the entire shoot in a wheelchair. Every role he takes on, he invests himself fully into it and the results are usually worth the intensity. Winning his unprecedented third Oscar for Lincoln, there was never a question regarding if he deserved it. Rather you feel sorry for the other actors in years he is nominated. 

But his acting would mean nothing without a worthy story to support him. And Tony Kushner's screenplay detailing the push to end slavery constitutionally, is absolutely exceptional. Showing both Lincoln's mastery of politics and his charming personality in addition to other questionable political methods, this movie moves fast but never leaves you behind. It also features Tommy Lee Jones (dignified), and James Spader (hilarious) in great form. 

Warm Bodies
Just when you think Zombie movies have been done to death (the trailer for World War Z makes my head hurt- and wonder if Brad Pitt sold his soul to appear young forever), the odd gem pops up (Shaun of the Dead was one of the best zombie movies ever) and Warm Bodies definitely falls into this category. After a zombie epidemic, R (a highly unusual zombie) encounters Julie (a human survivor), and rescues her from a zombie attack and a romance begins. 

This movie is funny, unique and definitely has the feel of a cult classic. It is also surprisingly emotional, and thick with irony. If you like the supernatural genre (vampires, werewolves, zombies) and want to get that pungent Twilight taste out of your mouth, this movie is the ticket. Sometimes you don't want to go to a movie and sit on edge (Zero Dark Thirty) or inadvertently learn some history (Lincoln). Sometimes you you just want to soak up a good zombie horror teenage comedy. And this does the job. Very well. 

Adam


And now for more information about our repertory and special events programming:

New Parkway Family Classics—this week we’re showing 20 THOUSAND FINGERS OF DR. T, not to be confused with the 20 Thousand Fingers of Mr. T (which would be scary), a movie by Dr. Seuss.  So that means it will be kid-friendly and fantabulous.  Friday at 4:30 and Saturday at 12:30.

Spectrum Queer Cinema—SPECTRUM Queer Media.com presents SHELTER at 3PM on Sunday.  When his college dreams are sidelined by family obligations, a young man finds comfort in surfing with his best friend's brother.  "The most realistic gay love story since BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN." - Jeremy Kinser, FRONTIERS

Thrillville— THRILLVILLE THEATER presents 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH (1957)
hosted by VANESSA, QUEEN OF SCREAM (of THE QUEEN'S SLUMBER PARTY)
See stop motion animation god Ray Harryhausen's iconic Venusian beast The Ymir rampage across the big screen in the full color version of this cult classic creature feature, authorized and supervised by Ray himself! Guest hosted by sexy, spooky cinema siren Vanessa, Queen of Scream, producer of The Queen's Slumber Party.

Baby Brigade—This week there’s only one showing, Lincoln at 4:30, since we’ve got a rental after that.  Sorry!  But we’re now partnering with www.510Families.com to bring you these great family friendly showings, so there might be some added perks for folks who come on out.

Films from Afar—Come see Pedro Almodovar’s All About My Mother as part of our Foreign Cinema Night.  7:30 on Monday.  You won’t be disappointed!

Doc Night—It’s a shame to promote a movie that’s already sold out but here goes anyways since we’ll likely add some showings: there’s something that Bay Area people love about midwives.  I mean, is there ever a pregnancy that doesn’t involve a discussion of it at some point?  And there are a lot of people getting pregnant in the Bay Area.   That all being the case, I guess Ina May Gaskin is a big name, or at least she can sell lots of movie tickets.  Here’s the info about the movie and stay tuned for word of other showings.

2 for 1 Wednesdays—All day Wednesday, 2 for 1 admission prices with movies starting at 3:30.  And now with 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: FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS (1998).  Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro star in director Terry Gilliam's suitably surrealistic and stunningly stylized adaptation of legendary gonzo author Hunter S. Thompson's trailblazing tome; take a hallucinatory cinematic trip unlike any other.


Thanks for your continued and growing support of the New Parkway Theater.  We hope to see you soon!

Moses

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Schedule March 8-14, 2013


Dear New Parkway Lover:


While Oakland likes musicals a tad more than it likes Tom Cruise, it was a wee bit miserable for Les Mis.  In short, in the battle for New Parkway supremacy, it got its ass handed to it by Django.  This week, Django battles the Hobbit in its cage match for all the glory, with a few other features and a chunk of repertory favorites looking on.  Here are some the highlights:

·      Not one but two directors coming for Q & A’s following their films.   Mumia: Long Distance Revolutionary director Stephen Vittoria will be in the house both Friday night (http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/349955) and Saturday afternoon (http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/349958), and Waiting Room director, Pete Nicks, will join us on Saturday as well (http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/352122).  Tickets for all of these shows with the filmmaker in attendance cost $10.  All the other showings without the filmmaker are $6, and the latter are only available through walk-up same day sales through our box office.

·      Cult favorite They Live (http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/350179), tomorrow,  followed by cult favorite Serenity (http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/352134), Saturday, 11:15PM, followed by cult favorite Hedwig and the Angry Inch (http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/344278), Saturday at 11:55PM.  How many cultists do we have out there? 

·      Feelmore Fresh Friday is back, tomorrow at 10 PM. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/338044

·      Oppa Oakland Style is back on Monday night, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/346649

·      Brooklyn Reconstructed is back on Tuesday night, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/352085

·      And last but not least, soccer on the big screen, next Wednesday at lunchtime, Barcelona v. AC Milan, 11:45AM.  Free!

Come for the movies, stay for the food, drink, couches, and now the Monday-Thursday evening activities (including live music, beer tasting, team trivia, happy hour, arts and crafts, board games, and funky wigs).  Find us at 474 24th Street (with free parking a half block away) and online at www.thenewparkway.com.

And is if that were not enough, here’s what Adam has to say about this week’s features:


Hi All:

This week we have a perfect blend of fun popcorn flicks and gripping documentaries. Well actually, documentaries usually only depress me so my perfect blend would be mainly popcorn. But the Parkway's core demographic is way more socially progressive and probably feel guilty when they don't contribute to PBS or NPR. Or they are the few that do contribute when NPR's multiple sales techniques break through. And documentaries are right down their alley. So for most on this email list, this is a perfect blend of movies. For those who switch to their favorite music station during pledge week, not so much. 

Django Unchained
Usually politics come into play and odd movies get Best Picture Oscars that are thoroughly undeserved (I am looking at you 'Chicago'). But the Best Original Screenplay Award is usually the movie that is the best of the year. Past winners include Almost Famous, Fargo, The Usual Suspects and Ghost (eh- 1990 was a really weak year for movies). And this year Quentin Tarantino got his second Oscar for writing. 

Tarantino is one of the few directors with very few blemishes on his record. There was that dubious decision to split Kill Bill into two movies when it could have been a 3 hour masterpiece. Every genre he tries (well, revenge is his only genre) he succeeds in. Django Unchained is no exception. It is violent, funny, and original in equal parts. With another great role for Christopher Waltz (with another Oscar to boot). Let's enjoy Tarantino on the big screen while we can.

The Hobbit
Speaking of questionable decisions to split up movies into multiple segments to maximize dollars, the Hobbit comes fairly high on the list to debate. After sticking with Frodo through thick and thin, the Return of the King finished with roughly 12 endings and caused many a numb butt. When the decision was made to adapt a child's book into a trilogy, I was fully expecting the stretching of boring, irrelevant material into huge segments. I was delighted to discover this wasn't the case. Yes, it is 3 hours long. And the pace isn't as quick as Lord of the Rings. But the story is just fun and in a weird way nostalgic. 

If you have not seen any of the Lord of the Rings movie, you obviously had a specific reason a decade ago. The Hobbit has a very familiar feel (characters, atmosphere, tone) so if you hated the Lord of the Rings, you will hate the Hobbit. If you loved it, you will probably really like the Hobbit. Martin Freeman is perfectly cast. Gollum is wonderful. Lots of great things to see here. If you had any reservations when this first came out at Xmas, now is your time to see it on the big screen. It's a worthwhile trip that you won't regret.

The Waiting Room
This one hits close to home. Literally. I live about 50 feet from Highland Hospital. This documentary goes behind the doors of an Oakland public hospital struggling to care for a community of largely uninsured patients. Dealing with all aspects of the hospital including patients, doctors, administrators, it looks into how each cope with disease, bureaucracy and hard choices.It details a day in the life of an ER ward. But crazily enough, there are no George Clooney lookalikes spouting witty dialogue throughout the day. 

The Waiting Room successfully captures the current state of the American medical system. And some of the results can be very alarming. It also stands as a very powerful rebuke of Romney's conception of emergency rooms as a reasonable option for the uninsured.

Mumia: Long-Distance Revolutionary
Before he was convicted of murdering a policeman in 1981 and sentenced to die, Mumia Abu-Jamal was a gifted journalist and brilliant writer. Since being on Death Row he has written several books and commentaries. This documentary avoids discussing the crime for which Abu-Jamal spent 29 years in solitary confinement on death row, instead tracing the path of a brilliant journalist whose message cannot be silenced. 

And now for more information about our repertory and special events programming:

Feelmore Fresh Friday—Have you been wanting to feel more fresh on Fridays?  Well, you’re in luck as tomorrow marks the second installment of our night of erotica, often followed by discussion/Q and A.  This week, Feelmore Fresh is showing Sexing the Transman, a great documentary by Buck Angel.  Here’s the blurb: Sexing the Transman is a groundbreaking mainstream documentary about FTM sexualities. Buck Angel elicits intimate, in-depth conversations with transmen and those who love them-about how their bodies, sexualities, and identities are affected by the medical and social processes of gender transition.  Advance tickets at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/338044.

Late Night Movies—We’ve got them on both Friday and Saturday nights, Friday with They Live, which I’ve been told is one of the greatest cult classics ever.  We’ll see!  As for Saturday night, we’ve got the stranger than strange Hedwig and the Angry Inch showing at 11:55 and Serenity at 11:15, both which could sell out.  With all of these late night movies, we’re seeing which ones will make it into our regular rotation, so come on out to support the ones that you love.  All advance tickets available at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/profile/226669

New Parkway Family Classics—this week we’re showing Babe, and what’s not to like about a talking pig.  Fun for the whole family, especially the youngins.  Babe shows tomorrow at 4:30 and Saturday at 12:30. 

Spectrum Queer Cinema—SPECTRUM Queer Media.com presents Twirl: A Celebration of Queer Partnered Dance!  The 3PM event will feature film shorts, instruction and live demonstrations of the following: queer salsa, tango, Chicago style stepping and country line dance!  More info at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/SPECTRUM-Queer-Media/530576980288790?fref=ts.

Thrillville—THRILLVILLE THEATER presents THE PSYCHOTRONIC FILM FESTIVAL on Sunday at 6PM.  Sci-Fi Bob Ekman personally projects rare 16mm gems from his own awesome film archives for the debut of his legendary PSYCHOTRONIC FILM FESTIVAL at the New Parkway, featuring midcentury music shorts and scopitones, classic drive-in movie trailers and snack ads, incredibly strange industrial films, memorable TV commercials, kooky cartoons and much more from the vintage vaults of outré cinema!  Advance tickets link will be up soon on Facebook and the website!

Baby Brigade—Every Monday at 4:30 and 6:30, we’ve got baby-friendly showings or, better stated, babies are welcome to attend showings.  This week we’ve got The Waiting Room and for the early showing and The Hobbit after that.  And we’re now partnering with www.510Families.com to bring you these great family friendly showings, so there might be some added perks for folks who come on out.

Films from Afar—After a great debut last week to our international film night, we’ll be at it again this week with Oakland Oppa Style’s showing of Memories of Murder.  Murder + Korean Cinema = You Got to See This!.  Advance tickets at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/346649

Doc Night—This Tuesday brings us the third installment of the Brooklyn Reconstructed series looking at gentrification and its connection to Oakland.  Tuesday we’ll be showing Flag Wars about race, class, and orientation in Ohio.  Good stuff!  You can read more about it at http://www.pbs.org/pov/flagwars/#.UTjgWetAQso, and you can buy advance tickets at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/352085.

2 for 1 Wednesdays—All day Wednesday, 2 for 1 admission prices with movies starting at 3:30.  And now with 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 AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY (1997).  Mike Myers plays the ultimate secret agent - as well as his arch nemesis, Dr. Evil - cryogenically frozen in the swingin' 60s but thawed out for the naughty 90s in the original shagadelic spy spoof. 


Mailing List Removal—if you’ve had enough of this and want to be removed from the list, please do so at: http://thenewparkway.com/unsubscribe.php


Thanks for your continued and growing support of the New Parkway Theater.  We think we’re building a pretty cool community space, adding new things each month, and it’s all thanks to you!

Moses