2013 San Francisco International Film Festival (1 of 2)

The 2013 San Francisco International Film Festival ran from April 25 to May 9.  I saw 26 films although I bought tickets to 27.  I inadvertently bought tickets to two different screenings of Chimeras.

This year's festival was marred by some technical difficulties.  Two screenings were delayed by 20 to 30 minutes.  The April 26 screening of Rosie at the Kabuki was delayed 20 to 30 minutes while they sorted things out.  The April 28 screening of Populaire (also at the Kabuki) was also delayed 20 to 30 minutes due to aspect ratio problems.  The subtitles were being cropped.  They started the film three times before the subtitles were fully visible.  Fortunately, both screenings were during the last time slot of the day.  If they had been earlier, it may have caused audience members to leave early or be late for the next screening.

The April 27 screening of The Mattei Affair at the PFA was the most frustrating film experiences I can recollect.  Prior to the screening, Susan Oxtoby mentioned a new DCP projector had been installed at the PFA a few days earlier and that The Mattei Affair was the first film to be projected on it.  I was tremendously enjoying The Mattei Affair when the subtitles froze about 30 minutes in.  The film continued in Italian but the subtitles were frozen.  This continued for 10 minutes; perhaps longer.  It felt like an eternity.  The projectionist could never rewind the film to point where the subtitles crapped out.  Seemingly giving up on the task, s/he continued the film (with the subtitles working properly) but the 10 or so minutes lost to the non-Italian speaking members of the audience.

After restarting the film, I began to enjoy it once more.  With about 20 to 30 minutes left, the subtitles froze again (or maybe they stopped appearing).  Once again, people complained but slowly, in ones and twos, the audience left the theater.  I lasted another 10 minutes hoping the subtitles would work but eventually gave up and left.  I was very frustrated because from what I saw, The Mattei Affair was a great film.  The two extended periods of indecipherable Italian left me lost on some of the plot points and I felt I was doing myself a disservice if I watched the film any longer.  However, my greatest frustration is that the festival had a 35 mm print of the film and the PFA didn't use it.  I hope The Mattei Affair screens somewhere in the Bay Area again.

Finally, the Korean film Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time had two watermarks during the May 2 screening at the Kabuki.  Festival Director of Programming Rachel Rosen announced beforehand that the key to the digital lock on the film had not worked so they were screening a standard definition "print" with watermarks on the upper left and lower right corners.  She offered refunds or ticket exchanges.  Interestingly, no one seemed to take her up on the offer; everyone appeared to remain for the entire screening.  Fortunately, the film was very traditional in its visual composition.  Most of the action took place in the center of the frame so the watermarks were not intrusive but I won't say I was able to ignore them completely.  The presence of the watermarks definitely detracted from the viewing experience.

§§§

The 26 films I saw were:

The Kings of Summer starring Nick Robinson & Gabriel Basso; with Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally & Moises Arias; directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts; (2013) - Official Website
Rosie starring Fabian Krüger & Sibylle Brunner; directed by Marcel Gisler; German with subtitles; (2013)
Penance starring Yu Aoi, Eiko Koike, Sakura Ando, Chizuru Ikewai & Kyôko Koizumi; with Teruyuki Kagawa; directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa; Japanese with subtitles; (2012) - Official Website
The Mattei Affair starring Gian Maria Volonté; directed by Franco Rossi; Italian with subtitles; (1972)
The Daughter starring Maria Smolnikova & Igor Mazepa; directed by Alexander Kasatkin & Natalia Nazarova; Russian with subtitles; (2012)
Big Blue Lake starring Leila Tong; directed by Jessey Tsang Tsui-Shan; Cantonese with subtitles; (2011)
Populaire starring Romain Duris & Déborah François; with Bérénice Bejo; directed by Régis Roinsard; French with subtitles;  (2012) - Official Website
Thérèse starring Audrey Tautou & Gilles Lellouche; directed by Claude Miller; French with subtitles; (2012)
Outrage Beyond starring & directed by Takeshi Kitano; Japanese with subtitles; (2012) - Official Website
Big Sur starring Jean-Marc Barr & Kate Bosworth; directed by Michael Polish; (2013)
Pearblossom Hwy starring Atsuko Okatsuka & Cory Zacharia; directed by Mike Ott; some Japanese with subtitles; (2013) - Official Facebook
Key of Life starring Masato Sakai, Teruyuki Kagawa & Ryôko Hirosue; directed by Kenji Uchida; Japanese with subtitles; (2013) - Official Facebook
You're Next starring Sharni Vinson; with Joe Swanberg, Amy Seimetz & Ti West; directed by Adam Wingard; (2011) - Official Website
Cold War starring Aaron Kwok & Tony Leung Ka-fai; directed by Sunny Luk & Longman Leung; Cantonese with subtitles; (2012) - Official Website
Fill The Void starring Hadas Yaron & Yiftach Klein; directed by Rama Burshtein; Hebrew with subtitles; (2012) - Official Website
Our Homeland starring Arata Iura & Sakura Ando; directed by Yang Yong-hi; Japanese & Korean with subtitles; (2012) - Official Website
Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time starring Choi Min-sik & Ha Jung-woo; directed by Yoon Jong-bin; Korean with subtitles; (2012)
Juvenile Offender starring Lee Jung-hyun & Seo Young-ju; directed by Kang Yi-kwan; Korean with subtitles; (2012)
Afternoon Delight starring Kathryn Hahn & Juno Temple; directed by Jill Soloway; (2013) - Official Website
Eight Deadly Shots starring Mikko Niskanen & Tarja-Tuulikki Tarsala; directed by Mikko Niskanen; Finnish with subtitles; (1972)
Dom: A Russian Family starring Sergey Garmash; directed by Oleg Pogodin; Russian with subtitles; (2011)
The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay starring Ricky Jay; directed by Molly Bernstein; documentary; (2012) - Official Website
Memories Look at Me starring & directed by Song Fang; Mandarin with subtitles; (2012)
Chimeras starring Wang Guangyi & Liu Gang; directed by Mika Mattila; documentary; Mandarin with subtitles; (2013)
Il Futaro starring Manuela Martelli; with Rutger Hauer; directed by Alicia Scherson; Italian & Spanish with subtitles; (2013)
Byzantium starring Saoirse Ronan & Gemma Arterton; directed by Neil Jordan; (2012) - Official Facebook

I believe the print of Thérèse which was screened was titled Thérèse Desqueyroux which is the original French release title of the film.

There was a gangster themed trio of films which programmer Rod Armstrong mentioned before several of the films.  The three films were Outrage Beyond, Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time and Dom: A Russian Family.

§§§

My enjoyment of this year's films was consistently high.  Most years, there are several films which are not to my liking which I admit is more of a matter of taste than an indictment of the films.  However, this year all the films kept my rapt interest which is amazing in itself.  

The Puzzle Within the Castro Theater's May Calendar

After posting the answers to Castro's April calendar, I was anxiously awaiting the May calendar to see if I could "do it again."

On the day it was posted on-line, I was able to identify 3 out of the 4 actors without much trouble.

May 6 - I recognized Edmond O'Brien quickly but not immediately

May 13 - I immediately recognized Brian Dennehy

May 20 - I initially thought this was William Bendix but after settling on Edmond O'Brien, I realized this is Pat O'Brien.

May 28 - I didn't know who this is.  Finally, I went to IMDB and searched "Brian" under Names.  There were 200 results.  I visually inspected the list; excluding anyone with a credit past 1990 and anyone not listed as an "actor."  I saw a name with a credit for I Confess from 1953.  The name didn't ring a bell with me.  It was Brian Aherne and the face matched the Castro calendar.  I was lucky because his name could have been Bryan or O'Brien.  I don't think I have seen any of this actor's films (he was quite active in television during the 1950s).  I vaguely recall seeing Titanic (1953) but I would say it's been 25 years or more.

Whereas I identified the first three actors within 5 minutes, I didn't zero in on Brian Aherne until many hours after the calendar was posted and with the invaluable assistance of the internet.

It is clear that Brian or some derivation of that name is the clue.  Those names indicate Irish heritage.  I wasn't sure what the link to May was either.  What events to I associate with May?  Cinco de Mayo?  Memorial Day?  V-E Day?  Bay to Breakers?  May Day?  Seven Days in May?

The day after the calendar was posted, the answer came to me.  A famous San Francisco landmark is the SS Jeremiah O'Brien, one of the last remaining WWII Liberty ships.  It may be the last seaworthy Liberty ship in existence.  It made the voyage from San Francisco to Normandy for the 50th anniversary of D-Day in 1994.  What is significant about the O'Brien in May?  I could not find any significant ship milestones (can seacraft and aircraft have milestones?) or anniversaries in May.  Going to the ship's website, the answer hit me in the face.  On Saturday, May 18, the Jeremiah O'Brien is having Greatest Generation Memorial Cruise from noon to 4 PM.

As long as I was poking around the website, I was curious as to who Jeremiah O'Brien was such that he had a ship named after him.  All the Liberty ships were named after people...and fairly obscure people.  I only recognize a handful of eponyms.  By the way, Adolph Sutro (as in Sutro Baths) had a Liberty ship named after him.  The SS Jeremiah O'Brien was "named for the first American to capture a British naval vessel during the Revolutionary War."

Castro Theater Calendar - May 2013

Downton Abbey

Earlier this week, I took a couple days off work.  I had a few tasks on my To Do list but for reasons I don't want to mention, I was not able to accomplish all of them.  Having some free time, I watched about 8.5 hours of Downton Abbey (not continuously).  I have now watched the series through Season 3 so I'm fully caught up.  Season 4 doesn't begin until...I don't know when it begins.  In the UK, it begins this fall but I don't know when it resumes on PBS.

I feel a little embarrassed to admit how much I like this television series.  I could claim it is the period costumes and references I like.  Or that it is fun to see the show treating historical events like an Independent Ireland or women's suffrage as nascent movements.  That would be a lie.  I like it for the reason most people like it - it is a well made soap opera.

With a huge cast, it is able to explore many facets of society.  In particular, it explores the class divide which was so much more relevant in the UK 100 years ago.  It also explores social attitudes towards gays, unwed mothers and other topics which were more shocking to mainstream society.  It primarily focuses on timeless issues such as love, jealousy and fear.

Set at Downton Abbey, the fictional estate of Lord Grantham, the show has many plot lines.  The time setting is between 1912 and 1921 (so far).  The two main story arcs in Downton Abbey are love stories.

The one which most people have latched onto is the May-December romance between Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle), a valet, and Anna (Joanne Froggatt), a Lady's Maid.  Mr. Bates, notable for his use of a cane due to war injuries (that would be the Boer Wars), has to overcome the pity and/or resentment of the other servants who feel his disability will add to their workload.  Mr. Bates wins most of them over through his compassion, sense of honor and perseverance.  One of his earliest supporters was Anna Smith, maid to the Mary Crawley, eldest daughter of Lord Grantham.  Anna quickly sees Bates' best qualities and commendably (if unlikely) overlooks his marital status and their age difference.  There is a 17 year age difference between Coynes and Froggatt.  Anna is cheerful and strong woman and attractive...even under her maid's frock.

Mr. Bates was convicted for the murder of his wife whom he was trying to divorce to be with Anna.  Mr. Bates displays a temper and, while in prison, threatened to kill his cellmate.  He certainly has a dark side to him.  Anna, on the other hand, seems to have no character flaws which makes her somewhat bland except as Mr. Bates' true love.  I have to believe their relationship will be strained or tested during the upcoming season.

The other romance which is popular with the fans of the show is that of Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) & Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery).  In the first episode of the series, the first and second heirs to the title of Earl of Grantham and the estate of Downton Abbey are killed in the Titanic sinking.  The current Earl of Grantham, Robert Crawley, has three daughters and hence no suitable heirs.  The next in line of succession is a distant cousin named Matthew Crawley, who is a solicitor and stranger to the Downton Abbey Crawleys.

At the beginning of the series, Mary enjoyed toying with men's affections.  Her family thought Mary would marry her cousin (the younger Crawley who died on the Titanic).  You don't hear or read much of distant cousins marrying anymore.  Another of her paramours, a Turkish diplomat, died in her bed.  After initial attraction between Mary & Matthew, Mary's coquettish ways drove a wedge between them.  At one point, Mary & Matthew are simultaneously engaged to other people.  It was a very awkward situation as Matthew was the heir to Downton Abbey, cousin and spurned suitor.  However, a timely death (or untimely depending on one's viewpoint) and a broken engagement clear the way for the second chance at romance between the Crawley cousins.

Matthew & Mary's wedding was the finale of Episode 1 of Season 3.  Their marriage seemed to be one for the ages but let's just say they are not married to each other by the end of Season 3.  Matthew is honorable to a fault while Mary retains a fair amount of bitchiness which she puts aside for long stretches.  Also, Mary grew up at Downton Abbey with an army servants whereas Matthew grew up upper middle class (the son of a doctor) and looks upon the valets and footmen as superfluous.

Matthew and his independent-minded mother espouse ideas which are taken as self-evident today but met with skepticism and hostility by Lord Grantham and his family.  His "modern" views of society and social classes threaten the long-established traditions at Downton Abbey which is another source of conflict within the show.

Most of the fun happens downstairs at Downton Abbey which is where the servants congregate.  As Lord Grantham rules Downton Abbey, Mr. Carson (Jim Carter) rules the household staff as butler.  A stern taskmaster, Mr. Carson can show compassion at times but is largely aloof towards his staff with the exception of Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan), the housekeeper who he frequently takes into his confidence.  If Mr. Carson is the disciplinarian father figure, Mrs. Hughes is the kindly & maternal mother figure towards the staff.  Although Mr. Carson's conservative nature and sense of propriety are occasionally the source of humor, Mr. Carson & Mrs. Hughes are largely stay above the fray.  There is a hint of romantic feelings from Mr. Carson towards Mrs. Hughes but his sense of decorum would never allow it.

Thomas Barrow (Rob James-Collier) started the show as first footman.  Conniving and ambitious, Thomas (or Mr. Barrow) initially wanted the job as Lord Grantham's valet which Mr. Bates got.  That resulted in Thomas' enmity towards Mr. Bates.  Thomas is also a homosexual during an era when that was a criminal act.  He served in WWI as a medic but purposefully put his hand in the line of fire in order to be medically discharged from the army.  It was implied Thomas was a coward.  He's also been shown to be a thief, liar and would-be black marketeer.  He also sows discontent among the servants through lies & manipulation.  After the war, Thomas returned as a footman and during Mr. Bates' imprisonment, Lord Grantham's valet.  His continued employment at Downton Abbey beggars belief except that within the structure of the show, he is one of the characters you love to hate.  Towards the end of Season 3, he shows some humility and graciousness.  Dismissed from his job, Mr. Carson, Mrs. Hughes & even Mr. Bates conspire to at least get him a positive letter of reference.  To their displeasure, Lord Grantham goes one step further and hires him back as under-butler.

Miss O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran) is Lady Grantham's (Elizabeth McGovern) personal maid.  Initially tight with Thomas, the two have a falling out when her nephew comes to work at Downton Abbey and Thomas refuses to help him as it may impede his own promotion plans.  As conniving and manipulative as Thomas, Miss O'Brien has a long list of transgressions which is highlighted by her intentionally leaving a bar of soap on the floor which a pregnant Lady Grantham slipped on which in turned caused a miscarriage.

The undisputed breakout character in the show is Lady Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith), the dowager Countess of Grantham and Lord Grantham's mother.  The matriarch of the family and as manipulative as  Thomas or O'Brien, she is blessed with wealth and social status so her machinations seem more trivial.  The master of biting quips and deadpan displeasure, Lady Violet gets the best lines in the show and Maggie Smith seems to be having a ball with the role.

§§§

After watching nearly 25 hours of Downton Abbey, it is impossible to recount the plot.  Furthermore, the serial nature of the show does not allow one to just start watching in Season 4 and understand the backstory which adds much to the enjoyment of the show.  It's quite a time commitment to get up to speed on a show like Downton Abbey (or Game of Thrones).  I also don't feel like I'm watching anything profound.  It's like having a excellent piece of chocolate cake

Cinephilia is a Disease as Contagious as...

I often wonder how San Francisco can support so many film festivals.  More accurately, I often wonder why I feel compelled to attend so many film festivals in San Francisco.

The 56th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF) started last night.  I skipped the opening night.  I typically skip the opening night film as it will likely get a distribution deal (if it doesn't already have one).  The SFIFF kicks off a busy three months of festivals I want to attend in the Bay Area and beyond.

April 25 - May 9:  SFIFF
May 9 - May 26:  Girls! Guns! Ghosts! The Sensational Films of Shintoho (YBCA)
May 10 - May 23:  I Wake Up Dreaming 2013 (Roxie)
June 6 - June 23:  DocFest (SF IndieFest)
June 14 - June 16:  Hitchcock 9 (San Francisco Silent Film Festival)
June 21 - June 30:  Sacramento French Film Festival
July 12 - July 14:  Sacramento Japanese Film Festival
July 18 - July 21:  San Francisco Silent Film Festival
July 27 - August 2:  San Francisco Japan Film Festival (New People)

I mentioned going to the movies on 60 of 73 days earlier this year.  It was exhausting.  The aforementioned lineup of film festivals looks equally daunting.  Approximately 67 days out of 100 are accounted for in the festival schedule.  That assumes I go every day which will likely not be the case.  However, it also assumes I attend no rep house/art house films which is  likely not be the case either.

§§§

Simon Killer, one of my favorite films from the 2013 Indiefest, opens at the Landmark Opera Plaza today.  Graceland, my favorite film from the 2013 CAAMFest, also opens today and resumes Monday (April 29) at the Roxie after the San Francisco Global Vietnamese Film Festival ends its two day run.  It was foolhardy of that festival to counterprogram the SFIFF on a weekend but I suppose they are targeting a different demographic than SFIFF.  I'd like to see Norwegian Wood on Saturday at 9:30 PM but am not sure if I will be able to get there by that time.

I have been a member of the Mechanics' Institute for several years.  When I joined, their Cinema Lit series was one of the selling points but I have yet to attend a single Friday night screening.  I am tentatively targeting the May 24 screening of Marty (1955).  Ernest Borgnine won an Academy Award for his performance in the film and I have long wanted to see it.  May is Paddy Chayefsky month for Cinema Lit.  In addition to Marty, Friday night screenings include The Americanization of Emily, The Catered Affair and The Goddess.  All four films were written by Chayefsky or based on one of his (tele)plays.

I am also anxious to see Blancanieves, a modern day silent film which sets Snow White among Spanish bullfighters.  It's playing at the Landmark Embarcadero Cinemas.

The title of this post refers to a memorable sequence in The Natural in which a motivational speaker compares the New York Knights losing streak to successively fatal diseases.  The Natural is one of those films I can and have watched over and over again.

From Up on Poppy Hill

I've never been a big fan of Japanese anime.  I don't know why except at some irrational level, I associate anime with children's programming.  Growing up, I recall watching various anime.  My favorite was Battle of the Planets which was the American adaptation of the Japanese series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman.  BOTP used the Japanese anime from SNTG but dubbed over with the voices of Casey Kasem and Ronnie Schnell among other.  It was also heavily edited as explicit violence and even transgender elements were excised.

That was a nice trip down memory lane but doesn't fully explain why I'm mild about Japanese anime 30 years after watching BOTP.  At some level, it may also be that Japanese anime has become too popular for my liking.  When the poseurs arrive, I head for the exits.  I won't belabor the point because after watching From Up on Poppy Hill, I may have turned the corner on Japanese anime.

From Up on Poppy Hill; animation; directed by Gorō Miyazaki; Japanese with subtitles; (2011) - Official Website

I saw From Up on Poppy Hill at the Landmark Embarcadero Cinemas.  I saw the subtitled version but they are also screening the dubbed version.  Check listings for more information.

My late mother was Japanese.  Generations of her family have lived and still live in Yokohama.  We moved from Japan in 1971.  From Up on Poppy Hill (FUoPH) is set in 1963 Yokohama.  My parents were living in Yokohama at the time; I wasn't alive yet.  Based largely on this tenuous connection to the film (along with positive reviews), I decided to see FUoPH.

FUoPH is a Studio Ghibli film.  Studio Ghibli is the only Japanese animation studio I can name.  Studio Ghibli was co-founded by Hayao Miyazaki whose son, Gorō, directed FUoPH.

§§§

Umi is a teenage girl living in Yokohama.  Her family's house has been converted into a boarding house since her father is dead and her mother is studying in the US.  She is a very responsible teenager.  She cooks breakfast and generally is the surrogate mother for her two younger sisters and two boarders.

Every morning Umi runs signal flags up a flagpole in her yard.  She can see the ships and boats in Tokyo Bay from her house.  Her father was a sailor and the flags continue a tradition Umi had with her father despite the fact that he is dead and no one may be noticing the flags.  In fact, Shun a classmate of Umi sees the flags daily as he rides his father's tugboat to Yokohama.

At school, Umi becomes attracted to Shun, who is also the charismatic editor of the school's newspaper.  The cause célèbre is the closing of the Latin Quarter or an old building next to their high school which serves as the student union hall.  The dilapidated building is slated for demolition.  The Latin Quarter has become a boys club and the ramshackle appearance scares off girls.  Umi organizes the girls in the class to help clean and renovate the building to show the administrators that the building is useful and valued by the students.

In a parallel plot line, Umi & Shun's attraction becomes apparent to both.  While visiting her house, Umi shows an old photo of his father and two other sailors.  Shun, the adopted son of a tugboat captain, recognizes the photo because his parents have told him that one of the men in the photo is his biological father.  Unfortunately for Umi, it's her father who is identified as Shun's father.  Shun's awkwardly tries to avoid Umi but eventually tells her his reasons and Umi is devastated.  Not only is her first crush her half-brother but it calls into question the honor of her father's memory.

At this juncture, Umi's mother returns from the US.  When Umi asks about Shun's parentage, her mother reveals that Shun's father is another man in the photo who died shortly after Shun was born.  Shun's mother died during childbirth.  Umi's father did not want his friend's son to go to an orphanage so he claimed to be the boy's father and arranged for Shun to be placed with Shun's adoptive parents since Umi was close to being born.

The Shun, Umi & a third student visit the CEO of the company that is planning to develop the land the Latin Quarter sits.  The CEO is an alumni of the school and after taking a shine to Umi, agrees to visit the Latin Quarter.  Meanwhile, Umi still has doubts about her mother's account of Shun's birth.

The CEO's visit is a success.  He is so impressed with the Latin Quarter than he agrees to cancel the planned development.  Meanwhile, Umi & Shun get word that the third sailor in the photo is on a ship in Yokohama Bay and wants to meet with them.  He confirms Umi's mother's story & tells them about his youth with their respective fathers.

§§§

FUoPH is a gentle film about teenage life and the modernization of Japan in the lead up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.  The song Sukiyaki by Kyu Sakamoto is featured prominently in the soundtrack.  I remember that song among my parents' record collection.

There is a sequence at the beginning where Umi wakes up and begins her routine day which includes raising the flags and making breakfast.  Without dialogue, I found it fascinating and not least of why was that it reminded me of the way my mother used to wash the rice before cooking it.  Masami Nagasawa is the voice actress behind Umi but it was the animation which conveyed much of the loneliness and angst Umi was feeling as well as her attraction to Shun.

Having visited Yokohama, I recall the hilly, terraced plots of land, winding streets and other landmarks depicted in the film.  Although I usually like my films grittier, this film (very Japanese in its outlook on life) definitely touched me.  How much was due to my family's connection to the film's time and setting is debatable.  The innocence of youth is fertile ground for the Japanese with their school uniforms and class spirit.  It's a thin line dividing nostalgic memories of youth with the Japanese subculture fascinated with "kowaii."  FUoPH stayed on the "right" side of the line.  FUoPH was a heartwarming film.

§§§

The PFA is having a Studio Ghibli series this summer.  Titled Castles in the Sky: Masterful Anime from Studio Ghibli, the program runs from June 16 to August 25.  I hope to see some of the films in the series.

From Up on Poppy Hill
©2011 Chizuru Takahashi - Tetsuro Sayama - GNDHDDT

The Mafu Cage

During this year's Indiefest,  Kier-la Janisse programmed two film under sidebar program call House of Psychotic Women.  The program cross promoted Janisse's new book, House of Psychotic Women.  On April 11, the Roxie screened two more films featured in Janisse's book.  Janisse was not in attendance but recorded introduction for the two films (in a shaky cell phone cam which made my slightly nauseous).

I had a headache all day that day but I felt good enough to see the first film on program.

The Mafu Cage starring Lee Grant & Carol Kane; directed by Karen Arthur; (1978)

The second half of the double bill was The Witch Who Came From the Sea.  Although it looked interesting and my headache had passed, I chose to go home early to get some extra sleep.

Not having seen the two films in the Indiefest program (Born Innocent and Toys Are Not For Children), I was unsure what to expect with The Mafu Cage.  The 35 mm print which screened at the Roxie that evening was titled Deviation.  I guess some studio execs thought "Mafu" was too confusing.

Ellen (Lee Grant) and Cissy (Carol Kane) are two sisters who live in a mansion inherited from their late father who was Great White Hunter or some sort.  The women spent much of their youth in Africa.  Ellen, the older sister, works as an astronomer at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.  I recognized a few exterior shots as locations used in Rebel Without a Cause.  Cissy doesn't seem to have any marketable skills.  In fact, Cissy is downright certifiable.

Cissy has kept a series of primates caged up in the house for quite sometime.  They all meet untimely deaths as Cissy becomes enraged with the animals for reasons I do not recall.  She beats them to death on a routine basis.  In a classic case of co-dependency, Ellen keeps enabling Cissy's behavior by procuring more primates for her.  In the African language they grew up in ape or primates were called Mafu hence the title.

Instead of having her sister committed, Ellen keeps thinking she can handle the situation.  Ellen had promised their father she would look after Cissy but this is taking a promise to a ridiculous extreme.  One insight into Ellen's behavior is that the film strongly implies there was and is lesbian incest between the two sisters. You don't see same sex incest depicted in films very often.  Her sisterly love partially explains why Ellen is resisting the advances of male co-worker.  More likely, her bizarre home arrangement would be too problematic to explain to gentlemen callers.  How to explain the primate caged up in the downstairs bedroom?

With the help of her father's friend (Will Geer), Ellen is able to get an orangutan (credited as Budar).  Ellen promises this will be the last one and if Cissy harms it, she will commit her.  Given Cissy's track record, this seems to border on animal cruelty.  While Ellen slowly comes to admit that her sister is apeshit crazy, it awakens some sexual desires in her.  She realizes how much she has given up to indulge her sister's abnormalities and that guy at the observatory is looking is pretty good.

Cissy inevitable beats the orangutan to death which is quite unlikely since orangutans are stronger than the strongest men much less skinny Carol Kane.  Fortunately for Cissy, Ellen has begun asserting her independence and is away on a business trip when poor Mafu is killed.  Unfortunately for Ellen, her male colleague stops by her house when she out and Cissy, realizing that Ellen is considering starting a life without her kills the man.  Cissy is out of control now.

When Ellen returns, Cissy captures her using a net and locks her up in the mafu cage.  Hysterical and babbling, Cissy seems to realize she gone too far now and Ellen realizes she has lost control of her sister.  Cissy ends up poisoning her sister in the cage.  After she dies, drags Ellen's body out of the cage and props her up in a chair and then locks herself in the cage.  This makes it seems as though Ellen locked Cissy in the cage and committed suicide.  The film ends at this point, so it is a matter of debate whether someone finds Cissy before she dies of thirst & starvation.  I chose to think her death was likely which adds a layer of ex post facto premeditation to her actions.  Even if she is found alive, the situation hints that Ellen was the crazy one and Cissy the victim.  Cissy is crazy alright...crazy like a fox.

The Mafu Cage features a tour de force performance for Carol Kane whose voice can peel paint when she becomes agitated.  No one can play crazy like Carol Kane.  Lee Grant has the more subdued role but is able to hold her own against Kane.  Between the two of them, they create a memorable film.  Add in an African tribal music soundtrack and you have a unique film.  I won't say The Mafu Cage is a great film but it is memorable.  A little too artsy to be considered full-fledged horror, The Mafu Cage is kind of a hybrid exploitation/psychological thriller with art house sensibilities.

I'm glad I caught The Mafu Cage and wished I had felt good enough to see The Witch Who Came From the Sea.  I hope the Roxie programs some more films from Janisse's book.

In her recorded introduction, Janisse closed with an anecdote from the set of The Mafu Cage. Director Karen Arthur tried to staff the crew with as many women as possible since she was one of the few female film directors at the time.  Orangutans have a heightened sense of smell.  When women on the set were have their menstruation, the orangutan would go into a frenzy and the animal wrangler had difficulty controlling Budar.  Arthur had to assign someone on the crew to coordinate Budar's shooting schedule with the menstrual cycles of the female cast & crew members.

The Cliff House & Sutro Heights

Tom Wyrsch has had a strong run of locally focused documentaries in the past few years.  First, he directed Watch Horror Films, Keep America Strong!  That documentary spotlighted the local television show Creature Features which ran for 14 years.  It was off the air by the time I moved to the Bay Area but I have heard about it from many viewers, particularly people who were teenagers during its run, 1971 to 1984, which is the same age demographic as me.  I have yet to see Watch Horror Films, Keep America Strong!

Wyrsch folowed that up with Remembering Playland at the Beach which I saw at the Balboa in 2010.  Again, I moved to the Bay Area long after Playland at the Beach closed but have heard stories about it.  The demographic is a little older since Playland closed in 1972.

I guess the success of Remembering Playland at the Beach inspired Wyrsch to move up the road to make his next film - Sutro's: The Palace at Lands End which is about Sutro Baths.  That establishment burned down before I was born and I have yet never heard anyone I know talk about going to the Baths.  I saw Sutro's: The Palace at Lands End at the Balboa in 2011.

Wyrsch's latest film is screening, not surprisingly, at the Balboa.  This time he has focused his lens on the Cliff House as can be gathered from the title of his latest film, The Cliff House & Sutro Heights.

The Cliff House & Sutro Heights; documentary; directed by Tom Wyrsch; (2013) - Official Website

The Cliff House is still in existence.  I've been there to dine, play the old time arcade games at the Musée Mécanique when it was there (it was relocated to Pier 45 in 2002) and see the Camera Obscura.  I think that makes The Cliff House different than the previous films I have seen by Wyrsch.

First, the Cliff House loses the nostalgia and for me, the shroud historical importance which comes from not having ever been there like Playland or Sutro Baths.  My memory of dining at the Cliff House 15+ years ago is that of a slightly overprice meal of mediocre quality with a view of a fogged in Pacific Ocean.  Not much to write home about.  Sutro Heights Park was, in my mind, the wooded and grassy area with statues around the corner from the Cliff House.

Putting aside my opinions of the Cliff House & Sutro Heights Park, The Cliff House feels like Wyrsch has gone to the well one too many times.  Many of the locals interviewed in The Cliff House appeared in Playland and Sutro's.  To a viewer who has seen all three documentaries, Wyrsch seems to be repeating himself.  Indeed, some of the interview subjects mentioned they would spend the day shuttling back & forth between Playland, Sutro Baths and the Cliff House.  It seems like a child's paradise.  I would likely have been doing it if I grew up in the area at the time.  The problem is that Wyrsch has covered this ground before and adds some background scenes regarding Playland and Sutro Baths which I recall from the previous films.

Not putting aside my opinions of the Cliff House & Sutro Heights Park  I wonder how much of nostalgia I would have agreed with if I had experienced Playland and Sutro Baths.  If Wyrsch can wax poetic about the current Cliff House, an establishment I am neutral about at best, what does it say about Playland and Sutro Baths.  Indeed, Wyrsch's documentary and conversations I have had indicate Playland was run down and somewhat seedy at the end.

Ultimately, who am I to challenge another man's nostalgia?  I'm the guy paying the admission price.  It was interesting to learn about the Victorian Chateau Cliff House which is the most grandiose of the four or five versions which have existed.  Gone for more than 100 years, that version only existed for 11 years before one of the many fires on the site destroyed it.  A freighter carrying gunpowder or some explosive ran aground nearby and exploded thus raining fiery debris on the Cliff House.  It was interesting the current Cliff House superimposed on the Victorian Chateau to get a sense of how much larger it was.

I don't know if I'm going to see anymore of Wyrsch's films if he continues documenting the Sunset District.  I say that but I'm always interested in San Francisco history.  Some of the interview subject mentioned the Merrie Way Stands which I was completely unaware of and sounds intriguing.  Also, I've always wanted to learn more about Fleishhacker Pool.

The Sutro Cliff House (aka Victorian Chateau, aka Gingerbread Palace)