The Ones that Got Away and The Ones That Are Coming Up

I will note that I completely skipped this year's DocFest (June 6 to 23) and Frameline (June 20 to 30) film festivals.  I saw 28 film screenings in June so it's not as though I had a lot of time to squeeze those two festivals into my itinerary.

I considered buying a six pack for DocFest but never pulled the trigger.  This is the first year that DocFest is in June so I'll have to work on making time to see it.  I have long supported Jeff Ross and the Indiefest team.

I plan on seeing several films at the 2013 San Francisco Silent Film Festival starting on Thursday and running through Sunday, July 21.  I'm also eyeing a few screenings at the 2013 San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (July 25 to August 12).  I just purchased tickets to some of the screenings at the Japan Film Festival (July 27 to August 4) at the Viz.

I also read there was a shooting on the same block as the Roxie Theater.  I have written before about how that area of the Mission is becoming more dangerous.  The latest shooting occurred outside the Double Dutch bar, an establishment that Indiefest has had events at before.  I've never been there but I have been to Doctor Bombay's (Bewitched reference) the previous bar in that location.

The Puzzle Within the Castro Theater's July Calendar

A new month, a new Castro Theater calendar. The calendar came out last week but I've been so busy that...same old excuse - too busy to blog.

This was an easy one although I have yet to solve one of these puzzles without help.

July 8 - Redd Foxx was immediately recognizable despite looking younger than the Sanford and Son days when h I first saw him.

July 9 - I did not recognize this woman.  When I showed my co-worker the calendar, he immediately recognized Betty White.  I would guess the photo is from around the time White was on the Mary Tyler Moore Show.  I watched that show during its original network broadcast as a child but didn't recognize White.  I'd like to think I would have made the connection but my co-worker was too quick in identifying White for me to make that claim.

July 15 - I immediately recognized Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi as the Blue Brothers.  Obviously there was a film called The Blues Brothers (1980) staring Ackroyd & Belushi but the Blues Brothers released several albums and performed live at many venues including the final show at Winterland.  When performing, Ackroyd & Belushi did not break character and they developed intricate backstories and biographies of the characters.  They also hired top-notch musicians for their band.

Redd, White and Blues can only mean Red, White and Blue in celebration of Independence Day.

I drew a blank on the guy sitting on the wall in the July 4 rectangle.  I'm not sure if the July 4 item is part of the puzzle.

As for the films, July looks like a good month at the Castro.  I'm a big fan of Jaws (July 3).  Robert Shaw gave a great performance.  I've long wanted to see Night of the Hunter (July 11).  Another favorite of mine is The Exorcist (July 12).  Mercedes McCambridge's voice performance is incredible.  The Craft (July 13 with Peaches Christ) is one of my guilty pleasures.  It's the first time I saw Fairuza Balk.  On July 17, they are screening a pair of Jim Jarmusch's anthologies - Mystery Train and Night of Earth.

The San Francisco Silent Film Festival and the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival occupy much of the  rest of the Castro's July calendar.

Castro Theater Calendar - July 2013