Noir City Film Festival

I swear this festival gets better each year. The quality of the prints, the selection, the melding of the themes of the films shown during the festival is really terrific. You can see the level of preparation and planning and thought that goes into the operation.
My only caution is that each of the last two years they’ve not had my name on the list to pick up my pass which was in will call; I kept my receipt from brown paper tickets so I was fine, but you’re wise to do the same. And let’s face it, that’s no big deal.

Everyone thinks 1940’s & ’50’s Hollywood was a time of glamour, glitz, and a kind of cinema that wasn’t realistic. Life was sanitized, good guys wore white while the bad wore black, and in the end light always prevailed over darkness. What most people don’t know these days is that a shadowy, fatalistic, and morally grey kind of movie was being filmed at that time, one that depicted femme fatales & the weak hearted men who couldn’t resist them amidst a world that wasn’t sunny & warm, but full of chiaroscuro. Basically a crime is the center of all these flicks, a crime usually centered around murder. Beautiful blondes could be nympho psychotics, police officers sociopathic, ex-​GI war heroes racists, a preacher a delusional lunatic and the average Joe could betray his ideal & beliefs suddenly, when chance threw him a monkey wrench.
I suppose that’s the twisted beauty of Film Noir, and why it endures for a modern audience, when most other films from the era are forgotten. Human nature isn’t so simple. We may live in a world where sunny skies shine but the night will arrive. During the day, clouds might roll in, and make it overcast or foggy, dimming our eyes. Regardless of the environment or elements, we have to live our lives. amidst our own nature’s uncertainty in a world that isn’t stable. Dealing with our problems can be tough enough, but those of others? The world is full of conflict, after all, and heartbreak. Noir doesn’t have a silver lining. Sometimes there aren’t happy endings & we don’t always get answers that are cathartic.
Oh, about this festival? I’ve been to the last several, and it was a blast, even if some of the people watching seemed fake. The well-​known flicks with the b’s, some restoration projects being shown, while some of the actors/​actress showing up to talk about their experiences. Prints are almost always in excellent shape. Double features are usually $ 10.

One of the best film festivals — they always have a great selection of films and it’s so much fun to just settle into a seat and enjoy these films. Great job, folks!

This is absolutely one of my favorite things to do in SF and has been for the past 10 years. Eddie Muller, the Czar of Noir, and his team do an amazing job of putting together a fantastic roster of films for a truly unique event. Not only are the films fun to watch, the electric energy of the film noir fans is contagious. Eddie’s knowledge and enthusiasm for film noir really shines as he introduces the movies and even if you aren’t a fan of the genre, it is definitely something to check out. In the end, like me, you may end up getting to be a fan of film noir after all.

I think one of the most fun things about film noir is that there are so many lost gems out there that film festivals like this one can dig up and show to appreciative audiences. With a very limited budget and a few character actors, a truly awesome film noir could be made. And this is the venue to see them.
The 2010 Noir City Film Festival featured a lot of films that are not available on DVD or VHS and several that probably never will be (BOO!). And the Castro Theatre is an excellent place to settle in with a couple hundred other film noir buffs, and some newbies, too, and take in some good, dark flicks. Nothing like a real movie palace (and not a dumpy duplex) to truly enjoy the art of film.
This year, I saw four films I had never even heard of– Crash Out, Loophole, The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry and So Evil My Love. The first and last were my favorites, but they were all very worth watching. And the audience was totally into them, which just makes it better. Although they tend to get a little too excited in a few inappropriate places sometimes. I really wish I could have taken the whole week off so I could have gone to all the movies. Darn work.

I attended my very first Film Noir festival last night at The Castro Theater and it was a lot of fun. And, what a bargain! Where can you go to see a double feature for $ 10.00?
It was also very enjoyable to hear people in the audience laugh and react to the various scenes and dialog to the movie. Staying at home and watching movies is not the same. Events like this make going out to the movies really fun.
It was good to see so many people of all ages and backgrounds taking an interest in some classic movies that are in need of preservation. When people attend events like this it helps various foundations and organizations in their work to restore and preserve classic old movies.
This is one film festival that I will attend again. Lots of fun!

My favorite time of year is coming — Noir City Film Festival!
Are you broke? Desperate? In love with the wrong person? No matter how bad things are, just remember that if film noir has taught us anything, it’s taught us that it can always get worse! And it probably will.
So grab your hat and coat and watch someone else suffer for a change.

I will add what an incredible deal this is. A double feature, at a historic theatre, in one of the most expensive citys around. Everyone is all dolled up. It makes for a glamorous night out for very little cash. In San Francisco that is as rare as the films they show!

The annual Noir City event has just closed out its fifth year in San Francisco. After a brief stint at the Balboa, the festival returned to the Castro Theatre.
There truly is no better way to see these classic films than at a historic, single screen theatre like the Castro. Along with restored prints, rare films that aren’t on DVD, let alone, videocassette, are also shown during the week-​long festival. Opening night features a Q & A with a famous actor/​actress during that era – a real treat, seeing that those that are still around, won’t be for much longer.
It’s a must-​see for film and film noir fans, alike. Bookmark it, and catch it next winter.

I’ve gone to this the past couple years, and it’s a fantastic experience everytime. To see these classic noir films being projected from actual 35 mm prints instead of from a DVD is a hypnotic experience and really bring some new life into these films.
The crowd at the fest is always great, with a few people showing up in character, fedora and all.
I highly recommend you make it to at least one night of screenings and enjoy the live lounge music and maybe a drinky winky.