DEAR FRIENDS,

THE LAST STATION PREMIERES

As a director of the Telluride Film Festival I am a lucky guy. We are asked to screen movies before anyone has seen them and consider inviting them to the festival over Labor Day weekend. We have screened dozens of movies at Berlin and Cannes but the fun is discovering works nobody else knows about. Last summer one of the producers of THE LAST STATION asked us to watch it. We fell in love and invited the story of Tolstoy’s last years to the festival. This is not a dreary drama but both funny and serious in its presentation of a battles of wits and wills between Tolstoy, wonderfully played by Christopher Plummer and his wife, in another spectacular part brought to life by Helen Mirren. Working alongside them are Paul Giamatti and James McAvoy, each with their own agendas. Based on a terrific book by Jay Parini (see more in About This Week’s Movies), the film was nominated for 2 Golden Globes, 5 Spirit Awards and now 2 acting nominations from the Academy Awards. While Mirren has been deservedly nominated in the past, it is amazing to realize that this is Plummer’s first ever Oscar nomination.

Speaking of Oscar nominations, once again the Balboa screens feature movies with a lot of them. This week we can boast 13 Academy Award nominations as listed above. And do yourself a favor….rush to see THE HURT LOCKER on a theater screen. It is a powerful experience.

We congratulate Kathryn Bigelow, a native of Menlo Park. If you have not seen her previous films, check them out after you see THE HURT LOCKER. There is a very good chance she could beat her ex-husband, James Cameron and win Best Director. This has been happening at various awards during the past month and Cameron has been supportive and encouraging. I guess a billion dollar movie humbles some people.

OSCAR CONTEST

Once again the Balboa has its Oscar contest. We don’t wimp out like so many others who do a partial ballot. No way. You vote for everything. The winner gets a 2010 VIP Season’s Pass to the Balboa Theatre. All the movies you and your guest can see for free!

Ballots will be available in our lobby and on the website this weekend. They can be left at the Balboa or mailed to us but must be in our control no later than 5pm on Sunday, March 7 at the start of the big Oscar Party at the Balboa. You do not need to be present to win but you’ll miss out on a great time.
Good luck!

ONLY AT THE BALBOA- Win Great Prizes

Once again we are pleased to bring our audiences the chance to win prizes only available at the Balboa Theatre.

This weekend audiences will have a chance to win an original poster for THE LAST STATION signed by director Michael Hoffman. We’ll be giving them away before shows Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.

We’ll also be giving away passes to enjoy classics movies at Oakland Paramount movie palace. Check out their schedule below.

And a very special prize will be given away at then end of our engagement. On Spirit and Academy Awards weekend the cast and director of THE LAST STATION will sign a poster to be given away to a lucky Balboa patron. For your chance to win just fill out an entry form in the Balboa lobby. We will also be giving away a copy of the book THE LAST STATION autographed by author Jay Parini. Good luck.

WEB GURU NEEDED

The response to our redesigned newsletter and website has been wonderful. Andy Ellwood of Poppin Media…please take a bow. Andy lives in the Balboa neighborhood and jumped right in to bring our readers new innovations and pleasing visits to BalboaMovies.com But his success also means less time for the Balboa. Check him out at www.PoppinMedia.com Curtains up and take another bow, Mr. Ellwood. Thank you from all of us.

That leaves us needing a new person to prepare the weekly newsletter in a rich text format and post the news and weekly changes on the site. We can offer you free movies and occasional free tickets to live theater and concerts. If you are qualified (HTML/CSS/Photoshop) and interested, please contact me at balboafans@yahoo.com.

Sincerely,
Gary and the Balboa Staff

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COMING SOON TO THIS THEATER NEAR YOU

Coming Feb. 12: VALENTINE’S DAY – Romantic comedy from the director of Pretty Woman, starring Jessica Alba, Kathy Bates, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, George Lopez, Shirley MacLaine, Julia Roberts, and more!

Official Site       View Trailer

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THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7: RUSSIAN TRIBUTE HAS SOLD OUT.

There will be no tickets at the door. Sorry.

COMING FEBRUARY 14: BEACH BLANKET BINGO PRESENTED BY THRILLVILLE!

COWABUNGA! CELEBRATE VALENTINE'S DAY IN SAN FRANCISCO - AT THE BEACH!

Thrillville, the roving "cult movie cabaret" hosted by Will "the Thrill" Viharo and his lovely assistant and patient wife, Monica "Tiki Goddess," presents the popular 1965 "beach party" cult classic, BEACH BLANKET BINGO, starring Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, DONNA LOREN, Harvey Lembeck, Linda Evans, Paul Lynde, Don Rickles and Buster Keaton.

This one has it all: surf music, teenage romance, beautiful scenery, bikers, bikinis, go-go dancing, and even a mermaid (young Linda Evans)! Along with a screening of the film, considered the best of this sun-baked genre, there will be classic beach party trailers, snack ads and a cartoon! Prizes, too!

Special musical guest, San Francisco's own burlesque bunny KITTEN ON THE KEYS!

And, a very special celebrity guest: swingin' 60s singing sensation and beach bunny icon DONNA LOREN, performing vintage hit tunes as well songs from her new album, "Love It Away".

Donna Loren as the "Dr Pepper Girl "

Donna singing "Goldfinger " on "Shindig "

Donna as the Joker's moll on "Batman "

Donna singing "It Only Hurts When I Cry " from "Beach Blanket Bingo "

Donna singing "It Only Hurts When I Cry " - NOW!

Donna will be signing autographs and selling CDs in the lobby, don't miss this chance to meet a real groovy legend in the flesh!

All Tickets $10.00

Advance tickets available at: BrownPaperTickets

Thrillville     More info

And be sure to attend the world's most fabulous beach party ever in the history of everything... the original BEACH BLANKET BABYLON!

The always-changing Steve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon is the world's longest running musical revue. Packed with hilarious spoofs of pop culture & political characters, outrageously gigantic hats and one show-stopping number after another, the show continues to dazzle audiences at Club Fugazi in San Francisco's North Beach district.

Snow White continues her fast-paced musical journey around the world in search of her "Prince Charming" in Steve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon at Club Fugazi in San Francisco's North Beach. Along the way she encounters a star-studded, ever-changing line-up of hilarious pop-culture characters, including Tiger Woods, President Barack & Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga, Sarah Palin, Levi Johnston, Susan Boyle, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and her husband Bill, Oprah Winfrey, Taylor Swift & Kanye West, Chaz (Chastity) Bono, Adam Lambert and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

For tickets or additional information, visit beachblanketbabylon.com or call 415.421.4222

The grand prize at Thrillville's Valentine's Party will be a pair of tickets to this incredible show!

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Coming Feb. 28: BALBOA BIRTHDAY BASH

Get ready for the annual Balboa Birthday Bash when we take you back to 1926. We’ll be showing THE CAT AND THE CANARY with Laura LaPlante and featuring a live vaudeville show and birthday cake after. More details to come.

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Coming March 7: ACADEMY AWARDS PARTY

Our first Golden Globes was great fun and the big one is coming. We will be having our annual Oscar® celebration with the popular Reed Kirk Rahlmann returning as your Master of Ceremonies. And through the miracle of DVR, you won't miss any of the Academy Awards® while we have a little fun during the commercials.

Come dressed as your favorite nominated film (bad puns and outrageous spoofs encouraged) or performer. We'll have a costume contest and lots of surprises and prizes including autographed posters of nominated films.

About This Week's Movies

THE LAST STATION

NOMINATED FOR TWO ACADEMY AWARDS!
Helen Mirren – Actress in a Leading Role
Christopher Plummer – Actor in a Supporting Role

THE LAST STATION focuses on two contrasting love stories along with the problems faced in and around the relationships. One is the extraordinary relationship between Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer), the famous Russian novelist, and his wife of 48 years, the Countess Sofya (Helen Mirren); and the other is the burgeoning love between Valentin (James McAvoy), Tolstoy's idealistic young private secretary, and Masha (Kerry Condon), a teacher equally committed to the writer's values.

Sofya is engaged in a ferocious battle for her husband's soul against Chertkov (Paul Giamatti), Tolstoy's trusted disciple, and Tolstoy's daughter Sasha (Anne-Marie Duff). Using every bit of cunning and every trick of seduction, Sofya fights for what she believes is hers; while Chertkov is able to persuade Tolstoy of the damage she will do to his glorious legacy.

Official Website

THE LAST STATION was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and 5 Spirit Awards and is expected to be nominated by the Academy Awards.

Rated R for a scene of sexuality/nudity. 112 Minutes.

"The complicated marriage between Leo Tolstoy and his wife Sofya has been turned into a showcase for tasty acting by Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren."
- Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

For more Reviews and Interviews: Click Here

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THE HURT LOCKER

With Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty

NOMINATED FOR NINE ACADEMY AWARDS!

Based on the personal wartime experiences of journalist Mark Boal (who adapted his experiences with a bomb squad into a fact-based, yet fictional story), director Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq War-set action thriller The Hurt Locker presents the conflict in the Middle East from the perspective of those who witnessed the fighting firsthand -- the soldiers.

As an elite Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team tactfully navigates the streets of present-day Iraq, they face the constant threat of death from incoming bombs and sharp-shooting snipers. In Baghdad, roadside bombs are a common danger. The Army is working to make the city a safer place for Americans and Iraqis, so when it comes to dismantling IEDs (improvised explosive devices) the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) crew is always on their game.

But protecting the public isn't easy when there's no room for error, and every second spent dismantling a bomb is another second spent flirting with death. Now, as three fearless bomb technicians take on the most dangerous job in Baghdad, it's only a matter of time before one of them gets sent to "the hurt locker." Jeremy Renner, Guy Pearce, and Ralph Fiennes star.

Rated R for war violence and language – 131 minutes

Official Website

"The film is Bigelow's latest and, in many ways, strongest work -- vivid, assured and extremely suspenseful. Taking moviegoers by the collar and throwing them headlong into one horrifying life-and-death situation after another, Bigelow and her collaborators remind us that cinema, like war, is a drug."
- Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

For more Reviews and Interviews: Click Here

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INVICTUS

NOMINATED FOR TWO ACADEMY AWARDS!
Morgan Freeman – Actor in a Leading Role
Matt Damon – Actor in a Supporting Role

Official site     View Trailer

Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa’s underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match.

Directed by Clint Eastwood, screenplay by Anthony Peckham based on book by John Carlin.

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language. 134 Minutes.

"It’s an exciting sports movie, an inspiring tale of prejudice overcome and, above all, a fascinating study of political leadership."
- -A.O. Scott, The New York Times

For more Reviews and Interviews: Click Here

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FREE POPCORN WITH YOUR "I’D RATHER BE AT THE BALBOA" DISCOUNT CARD!

Now, as an added treat for our most regular movie-goers, each discount card gets you one free complimentary size popcorn per card. You choose the visit that you would like to redeem it--just bring your card to the concession stand to receive your free popcorn on us. Thank you.

More Info

NOW PLAYING AT THE VOGUE

MOSTLY BRITISH FILM FESTIVAL

ON-SALE NOW: $50 FESTIVAL PASS SPECIAL FOR BALBOA SUBSCRIBERS!

Tickets for the 2nd Annual MOSTLY BRITISH FILM FESTIVAL are now on sale and they're offering an incredible deal to Balboa Theatre Subscribers- a $50 Festival Pass. The Festival Pass offers unlimited access to the 2010 Festival including over 30 films and the opening and closing night films and receptions.

A limited number of $50 Festival Passes are available so act fast to take advantage of this special deal before the price jumps to the regular $75 rate (select "Series Discount/Series Partner" when buying your pass and print this email to show when you pick up your pass).

Tickets and full details about the festival are available at www.mostlybritish.org.

The Opening Night Film of the Festival will be LONDON RIVER and Closing Night will feature LOOKING FOR ERIC. Other highlights include BALIBO and the British Crime Drama THE RED RIDING TRILOGY. David Thomson of the New York Review of Books recently referred to THE RED RIDING TRILOGY as "better than THE GODFATHER". The festival will also feature terrific animated films including a modern PETER & THE WOLF and Australia's MARY AND MAX - both shortlisted for Oscars. The Festival will screen over 30 films throughout 8 days at the Vogue! Get your tickets now!

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PARAMOUNT THEATRE WINTER CLASSICS SERIES

We are blessed in the Bay Area to have a handful of true movie palaces still showing great movies….the Castro, Stanford and our favorite, The Paramount in Oakland. The theater will once again host a selection of great classics with cartoons, prizes and tremendous fun.

The Balboa will be giving away passes at weekend shows.

Next Show is FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19 @ 8:00 PM
THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI
Running time: 87 minutes
Box Office opens @ 6:00pm | Doors open @ 7:00 | Curtain rises @ 8:00pm
All Tickets: $5.00

THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (1947) - One of director Orson Welles' most brilliant works and arguably one of the great American surrealist works of art. Welles' film noir classic follows Michael O'Hara, an Irish seaman, petty criminal, and aspiring novelist (played by Welles himself) through a maze of twists, betrayals, and double-crosses from New York City down the coast of Mexico, to Acapulco, and finally to San Francisco. Rita Hayworth turns in a brilliant portrayal of an abused wife whose seductive machinations transform her into a figure of evil just as monstrous as the sadistic calculating husband (Everett Sloane) whom she plots to destroy. The finale, a shoot-out in a hall of mirrors, is legendary in the annals of avant-garde film.

2025 Broadway, Oakland ~ (510) 465-6400
Take BART and exit at the 19th Street Station

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PHOTOS IN THE LOBBY QUANG-TUAN LUONG’S INDIA SERIES

Quang-Tuan Luong, the artist responsible for our very popular National Parks series, has brought in a new show with some of his gorgeous prints from India.

For More Information:

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BALBOA THEATRE INFO

3630 Balboa Street (37th Ave)
San Francisco 94121
(415) 221-8184
www.BalboaMovies.com

Bike Rack in front of the Balboa
Muni Bus #31 Balboa or #18 46th Ave stop at Balboa &37th., Also #5 Fulton and all 38 Geary Street buses stop two (long) blocks from Balboa.
Relatively easy Parking

San Francisco's Favorite Neighborhood Theatre
Voted by the Bay Guardian, SF Weekly, SF Gate's A List and San Francisco Magazine

General Admission: $9.00
Seniors (60+) and Children (11-) $6.50
Bargain Matinees: All Seats $6.50 for shows in ( )

SCHOOL NIGHT - Mondays are School Days and Nights. With proof of being a student, faculty or staff member, your admission is only $6.50 on Mondays.

On Your Birthday, You Are Our Guest.

The Balboa is Wheelchair and Handicapped Accessible.

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YOUR FAVORITE SNACK BAR

Great Snack Bar selection at reasonable prices. Your favorite candies including Dove, Toberlerone, and Ghirardelli chocolates.

We serve Caffe Trieste Coffees, fine Tazo teas, chai, hot chocolate, hot dogs, Aidells' poultry Sausages, Veggie Dogs, Dreyer's Dibs, and Delicious Cookies.

And of course fresh popcorn made with sunflower oil and real butter.

No More Naked Popcorn.

Have you tried our complimentary popcorn seasonings?

We have a wide assortment from Kernel Seasonings.

Try White Cheddar, Caramel, Parmesan, Garlic and more...

We also have Nutritional Yeast that has proven to be one of our most popular toppings. And now hot sauce!

NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANTS

One of the strengths of the Balboa is our neighborhood. Other than the bank, all the businesses are family owned and operated. The restaurants are especially wonderful. On the outer Balboa strip there are 24 eating establishments by my count. You can eat Chinese, Japanese, Egyptian, Italian, American, Mexican, Seafood and Vietnamese cuisines. The foods are fresh, distinctive and all reasonably priced. The media food critics have only discovered a few of them but the locals know a good thing. We encourage you to enjoy a meal at one of these fine eateries while visiting the Balboa. All are within easy walking distance. And please send us reviews and recommendations we can share with our other guests. Send reviews to balboafans (at) yahoo.com . (Change (at) to @. We are trying to avoid spam.)

We love it when you send us a review of a neighborhood restaurant you've enjoyed. We encourage you all to write about your culinary adventures in the Outer Richmond.

Check out the Menu Book in our lobby and our COMPLETE NEW RESTAURANT LIST.

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