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last week's News

DEAR FRIENDS,

The reaction to the redesigned news format by Andy Ellwood is fantastic. We will continue to make it better and to suit our readers’ interests.

I am just back from a truly mind-boggling, sensory-overload trip to India. The slums in SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE exist, everywhere…next to upscale shopping centers and fancy hotels. Mumbai, Goa and Kolkata were my destinations with the intention to learn about the Indian film world…Bollywood and Beyond. I saw a lot of movies and met film people ranging from classic directors like Mrinal Sen to some of the hottest new talent around. It is my hope to write up some of the adventures with some photos and put them in a blog . I will keep you informed.

THIS FRIDAY

We think we have a pretty exciting holiday lineup at the Balboa. Starting this Friday is the wonderfully audience-pleasing THE BLIND SIDE. Sandra Bullock once again proves she is a star in a film based on a true story of a family’s most unlikely undertaking. This is inspiring and will have audiences cheering with satisfaction. It is a perfect Thanksgiving treat. Tim McGraw, who most of us know as a singer, caught our attention with his performance in the film version of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS. He proves that he is a movie star here.

FREE POSTERS

We have a limited supply of original movie posters for THE BLIND SIDE we will be giving away while supplies last.

And be prepared because you may win a special football. Check the back of your ticket stub and be ready for a trivia quiz before selected shows.

COMING SOON

In December we have a terrific line-up;

December 4- Frederick Wiseman’s LA DANSE
December 11- Clint Eastwood’s INVICTUS starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon
December 25 - SHERLOCK HOLMES- The Balboa’s favorite actor, Robert Downey Jr. plays the detective as you’ve never seen him before. With Jude Law and Rachel McAdams.

See you at the movies.
Gary

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About This Week's Films

THE BLIND SIDE (PG-13)

Starring Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Kathy Bates.

Sandra Bullock ("The Proposal"), Tim McGraw ("Friday Night Lights") and Oscar® winner Kathy Bates ("Misery") star in Alcon Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures' "The Blind Side," which depicts the remarkable true story of All-American football star Michael Oher.

Teenager Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) is surviving on his own, virtually homeless, when he is spotted on the street by Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock). Learning that the young man is one of her daughter's classmates, Leigh Anne insists that Michael—wearing shorts and a t-shirt in the dead of winter—come out of the cold. Without a moment's hesitation, she invites him to stay at the Tuohy home for the night. What starts out as a gesture of kindness becomes much more as Michael becomes part of the Tuohy family despite the differences in their backgrounds.

Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. And as the family helps Michael fulfill his potential, both on and off the football field, Michael's presence in the Tuohys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own.

"The Blind Side" is directed by John Lee Hancock ("The Rookie"), who also wrote the screenplay based on the book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, by Michael Lewis. Gil Netter, Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove are producing the film with Molly Smith, Erwin Stoff and Tim Bourne serving as executive producers.

Rated PG-13 for one scene involving brief violence, drug and sexual references

Official Website

Win a poster signed by Sanra Bullock!

Enter our drawing n the Balboa lobby. No purchase necessary. Deadline December 11. Winner to be drawn at random.

"Bullock’s likeability has been an unsung virtue of American movies for the past decade. It’s key to the enjoyment of movies that could be better (Crash, While You Were Sleeping, The Lake House) and movies that are superb, such as Infamous (the good Truman Capote biopic), The Thing Called Love and now The Blind Side. All Bullock’s films promote an edifying sense of human experience—she has an instinct for what people like to see."
-Armond White, New York Press

"Bullock may have found her Erin Brockovich in Tuohy, commanding the screen with grit and determination in an Oscar-worthy role if ever there was one."
-Pete Hammond, Box Office

"An uplifting and entertaining feel-good, fact-based sports drama."
-- Joe Leydon, VARIETY

"Writer-director John Lee Hancock wisely lets the true story of Michael Oher speak for itself."
-- Glenn Whipp, ASSOCIATED PRESS

READ an article on Sandra Bullock and her role in the film

Sandra Bullock On Leigh Anne Tuohy

"Everything that I wore... every nail polish color, every sunglass collection... every Gucci bag... was from her closet of suggestions. She told me I needed to get a life. And I said, 'Lady, I'm playing you for three months - so I need your life.' And she gave it. Everything that you see is absolutely true to Leigh Anne."
Watch the entire video interview with Bullock and others at ETOnline.

The Rookie

Check out the video interviews with young star Quinton Aaron at Teen.com and MovieWeb!

Highly Coachable

That's what director John Lee Hancock told ESPN about the team of famous coaches he assembled for roles in the movie - including Nick Saban (Crimson Tide), Lou Holtz (Notre Dame), Houston Nutt (Ole Miss), Tommy Tuberville (Auburn), Phillip Fulmer (Tennessee), Ed Orgeron (Ole Miss) and others.
Read More

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COCO BEFORE CHANEL (PG-13)

Starring Audrey Tauto a film by Anne Fontaine. Fri - Thu: (2:35), 7:00

Several years after leaving the orphanage to which her father never returned for her, Gabrielle Chanel finds herself working in a provincial bar. She's both a seamstress for the performers and a singer, earning the nickname Coco from the song she sings nightly with her sister. A liaison with Baron Balsan gives her an entree into French society and a chance to develop her gift for designing increasingly popular hats. When she falls in love with English businessman Arthur Capel further opportunities open up, though life becomes ever more complicated.

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and smoking – 105 minutes

Official Website

"Look for Tautou in the remarkable scene in which Coco watches her models wearing her designs. The focus is intense, that of someone who has concentrated everything she has and everything she is into this one act of self-creation."
- Mick LaSalle, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

"Audrey Tautou could make lovability into a career."
- Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

"Coco is played by Audrey Tautou, and she's phenomenal--self-contained, tightly focused, sparing with her smiles, miserly with her joy, often guarded to the point of severity, yet giving off a grave radiance at every moment she's in front of the camera."
- Joe Morgenstern, WALL STREET JOURNAL

"This refreshing alternative to the usual potted biopic provides an absorbing look at a singular, steely determination as it was forged and annealed, long before it made itself known to the world."
- Ann Hornaday, WASHINGTON POST

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PARIS (R)

Starring Juliette Binoche and Romain Duris.

The exhilarating new film from Cédric Klapisch (L'Auberge Espagnole), Paris is a cinematic love letter to the city that seems to hide a story behind every corner. While waiting for a heart transplant, Pierre (Romain Duris) has his world invaded by his sister Elise (Juliette Binoche) and her three children. The growing awareness of his impending mortality, as well as the re-discovery of his sister and her life, gives Pierre a very different sense of how he might spend the time still left to him. The young man observes Paris and its people with a new outlook, learning to cherish even the smallest details and everyday things. Meanwhile, a respected professor (Fabrice Luchini) hopes for one more great romance in his life, while a vendor at an open-air market (Albert Dupontel) wonders what life is left for him now that he’s split from his wife.

Rated R for language and some sexual references – 130 minutes

Official Website

"Klapisch captures the bittersweet quality of those human contacts that seem to hold promise, but life goes by too fast for them to take root."
- Mick LaSalle, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

"Every character has life and depth. It's unusual for an episodic film to involve us so well in individual lives; as the narrative circles through their stories, we're genuinely curious about what will happen next."
- Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

"This is a kaleidoscopic valentine to a great city from a director who knows and loves his subject."
- Joe Williams, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

"Binoche shows off her rarely seen comic skills and, like Duris, gets a charming scene in which her dancing succinctly expresses much about her character, although Luchini's own hilarious-yet-graceful gyrations steal the show."
- Leslie Felperin, VARIETY

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"I’D RATHER BE AT THE BALBOA" DISCOUNT CARD NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

For a limited time through the holidays, the Balboa Discount Card can be purchased online! The “I’d Rather Be At The Balboa” Discount Card admits the holder to five shows and costs $32.50 (plus Brownpapertickets fees of $1.74); for a gift value of $42.50! That is a savings of nearly $10.00!

Two people can use the card at each visit. Good for 6 months from date of purchase.

Order as many Gift cards as you wish. Give one to yourself too.

Upon receipt of your order we guarantee that we will mail the gift card with a classic movie gift card on or by the next business day (we pay the postage.) We make no guarantees about holiday arrivals once we've put it in the postal services hands. Please remember when placing your order to include the mailing address with zip code or we can't stuff your stocking.

Available anytime at our box office or online here

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SAN FRANCISCO FOOD BANK

At this time of year we usually are thinking about those less fortunate than ourselves. Unfortunately people are homeless and hungry all year. But it is during the holidays that the San Francisco Food Bank has collection barrels available for us to place in our lobby.

For several years we have had tremendous success collecting food for the Food Bank's program to feed those in need. The Balboa's audience is made up of compassionate people who want to help and we appreciate your cooperation. You can bring food during operating hours. There is no limit and no purchase necessary of course.

The foods most needed are rice, pasta, canned fruits and vegetables, canned tuna and meats, soups, stews, chili, peanut butter and cereal. They must be in unopened containers and not be perishable. No glass containers or items that require refrigeration please.

From the SF Food Bank: HUNGER SHOULDN'T BE AN OPTION

Skipping dinner. Eating less - or eating less well. Giving up food in order to pay rent. This is what 150,000 people in San Francisco face every day.

The San Francisco Food Bank is the critical link between food and people. We provide food to over 132,000 people every year through 600+ community food programs.

Hunger impacts people in all walks of life. We reach them all - from working families to senior citizens. Together, we will distribute over 33 million pounds of food this year to meet an ever-growing need in our community.

Our mission is to end hunger in San Francisco. Join us today.

We also urge you to make a monetary donation. With every $1 donated, the Food Bank can distribute $9 worth of groceries, fresh produce, bread, dairy products and meat into the community.

For more information: www.sffoodbank.org

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NOW PLAYING AT THE VOGUE

Our friends at the Vogue Theatre, on Sacramento St., are opening

TWILIGHT: NEW MOON.

PG-13 for some violence and action. Running Time: 2 hours-10 minutes.

Friday: 2:00, 4:40, 7:30, 10:10

Saturday: 11:00, 2:00, 4:40, 7:30, 10:10

Sunday through Thursday: 2:00, 4:40, 7:30

Special Baby Matinee Show Tuesday, November 24th @11AM

SPECIAL LATE NIGHT SHOW Thursday Night November 19th Starting at One Minute Past Midnight (12:01AM Friday)

Coming in the Vogue’s Opera series Sunday, Nov. 22nd, 11AM -

LA RONDINE (PUCCINI)

More Info

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LOST LANDSCAPES OF SAN FRANCISCO 4

Friday, December 4, 2009 at 7:30 pm (doors 7:00 pm)
Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue at McAllister, San Francisco.

Rick Prelinger, a guerrilla archivist who collects the uncollected and makes it accessible, presents the fourth of his annual Lost Landscapes of San Francisco screenings. As in past years, Lost Landscapes 4 will be an eclectic montage of rediscovered and rarely-seen film clips showing life, landscapes, labor and leisure in a vanished San Francisco as captured by amateurs, newsreel cameramen and industrial filmmakers.

This year's Lost Landscapes will include much new and unseen material from Prelinger Archives and other collections, including newly discovered films shot by longtime San Francisco residents. Unlike most film screenings, Lost Landscapes relies on audience members for the soundtrack -- we encourage viewers to interact with the film, shout out questions and identify mystery scenes.

How we remember and record the past reveals much about how we address the future. Prelinger will preface the screening with a brief talk on how historical memory is shifting away from mass culture towards individual expression, and what consequences will arise from the emerging massive matrix of personal records.

Rick began collecting ephemeral films -- advertising, educational, industrial, and amateur works -- in 1983. In 2002, his collection of over 200,000 items was acquired by the Library of Congress; many key films are available online at the Internet Archive.

In 2004 Rick and Megan Prelinger opened the Prelinger Library in downtown San Francisco, which includes over 60,000 pieces of print ephemera, books, periodicals, maps and zines and is open to the public. Library information and hours are at prelingerlibrary.org.

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HOW TO GET THE BEST MOVIE DEALS - Even Free!!

The Balboa has the lowest prices in town and you get to see the hottest new movies in the comfort of an independently owned neighborhood theater with history. It was built in 1926 and, as we are told over and over, we’ve got the friendliest staff in town!

Just a reminder, that on your Birthday, you are our guest. That’s right. You get in free with proof of your birth date.

And at all other times you can get the "I’d Rather Be At the Balboa" Discount Card.

What a deal! 5 tickets to the Balboa for $32.50. That is only $6.50 per show. Good every day and night. And two people can use the card at once. You can go on a date even when you are low on cash with your Balboa Card. A savings of up to $12.50! Makes a perfect gift as well.

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PHOTOS IN THE LOBBY
QUANG-TUAN LUONG’S NATIONAL PARKS

Quang-Tuan Luong celebrates the splendor and variety of the natural and human heritage with his photography. He has been privileged to travel through an immense geographic range, from the top of the coldest mountain on earth to under tropical seas.

Born to Vietnamese parents in Paris, France, he was trained as a scientist (PhD U. Paris). The revelation of the high Alps led him to become a mountain climber and wilderness guide. When he came to the US to conduct research in the fields of Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing for what was to be a short stay, he chose UC Berkeley, because of the proximity to Yosemite--a world class rock climbing destination.

There, he felt in love with the National Parks and decided to photograph all of them with a 5x7 large format camera, a single-handed, self-financed, monumental project that had not been completed by anyone before. To that effect, he settled in the San Francisco Bay Area and started criss-crossing this country to capture it's diverse beauty. Luong's in-depth coverage of the Parks often dictated long hikes into the backcountry, with a 75 lb backpack, and only his passion and dedication to keep him company. By 2002, he had visited each of the 58 National Parks. He subsequently left his distinguished career as a scientist to work as a full-time photographer.

His photographs have been published in many books, and have appeared in several publications from National Geographic, Time, Life, Outside, Scientific American, GEO, and many others in dozens of countries around the world. However, he reached his largest audience through www.terragalleria.com, one of the most extensive and most visited of all individual photographers websites.

In the course of researching locations for their new documentary "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" (aired on PBS), Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan saw the images on that website, and used them to help plan their production. Impressed by their wealth and quality, they used some of his images to fill missing sequences in their cinematography. Intrigued by the story of Luong's life and project, they featured him as one of the few living characters in the film, a newcomer who was deeply moved by America's natural beauty, who has dedicated his efforts to raise awareness and respect for our national treasures.

All photographs are available as limited edition prints. To view them, or contact Quang-Tuan Luong, please visit www.terragalleria.com

To learn more about Ken Burns’ THE NATIONAL PARKS

Local showings on KQED

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KIM SON VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT DISCOUNT

With Balboa ticket stub 10% off food at Kim Son. Our staff and customers think this Vietnamese restaurant in one of the best places to eat in the neighborhood. Want to eat there before the show? Buy your ticket at the box office first and then show it at dinner. Make sure you keep it to get into the theater. This is an ongoing discount so you can also use it on your next visit to the neighborhood. Kim Son is just a few doors away from the Balboa at 3614 Balboa St

Read what others say.

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@yahoo.com

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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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 or #38 Ocean Beach
Also #5 Fulton and all 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 and Children $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.

The Balboa is Wheelchair and Handicapped Accessible

On Your Birthday, You Are Our Guest.

YOUR FAVORITE SNACK BAR

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

We serve Caffe Trieste Coffees, fine Tazo teas, chai, hot chocolate, Hebrew National Kosher hot dogs, Aidells' poultry Sausages, Veggie Dogs, IT'S-IT ice cream sandwiches, Ben and Jerry's Ice Creams, and Delicious Cookies.

We are proud of making a great fresh popcorn with 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!

Questions, comments, complaints, compliments, gossip? Send us a note

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