I was lucky enough to live in San Francisco from 1997-1999. I didn’t have a car, as public transportation is an absolute beast there. Plus it’s a very walkable city. After couch-surfing for a year after I arrived, I landed a super small, yet amazing studio apartment on O’Farrell and Polk on the outskirts of the Tenderloin district. A bit rough around the edges, but charming nonetheless-the-less.
On the weekends after a late shift flipping burgers and dressing open-face sandwiches for all types of beautiful people at Margie’s Diner (not there anymore) I would stop by the corner bodega grab a beer on my walk home and stay up late watching reruns of “Streets of San Francisco”. This cop show starred a young Michael Douglas and golden age veteran actor, Karl Malden (On the Water Front). As I watched, I could sometimes hear actual sirens in the distance. Aside from the seriousness of whatever was taking place out there, I relished the fun parallel with what was happening on my little tv screen and outside my bay window. It was like the scene in Goonies where the kids are watching a car chase on the TV, it off and are confused when they still hear the sounds of an actual car chase outside their home. There was a beautiful rawness to living smack dab in the city. Maybe it was timing, maybe it is rose-tinted glasses that I have put on, but either way, I look back on those days fondly.
During this time I really developed (pun intended) an even deeper love for filmmaking and the movies. With the particular degree I was seeking, I was able to take classes other than painting. Classes like Film History, Experimental Documentary Film, Filmmaking 101, etc. One of my professors, surrealist collage animator, Lawrence Jordan showed me the ropes. He taught me how to shoot, develop 8/16mm film, edit, and splice (with a cutter and tape). Film and the moving image became more and more a part of my creative makeup as I learned more about it.
There was a enormous multistory AMC cinema multiplex right down the street where I caught so many movies. Halloween H20, The Matrix, You’ve Got Mail, Face/Off – the list goes on and on. These blockbuster nights were super fun and easy for me to attend. Buuuuuuut, one of my favorite movie going experiences of all time, is seeing Fritz Lang’s “M” in a stunning 35mm print at the one and only, Castro Theatre. Goodness gracious, what a beauty. The film AND the theatre. Walking into that theatre is an experience itself. You can smell the glorious vintage. Red. Velvet. Gold. Every. Where. Complete with a cinema organist (traditionally used to accompany silent films) slowly rising up from the stage as in the days of yore. After his sweet melodies, the lights dim and the flicker begins. This theatre is absolutely gorgeous. (I encourage you to do a web image search)
