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Four
Stars for Small SF Theater Still Going Strong
By
Jorgio Castro
| The
350 seat art house has managed to stay open amidst
the rampant sprouting of multiplexes by featuring
films that cannot be found anywhere else in the
Bay Area. |
Nestled
in the upper-middle class suburban streets of San Francisco's
Richmond District stands the 4 Star Theater, one of
the few independently owned theater screens still left
in the city. Opened in 1912 and originally named "La
Bonita," the 350 seat art house has managed to
stay open amidst the rampant sprouting of multiplexes
by featuring films that cannot be found anywhere else
in the Bay Area. Its specialty, "alternative cinema
from around the world," concentrates mainly on
films from the Asia Pacific. Treated to a double bill
on this night as part of its "Hong Kong Movie Madness"
program, APA webmaster David Liu and I watched two hilarious
kung fu movies which left me with a greater appreciation
for both martial arts action and the 4 Star Theater.
The
first of the double bill was "The Master,"
a 1989 film starring Jet Li in which Li's character
comes to New York to find and protect his xifu (master)
against a former student-turned-gang leader. As might
be imagined, hilarity ensues from the clash of cultures,
as Li attempts to teach three Latino friends a few kung
fu moves in an effort to save his master. And we cannot
forget the subtitles, which are half the fun since English
is mistranslated from English. For anyone who counts
himself a fan of action comedies, this movie will certainly
satiate the palate.
After
a short intermission we were treated to one of the earlier
directorial works of renowned "Matrix" choreographer
Yuen Wo-Ping. "The Miracle Fighters" is the
first in the hilarious Yuen Clan's action comedy series,
which also includes fan favorite "Taoism Drunkard."
In this movie, a young warrior is mistaken for a long-lost
prince. When a pre-Michael Keaton version of Batman
attempts to return him to the kingdom and pass him off
as the actual article, the young man ends up seeking
protection with two ageing, bitter sorcerers. The last
half hour of the movie is a sorcerers' championship
battle which was not only packed with action, but side
splitting as well. The ending is honestly one of the
funniest things I have ever seen in cinema and definitely
a must-see.
Hong
Kong Movie Madness plays every Thursday night through
July 31st.
Courtesy of Hkinsf.com/4star |
HKMM
runs through July 31st, featuring a veritable cornucopia
of kung fu movies, including "Kids from Shaolin,"
"Magnificent Butcher," and "Fist of Legend"
just to name a few. The theater also runs programs such
as "Midnights for Maniacs," as well as showing
reruns of cult classic American movies. Such programs
are what have attracted audiences to the theater for
decades, and will most certainly continue to do so in
the near future.
Starting
on August 7th and continuing through the 28th, the theater
will be hosting its 7th Annual Asian Film Festival.
APA will be there to bring you a taste of the classic
movies as well as the new releases on hand from countries
all throughout the Asia Pacific. The list includes films
from Hong Kong, Japan, The Philippines, China, Taiwan
and South Korea among many more.
For
more information on the theater and its upcoming events,
call (415) 666-3488, visit www.hkinsf.com/4star,
or visit the theater itself on 23rd Avenue and Clement
in San Francisco.
July
18, 2003
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